If the New Orleans Saints want their next starting quarterback to come out of the 2018 NFL Draft, Baker Mayfield would be glad to sit behind 11-time Pro Bowler Drew Brees. The former Oklahoma star and Heisman Trophy winner indicated Thursday that he would have no issue with an apprenticeship in New Orleans.
"I would love that," Mayfield said, according to The Times-Picayune. "To be able to learn under him for however long he plays, I'd love that [and] to get a chance to be in New Orleans, a good franchise."
Brees passed for 4,000-plus yards for the 12th consecutive season in leading the Saints to an NFC South title. He's 39, however, and the time could be right for the Saints to make a big draft investment at the game's most critical position. Brees' backups are nine-year veteran Chase Daniel and Taysom Hill, who was an undrafted free agent out of BYU last year -- first signed by the Green Bay Packers and later the Saints.
Perhaps more than any coach in the NFL, Saints coach Sean Payton wouldn't figure to have an issue with Mayfield's height (6-foot-0), given that Brees is the same height and is one of the NFL's best passers. Mayfield, meanwhile, is among the top quarterback prospects, and his transition to the NFL might not be as tricky as it is for most college quarterbacks who operate the Air Raid offense, which Mayfield did. Under Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma, Mayfield was given freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage and has a wealth of experience with 48 career starts.
Last year, we saw a first-round quarterback drafted into an understudy situation in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes, who learned behind Alex Smith. Perhaps the Saints and Mayfield could be a similar match.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *@ChaseGoodbread*.