State Your Case: Which Rookie QB Will Have the Best NFL Career?

DAEDAN OLANDER

I intentionally delayed writing this until after the Browns’ Thursday Night showdown versus the New York Jets where I definitely knew that QB1 Tyrod Taylor would get injured, and I knew that Baker Mayfield would be thrust into a starting position mid-game, and I knew that he would be sensational, and I for sure knew that he would lead the Browns back from a 14 point deficit for the first Browns win in over 630 days, while also out-dueling fellow rookie QB Sam Darnold.

*deep breath*

(Yeah, I like that a lot better than admitting that I procrastinated for a week, in the words of Steve Kerr, “that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!”)

In a win (yes, they actually won!) where the Browns’ defense played well, Mayfield was the true difference in the game, throwing for 201 yards with a 73.9% completion rate which would have been even higher had his receivers not dropped three well-placed balls.

His stellar performance surprised only those who buy too much into measurables like height, weight, and hand-size (seriously), and not enough into the intangibles which aren’t as quantifiable: heart, competitive fervor, and possessing irrational confidence. Before the season, Mayfield literally posed in his underwear next to a tiger; I’m not kidding, look it up. If that’s not confidence, what is?

Thoughts, Buffalo?

In 15 years or whenever his career ends, Mayfield will stand out as the preeminent QB from the 2018 draft class. A winner at every level who has been doubted at every turn, Mayfield has won again and again, from highschool to his standout college career at Oklahoma, now to Cleveland, Ohio, where the Browns desperately need a savior. Mayfield isn’t prone to letting people down. Why would the paradigm break now?

But haters please continue to doubt him; he seems to like proving people wrong.

CORBIN ALLEN

This week we watched the likes of Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen thrown into the middle of their games due to injuries to the respective starting quarterbacks. One of these rookies went on to lead their team all the back from a late 14 point deficit, while the other would throw two interceptions, including one to seal the fate of the game.

The former quarterback was one Baker Mayfield. While the latter was Josh Rosen.

Mayfield was thrown into the game when Tyrod Taylor went down with an injury, but let´s be honest, Tyrod Taylor was never really in that game to begin with. 4-14? Yikes. The second Mayfield came in the Browns looked immediately rejuvenated. I am not afraid to say it, The Bake Train looked pretty good. However, I view Mayfield as a player who might be really great and checks all of the boxes as far as entertainment goes – but for no longer than a few years. At best, Baker goes on to have a career in which he hovers slightly above average but nothing special. 

Now for our boy Josh Rosen. It doesn’t look like all those picks before you were so bad after all, now do they Josh? Rosen came in after Cardinals Sam Bradford left the game due to, drumroll please … The same left knee that has plagued him his entire career. To say that it did not go well would be an understatement. The Cardinals would have had a better shot at this one with a one-legged Bradford. While the Bears do boast a stout defense, this game does not look like a sign of good things to come for the ever-so confident UCLA product.

Oh yeah, and Sam Darnold lost to the Browns. This is definitely not the QB you are looking for, Todd Bowles.

This brings us to the rookie QB that comes from Wyoming, Josh Allen. Whether it is the last name or something else, Josh Allen really looked special this weekend. Coming into a game as 16.5-point underdogs against the Super Bowl contending Vikings and their terror of a defense, it would make sense if one said they were nervous. It only took a short time for those nerves to be put to rest. Allen came in and completely dominated this game for the Bills, who returned from a two week vacation earlier last week. This was a great bounce-back for the former Cowboy, who struggled in his first two NFL appearances. I believe that it is this very attitude that will be instrumental in the Josh Allen movement soon to hit the NFL. Mix that with all of the physical traits and intangibles that Allen has and you have the makings of a truly great NFL quarterback.

I wonder how Vontae Davis feels now.