Baker Mayfield Is NFL Draft's QB1, And It Isn't Even Close

Baker Mayfield's height is the only reason he's not the slam-dunk choice for the No. 1 overall pick once the 2018 NFL draft begins Thursday in Arlington, Texas.  

Others will nitpick certain areas of his game, but the overwhelming evidence based on the quarterback's play the last two seasons indicates he's the top available prospect for whichever team is willing to overlook his physical shortcomings. 

Basically, many are haggling over less than two inches. The Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs selected quarterbacks among the top 10 picks last season, and both Mitchell Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes measured 6'2". Mayfield measured 6'0 ⅝" at the NFL combine, and he's clearly taller than Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. 

Former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell told The MMQB's Robert Klemko: 

"This guy's [one inch] taller than Russ. They've been that height their whole life, so they work with it. You're not trying to throw over him; you're trying to throw in lanes. You know what's not showing up with Mayfield? Batted balls. If his height is a concern, you're looking for balls getting tipped and batted down at the line. The height is not showing up as an issue for me."

The comparisons to Wilson and the New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees, listed at 6'0", come easily, because both are successful, albeit undersized, quarterbacks. Although, Mayfield's traits don't quite align with those of either. His game is far more reminiscent of former Pro Bowl signal-caller Jeff Garcia's because of his precision as a passer and ability to create outside the pocket. 

Are there inherent disadvantages to being a shorter quarterback? Sure. The ability to find throwing lanes becomes far more important, and concerns about being able to take an NFL-caliber beating arise. 

"Good players figure it out," Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph, who coached Mayfield at the Senior Bowl, told Forbes' David Ching. 

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Mayfield figured it out after playing behind a massive Oklahoma offensive line that featured 6'8", 345-pound Orlando Brown and 6'4", 312-pound Bobby Evans as starting offensive tackles. 

If the reigning Heisman Trophy winner didn't know how to find passing lanes, adjust arm angles or maneuver in the pocket, he couldn't have been successful. 

What matters is whether a quarterback can deliver the ball on time and in rhythm to the right receiver. No prospect in this year's class is better than Mayfield in making the correct, accurate throws. 

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian recalled Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh saying, per Ching: 

"Everyone goes to the [combine], they tell me how tall he is, they tell me how much he weighs, they tell me how big his hands are, how long his arms are. They tell me how high he jumps and how fast he runs. I go into these meetings with our scouts, and they tell me how strong his arm is, they tell me about the offense they had. And all I want to know is, when he throws the ball, does he throw it where the receivers catch it?"

Of course, everyone prefers a 6'5" gunslinger who can make every throw with ease. Reality is usually far from perfect, though. 

Evaluations should be based on what's actually important. So much of the quarterback position is determined by what occurs above the shoulders, and physical measurements don't come close to being top priorities. 

How a prospect absorbs and relays information, his ability to process pre- and post-snap reads and being able to make each throw with touch, timing and accuracy are crucial to a quarterback's success.

Mayfield proved himself a better quarterback than any of the top prospects in nearly every scenario. Statistically, no one could compare to his production after he posted the two most efficient seasons in FBS history with a 70.7 completion percentage, 8,592 passing yards, 83 passing touchdowns and only 14 interceptions. 

As impressive as those numbers are, they don't come close to providing the entire picture of how dominant Mayfield has been as a passer. Nearly every advanced stat favors Mayfield above all other options, as Pro Football Focus noted:

Yet the detractors claim the All-American and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year is a byproduct of a quarterback-friendly system and a defenseless conference. 

Neither is entirely true. 

Yes, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley employs an Air Raid variation that schemes receivers open. But the responsibilities placed upon Mayfield were far greater than he's often given credit for.

Riley said, per Klemko:

"He's probably got more responsibility here than he would have with any NFL team he would go to. Some places do it where you hold up a board on the sideline and he tells everybody what to do and he doesn't have any communication responsibilities, but he plays a larger hand here, a pivotal role.

"Mentally, he's the best one I've ever been around, and I've been around some good ones. There's not gonna be a guy walk in and process what this guy can process. That's not gonna be an issue at the next level, regardless of the system or amount of verbiage."

Over the last three decades, the Wonderlic test developed into the predraft standard-bearer in ascertaining a football player's intelligence. Harvard graduate and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick famously scored a 48 out of 50. The Wonderlic became outdated, though, and a new, lesser-known test, the Athletic Intelligence Quotient, arose to improve the overall methodology. 

According to Klemko, Mayfield received the AIQ's second-highest score among quarterbacks since 2012. The former Texas Tech walk-on can handle massive amounts of information when he's dedicated to learning a new playbook. A general manager told Fox Sports Radio's Doug Gottlieb that Mayfield has "off-the-charts" football intelligence. 

Learning a system is only half the equation. An individual must be able to take what he's learned and execute on the field. For Mayfield, a common knock from detractors is that he can't make throws into small spaces. But the Associated Press Player of the Year is, by far, a better tight-window thrower than his contemporaries, according to PFF: 

The Big 12 Conference also has a reputation for playing little to no defense. Some argue this is the reason behind Mayfield's outstanding production. Yet few take the time to identify the quarterback's performance against top defenses. 

Opponents	Date	Comp. %	Yards	TDs	INTS
Ohio State	9/9/17	77.1	386	3	0
TCU	11/11/17	66.7	333	3	0
TCU	12/2/17	65.2	243	4	0
Georgia	1/1/18	65.7	287	2	1
TOTAL		69.2	1,249	12	1

A 12-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio against some of country's best, most athletic units is outstanding, even if Mayfield didn't perform as well during the Rose Bowl's second half.  

Once concerns about system and strength of schedule are debunked, off- and on-field behavior serve as the reasons to knock Mayfield off the pedestal he built through outstanding performance. 

Mayfield does need to show more maturity, as evidenced by his actions against the Kansas Jayhawks, an offseason arrest and his overall preparation (or lack thereof) for certain prospective employers.

Every organization will view the quarterback's personality in a different light. 

"Cocky," an anonymous head coach said when asked about Mayfield at the combine, per NFL Network's Kimberly Jones. "Over-the-top cocky."

Others didn't have a problem with the Maxwell Award winner's attitude. 

"He gets it," an executive told USA Today's Mike Jones. "Yep. He just gets it."

The chip on Mayfield's shoulder is more like a boulder, and he reacts to criticism while using it as inspiration. His approach may not be the right fit for every situation, but his teammates go to bat for their quarterback every time. 

"They don't understand how passionate he plays the game," former Sooners fullback Dimitri Flowers said of Mayfield, per ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss. "What you see in some of the actions he does on the field, it's raw emotion. And that's why I loved playing with him, because he puts it all on the line. It's just pure passion. None of it's fake."

The competition to become the first quarterback selected is far from perfect. Wyoming's Josh Allen has accuracy and footwork issues. USC's Sam Darnold's turnovers are cause for concern. UCLA's Josh Rosen's decision-making and injury history are suspect. Louisville's Lamar Jackson, meanwhile, is viewed as a long-term project. 

Mayfield's passion, precision and playmaking ability signal an elite quarterback prospect. These qualities "definitely" place Mayfield in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Yes, the Oklahoma product is shorter than ideal. So what? His skill set portends a franchise quarterback—whether he's selected first or later in the process. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.