NFL Draft rumors: Mel Kiper compares Mitch Trubisky to Matt Ryan
By Matt Conner
Mel Kiper recently spoke about the NFL Combine, past and present, and where the draft’s top quarterbacks might fall this year.
Mel Kiper is perhaps the most famous NFL Draft analyst around, which makes it notable when he speaks out on his guesses for where the top quarterbacks in the coming class will fall. While an earlier mock had North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky falling all the way to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 27, Kiper says that’s not going to happen. In fact, he believes the Tar Heels quarterback could be the first one taken off the board at No. 2 overall to the San Francisco 49ers.
"I think San Francisco would be the first team to make that decision, which quarterback do they want? Kyle Shanahan is the new head coach, and John Lynch is the new general manager … This pick could determine their fate. They have to really love that quarterback and really have a strong feeling for that quarterback. Mitch Trubisky from North Carolina I think would most resemble Matt Ryan, who Shanahan had great success with this year."
Trubisky is one of four quarterbacks generally mentioned among the draft’s best options, alongside Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes. Trubisky threw 30 touchdowns last year as a junior, his only year as a starting quarterback at the college level, completing 68 percent of his passes in the process (304 of 447). He also only threw 6 interceptions.
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That single year of starting experience is what makes most NFL analysts question Trubisky’s draft stock. Is that enough competition to have faced to warrant such a high pick when others are much more tested? Is there too much projection with players like Trubisky or do you take him over a guy like Patrick Mahomes whose mechanics look different than others? Each quarterback comes with a question mark, which makes it tough for teams evaluating players, especially those poised with a top pick in the draft.
For the Chiefs, it could help to linger at the bottom, waiting for teams to pass on some of these options because the risk is too great. No one would ever cry foul about a team wasting the No. 27 overall pick on an attempt to hit a home run for a franchise quarterback, especially if that QB is the next Matt Ryan.