2018 NFL Mock Draft: Browns land Baker Mayfield

RALEIGH, NC - NOVEMBER 04: North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Bradley Chubb (9) enters the field before the game between the Clemson Tigers and the NC State Wolfpack on November 04, 2017 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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MOBILE, AL – JANUARY 27: Baker Mayfield #6 of the North team throws the ball during the Reese’s Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on January 27, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Oklahoma. Baker Mayfield. 4. player. 53. . QB

In this scenario, the Browns opt to address the quarterback position in the draft rather than free agency, and end up with 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.

Seeing Mayfield land ahead of USC’s Sam Darnold may be a surprise to some, but there is no doubt that the former Sooner is by far the most productive signal-caller in the class. Mayfield checked off concerns about his height and hand size at the Senior Bowl, but most of the questions he’ll need to continue to answer concern off-the-field issues.

Despite lacking the prototypical size that will eventually get a player like Josh Allen overdrafted, Mayfield has good arm strength and consistently manages to turn seemingly-disastrous plays into something spectacular. These traits will earn him a lot of Russell Wilson comps, but I think that Mayfield is not quite as athletic and doesn’t possess the same sound mechanics in the pocket as Wilson does.

One thing to keep in mind is Cleveland’s recent hire of Scot McCloughan as a draft consultant. McCloughan, the former Redskins general manager and one of the most respected talent evaluators in the league, made some headlines several months ago for saying that Mayfield was his top quarterback from this class. If John Dorsey takes McCloughan’s advice, the former Sooner could very well be Cleveland’s starting quarterback heading into 2018.

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