Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
Will Baker Mayfield have his best season yet with the Cleveland Browns?
Baker Mayfield‘s third season out of Oklahoma is the most important year of his football life. If the Cleveland Browns quarterback plays well, he will have the fifth-year option extended to him. Should he struggle like he did last year, Cleveland may need to look for its next face of the franchise in the next NFL Draft or two.
The Fantasy Footballers answered the tough question of if Mayfield will throw for 27 or more touchdown passes in 2020. The reason this number is significant is it represents the number of touchdowns he threw for as a rookie in 2018. Mayfield played very well during his rookie season but regressed considerably during his sophomore campaign in the league. Does he hit it, though?
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Jason Moore is a firm believer in Mayfield and tight end David Njoku. He thinks the Browns have arguably the best receiving corps in the NFL, and he wouldn’t be wrong in that assessment. Mayfield has players like Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry and newcomer tight end Austin Hooper to throw the ball to, as well as the deep fantasy sleeper that is Njoku.
Will Baker Mayfield throw for more than 27 touchdown passes in 2020?
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Andy Holloway could not be more out on Mayfield as the Browns quarterback. He argues that Mayfield had an incredible receiving corps last year, which he did, and still massively underwhelmed. However, the biggest reason Mayfield doesn’t get to 27 touchdown passes this year is the run-first offense being established by new head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Mike Wright won’t rule out Mayfield throwing for around 30 touchdowns this season. He has him just slightly under the 27-touchdown benchmark at 26 but does believe very much in Cleveland’s revamped offensive line. The Browns massively upgraded both tackle spots, as they signed Jack Conklin in free agency and used their first-round pick on Jedrick Wills Jr. out of Alabama.
So which of the guys should we believe the most here? Let’s side with Wright on this one, as Mayfield could throw for over 27 touchdowns, but he’s going to come up a tad short on account of Stefanski’s insistence to pound the rock with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to set the tone for the Cleveland offense. Mayfield doesn’t set a career-high but plays considerably better in year three.