Chicago Bears: Potential First Round QBs
DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame (6’4 | 233 | 4.83)
Of the prospects listed in this article, Kizer has the best shot of falling out of the first round. He also may have the best shot of being an top-tier NFL quarterback. Physically, he has the size and all the tools to be an elite pocket passer, but also somehow led Notre Dame to just a 4-8 record as a starter last season.
Kizer is the hardest quarterback to project out of the top four or five prospects in this years draft. He has the height, frame, and powerful right arm that teams look for in their QB of the future, but can he lead his team to wins at the next level?
If he had been able to declare for the draft after his red-shirt freshmen season when the Irish went 10-3, Kizer may have been a lock for the first round despite less experience. His tools and potential are that good, but only being able to lead a very talented team to four wins is a serious question mark.
On the plus side, Kizer has a sturdy frame, good height, and a cannon right arm. His mechanics waver between textbook and awful, but when he’s right he has an over-the-top release and can put zip on any throw in the NFL route tree.
At 220 pounds with a thick lower body, Kizer has some Cam Newton type potential in the red zone and showed it in college with 18 rushing touchdowns in two seasons. He lacks the straight-line speed of Watson or Trubisky, but he’s more powerful than either and has shown the ability to gain yards after contact.
On his best days, Kizer looks like the best quarterback in this draft, it just wasn’t very often he played up to his potential last season as Notre Dame’s record reflects. Kizer’s mechanics were wildly inconsistent, which was the core of his problems but far from the only one.
He struggles to progress through reads and also anticipate where the opposing safeties will be. Kizer also hasn’t shown the ability to control safeties with his eyes and tends to drop them when pressured instead of continuing to look down field.
His biggest issues though are his lack of accuracy and suspect decision making. Even when his mechanics are sound, it didn’t matter if Kizer was making the wrong read and throwing the ball into coverage. At times he made the right read, but still lacked the accuracy to put the ball where it needed to be.
Kizer tends to throw to where the receiver is, instead of where he’s going to be. The lack of anticipation is one of my biggest concerns with Kizer as it’s a necessary trait to be successful at the NFL level. I just haven’t seen often enough yet from Kizer.
As I mentioned above, Kizer has every physical trait that teams look for in their quarterback, but may also be lacking some key intangibles and instincts to succeed at the next level. He may be the most risky pick in the first round, but with teams desperate for quarterback help and Kizer’s upside… some team will take the gamble.
Comps: Steve McNair, Cam Newton