The Cleveland Browns finally got a quarterback of the 2017 NFL Draft in the person of Notre Dame’s Deshone Kizer. Browns Vice President Sashi Brown admits he was surprised to find Kizer still available and grabbed him with the 52nd pick overall.
Kizer, perhaps best known for branding himself as a “Tom Brady” and “Cam Newton” molded into one, will be given a chance to start at quarterback for the Browns. He may have his work cut out for him since he will have to compete with the likes of Brock Osweiler, Cody Kessler, and Kevin Hogan.
DeShone Kizer still raw
With a long way up, it may take some time before Kizer can snag that starting quarterback position. He is seen as an underdeveloped player, meaning there is work to be done.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly believes Kizer should have stayed another year to hone up his skills and the same evaluation comes from the Browns when they worked the 6-foot-4 player. The good news is that Kizer listens and is pretty much coachable.
Kizer’s willingness to learn is a good sign, and the Browns are more than willing to help. But if this is the case, seeing the 21-year-old shows up Osweiler, Kessler or Hogan doesn’t hold good odds for the coming NFL season. That is unless freak injuries or moves are made by Cleveland moving forward.
Lots of room for improvement
One of the things that Kizer needs to improve on is his footwork. Hue Jackson pointed that out and was elated to see how he took it to heart and tried to work on it. Looking ahead, the willingness to learn speaks well for the former Notre Dame standout.
Either way, the development of Kizer should be interesting to follow.
The Browns did take in a bunch of new players, led no less by top pick Myles Garrett. Other names added included Jabrill Peppers and David Njoku as the Browns hope to climb out of infamy.
Will there be free agency moves?
With the 2017 NFL Draft over, the focus now shifts on the available free agents. Adding another quarterback to the mix seems unlikely with four names on the roster.
Only one name comes to mind if the Browns make a move and this is Osweiler.
Acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans, his high salary and 2016-17 NFL performance are seen as reasons why the Browns would consider a trade. So far, nothing much has gained ground though it could all be different come May.
So far, Jackson has kept the faith in Osweiler and considers him a Brown. Similar to the case of Kizer, it will depend on his performance and if he fits the system of Cleveland.
