Browns' Mayfield Unlikely to be Traded before NFL Draft
It looks like the Cleveland Browns will be stuck with Baker Mayfield for at least a few more days as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports the Carolina Panthers aren’t pulling the trigger before Thursday’s NFL Draft.
From NFL Now (in Las Vegas): The #Panthers aren't trading for QB Baker Mayfield, at least not before Thursday. Which opens up a ton of questions… pic.twitter.com/3Lq1RHaWLM
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2022
It’s no secret Cleveland has been trying to move Mayfield since acquiring Deshaun Watson, but interested parties have been few and far between. Carolina is certainly in the market for a game-ready signal-caller, but as Rapoport reports, they don’t want to handcuff themselves if they end up selecting a quarterback in the first round. The Panthers have the sixth overall pick but should be able to choose a good quarterback later on in the draft, so a trade-down scenario is also possible.
Matt Corral from Ole Miss, North Carolina’s Sam Howell, Kenny Pickett out of Pittsburgh, Bearcat Desmond Ridder, and Malik Willis out of Liberty are some of the top options coming out of college but should be available in the second half of the first round and into the second.
FanDuel Sportsbook has some interesting odds for which of these players will be drafted in the top 32. Ridder and Corral are near the top of that option, sitting at -135.
