The Cleveland Browns selected Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer with the 52nd overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, finally addressing their quarterback position. The Browns will enter the 2017 season with Kizer, Brock Osweiler, and Cody Kessler as the quarterbacks at camp, with Osweiler likely to be released to make space for Kevin Hogan.
I’ll talk about Kizer in a second, but the Browns selection of a quarterback should end the Jimmy Garoppolo-to-Cleveland stories for the 2017 season and should lock Garoppolo in with the Patriots, barring an unforeseen injury to a starting quarterback in camp leading to a desperation trade (like the Vikings with Sam Bradford).
ESPN’s Adam Schefter gets to take a victory lap because he was adamant about Garoppolo remaining in New England all offseason, and the Patriots will likely franchise their back-up quarterback and field more trade offers in 2018.
As for the Browns and Kizer, does anyone feel like the Browns actually addressed the quarterback position? Like, does anything think that the Browns will enter the 2017 season thinking that they’re set at the position for the future?
Or will the Browns come back to the 2018 NFL Draft still looking for a quarterback, with Kizer as just a temporary placeholder?
Kizer has serious issues with decision making and accuracy; he’s not on the same level as Jets 2016 second round pick QB Christian Hackenberg, but he definitely needs a lot of work, and the problems aren’t the type that generally are fixed in the NFL.
Kizer is really just a developmental prospect, showing that the Browns believe they still have a lot of work to do before they can even consider competing. Don’t be surprised if the Browns wait for 2018 to draft another quarterback in the first round.