NFL Rumors: New York Jets Considering Baker Mayfield In 2018 NFL Draft, Per ‘ESPN’
Baker Mayfield is one of the most polarizing NFL Draft prospects that the league has seen in recent years. Add in the fact that he is also one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft class and things get even more intriguing.
Early mock drafts have seen him drafted as high as No. 1 to the Cleveland Browns and as low as late in the first round. He is almost a lock to be a first round pick, but there is no telling where he will end up going. According to ESPN analyst Rich Cimini in his latest mock draft, the New York Jets will take Mayfield with the No. 3 overall pick.
New York has been in need of finding a franchise quarterback for a long time. Mayfield might very well be the guy for them. He would have time to learn the game from the sidelines behind veteran quarterback Josh McCown and newly signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Last season for the Oklahoma Sooners, Mayfield ended up winning the Heisman Trophy. He completed 70.5 percent of his pass attempts for 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Mayfield also picked up 311 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, showing off his ability to scramble and make plays with his legs.
Standing in at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Mayfield has received some doubt from draft critics about his stature. Some think he is too short to be an NFL quarterback, although that hasn’t stopped players like Aaron Rodgers, who was also deemed too small.
RT this if you want your team to draft Baker Mayfield pic.twitter.com/mK3zi8MkcH
— PFF (@PFF) April 14, 2018
NFL.com has compared Mayfield to former NFL star Doug Flutie. Flutie may not be talked about as a great quarterback, but he was certainly solid in almost every area.
One underrated aspect of Mayfield’s game is his leadership ability. He showed time and time again during his career with the Sooners that he was capable of rallying a team around each other. Mayfield may have displayed some antics off the field at times, but the way he leads a team on the field cannot be discredited.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the Jets decide to do with the No. 3 overall pick. Cimini had the Jets taking Mayfield over both Josh Rosen and Josh Allen, but the Jets may have other things in mind.
Mayfield is going to make an NFL team very happy and the buzz surrounding him to the Jets certainly makes a lot of sense.
