Browns sure top pick Mayfield is no Manziel
Baker Mayfield’s flag-planting, crotch-grabbing antics didn’t deter the Browns. They ignored his height, did their homework on an off-field arrest and crosschecked his character. Mayfield passed all the tests. As far as the Browns are concerned, he’s nothing like Johnny Manziel — except for his Heisman Trophy.
After months of dissection and debate, the Browns selected Mayfield, Oklahoma’s cocky and charismatic quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday, a somewhat surprising selection by a team that figured to play it safe with such an important decision.
But coming off a 0-16 season, the Browns are betting that Mayfield is a better player than USC’s Sam Darnold, Wyoming’s Josh Allen or UCLA’s Josh Rosen, a talented group regarded as the top QB class in years.
They’re also confident he won’t be a headache like Manziel, who fizzled out in two party-filled seasons with Cleveland.
“In doing all of our research with Baker Mayfield, he has earned it, from high school, to college, he has earned it,” Browns general manager John Dorsey said. “I have no qualms whatsoever about him as a man or as a football player.”
The Browns followed Mayfield’s selection with another surprise, using the No. 4 pick on Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward. Cleveland was thought to be high on North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb or Alabama cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick, but they instead opted for the speedy Ward, who skipped his senior season with the Buckeyes to turn pro.
Mayfield understands the Manziel comparisons, and the 23-year-old knows there are Cleveland fans who see him as Johnny Football 2.0. However, Mayfield insists he’s his own man.
“Johnny and I are two completely different people,” Mayfield said on a conference call from his home in Austin, Texas. “That’s nothing against him, but what I’ve been able to do is be upfront and honest about who I am during these meetings. I’m confident that I showed that with this coaching staff and with the management throughout this process.
“But for me moving forward it’s just being myself. I’m not going to go out and try and prove I’m not Johnny, I’m going to be myself and in the end that’s going to take care of the rest.”
When Dorsey called Mayfield and asked him, “Let me ask you a question, you want to be the first pick in the draft?” Mayfield broke down and cried.
Mayfield said he became emotional after looking around at people who stuck with him through good and bad.
“It just kind of brought out all of the emotions of the tough times that we went through and the good ones,” he said.