ESPN’s Kiper: Mayfield No. 13 to Washington

Entering the NFL Draft,

Baker Mayfield might be a little bit more of a sensation than he was coming out of Lake Travis High School.

There, he was passed over by virtually every Division I school for a scholarship and wound up walking on at first Texas Tech and then Oklahoma.

Now, at least, he’s a known commodity.

But Mayfield is still taking perceived slights and turning them into fuel. Thursday, ESPN’s Mel

Kiper Jr. released his first mock draft and had Mayfield as the fourth quarterback off the board — behind Wyoming’s Josh

Allen, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and USC’s SamDarnold.

Kiper has Mayfield being picked No. 13 by the Washington Redskins.

Thursday, while working out in preparation for the draft, Mayfield’s eye caught a television at the gym that showed Kiper’s analysis.

“I’m still not in the top four of anybody’s QB board,” Mayfield said, exaggerating slightly. “It’s the same thing over again. That’s why I’m going to enjoy this. You can have guys that put their big board up, but winning speaks for itself — competitive nature. Those go a lot farther than any height and weight and any big arms can take you.”

Kiper’s decision to put Mayfield to the Redskins, he said, boiled down to Washington’s potential need should Kirk Cousins wind up elsewhere.

Kiper said that Mayfield had the potential to move up with a solid performance at next week’s Senior Bowl, in the NFL Combine and in his Pro Day performance in Norman.

Andrews also on mock draft, Brown left out

Kiper has former Oklahoma tight end Mark Andrews going No. 29 overall to Jacksonville.

“He could also go to New Orleans,” Kiper said in a teleconference. “New Orleans has to convert third downs better. They could use a tight end. … There’s a couple spots for him in the later portion of round one — to New Orleans or Jacksonville.”

Kiper doesn’t have tackle Orlando Brown in his firstround mock draft and lists him at No. 5 on his list of draft-eligible tackle.

“I think he could maybe be a left tackle, but more so looked at as a right tackle,” Kiper said.

OU adds two in-state preferred walk-ons

Oklahoma continues to add Oklahoma high school football talent.

The Sooners picked up preferred walk-on commitments this week from Bixby linebacker and fullback Coby Tillman and Wynnewood receiver Karsten Mathis.

Tillman, a first-team selection on The Oklahoman’s All-State team, had 200 tackles and 13 sacks at linebacker. For his career, the 6-foot, 224pound senior had more than 500 tackles. But there is a chance he could play fullback for the Sooners, a position he scored seven times on 14 carries this season. He also caught a touchdown.

Mathis, at 6 feet 4 and 190 pounds, caught 33 passes for 545 yards and six touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown pass. At linebacker, he had 108 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles and a blocked punt.

They join the recent addition of Norman North’s Drake Stoops among preferred walk-ons. They will not receive a scholarship, but will have a spot on the roster as a result.