Cleveland Browns: DeShone Kizer not close to ready, but may have to start
By Randy Gurzi
The Cleveland Browns foolishly avoided drafting a quarterback with one of their three first round picks, and may have to start the incredibly raw DeShone Kizer
Armed with two picks in the top 15, the Cleveland Browns had a ton of options in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. They wound up with the top player in defensive end Myles Garrett, but then traded their 12th overall pick and wound up with two more selections.
They made a huge mistake by taking a safety and tight end, despite needing a quarterback more than anything. In the end the only signal-caller addition they made during the draft was DeShone Kizer, taken with the 52nd overall selection.
While Kizer has a lot of upside, he makes little sense for a team that has no veteran starter. The Notre Dame product played for just two seasons for the Fighting Irish and was considered by most scouts to be a project player.
In Cleveland, that may not be an option as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is suggesting he could very well be the starter for the Browns at some point this season after seeing his work at OTAs and rookie minicamp:
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"Kizer demonstrated superior physical skills to the other quarterbacks in regards to arm strength and mobility. If he can combine that with a grasp of the offense and an ability to read defenses, he’ll be right in the mix for a chance to start on opening day. It will largely depend on if the Browns want to take their time with him, or throw him into the fire. But he’s very smart, and is picking up the offense quickly. I think he’ll either start immediately, or early on in the season."
This is purely more of an indictment on the players Cleveland has than a testament to Kizer. On the roster they have Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler and Kevin Hogan to complement the rookie. Kizer not only has the most upside of all these guys, but could be the best player already.
Unfortunately, that could play against him. Too often quarterbacks that aren’t truly ready to play get thrown to the fire before they’re ready and it has lasting effects. A player like Kizer who completed less than 60 percent of his passes as a junior and never topped 3,000 yards can see his confidence shaken if he struggles on a poor team like Cleveland.
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The smart move would surely be to allow him a season or two to learn the ropes and work with professional coaches on his mechanics. In Cleveland, that may not be an option thanks to the lack of other options.