Oklahoma Football: 4 Takeaways from loss to Iowa State

2. Baker Mayfield is an elite college quarterback

If you’ve checked out any of the latest mock drafts there are plenty of quarterbacks projected to come off the board in the first round. The demand is high and the supply is a bit lacking. Names like Sam Darnold, Josh Rose, Lamar Jackson and even Mason Rudolph seem to be fairly safe bets to hear their names called on day one. But Baker Mayfield is conspicuously missing from most first round projections.

The critiques have been varied, but the consensus is that Mayfield just doesn’t have the tools to make it at the next level. He’s “too small” (6-foot-1), he relies too much on his receivers making big plays and doesn’t have to make difficult reads. Playing behind the best offensive line in the nation has left him relatively untested against pressure in the pocket. He seems a bit more like Johnny Manziel than Marcus Mariota.

But the Oklahoma Sooners don’t care. As Mayfield’s draft stock is continued to be questioned, the senior quarterback just keeps posting ridiculous numbers. Entering OU’s matchup with Iowa State, Mayfield led the Big 12 in completion percentage (75.2), yards per attempt (13.2) and interceptions thrown (zero).

On Saturday Mayfield kept those numbers crisp, even in defeat. He posted 306 yards passing and two touchdowns through the air with 57 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. Sooner fans don’t care what NFL Draft pundits think. Even in defeat, Mayfield is pretty darn good.