Brandon Weeden knew he would face a blitz during the pre-draft process.

NFL evaluators and media have bombarded him with questions about his age at every turn. It must get old.

“It used to kind of get under my skin, but there can be a lot worse things I can be answering questions about,” Weeden said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “That’s really the only knock on me is my age. I have fun with it.

“And here’s the fact: I can’t change it. I can change a lot of things, my footwork, throwing motion, release, this and this and this. I can’t change my birth certificate. I wish I could pull a Danny Almonte, but I can’t do it.”

In 2001, Almonte led his New York-based baseball team to a third-place finish in the Little League World Series, only to have the wins wiped from the books once it was discovered that he exceeded the age limit. A falsified birth certificate indicated that Almonte was 12 when he was actually 14.

The year of the Almonte scandal, the Carolina Panthers drafted quarterback Chris Weinke in the fourth round (106th overall). Weinke, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Florida State, was 28 at the time and turned 29 as an NFL rookie.

Like Weinke, Weeden got a late start on his football career because he first pursued a baseball dream. After pitching for five seasons in the minor leagues, Weeden switched career paths in 2007 by becoming a quarterback at Oklahoma State.

The 6-foot-4, 221-pound Weeden redshirted during his first year with the Cowboys and rarely played the next two seasons. In 2010, he took over as the starting quarterback and began setting records. Last season, Weeden completed 408 of 564 passes (72.3 percent) for 4,727 yards and 37 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. With the help of standout wide receiver Justin Blackmon, Weeden led Oklahoma State to a 41-38 victory over Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl and finished his collegiate career with a record of 23-3 as a starter.

Age issue

Weeden will turn 29 on Oct. 14. Despite his age, he is widely projected to become a first- or second-round selection in this year’s draft, which runs April 26-28.

“(He) would have been a guaranteed top 10 to 15 pick if he was 22 or 23,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said last month. “Overall, across the board, everything you look at with Brandon Weeden — his arm, his release, his accuracy, his intelligence, his leadership — (is impressive). Brandon Weeden’s a good football player and a heck of a quarterback.”

After falling short in the sweepstakes for Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Browns’ bigwigs have said they’re willing to surround quarterback Colt McCoy with upgraded offensive talent from the draft and give him another chance to start. But they also haven’t ruled out the possibility of spending an early pick on a quarterback who could compete with McCoy.

Cleveland general manager Tom Heckert praised Weeden when he met with reporters in March. Heckert said he has a friend on Oklahoma State’s football staff who raves about Weeden.

“He’s 28 years old, but I don’t know. If he can play six years, I might not be here, so who cares?” Heckert said with a laugh. “If he can play, he can play. The kid’s obviously pushing this stuff. It’s true, though. He’s mature, and he’s telling you it’s a positive. And it is.”

Transition to next level

But will Weeden be able to start right away in the NFL? The window for his career is smaller than that of a typical prospect, so he will likely be expected to play immediately.

Oklahoma State’s spread offense usually operates without a huddle and in the shotgun. Hand signals are often used to call plays. So pro-style offenses will present Weeden with a learning curve.

“I think the things that will be most difficult for him will be what we don’t do in terms of protections, in terms of being under center, in terms of being under duress and making throws,” Oklahoma State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Todd Monken said in a recent phone interview. “We tried to get the ball out, space the field, stay more in rhythm. His command in the pocket when there isn’t really pressure but he thinks there is — those kinds of things (will be challenging). That’s what you see a lot with some of those quarterbacks that come in. They’re so used to no one being around them that they start to panic, and you can see it in their feet.”

Weeden, though, is confident he’ll be able to adjust, even if he’s summoned to start in his first NFL season. In terms of mental toughness, he believes his age gives him an advantage most rookies don’t have.

“From a maturity standpoint, I’ve already been a pro,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been telling teams, and they agree with me. In baseball, it’s a game of failure. I’ve failed, and I’ve had some success, and I’ve kind of ridden the roller coaster. I think, again, the maturity factor really helps me have an opportunity to play right away if I’m needed to.”

Talent is evident

Weeden should have a decent shot at evolving into a productive player if he can stay healthy and his arm is as good as advertised.

As a starting pitcher, Weeden suffered a torn labrum and developed tendinitis in the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder. He didn’t have surgery, but the injuries contributed to the end of his baseball career. Although Weeden insists he hasn’t experienced any problems with his shoulder from throwing a football, some question the durability of his arm.

But if Weeden continues to avoid interference from his baseball battle wounds, he should get a chance to break through in the NFL.

“He’s the most accurate thrower I’ve ever been around, and I’ve been around some good ones at every level,” said Monken, who spent four seasons coaching wide receivers for the Jacksonville Jaguars before taking control of Oklahoma State’s offense in 2011. “When he’s got his feet set, I’ve never been around anybody (who’s as accurate).”

On Wednesday, former NFL coach and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said Weeden made the most difficult throws in college football last season.

“I love Brandon Weeden,” Gruden said. “I think if you want a quarterback that’s tough as hell, that’s a winner —I would find something for him to do.”