Los Angeles Chargers: Does Baker Mayfield make sense for Bolts?
By Derek Snyder
The Los Angeles Chargers may decide to take a quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft, but does former Sooners quarterback, Baker Mayfield, make sense?
The Los Angeles Chargers have some important decisions to make over the next few off-seasons, specifically with their future at quarterback. While Philip Rivers is still going strong in his 30’s, it’s obvious the Bolts front-office will start looking for their long-term option in the near future. Will that player come in the 2018 NFL Draft? Some people think so.
I’ve made my vote clear for the Chargers to look into bringing former Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson into the mix, but lately, the Bolts have been tied to another Heisman trophy winner, Baker Mayfield.
Take a look at Ricky Henne’s reasoning for why the Bolts should take a chance on Mayfield, courtesy of his article on the team’s official website:
"“If the Bolts do opt for a quarterback, the one most pundits think they’d go for is Baker Mayfield. However, the chance to grab him 17th overall seems slim to none as he’s skyrocketed up draft boards in recent months. In fact, the Oklahoma QB is often off the board by the sixth pick in the majority of mock drafts. An fiery leader, Mayfield boasts impressive athleticism and an accurate arm. He won last year’s Heisman Trophy after completing 285-of-404 attempts (70.5 percent) for 4,627 yards with 43 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He also added 311 rushing yards with five TDs on the ground.”"
If Mayfield does slip to the Chargers at pick 17, it would be a tough choice for Los Angeles’ front-office to not snatch him up. This Bolts squad is on the verge of becoming the best team in the AFC West, and maybe Mayfield is the player who finally takes this franchise to the top?
With a plethora of talent already around the Chargers offense, Mayfield would come into a great situation. Heck, even if the team decides Rivers is going to be their guy for the 2018 season, the former Oklahoma superstar would have the opportunity to sit and learn the NFL game – just like Patrick Mahomes got to do with the Chiefs in 2017.
If nothing else, it’s a darn interesting thing to discuss heading into the NFL Combine and Draft.