Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Baker Mayfield Rumors: QB Prospect to Visit Broncos Before 2018 NFL Draft

Timothy Rapp

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield reportedly will visit with the Denver Broncos during "the week of April 16—their first week of offseason workouts," according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post

The Broncos currently hold the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft and could be in the market for a quarterback, though the team did sign veteran Case Keenum to a two-year deal this offseason.

Mayfield, to be expected, has either taken visits or planned visits with a number of teams near the top of the draft or in need of a quarterback upgrade, including the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals.

Thus far, Mayfield's received positive reviews from the NFL coaches.

"I think he's outstanding," Browns' head coach Hue Jackson said last week, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "I have a different appreciation for Baker. Spending that time with him, what a leader, tremendous person."

Jets' head coach Todd Bowles was equally impressed with Mayfield's performances on the field.

"You see the player and you see the play," he said last week, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. "And you know the guy can play football. He's a competitor."

Of course, there are no shortage of potential starting quarterbacks in this year's NFL draft, with players like Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and Josh Allen all joining Mayfield as possible top-five picks. Add in players like Mason Rudolph and Lamar Jackson, and quite a number of players at the position could be off the board in the first round.

Mayfield, a Heisman Trophy winner, offers teams a mixed bag. On one hand, he was an elite college player who threw for a combined 8,592 yards and 83 touchdowns his last two seasons at Oklahoma, completing over 70 percent of his passes in each campaign.

On the other hand, there have been off-field concerns in the past and Mayfield doesn't have ideal size at the position, keeping Mayfield's potential landing spot in flux. Certainly, enough teams want to meet with him, including the Broncos, that it's hard to imagine him being anything less than a top-10 pick.

   

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