Baker Mayfield says sitting this season for Cleveland Browns will be 'great thing for me'

Mike Jones | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Baker Mayfield drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland Browns SportsPulse: Here's what Browns fans need to know about the Heisman Trophy-winning QB from Oklahoma.

BEREA, Ohio — Throughout the last year, during his senior season at Oklahoma and continuing into his four-month-long march toward the NFL draft, Baker Mayfield’s mental makeup garnered much scrutiny.

Critics parsed through his words, studied his actions and tried to discern the difference between confidence and arrogance. Whenever asked, Mayfield called himself the best quarterback coming out of college and said if anyone had what it takes to end the Cleveland Browns’ decades of misery, he was the guy.

He sold himself well to Cleveland officials, because Thursday night they made him the first pick of the 2018 draft. Now comes the true test, however, because as Mayfield admitted, the slate has been wiped clean. None of his accomplishments in college matter. He’s about to take on a league that in reality, he has no first-hand knowledge about.

The Browns wisely plan to relegate Mayfield to the bench as a rookie, believing the redshirt season will best ensure his development and transition to the pro ranks unfolds smoothly.

The Browns’ selection of Mayfield was met with a great deal of skepticism Thursday night, and it remained throughout the city on Friday. Members of the long-suffering fan base fully understood their team’s need for a top-flight quarterback. But they questioned whether Dorsey & Co. had gotten it right with Mayfield.

Minutes after the Browns selected him, local reporters asked Dorsey about potential concerns about Mayfield bucking at the idea of backing up Tyrod Taylor. Dorsey and coach Hue Jackson said absolutely not.

More: Round 2 NFL mock draft: Which QB will Patriots target as Tom Brady's successor?

More: NFL draft winners, losers after first round: Steelers among teams who stumbled

The question came up again Friday at Mayfield’s introductory press conference. Could he really go from such great heights under the brightest lights to life in the shadows of a journeyman like Taylor?

Concerned individuals seem to forget Mayfield began his stints at Texas Tech and Oklahoma buried on the depth chart. He respected the process, scratched and clawed his way to the top, and he’ll do the same in Cleveland.

"It’ll be a great thing for me," he said. "The best thing — and I say it all the time — was what happened at Oklahoma and sitting for a year when I transferred. To sit there and be able to focus on the physical parts of my body and develop it and the mental side of the game — learning."

He added, "Learning from a guy that’s been in the league, that’s seen defenses and had to go through the process? I’ve never done it before, so I can’t say I know how it’s done. So I can learn from a guy like Tyrod, and Drew Stanton.”

Mayfield’s best move is to nestle right up under Taylor and soak up as much as he can from him about NFL life — on and off the field.

Underappreciated throughout his career, Taylor is a pro. His study habits help ensure that he makes smart decisions and avoids getting tricked into mistakes by defenses. He takes care of the ball, and knows how to use his mobility to extend plays, or make something out of nothing when the coverage has eliminated his passing options.

But one of Taylor’s greatest strengths involves the blinders and ear plugs that he uses to tune out criticism. Although beloved at Virginia Tech and coveted by Buffalo after team officials saw flashes of his potential during spot duty for the Baltimore Ravens, Taylor has never been the most popular guy. Critics wanted more big plays, and Taylor has also had to deal with racially charged vitriol. But rather than lash out verbally in press conferences, while heading into tunnels as insults rain down on him, or on social media, he puts his head down, remains within himself and does his job.

For all of his talent and grit, few would consider Mayfield thick-skinned. He will agree that his competitive fire has gotten the best of him. He hears and reads the criticisms, and at times, has held grudges.

But after being disciplined last season for yelling expletives and making an obscene gesture at Kansas opponents and coaches — Mayfield did not start his final game in Norman — he said he has started to learn he must better channel his frustrations.

"That was absolutely over the top," he said Friday. "There’s a fine line. You need to be competitive, but a lot of that you can internalize and use as motivation ... behind the scenes, when no one’s around, in the film room. The other stuff, that can’t happen. ... It’s a blessing to have this responsibility and be in this situation."

Mayfield brought up Taylor’s focus when asked about the most important lessons the veterans can teach him.

"He’s a guy that he blocks out everything," Mayfield explained. "Even with the visits with the Bills and now here, they talk about how he’s up here, he’s the earliest one and the last one to leave, so you can tell it’s all football. He’s focused and that’s the kind of guy you want to be around. He can change the culture really quick, and that’s why I’m excited to be around him."

It’s almost ironic Mayfield now comes to Ohio where he angered Ohio State fans when after leading the Sooners to a 31-16 upset, he ran around the Buckeyes stadium with an Oklahoma flag and then planted it in the "O" at midfield.

The Browns’ other first-round pick, Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward (drafted fourth overall), chuckled at the press conference and said Mayfield has work to do to win over the city. But he believes his new quarterback has it in him to do so.

"I think they will embrace Baker because he is a competitor, and he loves to win," Ward said. "Once we start winning, of course they will embrace him."

The night before, Ward had admitted, "I didn’t like the planting of the flag, but we’re on the same team now, so we have a new mission."

New mission indeed. Mayfield will eventually become the 30th Browns starting quarterback since 1999. But he’s not letting that prompt him to feel pressure or lose patience in the process the Browns have mapped out for him.

"The game of football doesn’t change no matter the stage you’re on," Mayfield said, explaining the advice he always gives teammates and that he plans to follow himself. "It could be the practice field, it could be in front of the most people you’ve ever played in front of. It’s 11-on-11 when it comes down to it. It’s still a scheme on both sides. When it’s a pressure moment like that, I tried to get guys to focus on the basics. You do your 1/11th and don’t even focus on the rest."

Follow Mike Jones on Twitter @ByMikeJones.