Heisman winning quarterback Baker Mayfield may be the apple of the Denver Broncos’ eye, and it seems like he’s known it for quite some time…
Baker Mayfield is confident he’s going to be a top five selection.
In a comment he apparently made back in January, Mayfield was given a sheet of paper detailing the draft order and compensation for each pick, and he literally drew a line under the Broncos’ pick at number five overall.
This is a fascinating story, one which you much read in full.
Baker Mayfield took the paper detailing the compensation for each first round pick and drew a line underneath the No. 5 selection, held by the Broncos. “I’m not going later than this,” he said.https://t.co/PpshrORsT4
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) April 18, 2018
Of course, in January, the New York Jets had not yet traded up into the third overall spot which now seems like Baker’s destiny.
It makes sense that the Jets would jump up ahead of Denver to get a player that the Broncos want, especially if the Jets covet that player.
The Broncos are now stuck between a rock and a hard place. Their interest in Mayfield remains very high, but the price to move up to the second overall pick with the New York Giants is going to be nearly impossible to pay.
The Broncos just hosted Mayfield on a two-day visit, which included dinner with head coach Vance Joseph on Monday night and lunch with John Elway on Tuesday, along with a tour of the team facility, which was filled with the entire Broncos roster, who were reporting for day one and two of OTAs.
John Elway and company have made no attempt to be secretive about their desire for Mayfield to make a permanent switch over to orange and blue.
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They requested he be placed on their roster at the 2018 Senior Bowl. They sent the most significant members of the front office and coaching staff to the Oklahoma Pro Day. They met with Mayfield again at the Scouting Combine, and they brought him to Denver for a two-day visit.
You would think after spending a week with the guy in Mobile, they would have gotten to know him more than enough.
Their interest is more than due diligence. The Broncos want to draft Mayfield, but there exists a very real possibility he will not be on the board.
This would be a crushing blow to the morale of a good chunk of Broncos Country, which has been clamoring for Mayfield since before the college season ever ended.
Mayfield’s ascension as a prospect is riveting, but if he were to elude the Broncos on draft weekend, it would be hard to watch him spend the early years of his career with the Jets and not wonder ‘what if?’
Mayfield is not the only quarterback the Broncos have shown substantial interest in, but he may be the one they are most interested in. According to recent reports, he’s definitely the favorite of Gary Kubiak and Matt Russell.
If he’s there at five overall, you can bank on him being the pick.
He said so himself.