Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Teams eager to see Baker Mayfield, other top QBs at NFL Combine.

-

INDIANAPOL­IS — This year’s deep class of quarterbac­ks features as many as a half dozen first-round NFL prospects full of hope, hype and hazard.

There’s Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and questions about the Heisman winner’s size and stature. A lot of teams would love UCLA’s Josh Rosen for his skills and strength but wonder if he’s a good fit in the locker room and their organizati­on.

Wyoming’s Josh Allen has enviable size but faces questions about his regression last season. USC’s Sam Darnold has to answer queries about his ball security and why he’s not throwing at the NFL combine this weekend like the other prospects.

Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, the 2016 Heisman winner, needs to prove he’s a better pro prospect throwing the ball than catching it. And teams wonder if Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph can transition to the pro offense after operating exclusivel­y out of the shotgun.

Will one of these guys be the next Carson Wentz, who ignited the Philadelph­ia Eagles’ Super Bowl run in just his second season before getting hurt and rooting on Nick Foles from the sideline?

Or will they turn out like Paxton Lynch, the 2016 firstround flop whose inability to grasp the complexiti­es of the pro game has Broncos GM John Elway once again searching for answers at quarterbac­k?

Elway has found it difficult to land a franchise quarterbac­k from the college ranks like he did in free agency with Peyton Manning six years ago.

Last year, the Broncos cycled through his draft picks Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian and Lynch during the team’s worst season in decades.

“Believe me, I’m not done swinging and missing,” said Elway, who owns the fifth pick in this year’s draft. “Misses don’t bother me. We just have to figure out a way to get it right.”

Elway could go after a veteran again in free agency such as Kirk Cousins. But the Broncos staff coached Mayfield and Allen at the Senior Bowl and this week and they plan to bring in several of the other top prospects for visits leading up to the draft on April 26.

“There is a possibilit­y of some really good quarterbac­ks coming out of this draft,” Elway said.

Maybe not like his own class in 1983, which produced three Hall of Famers in himself, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, but this year’s crop of quarterbac­ks is filled with intrigue and promise.

And plenty of questions. Is Mayfield too short? He measured in just over 6 feet tall with a hand size of 9¼ inches, under the standard targets of 6-2 and 9½ inches.

Elway, for one, isn’t concerned about Mayfield’s measuremen­ts.

“I think that (stigma) has been broken,” Elway said. “You’ve got Drew Brees — they’ve proven that you can do it. He’s obviously very much a competitor. He had a great college career and won the Heisman Trophy. He’s proved he can play.”

Nor is Elway turned off by Mayfield’s crossing the line at times.

He was arrested last year and charged with disorderly conduct, public intoxicati­on and resisting arrest. After the Kansas Jayhawks wouldn’t shake his hand, he was caught on camera grabbing his crotch and swearing at the Kansas sideline.

“A lot of times you get tied up in the emotions of the situation and where he is. I like to see a guy with that kind of passion,” Elway said.

Questions have arisen about how well Rosen will get along with his new teammates in the NFL, but two of his Bruins teammates also at the combine quickly dismissed those concerns.

“Josh came in No. 1 high school guy, a little cocky, of course you hear off-campus stuff about him, but as the years went on he really matured,” tackle Kolton Miller said. “He’s really well-rounded, he doesn’t try to be more than what he has to be, a really good leader. I don’t really have anything negative to say about him.”

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States