Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has emerged as a serious darkhorse candidate to be the first signal-caller taken in the 2018 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, lingering concerns about his height have seemingly prevented him from becoming a bonafide No. 1 overall pick.
Needless to say, Mayfield has taken offense to the doubts surrounding his game due to a lack of size. According to Steve Serby of the New York Post, he feels height is hardly a determining factor in becoming a successful quarterback:
“It angers me when people say that height actually matters, because there’s guys in the NFL that prove it day in and day out that it doesn’t,” Mayfield said. “If you can pick up and throw a ball, you can. And if you can win games, you can. So a lot of that stuff that people used to think mattered a lot, those measurables don’t exactly [matter] anymore. It’s about winning games and getting your teammates to play hard.”
The prototypical NFL quarterback usually stands no shorter than 6-foot-3. Although Mayfield falls well short of the height criteria, he feels his intangibles help make up for it.
Fortunately for Mayfield, there are enough examples of current signal-callers who have enjoyed plenty of success despite their lack of size. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees have made a solid case for shorter players looking for their shot under center. That said, Mayfield has already been linked to the Cleveland Browns, who own the first and fourth overall picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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