2017 NFL Draft: Notre Dame expert gives insight on DeShone Kizer
By John McCarty
Notre Dame expert Noah Strackbein from Slap The Sign recently answered several questions about the pro potential of DeShone Kizer.
The Kansas CIty Chiefs have spent significant time getting to know the quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, including interviews and a personal workout with Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer. He’s been heralded by draft analysts and he’s often listed among the first quarterbacks to go in the 2017 NFL Draft in mocks, but his own college coach also said he likely needed to stay in school.
Before the Chiefs actually pick the future of the franchise, we asked an expert on Notre Dame football, Noah Strackbein, from FanSided’s Slap The Sign, to tell us more about Kizer’s strengths and weaknesses and whether or not he’s ready for the NFL.
What was the response to his turning pro? Expected? Disappointed? Thank goodness he’s gone?
Kizer was a great college quarterback who’s going to one day be a great NFL quarterback. He has all the physical traits you’d want in a first-round pick and an early pro starter. But he isn’t quiet there mentally and it could hurt him early in his career. If he stayed another year, I think he’d be right there with Sam Darnald for the first overall pick.
What kind of person was Kizer off the field, both in the locker room and in the community?
He’s a natural born leader. Every time you hear him speak, you know he’s the perfect model of what Notre Dame football is all about. He’s polite and never fails to impress when talking to the media. A great example of this is his Pro Day interview on NFL.com where he talks about being a project at the next level.
How big of an impact was the loss of lineman Ronnie Stanley, Zach Martin and receiver Will Fuller to the draft?
Huge. These three were some of the best players in college football and when you lose all three at once, you take a major blow to your team. Luckily, Notre Dame’s receiving core continues to be one of the best, so Fuller hurt but they were able to recover, but you could see the effect of Stanley leaving. This offensive line took a while to click and even when they did, it wasn’t as strong as the year before.
What are some of Kizer’s greatest strengths as a quarterback?
His arm is the obvious one. Kizer may have the strongest arm in the draft. Not only can he launch it as deep as anyone, but his accuracy is on point as well. Outside of that, his leadership is something that’s going to go a long way in his career. You saw it in tough games last season where he’d take contact and still fight for extra yards. There isn’t a play during a game where he isn’t trying to do everything he can to win.
When it comes to his speed, his combine numbers don’t do him justice. Kizer is actually much quicker out of the backfield than that and can escape the pocket against most linebackers and even some corners.
What are his greatest weaknesses?
His mental immaturity on the field is going to be an issue early. He’s a very mature human being and is willing to learn, but he doesn’t have the decision making skills he needs to be a starting quarterback. This is something that will be corrected rather quickly at the next level, which could make Kizer a starter sooner than people think.