NFL Mock Draft 7.0: Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft
By Ian Cummings
. Quarterback. Oklahoma. Baker Mayfield. 3. player. 30
After the New York Jets’ trade up to the No. 3 spot, it is essentially locked in stone that the Jets will be picking a quarterback.
The New York Jets tried tall quarterbacks once. Those didn’t work out. So when they ultimately get on the clock at No. 3 in the NFL Draft, there’s reason to believe the team could pick Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, as a bit of a change of pace.
There’s a lot to like about Mayfield, and also a lot to be weary of. Mayfield is supremely accurate, and his arm is far from weak. He draws comparisons from Drew Brees in the sense that while he’s only a hair over 6-foot-0, he still maintains a reputation as a gunslinger. The Big 12 conference may have helped forge that image for him, but Mayfield can throw the football, and throw it well.
He also possesses great poise, confidence, and ability when going off-schedule with plays. Mayfield has the mobility to keep the play alive running to the side, but also the fundamental acuity to deliver a solid ball when on the run.
While Baker Mayfield, to some, appears to be the next Drew Brees, others have pegged him as the next Johnny Manziel. Currently, Manziel has gotten his life back together, and he’s hoping for a comeback, but that’s not part of the comparison. Rather, Manziel’s tumultuous downfall is. Many think that Mayfield is due for the same fate.
Mayfield has a fiery, competitive personality that he sometimes lets loose on the field. But the concerns about his personality are overblown. His team mates at Oklahoma loved him, and there were reports that he impressed coaches in interviews at the NFL Combine.
Simply put, Mayfield is not Drew Brees. And he is not Johnny Manziel. Baker Mayfield is Baker Mayfield. He’s a playmaker and a fierce competitor who can deliver a ball with accuracy and velocity, and when it comes down to judgement time, there’s a case to make him the best quarterback in this draft class. In this mock, the Jets come to that conclusion, and they make him the face of their franchise.