Who is Baker Mayfield, Cleveland’s number one overall draft pick?

After months of intrigue and speculation, the Cleveland Browns selected Baker Mayfield with the number one overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

From the end of the college season until just a few days ago, Mayfield was rarely considered by the media as an option at the number one selection. Yes, he was the best player in college in 2017 based on his Heisman Trophy win – but he doesn’t fit the criteria of a ‘traditional’ number one pick as he was made on Thursday night.

Yes, he has bags of natural talent but he’s been in trouble on the field and off it. Sure, he put up some big numbers, but he’s only six feet tall. Players who both have character concerns and don’t fit the bill of your big, tall, imposing quarterback simply don’t get drafted this high.

However, in the build-up of the Draft, reports began to come out and build that Cleveland had made up their mind – and the former Oklahoma Sooner was who they’d chose.

In the early hours of Friday morning, they made it official. Where did he come from?

Who is Baker Mayfield?

• Full name: Baker Reagan Mayfield
• Age: 23
• Born: Austin, Texas
• College: Oklahoma

Breaking down barriers

Right from the off, Mayfield was a one-off, he was a three-star recruit, choosing to shoot for the stars at a big school rather than take a scholarship at a small one.

He opted for Texas Tech and became the first true-freshman walk-on QB to start an NCAA FBS season opener and went on to win the Big-12 freshman offensive player of the year award.

But he fell out with head coach Kliff Kingsbury and his time as a Red Raider didn’t last long, eventually sitting out one season and losing a year of eligibility,

Ultimately he headed off to Oklahoma and went from strength-to-strength, making his mark at the college level with a flamboyant style that both thrilled and concerned scouts from across the NFL.

Outstanding in Oklahoma

Through three seasons as a Sooner, he amassed 12,292 passing yards, completing just under 70 percent of his passes. His 119 to 21 touchdown-to-interception ratio was tremendous – with those scores going up and turnovers going down from each season to the next. An extra 18 touchdowns on the ground just added to his legend.

In 2015 and 2016, he was great. But in 2017, he took it to another level, winning the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award and being voted as both the Associated Press Player of the Year and Sporting News Player of the Year. Still, he wasn’t regarded as the clear-cut best QB.

With his talent not in question and doubts about his stature, it was perhaps no surprise that Mayfield began to play with a chip on his shoulder – a chip that grew bigger the less he was talked about in the conversation for the No 1 pick.

Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Saquon Barkley were all mentioned over the last weeks and months as the potential first name to be called on Draft night; there was little buzz about Mayfield.

Little buzz, that is, until Thursday morning in Dallas, when all the talk began to be that Cleveland General Manager John Dorsey was ready to take the plunge on the man from Austin, Texas.

New era in Cleveland

And so it came to be with the No 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Mayfield’s name – and such was the surprise the Heisman Trophy winner from last season was not even in attendance at AT&T Stadium.

He became the first quarterback under six-foot-one to be selected at No 1 since Michael Vick 17 years ago. The NFL Network’s Mike Mayock called him “highly accurate,” a “playmaker,” and raved about his ability on the move. However, he pointed out that his “character cuts both ways”.

An intriguing off-season awaits as Mayfield joins Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton on the depth chart in Cleveland – and there may even be a doubt as to whether he even starts.

2018 NFL Draft

And it may be that doubt is what brings the very best out of Mayfield. He has accepted every challenge that has come along, and beaten down the walls that have stood in his way.

Around the 23-year-old, the Browns have all the pieces in place for a top attack. An underrated offensive line, existing weapons in the passing game in wide receiver Josh Gordon and tight end David Njoku, and new additions running back Carlos Hyde and receiver Jarvis Landry give the team a ton of tremendous assets – on paper.

But turning the team around is easier said than done.

Cleveland’s 1-31 record over the last two seasons might be the biggest challenge he has faced, but for the Browns, Mayfield might very well be the answer.

The next two days of the NFL Draft are exclusively live on Sky Sports with day two underway from midnight on Saturday on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Mix.

Check out our NFL Draft support programming with Neil Reynolds, Jeff Reinebold, Solomon Wilcots, the Around the NFL guys and MMQB’s Peter King who will give us their informed opinion on what to expect and what happens in Dallas next week.

You can follow all the build-up to the NFL Draft with us at www.skysports.com/nfl and on @SkySportsNFL

Also See:

• Browns shock with Mayfield pick
• WATCH: Story of the Draft

Sourse: skysports.com