Which Quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft Class Is Statistically Superior?

1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

Games Played: 48 | Passing Efficiency Rating: 198.9 | AY/A: 12.9 | Total QBR: 92.6

Top Statistical Comp: Robert Griffin III

As you know, the Rose Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs was not Baker Mayfield's best game. He struggled in the second half, threw a pick, and finished with a passing efficiency rating of 147.7. It was his first game below 160 in that department since December 31st, 2015.

It was still higher than the full-season marks of Rosen, Jackson, and Allen.

Mayfield isn't just the best statistical quarterback in this class; you could argue that he's the best of all time. He broke the NCAA record for AY/A during his junior year only to break his own record the following season. It's disingenuous to give him a "top statistical comp" because nobody has numbers that compare to him.

If we combine the 48 first-round picks since 2000 with the top six quarterbacks in this year's class, we get a grand total of 54 passers whose stats we can peep. Here's where Mayfield ranks among those players in each of our big categories.

This guy is a statistical deity, and he obliterates benchmarks in every category. That said, it's fair if you were to have questions around his age.

This past season was Mayfield's age-22 season. He's older than Deshaun Watson, who already has his first top-15 season in Total NEP under his belt. And it does make Mayfield older than his peers in this draft class.

So, let's roll things back here for a second. Rosen, Darnold, and Jackson all just finished their age-20 seasons this past year, and Allen had his in 2016. Rudolph is roughly the same age as Mayfield, meaning his age-20 season was also in 2015. How did each player's efficiency stats measure up in their age-20 seasons?

Everybody's pretty much in lock step here except for our one outlier. Even when you account for his age, Mayfield is a bona fide baller.

Because of the Senior Bowl, we now know that Mayfield isn't secretly 5'6", and he doesn't have the hands of a toddler. The play on the field is tremendous, and he has the experience you want. The only lingering question is some perceived character concerns around Mayfield.

The common comp for Mayfield -- given the antics and his height -- is the aforementioned Manziel. It's understandable that people would turn there given the polarity of opinions on Manziel and how colossally he flopped. But from a statistical perspective, there's really no comparison.

Manziel's stats weren't bad, but he had 23 fewer games of experience than Mayfield, and his statistics are wholly inferior. There's obviously risk with Mayfield if he can't rein his emotions in, but the upside with him is much higher than what we saw with Manziel.

If you're looking to poke holes in what Mayfield does, you could turn to his statistical comp at the top in Robert Griffin III. Griffin also played in the Big 12, a conference that's not exactly known for its stellar defenses. Maybe Griffin's lack of success should scare us off.

It's possible that this is true, but Griffin is also a bit of an odd duck when it comes to these types of discussions. Even though he eventually flopped, he finished his rookie season ranked sixth in Total NEP. His 8.6 AY/A as a rookie is the second-best mark for a rookie in NFL history. We don't know what would have happened with him had he not gotten hurt, and we shouldn't write off Mayfield simply because the two share some similarities.

It's understandable why some would have reservations around Mayfield. He's not the prototype build, and there are some non-football concerns. But if we're basing our evaluation on what he did in college, then there's no question this guy belongs near the top of each team's draft board.