I see that Hue Jackson is insisting Tyrod Taylor will be Cleveland’s starting quarterback. I understand the logic. Taylor is experienced, and has had some success at the NFL level. He helped take Buffalo to the playoffs last year.
Taylor went 22-21 in his three seasons as a starter with the Bills. He also during that span was the best quarterback in the league at avoiding turnovers – fewer interceptions/fumbles per game than even Alex Smith, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers during that span. There are qualities about Taylor I like (and with his mobility, I think he will post top-15 quarterback numbers often when he’s starting).
That said, it will be tough to keep Baker Mayfield off the field. Mayfield needs experience and development, but he has the vision and split-second decision-making ability to convert in key situations. In that regard, he might be better than Taylor right now.
I imagine Mayfield will step on the field in the preseason, lead a couple of scoring drives, and the clamoring will commence.
As a junior, Mayfield broke the NCAA’s record for passer rating. Then he came back as a senior and did it again. If you look at the numbers, he’s better than any of the other quarterbacks who’ve been selected in the first round in a lot of them, including passer rating, yards per attempt and yards per completion – he was able to get the ball downfield.
For the NFL passer rating system, a perfect score is 158.3. You can’t go any higher than that. Mayfield in his last season at Oklahoma scored a 137.9. That’s a lot better than any of the other 31 quarterbacks chosen in the first round in the last 10 years.
Not that this is a perfect barometer of success. Matt Ryan (see below) comes in at next-to-last, and he’s had a good career. Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel put up gigantic numbers in college, and neither was even on a team last year.
But I like the look at Mayfield, and I think he’ll be starting soon.
| FIRST ROUND QUARTERBACKS (last 10 years) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Pct | Yards | TD | Int | Rating |
| 2018 | Baker Mayfield, Clev. | 71% | 4,627 | 43 | 6 | 137.9 |
| 2012 | Robert Griffin III, Wash. | 72% | 4,293 | 37 | 6 | 130.1 |
| 2015 | Marcus Mariota, Tenn. | 68% | 4,454 | 42 | 4 | 128.4 |
| 2011 | Cam Newton, Car. | 66% | 2,854 | 30 | 7 | 124.9 |
| 2014 | Teddy Bridgewater, Minn. | 71% | 3,970 | 31 | 4 | 120.3 |
| 2012 | Andrew Luck, Ind. | 71% | 3,517 | 37 | 10 | 118.0 |
| 2014 | Johnny Manziel, Clev. | 70% | 4,114 | 37 | 13 | 116.4 |
| 2009 | Mark Sanchez, NYJ | 66% | 3,207 | 34 | 10 | 113.0 |
| 2010 | Tim Tebow, Den. | 68% | 2,895 | 21 | 5 | 112.7 |
| 2016 | Paxton Lynch, Den. | 67% | 3,776 | 28 | 4 | 110.6 |
| 2017 | Mitchell Trubisky, Chi. | 68% | 3,748 | 30 | 6 | 110.5 |
| 2016 | Jared Goff, LAR | 64% | 4,719 | 43 | 13 | 109.8 |
| 2014 | Blake Bortles, Jac. | 68% | 3,581 | 25 | 9 | 109.6 |
| 2012 | Brandon Weeden, Clev. | 72% | 4,727 | 37 | 13 | 109.6 |
| 2017 | Patrick Mahomes, K.C. | 66% | 5,052 | 41 | 10 | 108.5 |
| 2016 | Carson Wentz, Phil. | 63% | 1,651 | 17 | 4 | 106.5 |
| 2013 | EJ Manuel, Buff. | 68% | 3,397 | 23 | 10 | 104.3 |
| 2017 | Deshaun Watson, Hou. | 67% | 4,593 | 41 | 17 | 102.3 |
| 2009 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 61% | 3,459 | 25 | 10 | 101.7 |
| 2008 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 64% | 4,263 | 23 | 5 | 99.8 |
| 2018 | Josh Rosen, Ariz. | 63% | 3,756 | 26 | 10 | 98.8 |
| 2018 | Lamar Jackson, Balt. | 59% | 3,660 | 27 | 10 | 98.0 |
| 2018 | Sam Darnold, NYJ | 63% | 4,143 | 26 | 13 | 97.4 |
| 2015 | Jameis Winston, T.B. | 65% | 3,907 | 25 | 18 | 93.2 |
| 2011 | Christian Ponder, Minn. | 62% | 2,044 | 20 | 8 | 93.0 |
| 2010 | Sam Bradford, St.L. | 57% | 562 | 2 | 0 | 92.8 |
| 2009 | Josh Freeman, T.B. | 59% | 2,945 | 20 | 8 | 91.8 |
| 2012 | Ryan Tannehill, Mia. | 62% | 3,744 | 29 | 15 | 89.2 |
| 2018 | Josh Allen, Buff. | 56% | 1,812 | 16 | 6 | 87.5 |
| 2011 | Blaine Gabbert, Jac. | 63% | 3,186 | 16 | 9 | 86.2 |
| 2008 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 59% | 4,507 | 31 | 19 | 83.9 |
| 2011 | Jake Locker, Tenn. | 55% | 2,265 | 17 | 9 | 82.5 |
—Ian Allan