2018 NFL Draft QB stock report – Week 11: Baker Mayfield a first round talent?
By Conor Dorney
As the College Football Playoff draws nearer, the quarterbacks class of the 2018 NFL Draft looks to prove itself to scouts in several marquee matchups down the stretch.
The 2017 college football season has undoubtedly been one of the wildest in recent memory. As it stands now, we have a number one team from the SEC that isn’t Alabama (Georgia), the ultimate rebound season from a storied program (Notre Dame) and a defending champ (Clemson) still in the hunt despite an ugly loss to Syracuse.
Things will only get crazier from here and one of the most fascinating storylines that we will see play out over these next two months is the play of the quarterbacks class in the 2018 NFL Draft. While preseason darlings Josh Allen and Josh Rosen won’t see their teams in the playoff hunt anytime soon, quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold will play crucial roles in how their respective teams into the postseason picture. Even if a playoff spot isn’t in the cards, an appearance in a conference championship game will afford these players an excellent opportunity to impress scouts and front office executives against a quality opponent in a high-pressure environment.
Other than Mayfield and Rudolph, this class has been nothing to write home about from a statistical point of view. Though they certainly don’t tell the whole story, it will be interesting to see how these numbers factor into the evaluation process once the season is over. Inconsistency has plagued a number of players in this class since the beginning of the season, but with over four months to go until draft day, there is still plenty of time for these quarterbacks to try and rebuild their value.
As we now enter the home stretch of the college football season, here is how the draft stock of the top five quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft stacks up entering Week 11: