DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame: 2017 NFL Draft Scouting Report
DeShone Kizer was the cream of the QB Prospects through the first half of the college season, what happened to his draft stock?
DeShone Kizer had the job that many grew up hoping to have, the starting Quarterback job for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. During his 2016 campaign, the 6’4” 230 lb. Kizer left much to be desired from a statistical standpoint.
Completing 212 of his 316 attempts, he struggled more than anticipated with his accuracy, shown by the drop from 63% in 2015 to a poor 58.7% in 2016. The decreased accuracy may have come from the poor surrounding talent on his 4-8 Irish team, but as a highly touted prospect, he should have performed at a higher level.
That being said, the intangibles on the Toledo, Ohio product are exactly what NFL teams are looking for.
Strengths
Kizer comes with a cannon. It is no secret that he can take the top off the defense with a tightly thrown spiral. He has the ability to throw the ball more than 50 yards in the air when given the adequate amount of time.
He frequented Will Fuller in 2015, due to Fuller’s ability to blow past coverage and get open down field. Once Fuller left South Bend, Kizer was without his biggest deep threat.
Here you can see a perfectly placed ball by Kizer that falls in the breadbasket of the wide receiver, that was unfortunately dropped.
Another major attribute that he possesses is his ability to pull the ball down and gain yards on the ground. Today’s NFL quarterback needs to be a well-rounded athlete and although Kizer only ran a 4.83 40 at the combine according to NFL.com, he has the ability to take off and run with the ball if his receivers are completely covered.
Here he is shredding the Tyler Matakevich and Haason Reddick led defense in 2015 for a 79 yard run.
Paired with his ability to surprise a defense with his speed, he is a very tough guy to bring down. Although ill-advised for a QB, he can lower his shoulder and withstand contact to fight for the extra yard. He is very lethal while on the goal-line with the ability to power his way into the end zone.
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Weaknesses
Kizer tries to do too much sometimes, forcing throws while off-balance, removing accuracy. Here is a prime example of Kizer throwing off-balance, creating an interception against a stout Buckeye defense.
On top of poor mechanics, he telegraphs his throw for a solid 3 seconds, while also pointing it out.
Another weakness that he possesses is the fact that he sometimes grips the ball too tightly, forcing poor throws when they should be routine. In 2016, he had a very poor performance against Stanford that ultimately found him sitting on the bench.
Here is an example of Kizer pressing too much and missing a very easy throw by multiple yards.
On top of telegraphing, he has an issue where he focuses on the first read and forces the ball into that receiver. Here is an instance in the Stanford game where he keeps his eyes on the same read the entire time. He forces the throw into the receiver and subsequently throws an interception.
Outlook
Ultimately, Kizer is a prospect that intrigues any team that could need a Quarterback in the next few years. Kizer could develop into a very solid starting QB if put into the right situation, learning under a polish QB. He isn’t the first day starter many expected him to be at the beginning of the year, but his intangibles will be tough to pass up in the draft.
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He isn’t the first-day starter many expected him to be at the beginning of the year, but his intangibles will be tough to pass up in the draft.
Kizer is anticipated to be drafted somewhere between the middle of the first round and the middle of the second round.