Baker Mayfield was the number one overall draft pick in the2018 NFL draft going to the struggling Cleveland Browns. He was a very controversial pick for many people due to other players such as Saquon Barkley and the way Baker carries himself. The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner has turned the tide for the Browns, changing their 0-16 record from last year to having the Browns achieving their first win in over 600 days to ending the season a game short of a winning record. Along with other achievements he has done for the Browns already and just as a rookie, I say within the next few years, Baker Mayfield will be one of, if not the top quarterback, in the NFL.
Baker Mayfield has had a hot start for the Browns this year, though many people don’t recognize it. Baker is definitely underrated as quarterbacks go. Mayfield is only a 23 year old rookie, he will grow and develop just as great players such as himself do. For example, compare his stats to others. Tom Brady, one of the games top quarterbacks’ stats of his first year starting (since he only played one game as a rookie) don’t even compare to Baker Mayfield. Within just twelve games, had more passing yards than Brady. Baker ended his historic season with 3,725 passing yards, verses Tom Brady’s 2,843 passing yards in his first main year in the NFL. Baker has over 200 more passing yards than Tom and just for a rookie, 3,000 plus yards is a pretty decent number since playing in the NFL is a huge jump from playing in college. Even the 27 touchdowns Mayfield has beaten the all time rookie touchdown record making him the first rookie ever to have 27 touchdowns as a quarterback. Brady only had 18 touchdowns and with Mayfield’s 310 completions to Brady’s 264, and Mayfield’s QB ration of 93.7 and Brady’s 86.5 show just how good Mayfield is right now and what his future will have in store for him. These stats along with his good completion percentage of 63.8% are only the beginning of what Baker Mayfield will become as he settles in the NFL.
In the past years, the Browns have typically chosen a quarterback for their first or second round pick as they did again with Mayfield. Most of these picks, however, did not perform to their given hype and expectations. For example, last year's quarterback was DeShone Kizer. There was a lot of excitement with this pick thinking he would carry the Browns to a good season, but that turned into the opposite. The Browns went 0-16 last year. He wasn’t horrible and that wasn’t all his fault, but Mayfield has done so much better and lead the Browns to multiple wins already this year. Kizer had some good things and bad things. His 2,949 passing yards was an alright thing, not too good, not too bad, but he had 23 interceptions. 23! That’s a lot. Granted it was his rookie year and the NFL is a lot different than college but Mayfield only had 14. The hype given to DeShone Kizer has been ruined and he is now a backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, but Mayfield has lived up to and exceeded his projections. Nothing has phased him coming into the NFL and he is only getting started. Since coming in, he has ruined the “curse” the Browns have had in the previous years when it comes to picking quarterbacks.
Although Baker Mayfield has had a tremendous start to his NFL career, there are people saying that this is a fluke and that Baker isn’t as good as what people think he is. But just ask interim coach Gregg Williams about Baker. Williams said in an interview that Baker has what it takes and that he is the future of the Browns organization. He also said, “Each and every week, there are things that are just abundantly clear to how he handles stress, how he handles confusion and how he handles dysfunction. To be really good, you have to be a master of dysfunction.” What he said about Mayfield is that he has the physical talent of an excellent quarterback but also the mental ability of one too. How he handles his stress and his confusion or just any feeling at all is what makes him stand out from other quarterbacks. Athletes have to learn to control their emotions and to control how they feel, losing that will mess them up. Gregg Williams said that Mayfield has it. He has what it takes. He just needs time and more experience. But with that being said, this doesn’t make him perfect. He has messed up, but that’s the life of an athlete. For him being so young and having an excellent presence on the field makes him a standout player. Baker Mayfield’s mentality will make him “dangerous”, as he always says.
All in all, Baker Mayfield is a top tier quarterback and he will continue to grow to be the top quarterback within a few years. As being a finalist for rookie of the year, he had an excellent season since taking over in week 3 and now is comparable to many top quarterbacks right now. His attitude on the field makes him a threat to every team and his leadership of the team carries the Browns each and every week. I hope to watch Baker Mayfield grow to be something amazing one day, and to be able t see him rise up, and lead the Cleveland Browns to a Superbowl Championship.
No comments:
Post a Comment