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Former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has been selected with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night.
It had been long been believed that USC's Sam Darnold and Wyoming's Josh Allen were in the conversation for the first overall pick. Mayfield enters a situation where he won't be required to start right away with the Browns, as they already have a proven starting quarterback in place with offseason addition Tyrod Taylor.
Mayfield is coming off a highly successful four-year collegiate career where he became one of the nation's top quarterbacks. He put together his best campaign in his senior year where he led the country's most productive offense while completing 71 percent of his passes for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdown passes, helping him the 2017 Heisman Trophy award. He also won the Maxwell Award, which is given to the best player in the country, and the Davey O'Brien Award that is presented to the best quarterback that season.
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The 23-year-old also earned the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year twice, two First-Team All-American nods, and three First-Team All-Big 12 selections. Mayfield has been touted for his accuracy, poise in the pocket, and decision making that helped him find much success at the collegiate level.
There are several questions surrounding his career regarding his on-the-field behavior at times. He was involved in a couple of questionable incidents this past season that include grabbing his crotch on the sidelined during a blowout win over Kansas. He also decided to plant the Oklahoma flag at midfield at Ohio Stadium after beating Ohio State. Mayfield had also been involved in a well-documented incident with law enforcement where he ran away from them while intoxicated.
Despite these issues, Mayfield has shown plenty of promise on the field to develop into a potential franchise quarterback at the next level for the next decade if he can manage his behavior.
