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2017 NFL Mock Draft: DeShone Kizer, defensive stars headline class

By Brad Weiss

Oct 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws in the second quarter against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws in the second quarter against the Syracuse Orange at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 7, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) passes the ball against Boston College during the first quarter at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 7, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) passes the ball against Boston College during the first quarter at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports /

QB. Clemson. Deshaun Watson. 4. player. 42.

The San Francisco 49ers have a gaping hole at the quarterback position, one in which they are trying desperately to fill this season. After starting the year with Blaine Gabbert under center,  the team made the move to Colin Kaepernick this week. First-year head coach Chip Kelly is still looking to make his mark on the NFL game, after being one of the more innovative college coaches in recent memory.

It does not take a crystal ball to know that the 49ers are going to be selecting towards the top of the first round in 2017, and there are a handful of quarterbacks to choose from. Kizer is likely to be off the board by No. 4, but Clemson’s Deshaun Watson is one heck of a consolation prize. A preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy, Watson has had an up and down season for the Tigers, but has all the tools to be a very good NFL quarterback.

Kelly loves to run an uptempo offense, and Watson would be perfect for that kind of scheme. He has the ability to make plays with his arm, and his legs, and shows the kind of poise in the pocket you usually do not see with college quarterbacks. If San Francisco pulls the trigger on a quarterback early in the 2017 NFL Draft, they would hit the jackpot with a guy of Watson’s ability.

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