#8: QB Baker Mayfield, 2018
The 2018 NFL Draft class featured five great quarterback prospects which included Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Cleveland Browns had one of the most important decisions to make in their franchise with the first overall pick. The Browns opted to draft Mayfield over players like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson who are stars in the league. The Browns did not support Mayfield the way young quarterbacks need. They went through various head coaches and offensive coordinators which will stunt the growth of a player. In four seasons with the Browns, Mayfield would have only one winning season but he led them to their first playoff win since 1994.
After the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson in 2022, the writing was on the wall that Mayfield’s time in Cleveland was over. He would be traded to the Carolina Panthers, eventually released by them in 2022 to play just a few games with the Los Angeles Rams. Since then, Mayfield has found a home with Tampa Bay and signed a new three-year deal that will keep him as the franchise quarterback as the Bucs are in win-now mode.
It’s not that Mayfield was the worst draft pick, but the Browns could have had other stars with the first overall picks. Instead, they went through a lot of change which affected Mayfield.
#7: QB Bryce Young, 2023
To be fair, Bryce Young was set up to fail in his first season with the Carolina Panthers last season. The Panthers traded up to the number one overall pick to select him but gave up multiple draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears. Carolina had a disastrous 2023 season, finishing 2-14 and giving the Bears the number one overall pick that had originally belonged to Carolina before it was traded away. In Young’s first season, he threw for 2,877 yards for 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Head coach Frank Reich was fired in the middle of the season and the Panthers did not have a great receiver on the roster.
Young was sacked 62 times and completed just 60% of his passes. The only reason why he was not lower on this list is because it was his first season in a very bad situation. Carolina has improved this offseason so Young will have a fresh start with a new head coach in Dave Canales who has revamped careers like Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith.