The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
More on the draft and also Columnist Jeff Schudel, who says the Mayfield pick will define Dorsey’s legacy.
Top draft picks are ‘ultra competitive’ QB and hometown cornerback
The sad litany of starting quarterbacks the Browns have gone through since 1999 is coming to an end.
That’s what Baker Mayfield vowed April 26 after he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Browns.
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the Oklahoma Sooners said he is well aware of the Browns jersey that lists all 28 quarterbacks the Browns have started since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999.
“Tyrod and I are going to put an end to the list of quarterback names on the back of that jersey,” Mayfield said.
Aside from Mayfield at No. 1, the Browns also tapped Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward with the fourth overall pick in the first round.
Day 2 of the draft begins at 7 p.m. on April 27 with the Browns selecting at No. 33, 35 and 64 in the second round.
“I couldn’t be happier with the position we are in right now in regard to the acquisition of these two players moving forward,” said Browns general manager John Dorsey.
“We got two quality players here, I truly believe,” Dorsey said. “With Baker Mayfield what we have here is a guy we’ve talked about — a guy who wins the game of football. He’s ultra competitive. He is revered by his teammates and anyone who has ever been around him.”
A shade over 6-foot, Mayfield played one season at Texas Tech and three seasons at Oklahoma. He completed more than 70 percent of his passes in each of the last two seasons with the Sooners.
Overall, Mayfield completed 1,026 of 1,497 passes (68.5 percent) for 14,607 yards and 131 touchdowns during his career with the Sooners.
He also threw 30 interceptions.
This past season, his final one at Oklahoma, Mayfield led the Sooners to a 12-2 record and a 54-48 loss to Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal. He threw for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns against only six interceptions.
When asked if he sees a facsimile of former Green Bay star Brett Favre in Mayfield, Dorsey responded, “I see Baker Mayfield in Baker Mayfield.”
Dorsey and Coach Hue Jackson stated more than once that Taylor — acquired in an offseason trade with the Buffalo Bills — will be the Browns’ starting quarterback this year, which would go against the mindset Mayfield conveyed at the NFL Combine when he said he did not want to sit behind anyone.
“He’s a guy I can sit behind and learn from,” said Mayfield after being drafted by the Browns, reversing field a bit. “I’m competitive. If I came in happy to be drafted and settled for a backup job, that’s not myself. I’m coming in with the mindset to compete, but with the hunger and desire to learn from a guy who has been in the league.”
The Browns chose Mayfield over USC quarterback Sam Darnold, Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and the rest of this year’s draft class.
Mayfield’s height, considered short by NFL quarterback standards, is not a concern according to Dorsey. He said Mayfield had less batted down passes than any of the other top quarterback choices.
“He has to feet to extend plays,” Dorsey said of Mayfield. “He has really good accuracy. He has a quick release and a strong arm. His efficiency in the red zone is uncanny.
“This was the best fit for this organization going forward.”
A few transgressions in Mayfield’s past did not scare off the Browns, such as a crotch-grabbing incident during one of Oklahoma’s games this year and an arrest in 2017 when Mayfield reportedly tried to evade police.
Comparisons to Johnny Manziel aren’t accurate, said Dorsey, Jackson and even Mayfield.
“I’m going to be myself. Johnny and I are two completely different people,” Mayfield said. “I’m not going to go out and prove I’m not Johnny.”
In Ward, the Browns got a lockdown cornerback who entered the NFL Draft after three years at Ohio State.
A 5-foot-11, 183-pounder from Nordonia High School, Ward was a first team allAmerican this past year when he defended 17 passes, with 15 breakups and a pair of interceptions.
Dorsey said the Browns received a half-dozen or so calls inquiring about trading into the No. 4 slot, but the value offered was not what the Browns wanted. So Ward was the pick. “It’s amazing. It’s a blessing,” said Ward of being drafted by his hometown team. “It was my childhood dream to get to the NFL Draft. To be drafted by the Browns and get to play there is such a blessing. I’m excited and ready to get to work.”
Ward is the first Ohio State player drafted by the Browns since 2009 when the Browns picked receiver Brian Robiskie in the second round.
He said he knew the Browns were interested in him and “were leaning toward drafting me.”
Ward is the fifth Ohio State cornerback taken in the first round since 2014, joining Bradley Roby (Denver, 2014), Eli Apple (Giants, 2016), Gareon Conley (Oakland, 2017) and Marshon Lattimore (New Orleans, 2017).
Said Mayfield of getting to play with Ward, “He’s an unbelievable player. To be able to move forward with him and be part of the draft class with a great player from a great program, I’m looking forward to it and to growing and learning together.”