AFC North Quarterback Power Rankings: Joe Burrow needs to impress

AFC North quarterback rankings – No. 2: Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns)

Nobody likes complimenting the Browns but the team broke through last year in the biggest way possible, making the playoffs and winning a playoff game. Baker Mayfield might not have been the reason why the Browns finally broke their playoff drought but he wasn’t bad by any means.

The former Heisman Trophy winner threw for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions through 16 starts. He also added 165 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground. The interception numbers are impressive but the Browns have one of the best running games in the league, so Mayfield wasn’t asked to air it out as much.

That being said, Mayfield did what was asked of him. He handed the ball off but when it came time to throw the ball, he did that decent enough to get Cleveland to the playoffs. There will be a lot more pressure riding on him this year, as the Browns could realistically win the AFC North, which is a sentence none of us thought would ever be uttered.

There’s a lot riding on this season for Mayfield, as he hasn’t been signed to an extension yet but a good performance could seal the deal for him to remain in the Dawg Pound long-term. A bad season, however, could put the Browns in an all-time familiar situation, which is trying to find a franchise quarterback.