2017 NFL Mock Draft: DeShone Kizer, defensive stars headline class
By Brad Weiss
The order for the 2017 NFL Draft continues to change from week to week, aside from who holds the top spot. Here is our latest mock draft.
The Cleveland Browns continue to be in line for the first overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft, after a drubbing at the hands of the New England Patriots on Sunday. As the NFL calendar moves towards Week 6, we take a look at a brand new draft order for April’s draft. A few playoff teams from last season have started slowly through five weeks, and could be picking higher in the draft then they are used to.
Here is a look at the 2017 NFL Draft after Week 5 of the NFL season.
53. . QB. Notre Dame. DeShone Kizer. 1. player
There is no doubt that the Cleveland Browns will be going quarterback with the first pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, as their current situation is a calamity. On Sunday, Cody Kessler became the third Browns starting quarterback to miss time due to an injury, as the team turned to Charlie Whitehurst to finish the game. Cleveland was hoping that signing Robert Griffin III in the off-season would stop the bleeding, but this season has gone from bad, to worse.
The team expects to get Josh McCown back soon, and that should help for the rest of this season. However, they are in desperate need of that franchise quarterback they thought they were drafting in guys like Tim Couch, Johnny Manziel, Brady Quinn, and Brandon Weeden, all taken in the first round. Since returning to the NFL in 1999, the team has started 26 different quarterbacks, which is by far the most in that span of time.
DeShone Kizer is a redshirt sophomore, and while he has not had a ton of experience, he is the most gifted quarterback in the draft. He has the arm, speed, and size to compete at the next level, and already has the pressure of playing for the University of Notre Dame. He would be expected to come in and revive the franchise, which based on his skill set, is the best quarterback available in this draft to do so.
The Cleveland Browns are a long way away from being relevant in the NFL, but they do have some nice young pieces on their roster. Wide receiver Corey Coleman showed flashes before being injured, and Joe Haden is a solid defensive back. Spending this pick on a good, young quarterback could be just what the team needs to retain future Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas after the season.