Mayfield may be solution
If Sooner goes later, Pats could pounce
INDIANAPOLIS — In the complicated process of finding the best quarterback in the draft, it’s hard to look past Baker Mayfield.
That’s why the Patriots may pounce in the event Mayfield tumbles into their range. The buzz this week at the scouting combine has suggested many teams view Mayfield as a first-rounder, while a handful of others think he’s a second-round prospect. Whatever the case, the pre-draft process is dubbed Lying Season for a reason, so nobody can say for sure at this juncture where Mayfield will be selected.
But there is just so much to like about the Heisman Trophy winner, and the Patriots should consider him a potential successor to Tom Brady, who turns 41 in August.
“First things first, whatever team I go to, I’m not going to settle for a backup job,” Mayfield said yesterday, sounding similar to Jimmy Garoppolo or even Brady from back in the day. “I’ve never been like that, and I never will. I’m going to push that person in front of me. When it comes down to it, the best man is going to win, and I know that. Everybody has a role on the team, and if you’re not improving and pushing those guys around you to be better, you’re not doing it right.”
The Patriots have six picks in the draft, including a first-rounder (No. 31), two seconds (Nos. 43 and 63), a third (No. 95), a fourth (No. 136) and a sixth (No. 205). However unlikely it seems, they have the assets to move up if Mayfield drops out of the top 10, assuming they believe he is worth it.
There’s a major reason to take a quarterback in the first round, too. They’d have the luxury of the fifth-year option for the 2022 season, and that has to be tempting after feeling compelled to trade Garoppolo. With the major advantage of hindsight, if the Patriots had selected Garoppolo in the first round, they could have kept him for $12.198 million next season. Instead, he’ll be the starter in San Francisco, and the Patriots are restarting their quarterback development process.
Mayfield completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 12,292 yards, 119 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, went 34-6 as a three-year starter, and ran for 893 yards and 18 touchdowns at Oklahoma. Electric, fiery and passionate, he is revered as a leader who can elevate the play of his teammates. For those reasons, he has been compared to Brett Favre.
But there are obvious flaws; otherwise he’d be widely viewed as the potential top overall pick. He is 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, and teams like their quarterbacks a few inches taller. He also was arrested in February 2017 for charges that included public intoxication and resisting arrest, and he once grabbed his crotch while gesturing toward the Kansas sideline. Mayfield was also criticized last season for celebrating on Ohio State’s field and planting the Oklahoma flag on its logo.
For those reasons, he has been compared to Johnny Manziel.
“When I got tackled by the cops in Arkansas, I tell the true story,” Mayfield said. “When I talk about planting the flag against Ohio State, I talk about the fact that was an emotional win. That was one we worked over a year for, after they embarrassed us at our home stadium. And when I talk about the Kansas thing, it’s about me drawing a line and being a professional. If I want to be a franchise guy, there are certain things I can’t do, but I’m also still going to be competitive and passionate. That’s what has gotten me to this point, so I talk about it. I’m upfront about it.”
Mayfield was impressive during a 12-minute news conference, but his value to the media doesn’t mean anything if he can’t sell himself to interested teams. That includes character questions and inquiries about his ability to run a pro offense.
“Teams ask about my character,” Mayfield said. “Until you sit down and talk to me, you might have an image that is portrayed within stories or headlines. I love the game. I’m upfront and honest. I let them know exactly what I’m about, and I think that is the most important thing. What you see is what you get. I’ve always been brutally honest, and some people don’t like that because it’s rare nowadays. I go into these meetings, and I’m just myself.
“This whole process is about finding out what is wrong with you. It’s pointing out flaws, things to see if they can look past them, see if they can work with it. Any question they ask is fair game.”
For what it’s worth, the Patriots haven’t set up a meeting with Mayfield this week, according to a source. But again, the pre-draft process is a poker game.
So could Mayfield fall to the Patriots? Remember, it’s not necessarily about teams finding the most talented quarterback, but the right one for their system.
And at this point, it’s not clear where Mayfield stacks up on draft boards in comparison to Wyoming’s Josh Allen, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold, Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph, Washington State’s Luke Falk or anyone else.
If the Patriots like Mayfield, and it seems hard not to, they’ve got to find a way to make it happen if he slips down the board.