Jets Legend Joe Namath: Baker Mayfield Is 'Most Outrageous' in 2018 NFL Draft

As the New York Jets look to grab a franchise quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft on Thursday, they will have a handful of options to choose from.

Let's just say Jets legend Joe Namath hopes Baker Mayfield is still available.

Namath recently told ESPN's Rich Cimini that of all the quarterbacks in this year's class, the former Oklahoma Sooners star stands out.

"I haven't met them, but I've watched them, and the most outrageous, so to speak, that I've seen has been Mayfield," Namath said.

New York already moved from the sixth pick to the third through a trade with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason, putting the Jets in position to nab one of the top signal-callers.

However, the top of the draft remains unclear. The Cleveland Browns have been linked to anyone from Sam Darnold to Josh Rosen to Josh Allen to even Mayfield. Plus, nobody knows if the New York Giants will take a quarterback at No. 2 or if they will select running back Saquon Barkley, offensive lineman Quenton Nelson or someone else.

Namath has seen enough tape on Mayfield, though, to take him with a top pick:

"Hey, it wasn't just Georgia; it was a couple of years, early on, when I saw him play. I saw him a couple of years back. I never saw him look bad. I don't know how tall he is. I still don't know big he is. Size can be a major asset; yes, size can be an asset in today's game. But Drew Brees, his size was questioned many times, and he's one of the greatest players who's ever played."

As Namath noted, size has been a concern, although Mayfield measured in at 6'2" and 215 pounds.

In three years at Oklahoma, Mayfield completed 69.8 percent of his passes while throwing for 12,292 yards, 119 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He also ran for 893 yards and 18 scores. His ability to make plays with his arm and legs led to a 2017 Heisman Trophy win and a College Football Playoff appearance.

"When I see his quick feet and I see him throwing every which way, I see the accuracy, I see the intensity, his hustle," Namath told Cimini. "Hey, I tell you, I wouldn't want to play against him. I didn't want Alabama to play against him."

That's high praise from a Hall of Famer.

Whomever New York takes at No. 3 figures to start his career on the bench, as the team re-signed veteran Josh McCown and added Teddy Bridgewater after missing out on Kirk Cousins in free agency. If it happens to be Mayfield, Namath believes his former squad will have a bright future.