ARLINGTON, Texas — Baker Mayfield, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner whose dynamic skills were matched only by his brash behavior, was the first player selected in the NFL Draft on Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
The Browns are betting big on the Oklahoma quarterback, who was linked to the winless team repeatedly in the last few days. Sources said the team openly discussed taking him as late as Wednesday morning.
The Browns preferred him over USC’s Sam Darnold and Wyoming’s Josh Allen.
Browns general manager John Dorsey could have chosen Penn State running back Saquon Barkley first and then drafted a quarterback fourth. Instead, he took Mayfield and then, in a bit of a surprise, took Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward fourth.
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At 6-1, Mayfield lacks the ideal height of a passer picked No. 1 overall. Teams became comfortable with his personality after asking about three incidents from the last two seasons — a public-intoxication and disorderly conduct arrest, taunting Kansas football players with a crotch grab and planting the Sooners’ flag at Ohio State’s stadium.
Mayfield doesn’t figure to start immediately. The Browns traded for Tyrod Taylor, who’s likely to leave after this season.
QB trades
Three of the five teams that drafted a quarterback traded up to do so.
To get Allen seventh, the Bills traded the 12th pick and two second-rounders to the Buccaneers, who dealt a seventh-rounder.
To land UCLA’s Josh Rosen at No. 10, the Cardinals traded
No. 15, a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder to the Raiders.
The Ravens traded their second-rounder, fourth-rounder and next year’s second-rounder for the Eagles’ No. 32 overall pick and fourth-rounder this year. The Ravens selected Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.
This and that
Before Barkley went second to the Giants, the last running back taken with such a high pick was Reggie Bush, who went second in 2006.
Barkley, who was born in the Bronx and grew up a Jets fan, said he felt like he was “coming home” to the Giants. He became a father Tuesday to baby Jada and said he wants to make her proud.
“Winning now, that’s what you play the game for — to win and to win championships,” he said.
— Tremaine and Terrell Edmunds became the first set of brothers to be selected in the first round. Tremaine, a linebacker, was drafted 16th by the Bills. Terrell, a safety, went 28th to the Steelers.
