National Football League

2017 NFL Draft: Mitch Trubisky Continues To Divide Teams

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:03 p.m. ET

Fansided, Erik Lambert/FanSided via NFL Mocks

Sep 26, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) on the sidelines. The Tar Heels defeated the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens 41-14 at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The 2017 NFL draft will not go down as the next Year of the Quarterback. That much is for certain as the strength of the class becomes more apparent.

Few offer a greater example of the double-edged sword feeling they bring than North Carolina standout Mitch Trubisky. On the surface he looks like a dangerous option. He has limited experience and couldn’t crack the starting lineup until his junior year. Did the light really go on or did he just take advantage of a quarterback-friendly spread offense to help enhance his numbers?

Then when the tape goes on it’s clear the young man has talent. His arm strength is solid and he shows an ability to place the ball with timing and accuracy at all levels. He’s also got above-average footwork inside the pocket and can take off running for first downs with his mobility. All the traits appear in place for him to become an NFL starting quarterback.

It is these conflicting details that continue to divide the entire league on his viability as a possible top 10 quarterback.

“Much of the conversation centered on a player not in attendance at the Senior Bowl: North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

There is a split opinion on the junior signal-caller; there are teams who like Trubisky and teams who like him but are concerned about his lack of starting experience. There were similar concerns a year ago over Carson Wentz — who started just a year and a half — and though the circumstances are slightly different, those concerns turned out to be unfounded.

As most are aware, Trubisky came out of nowhere to start under center for the Tar Heels in 2016 and justifiably grades as the top signal-caller for April’s draft.

There has been a lot made in the New York press over the alleged love affair the Jets have with the signal-caller.

People I’ve spoke with here in Mobile tempered that enthusiasm a bit but say the Jets are definitely part of a pack of teams at the top of the draft considering Trubisky.”

This really is an unusual year regarding the quarterback situation in the draft. The overriding concerns with the current class is two-fold: a lack of pro-style experience and a lack of depth. Trubisky isn’t the only top QB with questions about the offense he came from. The same goes for other names like Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Notre Dame standout Deshone Kizer also has problems that are dropping him down board.

Yet at the same time the top 10 is positively littered with teams that need a new signal caller. Cleveland (#1), San Francisco (#2), Chicago (#3), and the Jets (#6) all have immediate question marks. To say nothing of fringe teams like the Chargers, Bills, and Cardinals hovering in the background. With only four quarterbacks considered to have NFL starter potential at this point, it stands to reason at least one of those teams chooses to go for one of these quarterbacks. Whether they’re ready or not.

Or the league could see something that has only happened two times in the past 17 years. That’s no quarterback going within the first 10 picks of a draft. That will make the scouting combine and pro days high noon for determining if that will be the case.