Mayfield goes No. 1; 4 QBs among top 10
ARLINGTON, Texas — Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield became the Cleveland Browns’ latest attempt to find its franchise quarterback. The Browns selected Oklahoma star with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The first round selections featured a flurry of quarterbacks. Sam Darnold of Southern California is trying to revive the Jets, while in upstate New York — where the Bills gave up on Tyrod Taylor — the future belongs to Wyoming’s Josh Allen. Just after Buffalo traded up to grab Allen, Arizona moved up to get UCLA’s Josh Rosen, a potential replacement for the retired Carson Palmer.
Four QBs in the first 10 selections. Never mind that the best players were considered Penn State running back Saquon Barkley (second overall to the Giants) and N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb (fifth to Denver). The last pick of the first round was a fifth quarterback: 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, chosen by Baltimore.
Darnold went third to the other New York team. The Jets had traded with Indianapolis, going from sixth to third with the expressed intent to find a passer.
Buffalo traded up with Tampa Bay to get Allen at No. 7.
Arizona, also in a QB quandary, moved from 15th to 10th, trading with Oakland, for Rosen. The Cardinals also signed former Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford.
One more QB deal finished the round. Super Bowl champion Philadelphia traded the 32nd spot to Baltimore, which took Louisville’s Jackson, an entirely different QB than incumbent Joe Flacco.
The rest of the top 10 was Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, fourth to Cleveland; Chubb to Denver at No. 5; Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson sixth to the Colts; Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith, eighth to Chicago; and Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey, ninth to San Francisco.
National champion Alabama had four first-rounders: safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami, DT Da’Ron Payne to Washington, linebacker Rashaan Evans to Tennessee, and wide receiver Calvin Ridley to Atlanta.