Manziel: Mayfield A Friend But We're Completely Different

Baker Mayfield will almost certainly be a top-10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and there's even some speculation that the Browns could be interested in his services. Unfortunately for him, his size (6-1, 220 pounds) and demeanor have led to comparisons with a former Browns first-round pick, Johnny Manziel.

Manziel, who was drafted in 2014, couldn't stay out of trouble and the team cut him after the 2015 season. He talked recently about his off-field struggles and his hopes of playing professional football again, though his NFL prospects appear bleak (the CFL, however, is a viable option).

Mayfield, meanwhile, remains understandably bothered by the parallels drawn between him and Manziel, who was asked about the former Oklahoma star during an appearance on "Pardon My Take."

"Me and Baker, I feel like have a really cool friendship, and I feel like he's handling [the comparisons] the exact right way," Manziel said, via the Akron Beacon Journal. "He's like, 'Listen,' and I'll say the same thing: We're completely different people. We have a similar background. We're both from Texas. We both played Texas high school football, but he's not me, and I'm not him. The way my wires are in my head and the way that I'm built and my makeup is completely different than Baker."

Manziel, who is now 25, says Mayfield can learn from the mistakes critics now bring up when questioning his character.

"Baker is fiery as hell," Manziel continued. "He gets a little amped up on the sidelines. Once you're on the football field and you do some things that are a little outlandish, like guys do that all the time. Was it maybe a little bit too much? Sure. But at the end of the day, the guy made a mistake, he paid his dues and I think he'll be better off because of it, and he'll learn from that.

"But I have all the faith in the world in him. I think he's going to be a really good player, and if anything, people can compare him to me, but he can learn from what I did wrong. He can try and take something that I did and make it a positive for him."

Former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan, who was recently hired as a draft consultant by the Browns, has been a Mayfield fan for some time. And Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot noted last week that McCloughan publicly praised Mayfield before joining the Browns, telling the Doug Gottlieb Show in October that Mayfield was his top quarterback in this year's class. But McCloughan, who was once a scout with the Packers, wasn't done. 

"He reminds me of a shorter version of Brett Favre," he said. "Tough guy. He can throw it. And he's very confident, and he's not afraid whatsoever, whatsoever. He's a battler. I know saying Brett Favre's a big name, and I was around him for a while, but this guy has talent."