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2017 NFL Mock Draft: Wild Card Edition

By Tyler Brooke

Nov 12, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) carries the ball as Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) defends during the first half at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) carries the ball as Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) defends during the first half at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws a pass against the Southern California Trojans during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws a pass against the Southern California Trojans during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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DeShone Kizer

QB, Notre Dame

At 36 years old, Carson Palmer is nearing the end of his career, and the Arizona Cardinals are going to need to find his replacement very soon if they want to stay competitive in the NFC West.

While Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer is a pretty polarizing prospect, he could be an excellent fit in Bruce Arians’ vertical passing offensive scheme. Kizer struggled at times on a bad Notre Dame team, but many are wondering whether or not that’s because of the way Brian Kelly ran the offense. After all, Kelly did make Kizer throw 26 times literally in the middle of a hurricane.

When Kizer is at his best, he looks like the perfect fit for Arizona’s offense. He’s got a great arm paired with the ideal size for an NFL quarterback at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. Kizer can put some beautiful touch on his passes and is mobile enough to extend plays with his legs or scramble for first downs.

Kizer definitely has some decision making problems, but if he could sit for a year or two and learn behind Palmer, he could wind up having a pretty successful career in Arizona. This quarterback class isn’t great, but you could make a legitimate argument that Kizer has the highest upside.

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