• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

Grade the Browns 1st Round - 2018 NFL Draft

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Grade it.


  • Total voters
    108
I was nice and gave them a D. Knowing full well that this will turn into an F because of the man behind the FO hiring.
 
I am not loving the fact that Mayfield is 6'0. I think anyone saying it's fine is being ignorant. He will have to adjust his game in the pros to compensate for the lack of height, it's just a fact. He will have to throw through windows and schemes will have to be developed just to allow him the ability to see/throw to routes. However; it's not impossible. My point is, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson prove it can be done in today's NFL. Height is not a disqualifying characteristic the way you are making it out to be.

The only thing that is disqualifying in a QB to me is accuracy. If you cannot be accurate at the college level you will not be accurate at the pro level. Conversely, you can be super accurate at the college level but that does not guarantee you will good at the pro level (see Cody Kessler)

The Russell Wilson QB2QB video I posted in the Mayfield thread addresses this somewhat. Mayfield talks about keeping his feet active to find and create different throwing lanes, something he had to do in college because his o line was so big.

He also talks about changing arm angles to get the right angle when throwing to those lanes.

He’s pretty well seasoned in being 6’0”
 
I wanted Rosen. Was never fully sold on Darnold. Hated Allen. Baker....well PFF likes him.

I give Baker a C. He's a Brown now so I hope he hits his ceiling.

I love Denzel Ward. Ward/Chubb/Nelson, I thought 4 was impossible to screw up. And we didn't screw it up. I give it a B+ due to value.

I'd love to see us pick up Hurst and a RB at 33/35
 
I will defer to Aikman on the size thing.

He said last night that even he had problems seeing over the line. Doesn't matter if you are 6'4 or 6', you need to learn to find throwing lanes.

Height can be an issue but I have no reservations over his height. At least compared to his skiddish pocket presence and tendency to get nervous in a clean pocket.
 
I voted B... but am in the process of re-grading to A :chuckle:.

Here's a quote on Mayfield: "You're calling up plays on his tape, he had a photographic memory: This and this and this is about to happen, and I went over here. You're like, 'Wow.' It's impressive. As good as I've ever seen."

Otherworldly college stats. No really, like arguably the best college stats ever. https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/baker-mayfield-1.html . 70%. 11.5 yards/attempt. Best of all: 43 and 6. That's beyond a system and beyond a great offensive line. Absolutely carved up Ohio State. TCU has a good defense and he worked them too. Obviously everyone had the taste of the Georgia 2nd half in their mouth, nothing to hide from there.

He makes quick decisions. That's probably the biggest thing of all.

The off the field nonsense is not a knock at all. Young successful NCAA QB stud - wouldn't expect perfection at that age.

Teammates love him. That fire is what we just might need to go from 1-31 to long-term success. Good God what if he got drafted by the Steelers or Ravens and was absolutely awesome?!? Do you know how horrible it would be to endure those crotch grabs?!? His troll game is on point.

What terrifies me, and the only terrifying thing, is Lincoln Riley being the reason that Mayfield was so good. I just read a few interviews with Riley, and taken with a grain of salt obviously, it sounds like Mayfield was a huge part of that success and improved quite a bit as his career unfolded. Plus, if Mayfield has a photographic memory, it looks like we just drafted Riley's playbook.
 
Gave it a D

I’m willing to give Mayfield a chance but it doesn’t change the fact that there’s so much that’s polarizing about the pick

It was definitely a smartest man in the room pick and you can see that by the reaction of the NFL. The one tweet where they quoted an AFC coach saying he’ll believe it when he sees it. Basically none of us thought this was a real possibility a week ago. Whether you liked the pick or not, I think everyone will agree it was surprising. And we don’t tend to have a great track record with guys who come in and try to be the smartest man in the room

On top of that this is the smallest QB drafted #1 overall ever, right? Ok Brees and Wilson, yeah, we get it. But those guys went way later in part because of that. Again, we did something that literally never happens.

And you guys can talk about fiery competitor and he is, but he’s also a cunt. A hard working cunt but a cunt nonetheless. The oldest QB amongst the guys in the top 10 and also the least mature one. And obviously we get that one. Again, QBs that are faces of franchises generally don’t act like Baker does. But why do things the way other teams do it

It seems like no matter what we always come away with the most polarizing QB. No matter who’s calling the shots. Weeden was by far the most polarizing in his draft, Manziel in his. Now Allen gives Baker a run for his money but Baker is also wildly polarizing

For once I’d just like a higher floor option

Like I’ve said time and time again though, I think Baker can be a top 10 QB, but I could also very easily see him busting right out of the league in 5 years. He is another high variance QB

I liked the Ward pick, but the QB decision is literally franchise altering whether it turns out right or wrong so it received the entirety of my grade.

Sometimes it turns out you actually are the smartest man in the room. I just don’t know why we always have to be the team to find out
ETA on the 2018 Tank Thread? I feel like we should at least wait until after the draft.
 
It's not our final draft ever.

And next years strength of the first round is possibly DL.

All the Clemson guys that went back for a final year. Nick Bosa. Dremont Jones. Rashan Gary. Just to name a few.

Yes, we may need to go another direction(OT), but Dorsey seems to place a high value on the value chart that rates QB/CB/DE/OT at the top. So they will likely add to the DL again next year.

This is a long term build.
Yes, this is why I was never "all in" on Chubb. Next years DL class is GOAT. Fact you didn't even mention Ed Oliver proves just how strong the class is. We can snag an equal, or possibly better, prospect next year with a much later pick.
 
Yes, this is why I was never "all in" on Chubb. Next years DL class is GOAT. Fact you didn't even mention Ed Oliver proves just how strong the class is. We can snag an equal, or possibly better, prospect next year with a much later pick.

You snag up a Nick Bosa, Ed Oliver, Dexter Lawrence and put them with Garrett...

Rock hard.
 
I don't think those that are giving this an A or B are taking into consideration that they traded away the first pick in the third for a guy that should be on the bench by week 6. A pick they could have either got another rotation player out of or traded up with for a starter.
 
Last edited:
I don't think those that are giving this an A or B are taking into consideration that they traded away the first pick in the third for a guy that should be on the bench by week 6. A pick they could have either got another rotation player out of or traded up with for a starter.

Trading for Taylor was all about making sure that Hue Jackson has zero excuses this season. Dorsey undoubtedly saw how Hue blamed everyone but himself for the 0-16 season and somehow managed to avoid being fired for it. So he gave Hue a team that should be capable of winning football games this year. If the team doesn't win games, Hue won't be able to blame it on the team's youth or the lack of proven NFL players, and he'll be fired like he should have been at the end of last season.
 
I don't think those that are giving this an A or B are taking into consideration that they traded away the first pick in the third for a guy that should be on the bench by week 6. A pick they could have either got another rotation player out of or traded up with for a starter.

Dorsey said Mayfield has been his guy for months. Knowing that he still went out and obtained Taylor.

I think he has his reasons and the main reason is that he has zero intention of starting Mayfield this year.
 
Dorsey said Mayfield has been his guy for months. Knowing that he still went out and obtained Taylor.

I think he has his reasons and the main reason is that he has zero intention of starting Mayfield this year.
The 23 year old #1 overall pick needs time. Fantastic.
 
F.

The Baker pick took me out.
 
The 23 year old #1 overall pick needs time. Fantastic.

I don't love this either, but he just turned 23 two weeks ago, and Wentz was 23 as a rookie too. That has been ok for the Eagles.
 

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
Top