Deshone Kizer is one of the few names mentioned as likely to be selected because of his position (quarterback). However, being selected first overall may be a long shot. Either way, the 21-year-old Notre Dame doesn’t seem to mind.
In fact, he is confident that he can be one of the greatest quarterbacks in the NFL. To build his case, he believes he has the wits of Tom Brady (New England Patriots) and the athleticism of Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers). For any critic, those are bold claims for someone who has yet to show his talent on the pro football field.
DeShone Kizer may be hyping self too much
There is no harm in building rapport and probably get some attention from NFL teams. Kizer is likely to be aware that a lot of teams have their eye on the quarterbacks of the 2017 NFL Draft, most of which don’t ring a bell.
In DeShone Kizer’s case, most believe he could be selected in the later rounds. He is also seen to be picked once Mitchell Trubisky, DeShuan Watson, and Patrick Mahomes II have been selected. So is Kizer trying to build himself to be chosen ahead of these guys?
Built for the game, maturity in question
For Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, Kizer is still raw to play pro football. He touts the player as an unfinished product and someone who still needs to hone his skills in college.
But upon seeing the available talent in the upcoming NFL Draft, Kelly sees Kizer as the one with the best skill set. He can fit well with teams but will still need time to develop.
Kizer started 23 games for the Fighting Irish, going 12-11, including 4-8 last season. He wrapped up his college stint with 5,809 yards passing with 47 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
He also had 992 rushing yards and 18 scores on the ground.
NFL Teams who could be interested
The Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers could consider DeShone Kizer but definitely not with the top pick. Taking into account the projections for the 2017 NFL Draft, most would likely consider the 21-year-old by the second round at the earliest.
That could be subject to change since many scenarios could alter the course of the 2017 NFL Draft. Trades could be done, or scouting reports could alter the decision of selecting teams.
The point here is that several teams are looking for a quarterback either in the Draft or free agency. Given that Kizer needs fine-tuning, priority may go to the free agents who are likely to be signed on a short-term basis.
