Cleveland Browns: John Dorsey’s 5 best player additions

1. Drafting Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield was the best quarterback of the bunch and the Browns had the No. 1 overall pick, so even if it wasn’t — or at least shouldn’t have been — a difficult decision, it’s still the most impactful decision for the Browns and it should change the franchise for the next decade.

Mayfield impressed early and often in training camp and ultimately ended up playing far earlier than was planned. He led the team to a victory in his debut against the New York Jets, he had one of the most efficient games in team history in a dominant performance against the Atlanta Falcons and has been pretty immune to the drama within the franchise.

Mayfield hasn’t gone without making his share of mistakes in games and there have been games where he didn’t play particularly well. Overall, he’s easily the best rookie quarterback in the class, completing 61.8 percent of his passes and throwing 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions so far, there’s little to suggest he doesn’t have the potential to be a great quarterback sooner than later. His protection needs to improve, he needs better weaponry and a good coaching staff, but he doesn’t need excuses and he’s improving as the season progresses.

The concern with Mayfield isn’t about what Mayfield can’t or do, it’s about the organization’s ability to protect him and support him. For a team that has been searching for a quarterback since Tim Couch, they have hit the jackpot.

The Browns have made a lot of moves to improve, but there is no move that does more to change the fortunes of the team like adding a franchise quarterback. Beyond that, the mental makeup and charisma Mayfield brings to the table have been critical to this team, given the issues with the coaching staff. Mayfield was the easiest pick, but it’s still far and away the most important.