Browns Select DeShone Kizer in 2nd Round to End QB's Draft Slide

Former Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer was selected with the 52nd pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, giving the team its potential quarterback of the future. 

Reaction was varied on the selection.

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@Browns @DKizer_14  pic.twitter.com/MdOcrKhyLX

— Frank (@FrankGodfree) April 29, 2017"

So, what type of player did Cleveland land?

For a full scouting report, check out this comprehensive analysis from Greg Cosell of NFL Films:

In many ways, Kizer's projection at the NFL level depends on which college season he replicates in the NFL. Kizer regressed in 2016, as Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com noted:

In 2015 he was excellent, throwing for 2,884 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 63 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading Notre Dame to the Fiesta Bowl and finishing 8-3 as a starter that season.

Last year, however, Notre Dame went just 4-8, and Kizer appeared to lose confidence as the season wore on. He threw for 2,925 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions, though he completed just 58.7 percent of his passes. He added 472 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

NFL evaluators took note of that dip in performance.

"He has everything that you want, but you worry about the Notre Dame situation," an AFC scout told Bucky Brooks of NFL.com. "Why did it fall off the rails for him down the stretch?"

"Kizer scares me to death," an AFC vice president of player personnel added. "I see the athleticism and arm talent, but I wonder if he can take hard coaching. Things went downhill in a hurry at Notre Dame."

As the NFL Network's Mike Mayock told Peter King of MMQB, Kizer is a boom-or-bust prospect:

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I think he has the most upside, the highest ceiling. But he is 12-11 as a starter at Notre Dame. He played a lot of bad football with the game on the line in the fourth quarter this year. That is not acceptable. But he is 6'5", 235. He has that kind of prototypical franchise quarterback look, a Philip Rivers type … if he gets everything right.

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The physical tools are undoubtedly there, however.

"He can make all of the throws and he's athletic," an AFC college scouting director told Brooks. "Plus, he has won some big games during his time there. I know it got a little sideways for him [in 2016], but he can play."

Charley Casserly of NFL.com praised Kizer's arm:

But for every positive Kizer presents, a question mark appears. Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com and Mike Clay of ESPN pointed out issues with Kizer's accuracy:

So, yes, Kizer offers a mixed bag. His upside and physical tools are tantalizing. His inconsistency and 2016 regression are concerning. 

Kizer could be the best quarterback in this draft class and a true franchise cornerstone for the next decade. He could also be a bust. Cleveland has put all of its chips on the former.

The Browns will have an interesting choice when it comes to Kizer: Do they let him sit for a year behind Brock Osweiler, or do they throw him into the fire immediately and let him learn on the job?

Given his question marks, the latter makes sense. Allowing Kizer to learn the ropes for a year and grow comfortable in Cleveland's offense seems wiser than testing his confidence against NFL defenses right out of the gate. And given that the Browns are still far off from competing for a playoff berth, there's no reason to rush Kizer into action.

The Browns focused primarily on defense in the first round with Myles Garrett and Jabrill Peppers, though they did add tight end David Njoku with their third pick on Thursday. 

Kizer's got the arm talent to be a star for the team, but he will need to be properly developed for the Browns to finally get their franchise quarterback.