An over-confident, (slightly) undersized Heisman Trophy winner is convinced he can be the Cleveland Browns’ savior.
No, this isn’t 2014, and we’re not talking about Johnny Manziel. We’re referring instead to Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, who addressed the media Friday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Well, “addressed” might be an understatement. When asked about the possibility of the lowly Browns selecting him with the 2018 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, Mayfield gave one bold reply.
“If anybody’s going to turn that franchise around, it’d be me,” Mayfield said, via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. ” … They’re close. They’re very close. They have the right pieces, and I think they just need that one guy at quarterback to make that difference.”
This is the same franchise, of course, that has cycled through 29 (!!!)Â starting quarterbacks in the past decade and nine in the last five seasons. Cleveland is a virtual graveyard for signal-callers, so much so that fellow QB prospect Josh Rosen basically said he doesn’t want to play there.
Mayfield appears unfazed, though. The 22-year-old also insisted Friday he’s “absolutely” the best QB in the 2018 draft class and “the most accurate quarterback in this draft by far.” When asked about the potential of going to the New York Giants and deferring to Eli Manning, he insisted he’s “not going to settle” for being a backup.
Basically, Mayfield has confidence in spades. Whether the Browns are similarly convinced Mayfield is “their guy” is another story, though, as Rosen, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen all are in the running to be the draft’s top QB.
