Steve Austin Praises Baker Mayfield, 'He's a Class Act!'

Baker Mayfield shouldn't be judged based off his drunken arrest in 2017 ... so says Stone Cold Steve Austin, who tells TMZ Sports the Browns QB is a "class act" with a great head on his shoulders.

We spoke with the WWE legend -- who got to hang out with Bake for his new show "Straight Up Steve Austin" -- and says he had a great time with the signal-caller ... noting BM isn't the villain some people make him out to be.

"It was awesome. That kid's got such a presence about him. What a head on his shoulders and the way he puts things into perspective," Austin says.

Of course ... Baker was arrested in Arkansas back in February 2017 ... where he was infamously blasted by a cop who caught him…