Senior Bowl: Baker Mayfield already turning heads
By Jon Dove
The first day of practices for this year’s Senior Bowl are in the books and several players have already make a good impression.
Despite a late arrival (family emergency), Baker Mayfield appears to have had himself a great start to the Senior Bowl practices. There were a lot of experts on hand to take in the session and most agree that Mayfield stood out.
"ESPN’s Todd McShay observed:” Still, he settled in and was the best quarterback in the team session, throwing two first downs on back-to-back throws, including a dart to Colorado State’s Michael Gallup in between two defenders.”"
Most felt that it was a great idea for Mayfield to attend the Senior Bowl and let his passion for the game shine. It would also allow the scouting community to see his personality and the on-field traits that made him successful in College.
McShay wasn’t the only mainstream expert to sing Mayfield’s praises.
"NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had the following to say about Mayfield’s 1st day:“Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield continues to show people that when it comes to timing, touch and anticipation, he has all the stuff. That’s where he separates himself from other QBs. He hit a couple skinny.”"
This is a huge week for Mayfield because the top of the quarterback rankings are anything but final. The group of quarterbacks in this year’s class has obvious talents, but also come with some question marks.
It’s not out of the possibility that Mayfield uses the Senior Bowl to jump to the top of some team’s draft boards. The Denver Broncos are getting a 1st hand look at Mayfield with their coaching staff running the North squad.
Denver is in need of direction at the quarterback spot and Mayfield’s name is absolutely in the mix. However, the Broncos are also getting a close look at another highly touted quarterback in Josh Allen.
Mayfield and Allen are very different prospects. Allen has all the ideal measurables and an elite throwing arm. However, he lacks Mayfield’s accuracy and anticipation. Mayfield is the more finished product while Allen is a work in progress.
A team like the Broncos may want to side towards the more finished product after watching a raw player like Paxton Lynch struggle.
The bigger storyline to watch is whether or not Mayfield can jump either Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold on draft boards. Both Rosen and Darnold are more physically gifted, but neither head into the draft with a flawless grade.