Deshone Kizer Officially Declares For 2017 NFL Draft

The speculation about DeShone Kizer is over as he will apply for entry into the 2017 NFL Draft.

Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer announced his intentions to enter the 2017 NFL Draft on Monday on Twitter. When he took over for an injured Malik Zaire in Week 2 in 2015, he looked like a solid prospect. But he didn’t look quite as promising in 2016.

The two-year starter for the Fighting Irish lost a few key players from his offense to the NFL. With his talented and experienced cast, Kizer led Notre Dame to a 10-2 season and a Fiesta Bowl berth. Without them, Notre Dame finished just 4-8, and he struggled at times.

For the season, he completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 2,925 yards, 26 TDs and nine INTs. If this were the 2015 or 2016 NFL Draft, it would probably be better for Kizer to return to school. But the 2017 draft class isn’t very good at the quarterback position.

The quarterback position is the most reached for position in draft history. And Kizer is the best quarterback prospect coming out in the 2017 NFL Draft. So he is pretty much guaranteed to get picked somewhere in the Top-10, making Kizer’s decision easy.

Evaluators could also take the players he lost into consideration and how it may have affected him. At 6’5″, 235 pounds, he has a big arm, accuracy, and came out of a pro style offense. He also ran the Spread Offense so he has mobility as well.

There are some that compare him to former Tennessee Titans star quarterback Steve McNair.

Stay tuned as he goes the the evaluation process this offseason.