Being the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft comes with a ton of responsibility.
Not many players are able to live up to the expectations.
If anything, we could argue that more No. 1 picks fail to do so.
Others, like Baker Mayfield, are late bloomers.
Mayfield has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the past couple of years, and while the narrative and his reputation may not help his case, he has the numbers to back up that statement.
That was evident again in the latest post shared by PFF on X.
Apparently, Mayfield led all quarterbacks with 17 touchdowns against the blitz last season.
Most TD passes vs the blitz in 2024:
🏴☠️ Baker Mayfield – 17 pic.twitter.com/iz362LwfWY
— PFF (@PFF) July 8, 2025
Mayfield’s career seemed to be over after he was benched by the Carolina Panthers a couple of years ago.
The Cleveland Browns had given up on him to make room for Deshaun Watson, and it looked like he wasn’t going to be a starter again.
Then, Matthew Stafford’s injury proved to be a blessing for him, as he impressed in a limited stint with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Buccaneers rolled the dice on him and gave him a ‘prove it’ type of deal, and prove it he did.
Mayfield has posted virtually the same numbers Tom Brady had during his days in Florida, taking full ownership of the offense and developing a strong chemistry with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Some might never want to give Mayfield his flowers, and he may not be the superstar some thought he would be, but he’s, by all means, a star in this league.
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