Joe Burrow is going to face a lot of inevitable comparisons to Baker Mayfield once he officially becomes the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow, like Mayfield, will go to a team in Ohio in desperate need of a franchise QB to resuscitate a team that hasn’t won a postseason game in the 21st century.
There are other parallels too. Both transferred from one major college program to another. Each won the Heisman Trophy with incredible senior seasons with their new universities. There are some size and mentality similarities, too.
Burrow appreciates the comparison. During his combine press conference, the LSU gunslinger talked about being compared to Mayfield and how the Browns QB’s swagger and confidence is something he really admires.
“The thing about the confidence, I think it starts in preparation and I’m really confident in my preparation. I feel I prepare better than anybody else. That’s why I’m so confident. Because I feel I know what’s going to be happening on Saturdays before it happens. Hopefully I can carry it over to Sundays with the help of the coaches and the veterans.
That’s where it starts. I really admire Baker’s mentality. Coming in if you’re the No. 1 pick, the team that’s picking No. 1 is there for a reason so there are going to be ups and downs and you have to stay steady through the process.”
It sounds like Burrow has been watching Mayfield’s travails in Cleveland and expects to have an intense but friendly rivalry in the AFC North for years to come.