CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
For his 26th birthday, Baker Mayfield received a gift unlike any other with the Cleveland Browns signing three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
"This is a nice birthday present," Mayfield wrote on his Instagram story while reposting a graphic the Browns had shared announcing Clowney's signing.
Despite only entering his fourth season in the NFL, Mayfield has become plenty familiar with Clowney, whose teams the Browns have faced in each of the past three seasons. Although the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NFL Draft failed to record a sack in either of the games he played against Mayfield -- he missed last season's Browns-Titans game with an injury -- he did make his presence felt in Cleveland's backfield during a Houston Texans victory over the Browns in 2018 and a Seattle Seahawks win in Cleveland in 2019.
In coming to Cleveland, Clowney teams with not only Mayfield, but defensive end Myles Garrett, giving the Browns' roster three No. 1 overall picks. Despite missing eight games, Clowney graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 19 edge defender last season and is considered one of the top run defenders at his position.
"Jadeveon's had a very productive career since 2014. We love his relentless style of play," Browns EVP of Football Operations and GM Andrew Berry said in a statement. "He's one of the more disruptive players in the game and we think he's going to add an element of ruggedness along our defensive line and will pair nicely with many of the guys we have on the roster already. The other thing we love about Jadeveon is his versatility, his ability to play all across the front and impact the game regardless of his alignment."