The Cleveland Browns will be Tyrod Taylor’s team in 2018, but based on what Hue Jackson had to say about Baker Mayfield the rookie is going to be starting in no time.
Mayfield has yet to throw an interception in training camp thus far. More than that, he’s making throws that have his head coach in awe. Jackson opened about Mayfield, saying he has been as “deadly accurate with the ball” and has improved the most in this area since the offseason, per Cleveland.com.
“Not that he didn’t do it then, I just think that he understands his teammates better, and he knows where to place the ball to make a play,” said Jackson. “He threw a ball behind the ear to someone today, and to me, it was outstanding. Those are the kinds of things that he’s doing, along with staying in the pocket. He’s seeing the offense unfold a little bit better. He understands the system better. He’s making really good progress, which is what you want to see from your quarterback.”
For those of us who watched Mayfield routinely shred college defenses with precision accuracy, this doesn’t come as a huge surprise. He finished his college career sporting a 68.5 percent completion rate, and his final two years at Oklahoma he was well over 70 percent.
The best thing about his game is that, not only can Mayfield deliver the ball on time with accuracy, but he can also put enough zip on the ball to get it into tight spaces. And in the NFL, you have to be able to do that or you’ll be eaten alive.
This isn’t the first time he’s earned the praise of Jackson, either. During the offseason, he drew praise for being able to handle the speed and intensity of the NFL game, as Jackson noted the game wasn’t too big for the Heisman winner.
So far, it sure looks like Mayfield is on track to eat more than he gets eaten when it’s his turn to run the show in Cleveland.