2017 NFL Rookie Projections: Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
By Zach Goodall
The Kansas City Chiefs took quarterback Patrick Mahomes with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. In Part 10 of 32 in this series, a look at his projections as a rookie.
The Kansas City Chiefs made perhaps the gutsiest move of all on draft night this year in trading up from the 27th pick to the 10th to select former Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes. And I believe that trade is going to pay off just fine.
The former Red Raider went from a projected mid-to-late Day 2 pick to a top-10 pick within a couple of months during the draft process. Mahomes was known for his insane stat-lines and powerful arm during his career in Lubbock, but his throwing mechanics were so unconventional that they were almost scary.
However, although Mahomes mechanics were unconventional, he made them work. Throws like the one below aren’t normal:
But somehow, Mahomes launched this ball 50 yards in the air off of one foot while on the run, across his body, for a touchdown. Remarkable.
Mahomes has a tendency to throw off of his back foot. Simply put: That shouldn’t work when throwing the deep ball. Yet again, somehow, Mahomes can drop the ball into the bread basket off of his back foot with ease:
His career stats were something else, as well. In three seasons, Mahomes completed 857 passes out of 2349 attempts for 11,252 yards and 93 touchdowns, with only 29 interceptions. In his 2016 game against Oklahoma, Mahomes went a whopping 52-of-88 for 734 yards and five touchdowns.
Mahomes is working to “clean up” his mechanics in Kansas City, and until they’re confident he has progressed enough to take over fro current starter Alex Smith, he won’t play.
However, I believe (especially considering how he has come along so far), that Mahomes will be named the starter by the middle of November, when the playoffs are on the line. Smith has proven himself as good enough to make the Chiefs a playoff team, but he doesn’t push the needle much further.
Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-training camp
Mahomes has the “It” factor to make the Chiefs a threat, and when he’s ready, the Chiefs need to pull the trigger. I project him to take over in Week 11, after the Chiefs bye week, and throw for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns in the final seven weeks of the season.