March 28, 2024

The 2017 NFL Draft might have the worst collection of quarterbacks ever

The NFL Draft has had its fair share of busts at the quarterback position, but does 2017 rank at the top of the worst quarterback classes in history?

Photo by Ben Proffitt.

Tennessee quarterback #11 Joshua Dobbs looks up as he leaves Neyland Stadium for the last time after the Vols' game against Missouri on Nov. 19, 2016.

The NFL Draft is one of the most polarizing events in the history of professional sports, and quarterbacks are constantly at the forefront of the attention on draft day. The quarterback is the most important position on the field in football, so very rarely are quarterback classes as boring as they are this year.

Fans can reminisce to the year 2013, which has gone down as not only one of the worst quarterback classes in history, but one of the worst period. Get ready for this list of star-studded quarterbacks from 2013: Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib, EJ Manuel, Matt Barkley, and Mike Glennon. Finding quarterback classes that are as boring as this one are hard to find, but the 2017 Draft has managed to do so. So let’s take a look at the prospects:

Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina

Trubisky has isolated himself to be the “best” quarterback in this draft, which is saying a lot for a kid who has only started 13 games in his collegiate career. Not only has he started just 13 games, he only won 8 of them, and just one came against a premier opponent: Florida State. Yes, he did have a fantastic season in 2016 with 30 touchdown passes and just six interceptions, but are teams really ready to hand the keys to such an inexperienced player? Having Trubisky as the face of the 2017 quarterback draft class is slightly embarrassing.

Deshaun Watson, Clemson

Watson is the only quarterback in this draft class who has experienced winning large amounts of football games consistently. He is a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and led the Tigers to back-to-back National Championship appearances, which included a dramatic championship victory over Alabama this past season. To me, he is clearly the best option at this position this year. However, he still lacks consistency with accuracy and field vision. Watson is a fantastic athlete, but still has a lot to work on mechanically.

Deshone Kizer, Notre Dame

“I do have the ability to be the greatest quarterback to ever play. Imagine taking (Tom) Brady’s intellect and Brady’s preparation and putting it on a guy with Cam Newton’s body.” Why Kizer uttered these words, we may never know. Kizer definitely has the frame of the ideal NFL quarterback at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, but that’s about it. He has one of the strongest arms in the class, but has dreadful decision making and accuracy at times. Kizer’s frame and arm strength are the only thing he has going for him.

Patrick Mohames, Texas Tech

Statistically, Mohames is the best quarterbacks in this draft class. In his final season at Texas Tech, he put up over 5,000 yards passing and 41 touchdowns. He has fantastic arm strength and ability to beat defenders deep, but his decision making is hot and cold and his accuracy follows suit. Mahomes is certainly a work in progress and is nowhere ready to take over an NFL team. He falls into the “other” category; he is clearly not in the top tier of talent in the draft but he also is not completely horrid.

Honorable Mentions

Davis Webb, California- Has a big frame at 6-foot-5 and has solid accuracy in short situations, but anything over 10 yards and he’s in trouble. Webb is really nothing more than a developmental prospect.

Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee- Dobbs surely has ability, but the notion that he could go as early as the second or third round is terrible. His accuracy desperately needs work and his decision making is poor.

Brad Kaaya, Miami- Kaaya, just like Dobbs, has great athleticism outside of the pocket, but lacks the necessary skills inside the pocket to have success in the NFL. It is hard to see Kaaya having an illustrious career in the big leagues.

Overall, none of these names really catch my eye. Trubisky is extremely inexperienced and Watson has obvious flaws. As for the rest of the quarterback class, it’s a dumpster fire. The 2017 quarterback draft class has the ability to top the list as one of the worst in NFL history, but only time can tell.

Edited by David Bradford

Featured image by Ben Proffitt

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