All NFL scouting eyes were on the University of Oklahoma this week as Baker Mayfield made his case to the the top quarterback drafted in 2018.
Mayfield has a compelling skill set and an undeniable passion and bravado that make him an intriguing option among this year’s top draft prospects. But his height and several on- and off-field incidents have raised red flags about his readiness for the big stage of the National Football League.
The Denver Broncos sent their top brass to Oklahoma’s pro day on Wednesday, with both John Elway and Vance Joseph in attendance. The team already had an up-close look at Mayfield when it coached the North team in the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Mayfield was one of four quarterbacks on the roster, which also included Wyoming’s Josh Allen, Washington State’s Luke Falk and Nebraska’s Tanner Lee.
Mayfield and Allen are both expected to be first-round picks, and both could possibly be selected within the top-10. A pair of California quarterbacks, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and USC’s Sam Darnold, are also expected to go in the first round. Opinions differ greatly on each player’s rank on draft boards, and these pro day workouts are great opportunity for each player to show off his skill in a comfortable and controlled environment.
Mayfield was sharp for the most part, choosing to throw all of his passes from under center to show he can operate in a pro-style offense. He went out of his way to throw extra deep passes — a knock on Mayfield has been his downfield accuracy — and although he struggled, he told NFL Network after the workout that some of his misses were due to time away from his receivers.
In that conversation with NFL Network, Mayfield told Mike Mayock, “I felt like I threw it well today. I had some stuff I wanted to accomplish at the combine — I left some deep balls short, wasn’t as accurate as I wanted to [be] down the field. So, today I put a little emphasis on that, making sure those were on the money. I think I did that. There’s timing routes with receivers that you get more accurate over time, so I’m not necessarily worried about the couple throws I missed.”
Mayfield also wanted to show scouts, coaches and executives that he has the physical stamina to compete in a 16-game season, so he added additional running and cardio elements to his workout.
“For me, also emphasis today on running back and forth on the field to show that you’ve got to be able to play when you’re tired. We ran a hurry-up offense here; I wanted to show that I can do whatever it is, go under center and play fast. Play when you’re tired, be able to do your job, think when you’re tired and execute.”
Mayfield met with several teams in Norman this week to coincide with his pro day, SI’s Robert Klemko reports, and will soon travel for visits with several other teams, including the Broncos.
Denver has the No. 5 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, which begins April 26.
