The Browns, 49ers and Bears could all use their first
pick on a quarterback. Alone, that’s enough to think another early
quarterback run is waiting at the 2017 NFL draft, even if this year’s
class winds up not entirely warranting such a commitment.
The top four names in our QB rankings right now could be Round 1-bound, but several others may wind up among a group of promising mid-round selections. Is there enough talent at the top for those teams in need?
Each of the top four quarterbacks has
a claim to the top spot, as well as a glaring issue that comes with his
game. Watson turned the ball over too much, Mahomes comes from a Texas
Tech “Air Raid” system that could make his NFL transition difficult,
Kizer wilted in 2016 as his team struggled and Trubisky has footwork
issues that could take a while to fix. Watson holds an edge here as much
for the work he does pre-snap as the production he put up—the former
certainly led to the latter. He showed up on the biggest stages. With a
game built so much around how he can improvise, Mahomes won’t be for
everyone, but he has a huge arm and incredible upside. Kizer has an
inch-plus of height and a good 10 to 15 pounds on Watson, which counts
in the pocket, and he also can get out and run when he needs to.
Trubisky is such a mixed bag: He might be the first QB off the board,
and he also might need the most seasoning before he’s ready to start.
Virginia Tech’s Evans was a surprise entry to this
year’s draft. His size and ability on the move is reminiscent of what
Kizer can do. There’s a drop-off beyond the top four in this class, so
why not roll the dice on a multi-dimensional threat?
It’ll be interesting to see what becomes of Kelly, who has off-field red flags that denied him a combine invite and is working back from a torn ACL.
Montana’s Brady Gustafson drew the early tag as “2017 Carson Wentz”: tall, FCS program, high-powered offense. Don’t forget the name Alek Torgersen, though. We talked about the Penn QB on an episode of the On the Clock Podcast, and there’s a lot to like in his game.
The top four names in our QB rankings right now could be Round 1-bound, but several others may wind up among a group of promising mid-round selections. Is there enough talent at the top for those teams in need?
| Rank | Player | School | Measurables |
| 1 | Deshaun Watson | Clemson | 6' 2", 221 lbs. |
| 2 | Patrick Mahomes | Texas Tech | 6' 2", 225 lbs. |
| 3 | DeShone Kizer | Notre Dame | 6' 4", 233 lbs. |
| 4 | Mitchell Trubisky | North Carolina | 6' 2", 222 lbs. |
| 5 | Brad Kaaya | Miami | 6' 4", 214 lbs. |
| 6 | Nathan Peterman | Pittsburgh | 6' 2", 226 lbs. |
| 7 | Jerod Evans | Virginia Tech | 6' 3", 232 lbs. |
| 8 | Davis Webb | Cal | 6' 5", 229 lbs. |
| 9 | Joshua Dobbs | Tennessee | 6' 3", 216 lbs. |
| 10 | Chad Kelly | Ole Miss | 6' 2", 224 lbs. |
It’ll be interesting to see what becomes of Kelly, who has off-field red flags that denied him a combine invite and is working back from a torn ACL.
Montana’s Brady Gustafson drew the early tag as “2017 Carson Wentz”: tall, FCS program, high-powered offense. Don’t forget the name Alek Torgersen, though. We talked about the Penn QB on an episode of the On the Clock Podcast, and there’s a lot to like in his game.