National Football League

Notre Dame Football: 5 Places DeShone Kizer Could Go in the NFL Draft

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Notre Dame football lost another key offensive player this week. Third-year junior, DeShone Kizer, declared for the 2017 NFL Draft.

This doesn’t come as a surprise to many, as Kizer is expected to be a first-round draft pick in April. The play caller there for 2,925 yards and 26 passing touchdowns in 2016.

Now, Kizer is heading to the NFL nearly a week after being named a 2017 caption, the first quarterback to be named captain by Brian Kelly. Where the future NFL quarterback will land is still up in the air. Why many believe he should have returned to South Bend for his senior season, experts still have him as an early first-round pick.

There’s a few places Kizer could hear his name called in April. Why many of the NFL teams are looking for star passers to lead their team, the amount of superstar talent in other positions within this draft make it difficult to tell who will pick a QB.

There’s a ton of questions for both Kizer and Irish. Where DeShone Kizer will end up may be the biggest.

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He’s considered a high first-rounder in many NFL Draft Boards. With teams like the Cleveland Browns, San Fransisco 49ers, and Chicago Bears all expected to draft quarterbacks in the opening day of the draft, Kizer could hear his name early.

Mock drafts from Bleacher Report and FanSided have Kizer going in the first round, and even in the top 10 of the 2017 draft. Before the NFL Combine and pre-draft workouts, this quarterback is already predicted to be the leader of an NFL team next fall.

DeShone Kizer

Quarterback, Notre Dame

The Cleveland Browns are the laughing stock of the NFL this season. At 0-13, the Browns look like they’re on the verge of becoming just the second team in NFL history to complete a 0-16 season.

Cleveland actually has a quarterback they believed was the answer to their offensives problems. By signing Robert Griffin III last offseason, the Browns seemed optimistic to start their rebuilding stage. But RG3 hasn’t panned out and has only played in two games this season.

It seems that Griffin’s starting days in Cleveland are behind him. If the Browns decide to keep him around as a backup, there’s little chance he’d cause a quarterback controversy.

With two picks in the first-round, the Browns have options this draft. It’ll take a miracle for them to lose the first pick in the draft. With it, drafting a quarterback may be their plan.

There’s a lot of issues to fix on this team. They’re one of the worst teams in NFL history and seem to be getting worse each week. They aren’t going to fix many of their troubles this draft, but they could start by drafting a reliable quarterback.

Kizer won’t be a player to step in and lead the Browns to the playoffs his first year. Cleveland has a lot of issues, and it’s going to take years before this team is ready to make noise again.

DeShone Kizer

Quarterback, Notre Dame

The Arizona Cardinals may be saying goodbye to their quarterback, Carson Palmer, after the 2016 season. It seems like Palmer is losing his touch, and may have had his last injury. With the career he’s had, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Palmer call it a career after the season.

If Palmer decides to hang up his jersey after the year, Arizona’s top priority this offseason will be to get a new quarterback. They may not be looking to take chances with a late round option, or a veteran off of free agency.

That means that Kizer could be their first choice. With a pick right outside the top 10, they may not have the opportunity to select Kizer. But if he does fall to them, it would be surprising to see the Cardinals pass him up.

Kizer would be going to a much better team than the 12th pick in the draft. The Cardinals were one of the best teams in the NFC last season, and seem just to be in a fluke this year. If they don’t lose too much this offseason, they could return to their top spot next year.

It seems that the only missing piece to this team is a quarterback. Palmer is an All-Pro QB and has been one his entire career. This season, he looks to have lost a step in his game. It’s nothing that will take away from his career. At 36-years-old, it’s expected to start slowing down.

Kizer could take advantage of this retirement and begin his career with one of the better teams in the NFC. With guys like Larry Fitzgerald and former Notre Dame wideout, Michael Floyd, Kizer could be in great shape for his rookie campaign.

DeShone Kizer

Quarterback, Notre Dame

It’s definitely an upgrade from the Cleveland Browns, but not by much. The San Fransisco 49ers will be in dire need of a quarterback this offseason. Unless they plan on bringing back Colin Kaepernick, their only other option is Blane Gabbert.

The 49ers are another team that needs a lot of help this offseason. A quality quarterback would be good for this team, but reliable wide receivers and an offensive line would also help. San Fransisco may be looking to grab Kizer now and build around him in the upcoming years.

With Carlos Hyde finding his stride this season, adding Kizer would only help this offense.

Besides Hyde, though, the 49rs don’t have many other weapons on offense. Kizer would be stepping into a role almost by himself. He wouldn’t be expected to bring the 49ers to the playoffs year one, but in San Fransisco, expectations are always high.

With a coach like Chip Kelly, Kizer may excel in San Fran. Kelly is known to work well with duel-threat quarterbacks. Kizer isn’t a player who’s afraid to run, and Kelly can utilize that early in his career.

This could be the perfect match for Chip Kelly. Many thought he’d turn Kaepernick into a star once again, but it seems like their attitude tends to clash too much. Kizer could be exactly what Kelly is looking for and could see himself leaving the draft board as early and number two.

DeShone Kizer

Quarterback, Notre Dame

It appears the Jay Culver’s time in Chicago, and possibly the NFL, have come to an end. With another injury, the Bears are looking to move onto a new chapter. With the number four pick in the draft, they could begin that chapter with Kizer.

The Bears are expected to use their top pick to draft a quarterback. Their top two choices seem to be DeShone Kizer and North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky. Many mock drafts before Kizer’s announcement had Trubisky going to the Bears, but that may change now that Kizer has declared.

The Bears have a lot of weapons on their offense. With the emergence of Jordan Howard and Cameron Meredith, along with Ashlon Jeffrey and Zach Miller, the Bears offense has an abundance of talent.

The problem is their offensive line. Between Chicago’s three quarterbacks this season, the Bears have allowed 24 sacks.

Kizer is used to playing behind one of the best o-lines in college football. When he has to use his feet more to escape the pocket instead of run for yardage, it’s going to take an adjustment period.

For mobile quarterbacks with bad lines, it gets scary. Players like Robert Griffin III and Michael Vick took years to realize that the answer isn’t always to run for first downs, but to escape and look downfield. If Kizer is in Chicago next year, he’s going to need to learn that rule quick.

Chicago is a prime spot for Kizer. They love their quarterbacks, and the coaching staff allows players to develop before deciding their future. This won’t be a team that drafts Kizer and gives him a season to earn his spot. John Fox will help develop Kizer into the NFL star his potential will allow him to be.

DeShone Kizer

Quarterback, Notre Dame

The Cleveland Browns have an opportunity to get two high-quality draft picks in the first top 10 picks of the draft. Because of the trade last season that gave the Philadelphia Eagles the number two pick in the draft, the Browns have the Eagles first-round draft pick this year. Lucky for them, it’s a top 10 selection.

The likely outcome for the Browns will be drafting defense end, Myles Garrett out of Texas A&M, and use their second pick towards a quarterback. If the Bears decide to go with Mitch Trubisky, Cleveland will likely choose DeShone Kizer.

This may be a more realistic spot for Kizer and the Browns. With Mitch Trubisky also being a possible top 10 draft pick, the Browns have the convenience of drafting Garrett first and picking the remains of the two quarterbacks later.

As long as Philadelphia doesn’t move down the draft boards, the Browns are the comfiest team in the top 10. They have a chance to fill two of their holes during the draft. If Kizer is still around for their second pick, he’ll likely be put in one of the voids.

Like I said before, there’s a lot of problems in the Factory of Sadness. To keep the local boy around, and begin building around him could be the start of something special in Cleveland.