Mike Mayock: DeShone Kizer 'A Year Or Two Away' From Playing
Early in the evaluation process, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock was among the highest on Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer.
Mayock, a former color analyst for Fighting Irish games on NBC, now analyzes draft prospects. In the first two editions of his position rankings, Mayock slotted the 6-foot-4, 233-pound Kizer as his No. 1 quarterback in the draft, ahead of North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, Clemson’s DeShaun Watson and Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes.
But in his most recent update to those rankings, Kizer slipped to fourth. It’s part of a growing sentiment among NFL analysts that the native of Toledo, Ohio, could fall out of the first round.
“The reality for me is I haven’t changed my opinion on any of these kids,” Mayock told the NFL Network this month. “But I’ve been around the NFL people for the last six weeks. And, from my perspective, Kizer still has the biggest ceiling of any quarterback in this draft. He’s the prototypical NFL franchise quarterback. But he’s not ready to play. He’s a year or two away from stepping on an NFL field.”
Mayock's opinion mirrors that of Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, who said Kizer is the best quarterback in the draft but is not ready to start as a rookie.
Mayock said last week on a media conference call that he believes Kizer will be a late-first or early-second round selection. What holds Kizer back, Mayock said, is Kizer’s pocket awareness and mechanics, which break down “too often at critical times.”
And just in the last week, more questions have been raised about Kizer’s maturity after his comments to USA Today.
“No one else can do what I can do,” Kizer told USA Today. “And I’ve truly figured out in this process, if I can maximize all my potential in every aspect of the game – this is bold – I do have the ability to be the greatest quarterback to ever play. Imagine taking Brady’s intellect and Brady’s preparation and putting it on a guy with Cam Newton’s body. Why can’t I be the greatest? The only thing stopping me from it is me. That’s what’s driving me now.”
Interviewed during the Notre Dame spring game last week, Kizer stood by those comments.
“When you play a game like this, you’re going to try and model yourself after the greats,” he said. “It was a comment that I made, and I’m going to stand by it. Those are people I want to get to. … I would love to have the preparation and exhibit the intellect that a guy like Tom Brady does.
“So for me, why play this game if you don’t want to be the greatest? That’s kind of my whole mindset behind the process.”
Mayock — who was reportedly a candidate for the Washington Redskins’ general manager job this offseason — was asked about Kizer’s bold statement and how NFL teams approach such matters.
“When 21- year-old kids say things like that ... whatever he said a little while ago, I just start to laugh,” Mayock said. “To me that's just immaturity. On a scale of that versus putting your hands on a woman or testing positive at the combine, it's minute, and most people just kind of laugh and say, well, the kid will grow up once he gets to camp and realizes that he's not the reincarnate of Cam Newton and Tom Brady. So I don't think that's a big deal.
“You're asking me a direct question would I take him in the first round, and I'm in the back seat. I don't know what team I have or what my needs are. What I'm telling you, and I've been consistent about with people, is that I do believe he's got all the physical traits to be a first round quarterback and to be a starting quarterback. However, I don't think he's ready to play. And because he's not ready to play, I would be very hesitant to take him in the first round.
“Would I like to develop him behind the starting quarterback for a year or two? I would love that. I would love to get him within a room with a mature quarterback, somebody who has been around and grind his tail off and shows this kid, who is a smart kid, hey, this is what it takes to play at the level.”
Mayock said Kizer landing in the right situation is key.
“A lot of kids, 21, 22-year-old impressionable kids get drafted by certain teams, and they go into their rooms, and I mean the position. That's where they spend their most time,” Mayock said. “The guys in the position group room. If you get in a good room, most of the kids will go towards the good. If you get in a bad room, a lot of kids will go towards the bad.
“It takes a whole lot of mental toughness to be 21 and not go hang out with the older guys at night. It takes an awful lot. So, bottom line for me is I look at him and say I'd love to develop him. But to me a first-round quarterback should be capable of starting year one, and I don't believe he can.”
Coverage of the 2017 NFL Draft can be seen on both ESPN and NFL Network. The first round begins Thursday at 8 p.m. Rounds two and three are Friday (7 p.m.) and Rounds 4-7 begin Saturday at noon.
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