Baker Mayfield told reporters Monday he will not attend the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and Texas native made the announcement (per NBC Sports Dallas/Fort Worth) while receiving the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award in Fort Worth. He told Dallas-Fort Worth TV station KTVT he will instead watch the draft at home with his family.
While the league office might find it disappointing to not have one of the biggest names of this year's draft class in attendance, Mayfield's decision is hardly unprecedented. Last year, rookie standouts Myles Garrett and Christian McCaffrey did not attend the draft in Philadelphia. Garrett was selected No. 1 overall by the Browns, and McCaffrey went No. 8 overall to the Panthers.
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There's also a history of quarterbacks attending the draft and watching themselves fall in the draft as they awkwardly sat in the green room. Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn come to mind.
Mayfield led Oklahoma to a Big 12 Conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff last season with 4,627 passing yards, 311 rushing yards, 48 total touchdowns and just six interceptions. He is projected to go No. 6 overall to the Jets in Sporting News' latest Mock Draft.