It's a big second year coming up for Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. After proving many of his doubters wrong with one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in league history, he hopes to ride that momentum into 2019.
Baker Mayfield became the first quarterback in the league to throw 27 touchdown passes in his rookie season, providing the team's best year since 2014. In an improved offense with Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt, Mayfield will attempt to elevate his game.
Many will wonder where the former Heisman Trophy winner ranks among active NFL quarterbacks. It's still early to say where the former first pick stands in the league after one season, but we'll do just that.
Where does Baker Mayfield stand among his peers?
When looking at the quarterback class of 2018, he's ahead of everyone else in that class.
Sam Darnold is the closest performer to Baker for the best QB from this draft class, but he is still behind. When looking at Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson, they still have a ways to go.
Let's look at some of the other guys he's ahead of in the rankings.
- The likely starting rookies of this year (Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins) can be put below the former Sooner.
- Some of the aging quarterbacks whose longevity doesn't necessarily translate to quality: Joe Flacco and Eli Manning.
- Quarterbacks who have played in a small number of games: Nick Foles and Jimmy Garoppolo are also below Mayfield.
- Guys with questionable futures: Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, Matthew Stafford, and Marcus Mariota can all be placed under the former walk-on as well.
Let's look into the quarterbacks who are ahead of Baker.
- Anybody with an MVP award is above him: Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, and Tom Brady.
- His AFC peers who made the Pro Bowl last season: Andrew Luck, Deshaun Watson, and Philip Rivers all rank above him as well.
- Some veteran quarterbacks with Super Bowls rank ahead of him: Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson.
This is where it starts to get a little murky.
The Quarterbacks Who Are Hard To Place Around Mayfield
Consider Mitchell Trubisky. He finished his second season by being selected to the Pro Bowl and helping the Chicago Bears get to the playoffs. Yet, he's an enigma: His lesser abilities are minimized by Matt Nagy's offensive schemes.
Kirk Cousins is going into the second year of one of the most significant contracts in league history. He has the statistics from his time in Washington to back up why he was given the first-ever guaranteed deal, but he is only an 8-8 quarterback who must bust through that ceiling to prove he is better than his current results show.
Trubisky and Cousins are behind Baker. A couple of guys who are ahead of him are Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.
Wentz was an MVP candidate before his ACL tear. He was a big reason for the Eagles winning Super Bowl LII. He still looked like the same player when he came back from injury last season.
Jared Goff helped his team get to the Super Bowl last season. He fell short, but he was a critical part of that offense's success.
As for the remaining quarterbacks not mentioned, they are Derek Carr and Dak Prescott. I decided they're both ahead of Baker Mayfield as well. Carr is a former MVP candidate on a terrible team, and Prescott has a excellent track record and a similar rise as a rookie quarterback.
With all of this said, Baker Mayfield is in the top half of quarterbacks in the league at No. 16. He has the potential to go higher if he improves upon his rookie campaign from last season.
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