DeShone Kizer at Notre Dame Pro Day 2017: Photos, Video Highlights and Reaction

Quarterback DeShone Kizer got his big moment to audition for NFL scouts on Thursday during Notre Dame's pro day. 

Kizer is competing against Clemson's Deshaun Watson and North Carolina's Mitchell Trubisky to be the first quarterback taken in the 2017 NFL draft, which begins on April 27. Those two have already had their pro day workouts, so the Notre Dame star has an advantage by making the final impression on talent evaluators.

Kizer did take part in the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month, with Bryan Driskell of Rivals.com labeling his performance as a mixed bag:

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Kizer’s performance during the throwing drills was similar to his on-field performance during Notre Dame’s 2016 season. There were throws he made that were outstanding, arguably better than what we saw from any other quarterback at the event.

The issue for Kizer was there were too many missed throws on relatively easy routes that were due to poor mechanics.

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With scouts coming to South Bend Thursday, Kizer was in his element with a chance for him to rewrite the narrative about where his game is at heading into the NFL. 

Jordan Strack of WTOL-11 captured video of Kizer showing off his footwork as he dropped back to make throws:

ESPN's Todd McShay liked Kizer's footwork on his mechanics, via NFL on ESPN:

He's earned rave reviews for his arm talent. NFL.com's Mike Mayock has him ranked as the top quarterback in the 2017 draft class because of all the easy-to-see physical attributes. 

“I think he’s the prototype quarterback in the NFL,” Mayock told reporters during a pre-combine conference call. “He’s at 6-5, 235-, 240-pound quarterback. He’s got a big arm. He’s got a quick release. He’s athletic. He’s smart. He’s got enough athletic ability to move around the pocket. So I love his physical traits. I think he’ll work hard, and I know he’s smart.”

However, accuracy is the key for Kizer coming into the NFL. Last season at Notre Dame, Kizer only completed 58.7 percent of his passes. For comparison, Watson completed 67 percent of his attempts and Trubisky completed 68.2 percent of his attempts.

B/R's Matt Miller offered this nugget from a scout addressing any concerns about Kizer's accuracy during today's workout:

Chris Emma of 670 The Score noted Kizer tried to show a different side of his game that is better suited to what NFL teams need:

Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports captured video of Kizer showing his skill in the play-action passing game:

Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune reported unofficially Kizer completed 48 of his 60 pass attempts during the workout.

Kizer also showed some versatility during Notre Dame's pro day, helping out on special teams, per Strack:

The good news for Kizer is NFL teams will be taken care of in the long-snapper category, so he won't have to hone his skills doing that for much longer. 

Greg Gabriel, who worked as the scouting director for the Chicago Bears from 2001-10, is a big believer in Kizer's talent translating to the NFL:

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DeShone Kizer won't be the first QB drafted, maybe not the 2nd, but in 3 years he will be the best QB to come out of this class. Book it!

— Greg Gabriel (@greggabe) March 23, 2017"

Coincidentally, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported the Bears are "expected" to hold a private workout with Kizer that will likely happen next week. 

Strack also noted another team with an early pick that was well represented in South Bend:

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said at the combine Kizer "blew the doors off" his interview with the team, per NFL.com's Chase Goodbread. The 49ers own the No. 2 overall pick and need a long-term answer at quarterback with Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley competing for the job in 2017.

Without a clear top choice at the quarterback position this year, Kizer has as much of an argument to be the first player at the position off the board as Watson or Trubisky. He was more inconsistent than the other two, but his physical attributes and ceiling have drawn rave reviews. 

Kizer showed off those unique physical abilities on Thursday and has four more weeks of private workouts with teams to convince them he's the best quarterback to build their future around.