Brad Kaaya Declares for 2017 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

Miami Hurricanes signal-caller Brad Kaaya will forego his senior year and declare for the 2017 NFL draft.

ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy and Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported the news Monday.

The 2016 season was an up-and-down campaign for both Kaaya and the 9-4 Hurricanes. The team started 4-0 before losing four straight and then bouncing back with five consecutive wins to salvage the year.

Kaaya had some big games, but he largely feasted on low-level opponents and had issues against some of the tougher defenses Miami faced. He ended the year with 3,532 passing yards and a 62 completion percentage to go along with 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Expectations were sky-high for the Los Angeles native following an excellent freshman season in which he passed for 3,198 yards and 26 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. While Kaaya made slight improvements over the next two years in terms of accuracy and protecting the football, the strides weren't as significant as expected.

Kaaya has prototypical size at 6'4" and impressive arm strength, but he has struggled with his completion rate, which suggests he has issues on short and intermediate passing plays.

Most NFL offenses rely heavily on those types of passes, so it's fair to wonder how ready Kaaya is for the next level.

The are plenty of question marks surrounding the quarterback position in the 2017 draft, as no player has separated himself from the field.

That means Kaaya has a chance to be an early-round pick—provided he manages to impress during the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day.

Kaaya likely would have benefited from another year at Miami, but had he failed to show further development, it may have removed him from consideration as one of the top quarterbacks in the class.

There is a certain amount of mystery surrounding Kaaya, but because of his great physical tools, that could work in his favor.

Kaaya is gambling on the notion that NFL teams will be enamored with his big arm, and it may prove to be a smart decision as opposed to choosing to stay in school and risk injury.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.