Baker Mayfield: Forget Orlando Brown’s Combine numbers, remember zero sacks

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The man whose blind side Orlando Brown protected at Oklahoma is defending Brown after an ugly Combine performance.

Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, says Brown’s poor showing at the Combine shouldn’t hurt his draft stock. Instead, Mayfield says, it’s Brown’s play on the field that matters.

“Look at his film,” Mayfield said. “He gave up zero sacks last year.”

Mayfield laughed off Brown’s 5.86-second 40-yard dash, noting that Brown is never going to run 40 yards in a game. The workout numbers were unimpressive, but Mayfield was very pleased with last year’s sack number of zero.

64 responses to “Baker Mayfield: Forget Orlando Brown’s Combine numbers, remember zero sacks

  1. Solid move by Mayfield having his guy’s back. For the most part he is right a 40 yard dash isn’t very important for an offensive tackle. Unless you fail to get a play off at the end of the game because he is still running down the field while 10 guys are set

  2. If a interview for a multi million dollar job is not enough to motivate you to train for such interview. Then yes, questions should be asked.

  3. I love the drill where the linemen starts off laying on the ground. I see that happen all the time during an NFL game. Probably the best drill to determine whether a lineman will be successful or not.

    Baker is right though, how often do you see a lineman 40 yards downfield? The only situation I could think of would be a screen pass, but the lineman has usually blocked his man and is already out of the play by the time the receiver/back is 15 yards down field.

    I guess the slow 40 would mean a longer wait for the TD celebrations to begin?

  4. I agree, what’s the point of timing O-line in a 40? It’s 2018 and these coaches/GM’s still use the same drills to measure since 1920’s. And who said they were good drills anyways? It doesn’t measure your heart or football instincts. Save all the expenses and just put in their game tape.

  5. The combine in a way is all hogwash. JaWalrus had arguably the best combine ever. Guess how that turned out and look who was drafted around him. To me the wonderlic however, is a bit more important. Thats understanding Xs and Os. The Spider Two Y Bananas and Turkey Holes

  6. It’s nice to see players stick up for their former teammates after bad athletic showings.

  7. The man has a point. Remember Tom Brady’s combine? His combine was terrible, and he fell to #199 in the draft. We all know how his career turned out.

  8. The Raiders drafted John Clay years ago at #15. He barely lasted two years in the league. Played well in college, had a bad combine but the Raiders relied on his college play. Didn’t work out very well. One of the all time draft busts. Teams will be careful with Brown. His stock dropped significantly.

  9. That was against college players every guy brown will face this year is going to be better then anyone he faced last year. Then again Joe Frazier never lifted a weight in his life and was heavy weight champion of the worl and Kevin Durant couldn’t lift the bar at the NBA combine.

  10. Starting to really like Baker Mayfield as a QB prospect. He seems to carry himself with a genuine edge. Many of the other prospects—and prospects generally, year after year—seem like they’re just along for the ride. I don’t care if he’s short; if he’s the type of guy that can rally veteran NFL players from day 1 of OTAs, I think he’ll pan out.

    Too many quarterback prospects come into the league with the key to the car but no desire to drive it. Here, Baker Mayfield sounds like he’s already got the key in the ignition.

  11. Forget his 40 time, what about only being able to do 14 reps on the bench press? That’s the 2nd worst performance by an OL in twenty years. His combine performance at least speaks poorly of his preparation. Did he train at all for it?

  12. Good for him to have his OL’s back but if the QB he’s protecting wasn’t a scrambling QB, would he have given up sacks? The answer is yes. Every stat needs to be in context.

    Look how much better the Offensive line was for Houston when Watson was QB. A bad Oline suddenly became good.

    It wasn’t coaching and it wasn’t talent, it was the QB buying time.

  13. How could he go through a solid college program for years without working out seriously? Offensive linemen at Oklahoma don’t have mandatory weight training? Nobody noticed him doing nothing?
    Strange…

  14. Forgot the 40. Take a look at the rest of his numbers individually, they are historically terrible. He cost himself a ton of cash. He actually had a coach yell at him for loafing between reps. Third day pick unfortunately.

  15. Now this is a good sign as far as the comparisons between him and Manziel. This is classy and shows he can support a team/teammate – and I think it is genuine. I also happen to agree with him as I think the Combine proves very little in terms of draft value for most players. And who ever sees a lineman run a 40 anyway? All I care about is speed off the ball, footwork, and technique. The rest of it is useless come game day.

  16. The 40 isn’t a huge deal but only benching 14 reps is pathetic for any lineman. In addition his broad jump was terrible and his vertical was sad. Take it in totality and it paints the picture of a kid who couldn’t bother getting in shape for the biggest workout of his life. Apparently coaches were getting on him for dogging it in these drills.
    Kid just cost himself millions of dollars out of pure laziness.

  17. His 40 time wouldn’t be an issue if he also didn’t finish dead last in the broad jump , vertical, and had 14 reps on the bench. Oh, and he apparently yelled at the coaches and clearly had huge man breasts. His performance was historically bad . If he gave up zero sacks that is further proof there is no D in the big 12 .

  18. Good to have your guys back but if you watched the combine Brown looked very sloppy and slow and it didn’t even look like he wanted to be there.

  19. Not sure of the accuracy of this because I heard it on the radio…but they were saying no lineman with a 5.7 or worse has been drafted earlier than the 7th round. If true, it goes to show how serious scouts and GMs take the 40. Brown might be in for a serious slide in the draft…hopefully the kid doesn’t accept any offer to sit in the green room.

  20. guypatsfan says:
    March 4, 2018 at 7:15 am
    The man has a point. Remember Tom Brady’s combine? His combine was terrible, and he fell to #199 in the draft. We all know how his career turned out.

    —————————
    Lol, even after all these years they still show the tapes of Brady’s combine for comedic value. And even after all these years its still funny. Especially because of how it all turned out.

  21. Watch his run, they keep a 10 yd split on lineman and he was at 2 seconds for 10 yds which is BAD. Shows a basic lack of quickness which does translate to the field. He had a decent 3 cone drill which helps and the game tape tells the tale but I’d be wary drafting this kid thinking he’s gonna be a starting LT for a decade. He’s going to have problems with the speed / power combos DE’s will throw at him. The biggest thing he’s got going for him are his long arms which help keep defenders off his body but if he’s not strong enough to lock out his arm length means nothing. Per scouts he doesn’t play with great leverage and natural knee bend either. To me it adds up to a huge risk.

  22. My Team is in DESPRETE Need of a Qb (Bills)..Baker is a LEADER ! Best OverAll Qb in draft !!If his height is a concern ..put him in a pair of “Skecthers lifts” another INCH He’ll be Arron Rodgers height..With his Intensity,Leadership ,Accuracy..HEART..Love of his teammates..I WANT THIS GUY !!!!!!!!!!!! Please Buffalo Draft this Guy..!!!

  23. I think his stock went way down and expect he won’t be drafted in first three rounds. He obviously has the talent, but likely hasn’t been working out since the season ended, showing lack of commitment. Unless he can adequately explain why he hasn’t been in the gym, I’d pass on him.

  24. I agree with Mayfield on this one. Tape dont lie. Look at who he was blocking.

  25. No ‘tanks. If you can get past the lack of defensive physicality he’s been exposed to, he sounds like a Big 12 cream puff OL who will get eaten for Sunday brunch. You better be mean, hungry and strong as an ox or you’ll be tossed around a Cam Erving rag doll.

  26. An entitled rich kid who thinks he doesn’t have to work hard. Seen this act 1000x he’ll need to get cut before he wakes up.

  27. 700levelvet says:
    March 4, 2018 at 6:26 am

    If a interview for a multi million dollar job is not enough to motivate you to train for such interview. Then yes, questions should be asked.
    ____________________
    +1
    The Combine is about preparing for something important. If you can’t get ready for this singular event that will certainly impact on your earnings for the next 5 years you likely can’t get ready for another Sunday game after another Sunday game late in a season when you are out of the playoffs race.

    It’s all about professionalism and love of the game.

  28. Kevin White killed it at the combine. How’d that work out for the Bears with the #7 overall pick.

  29. A slow Olineman is a huge concern on a TD play.
    The celebration has to wait until the slow lineman can join his team mates.
    This slows the game down an additional few seconds.

    Oh wait, impacting the actual play of the game? Nah.

  30. I would like to know how long it takes for Orlando Brown to kick step 5 yards. That is a more usable drill. Or for interior lineman, the time it takes to pull 10 yards to a cone.

  31. For OL & DL I think the 40 is important to make sure the times are not unusually slow,that they have no unusual gait ,and that the player can prepare himself. When are OL & DL going to have to run in a game? After every long pass or run, that’s when! Can the player get down the field to line up for the next play or do you have to burn a timeout? What if you’re out of timeouts? If the player gets down the field will he be totally gassed and ineffective?

    For the Notre Dame guard, his time in the 40 may not have been that big of a deal, however if you hurt yourself WARMING UP, that’s a problem.

  32. If this is his performance, why even show up? Don’t waste people time. Give that spot to somebody that really wants it.

  33. Mayfield’s comments show he’s both a team player trying to protect Brown’s back but it also shows a complete lack of understanding what the next level is about. There won’t be any grocery store clerks rushing on Sundays. Each edge rusher Brown will face at the next level was the Big Man on Campus at his school. The talent level will jump exponentially and any weakness Brown has will be fully exposed. These combine drills are designed to quantify the likelihood of that happening. Zero sacks in college is one thing, the Pro game is an entirely different beast. Mayfield not understanding that goes to his intelligence and intelligence for a QB is a very important thing to evaluate.

  34. Mayfield did a good thing here.

    The scouting reports on Brown consistently show that there are major concerns; he has been able to rely on his big body and long arms in college, but he has almost nothing else going for him. He’s not light on his feet, not a quick reactor, and his body doesn’t naturally or instinctively respond the way it should to be most effective. He’ll need a lot of coaching because you can’t rely on a big body and long arms as much in the pros as you might in college. His poor combine performance only confirms scouting reports saying that he’ll need more coaching up than most would expect from a projected first rounder. But with that size and arm length, he’s going to be too tempting to pass up.

    For those of you saying that the 40 doesn’t matter for linemen, think again. The first two 10 yard sets of a 40 show a player’s reaction time and burst. These are crucial components of an o-lineman’s game.

  35. Could care less about his 40 time but his short shuttle time would give me pause to is a high first rounder on him.

  36. The combine in a way is all hogwash. JaWalrus had arguably the best combine ever. Guess how that turned out and look who was drafted around him. To me the wonderlic however, is a bit more important. Thats understanding Xs and Os. The Spider Two Y Bananas and Turkey Holes

    ———

    JaWalrus didn’t participate in the combine. All he did was get measured and take the wonderlic.

  37. Won’t be drafted.
    He will fall to FA status.
    He showed he is too much of a project.

  38. Orlando Brown has zero work ethic and it shows. The combine measures work ethic, that is all. Let’s see what he does after a cycle of steroids at his pro Day.

  39. He looked fat, slow and lazy during the biggest job interview of his life. His effort and preparation should scare teams more than the bad drills. Good luck to him.

  40. The combine in a way is all hogwash. JaWalrus had arguably the best combine ever. Guess how that turned out and look who was drafted around him. To me the wonderlic however, is a bit more important. Thats understanding Xs and Os. The Spider Two Y Bananas and Turkey Holes

    ———

    JaWalrus didn’t participate in the combine. All he did was get measured and take the wonderlic.

    i remember being in high school and he had just been drafted. he was a local double a baseball game signing autographs with an easily 100k earring in his ear. i walked up and he said 10 bucks and i just laughed and walked away.

  41. Wellman says:
    March 4, 2018 at 7:03 am
    Go to the Patriots where everyone posts about how you are a loser on paper using every statistic but game scores.
    ……………………………………………………………………
    33-41 comes to mind

  42. Ted Thompson was a big combine guy .. How did that work out Packer fan Justin Harrell, Datone jones, Jerel Worthy, and it goes on and on.. Love Bake’s Attitude would take him over Rosen. Rosen would be to busy preaching his elitist attitude in the huddle and the lineman would give the d-line a free pass ..

  43. Combine results point to a total lack of motivation and work ethic. If one can’t get up for a couple of days interview and physical tests, then it should be a major red flag. Zero sacks is more a statement on his competition, not that he has some great stud tackle.

  44. Hey fanboys Mike Mamula looked like a combination of Lawrence Taylor, jack lambert and dick butkus at the underwear olympics. LEARN THE GAME

  45. More important for a 20 yard dash to an OL.
    Mayfield continues to impress.
    Get this guy Miami.

  46. this fatass is slow and lazy. he probably needs tto lay of the twinkies once in a while.

  47. Robert Gallery was a beast in college. Never gave up a sack IIRC. He failed miserably at the next level. He turned into a decent guard but you don’t take those #2 and a few were worth first round picks.

    No sacks means he hasn’t seen real talent yet, snap after snap.

    Not a shot at him or anyone. Just facts. True edge rushers in the NFL win a lot more than guys in college. Miller, Mack and so on. Face them for 30-40 drop backs a game and they are going to win a few times.

  48. bigblue00 says:
    March 4, 2018 at 4:39 pm
    WHats really sad is that so many of you follow the combine.

    ———————————
    As you take the time to read all the comments about a guys combine numbers then comment about all the comments. Super sad…….

  49. Orlando Brown should not have to be yelled at during the Combine. He should be self-motivated to achieve better results and quell rumors about his laziness and lack of fitness.
    Nevertheless, the Giants and Jerry Reese in particular have drafted almost exclusively by Combine numbers*, leadership, interview and other measurables over the past years. Look where it has gotten the Giants. They will likely have only two players left of their entire 2010-14 draft classes on the OTA roster beginning the season (OBJ & JPP).

    What does that tell ya?

    *most important

  50. BTW, the other way that Reese and the Giants constructed their draft board was a draftee’s score on the Wonderlic (which I can tell you as a psychologist is a damn waste of time to assess a draftee’s “football acumen” – maybe other than being capable of comprehending and digesting a playbook).

  51. to the point of the Texans’ o line being better as a result of Watson buying time…also bought him a torn ACL.

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