Grading the NFL’s top rookie quarterbacks through four weeks

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

The Browns lost Tyrod Taylor in a Thursday Night Football matchup against Sam Darnold and the New York Jets, and the Baker Mayfield era began.

Mayfield brought the Browns into the victor’s circle for the first time in nearly two full calendar years. For a game pitting two of the worst teams in the NFL in 2017 in prime time, it was a particularly entertaining matchup and Mayfield looked really good.

He wasn’t perfect, but Mayfield made all the throws he needed to and looked like his vintage Oklahoma self.

Against the Oakland Raiders in week four on 10 days rest, Mayfield got the first start of his career and it was expected that he and the upstart Browns would go into the Black Hole and get a win.

They almost did.

Mayfield and the Cleveland offense put up 42 points in a stunning back-and-forth game, but it wasn’t enough as the Raiders found a way to win in overtime. Though Mayfield threw his first two touchdown passes in the game against the Raiders, more of his passes hit the ground than in any other game of his I can recall watching. He completed just over 50 percent of his passes and had a couple of interceptions, but Mayfield has shown in a limited sample size why he was the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft.