Still looking for a QB? Kizer, Webb among best available ahead of Round 2 of NFL draft
First it was Mitch Trubisky. Then Patrick Mahomes. And finally, Deshaun Watson.
The consensus top three signal-callers in this draft went Thursday night, but every other quarterback-needy team knows their guy can be found Friday night in rounds two and three.
Five of the main 32 starters for NFL clubs in 2016 had been selected in the second or third rounds, so there’s hope for your team if they waited a day to find their guy. Chicago, Kansas City and Houston all nabbed their future man at the position in Round 1, but there are at least seven other teams that could look for a QB in the second or third round. Buffalo, Cleveland, San Francisco, Jacksonville, New York Jets, L.A. Chargers and Washington could all scoop a backup Friday night.
Here’s a look at four of the players who are available Friday night before they’re gone Saturday afternoon.
DeShone Kizer
Who doesn’t love a 6' 4", 233-pound quarterback prospect with a high ceiling? Kizer has the best size and most athletic talent of all quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Unfortunately, he didn’t maximize all of that in South Bend, and that’s why he’ll likely be picked on Friday, not Thursday.
His inconsistency last year for the Irish was tough to watch. He got benched midway through the season for “unacceptable” play and saw his completion percentage dip by four points from his first season.
Despite his college coach saying he should have stayed in school another year, Kizer is about to get paid and have a chance to start for an NFL in five months. And if Kizer’s words come to fruition—that he has Cam Newton’s body and Tom Brady’s mind—then congratulations to the future seven-time Super Bowl-winning team that gets him tonight.
2017 NFL draft grades: How'd each team do? Analysis of every first-round pick
Davis Webb
Davis Webb lives in the film room. No, really. According to almost everypre-draft story about Webb, you would think that he pocketed all his scholarship money designated for living expenses and slept on the film-room floor at Cal.
This is why many believe he’ll be able to transform into a pro-style quarterback after playing at Cal and Texas Tech (where he lost his job to Mahomes). His 6' 5" frame also adds faith to NFL decision-makers.
Clearly Webb, a coach’s son, knows the position. He has the figure of a pro-style quarterback. But he doesn’t have much tape as one.
Is Davis Webb flying under the radar? Some may think so, but the QB certainly doesn't
Brad Kaaya
Kaaya won the starting job with the Hurricanes as a freshman without even enrolling early and upped his completion rate and passing yards each season. At 6' 4" and having three years in a pro-style system (including his final one with Mark Richt), Kaaya has fantastic footwork that will translate easily to the NFL. He has good—not great—arm strength, but definitely has the smarts to succeed. However, if Kaaya had waited another year to enter the draft, he would probably be considered as a Saturday pick, due to the higher quality of next year’s quarterback class.
Josh Dobbs
The Tennessee product is the kind of quarterback teams take a chance on because they know he’s a good, smart young man and hope things finally catch on for him. An aerospace engineering major at Tennessee, Dobbs blew teams away when he got on the board at the combine—his 40, broad jump and three-cone drill were all among the best at quarterback in Indianapolis. But what you wanted to see was growth from Dobbs and the former four-star athlete started to level out with the Volunteers when he threw 12 interceptions last season.
But, to repeat, he’s a likeable guy who won some big games for the Vols as he led them out of a slump that lasted nearly six years.
