Hue Jackson has vowed all along that veteran Tyrod Taylor would start the season as Cleveland's quarterback, but rookie Baker Mayfield has made an impression of his own on the Browns head coach.
"Baker Mayfield has been everything I thought a quarterback should be for our organization thus far," Jackson said Sunday of the first-overall pick in the draft, per ESPN's Pat McManamon. "He's doing the things that we want him to do the way we want him to do it, and he's exceeding those things. Because he's putting in the time. He doesn't have a pride or [arrogance] any kind of way.
"His thing is, 'You guys tell me what you want me to do, and I'm going to do it.' That's what he's done since he's walked in the building. To me that's exciting. That's a player that's eager to learn, and grow."
Mayfield shined in Sunday's practice, with McManamon noting the rookie has "shown he has picked up the offense quickly, and he has an understanding of the system," while adding Mayfield "has a strong arm, he's been accurate and he gets rid of the ball quickly."
Mayfield left his mark at Oklahoma as a dangerously accurate quarterback who finished second in D-I history in passer efficiency rating and showed a knack for the big play. That materialized Sunday when Mayfield unfurled a pinpoint dart behind a defender and into the arms of wideout Rashard Higgins.
"To me it was outstanding," Jackson said. "Those kind of things that he's doing along with staying in the pocket ... I think he's seeing the offense unfold a little better because I think he understands the system better. I think he's making really good progress, which you want to see from a quarterback."
Taylor remains locked in as the starter, but the Browns must be excited to see a rookie catch on after so many previous first-round passers fizzled out in a hurry.
Mayfield drew unfair comparisons to Browns mega-bust Johnny Manziel in the pre-draft process, with some confusing Baker's on-field zeal with Manziel's off-the-field issues. Instead, Mayfield's team-first attitude in Cleveland has caught the eye of franchise brass.
"I think there's trust [in the quarterback room], I think there's honesty and transparency among that group," Jackson said. "They've done a great job. And when you're the first pick in the draft and you walk in, normally like you [see] some guys walk in with their chest out and it's me, me, me. [Mayfield's] not about that."
