Can you explain it to me?
I know he had the highest completion percentage.
I know he has a massive # of yards and TDs last season. I know he won an obscene amount of award this season.
I also freely admit that if he had done everything he he did last season in the ACC or SEC or Big 10 he would be the 1st QB taken. Unfortunately for him he did it in the big 12 which is lacking in defense.
When you look at the all time great Big12 QBs in the NFL, the only name I can come up with is Troy Aikman and Sam bradford for a currently playing QB (dont bother talking to me about QBs that transferred out)
I read the reddit posts, i read the facebook posts. We have people that want tannehill gone and are willing to part with next years 1st and more to move up and take baker. How is the last big 12 QB we drafted doing for us?
We are not a talented team. We went into the playoffs in 2016 because we had the easiest schedule in the league. We still need a guard, we still need a line backer, we still need another DT, LBer, CB, and S. We cannot throw picks away on maybes. I want safe talent. I dont need superstars. I want hardworkers.
So you are thinking the QB we've had (Tannehill) who was 56th in the nation (133.2 QB rating) as a 5th year senior with a prolific OL (2 top 6 picks) and talented group of WRs is going to do just as well as the QB who not only finished the #1 rated QB rated the past two years (198.90 in 2017, 196.39 in 2016) which is also the TOP 2 QB seasons in the history of college football (Russell Wilson 191.78 is 3rd behind Mayfield's top 2) wouldn't be an upgrade?
As far as how he would fair against teams from other conferences...
Perhaps ask Gus Malzahn from Auburn who Mayfield led Oklahoma to a 35-19 victory over in the Sugar Bowl in 2016 if he is legit NFL talent putting the following #s:
19 of 28 (67.9%), 296 yards, 2 TD, 0 int (180.2 QB rating)
*Auburn ranked #22 in pass defense vs. QB rating only allowing an average of 113.1 QB rating per game, including factoring in Mayfield's stats.
Or ask Urban Meyer at Ohio State who Mayfield led Oklahoma to a 31-16 victory over in 2017:
27 of 35 (77.1%), 386 yards, 3 TD, 0 int (214.8 QB rating)
* OSU ranked #16 in pass defense vs. QB rating only allowing an average of 111.7 QB rating per game, including factoring in Mayfield's stats.
Or ask Kirby Smart who Mayfield led Oklahoma to a 48 point, losing effort in the Rose Bowl in 2017:
23 of 35 (65.7%), 287 yards, 2 TD, 1 int (147.7 QB rating)
* Georgia ranked #8 in pass defense vs. QB rating only allowing an average of 108.1 QB rating per game, including factoring in Mayfield's stats.
So his totals from the last 3 games against conferences referred to (SEC and Big 10) which included 2 bowl games Mayfield led Oklahoma to an average of 38 points per game while combining to go 69 of 98 (70.4%), 969 yards, 7 TD, 1 int (175 QB rating) which by the way is in line with the all-time career college QB passing efficiency ratings:
1. Sam Bradford - 175.62
2. Baker Mayfield - 175.37 (197.72 over final two years, 2016-2017)
3. Marcus Mariota - 171.75
...
250. Sean Mannion - 135.76
below that is Tannehill - 134.2
But beyond all the numbers the most important reason to take a chance on Mayfield is this...there is no more important position in team sports when it comes to influencing the outcome of games than QB. That is how damn important the position is. If a team does not have a top-10 QB then that team has QB problems. That is how important the position is. A great QB can make a bad team good (Marino, for example) and a good team great (Brady, for example).
And the two most important factors for success of a QB and the team the QB plays for are ACCURACY and LEADERSHIP. Mayfield is clearly, without a doubt, a MAJOR improvement in those two areas over Tannehill.
So the question isn't "Why should Miami draft Mayfield?" the question is "Why in heck would Miami NOT draft Mayfield?"