DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum College QBs

DeShaun Watson is the obvious one. DeShone Kizer is the fast riser.

Who is your favorite guy right now?

(Yes, this is depressing.)

Despite being a staunch Wolverine hater, my favorite college player is Michigan's Jabril Peppers.



It's my opinion he's the most talented football player in the nation.

If the Browns get him...

Sorry, no quarterbacks come to mine other than JT Barrett.

Is he even the best defensive player?

Myles Garrett maybe

QB's in college on the watch list include:
(in no particular order)

Watson - Clemson
Kizer - ND
Kaaya - Miami
Falk - Washington St
Kelly - Missisippi
Leidner - Minnesota
Dobbs - Tennesee
Webb - Cal
Beathard - Iowa
Russell - Baylor
Kiel - Cincinnati
Mahomes - Texas a&m
Lunt - Illinois
Gustafson - Montana

This is the best list I could come up with. A lot I have not seen. Some I have seen and don't like. Others I have seen and I am still forming opinions on. But I am not offering my opinion on any of them. I am just providing an early list and letting you come to ypur own conclusions.

Deshone Kizer is my guy. I like him more than Watson.

Chart Kelly can easily become #2 if he impresses against Bama.

Isn't he a super douche?

DeShone Kizer. I like him over Watson.

Hell, there's a chance we might be able to draft both (kind of kidding).

So are a lot of QBs

I hate they we again may be forced to take a college spread QB but at this time I prefer DeShaun Kizer

I think he could be a real ball hawk as an NFL Free Safety.

I'm keeping an eye on Cooper Rush. His team isn't very good, but he makes it work/makes them look better than they are. It took a bad call for it to happen, but as far as overall talent they should not have been able to hang with Okie State let alone beat them. Was hard to get a great feel for his arm strength, as his receivers didn't really get separation deep. Maybe we'll be able to coach him in the Senior Bowl.

I really don't like the Clemson or Notre Dame offenses. They signal plays from the sideline and often have simplified/pre-determined reads. Doesn't mean either guy won't be successful, but it makes them harder to evaluate. The athleticism also doesn't take over in the pros like it can in college. I've heard good things about Watson's work ethic, but I don't know about his mental processing.

I want to watch more of Mahomes. The Texas Tech offense is in the same class as Clemson and Notre Dame, but I saw some things I liked from him. He seemed to work well in chaos and made things happen off script. Arm strength looked good, too.

Kelly didn't look good to me. Threw several passes that should have been picked, but his receiver bailed him out big time on one and had some others dropped.

None of the rest on Jester's list really looked that good to me.

I haven't watched Falk, Gustafson or Lunt, but the rest I didn't mention didn't do anything to really catch my interest.

So, Rush, Kizer, Watson, and Mahomes are the ones I'm trying to really dig into so far.

Is he related to DeShone Watson?

It's Deshaun Watson at Clemson and DeShone Kizer at ND

As if the spread QBs haven't had any success.

(Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton, Ben Roethlisberger, Blake Bortles, Alex Smith, Derek Carr, and Cam Newton played in some form of the spread in college.)

All spread offenses are not created equally. Clemson and ND are of the simplified read, read-option variety. Some reliance on buying time till someone is wide open.

Deshaun Watson is listed as 6'2", 207 lbs and is most likely shorter than that.

Kizer has the slightly bigger frame like most of the guys you mentioned, but is also a lot less proven.

I'm not writing them off, but their playstyle hasn't translated to the pros very well with the exception of guys who are built like tanks.

You are confused. The spread does not mean you run the read option. Derek Carr ran the spread in college, he rarely (if ever) ran the ball.

Yes.

There's a BIG difference between what Carr ran in college vs. what Cam Newton ran.

I was referring specifically to Watson and Kizer. Both have numerous designed QB runs and/or options in their offenses. That's why I said not all spreads are the same.

I just watched the 2016 Clemson/Auburn game cutup on draftbreakdown. I wasn't impressed with Watson. Almost every pass was his first or a predetermined read. He took a bunch of shots while scrambling. His accuracy was spotty.

I followed up with 2015 Texas Tech/LSU. Mahomes showed some impressive traits. He has elements of Stafford and Russell Wilson to his game. Stafford in his ability to zip it with accuracy from multiple platforms and a mess around his feet. Wilson in his ability to improvise and keep his eyes down field while scrambling. His offense is not really NFL style either, so I'll have to dig deeper on the mental side. I'll try to see what I can find on his intangibles/off the field as well.

Right now, Mahomes is the early round guy I like.



Highlights from the first half of his True Sophomore season.

I REALLY like Luke Falk. Might be the most accurate QB I've seen in awhile. He has a strong arm too. He throws it where only his guy can catch it.

He's thin as a twig though, but damn does he have a good arm. If he was built like Kizer, he'd be a guy I'd strongly suggest trading up for.

That mock has us selecting at #1 and #9

First mock: Myles Garrett and then DeShone Kizer
Second mock: DeShone Kizer and then Dalvin Cook

I'd take the former, not the latter

You are confused.

It's not that Spread QBs can't make it. It's simply harder to evaluate spread QBs. That is not debatable.

Btw--------there are significant differences between the various spread offenses that you mentioned.

To where... zero?

I only watched last year's Bowl game (v Miami 2105), but the guy you're describing doesn't sound like the one I watched. Arm looked average at best. I didn't really see him show the zip to fit the ball into NFL windows. He did have one deep ball with pretty good velocity but he really seemed to have to gear up for it. When he didn't have room to step up he underthrew a couple that should have been picked.

He showed decent touch to guys with room, but almost put too much touch at times giving the D time to get there and minimize the YAC.

I'll check out some 2016 games once they are up, but looked more like a mid round game manager type from what I saw.

Judging guys by bowl games is not a good idea. Derek Carr got destroyed by USC. Cam Newton looked awful versus Oregon.

Carr got destroyed by USC because he got his shoulder injured in the 1st quarter.

He looked pretty much the same against Arizona State and Oregon (Both 2015). He can hit receivers in big windows. His ball placement leaves yards on the field. He has to put his whole body into longer throws and loses accuracy. Holds the ball when there aren't big windows. If his mechanics aren't near perfect (i.e, on the move, no room to step up) he doesn't have much velocity. I'm not a big fan of the term, but he looks like a system QB.

Traits don't change in bowl games. You can have a bad game, but your arm generally doesn't get weaker (unless you get injured possibly.)

While not purely a college Qb article, it certainly addresses the idea behind this thread.



Deshaun Watson leads the pack: Browns Future QB Tracker, Week 1

Browns Future QB Tracker, Week 1
The Browns Future QB Tracker after week one of the 2016 NFL season, projecting which quarterbacks could be the long-term answer for the Browns. (Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com)

on September 14, 2016 at 6:35 AM

Deshaun Watson leads the pack: Browns Future QB Tracker, Week 1


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to the future. Ideally, it's a little more hopeful than the present, at least when it comes to the Browns and quarterbacks.

As the 2016 season unfolds, we're going to run a complementary view here looking at, honestly, a more important question than whether the Browns are going to win each Sunday this year.

Who is the Browns' future franchise quarterback? So this is the Browns Future QB Tracker.

Each week we'll look at college quarterbacks, quarterbacks on other NFL teams and, yes, even current Browns and assign a percentage chance to whether these players are the Browns future quarterback.

Not the starting quarterback in 2017, necessarily. Future franchise quarterback. The sure-thing starter for 2018, 2019, 2020 and beyond is really what we're aiming for here.

The answer.

The chances will change based on the Browns record and projected draft position, how the college quarterbacks are playing and are viewed as prospects, and the existing quarterback situations of various NFL teams. If there are great college QBs, but the Browns are 6-6 and looking to pick in the teams, those great quarterbacks won't be as high on this list.

That isn't the case right now.

Like a name you don't see on our list? Tell us in the comments and maybe he'll slip onto the list in future weeks.

While there's a great big world of quarterbacks out there, it seems like we should be able to get a handle by the end of the regular season who the real contenders are. There could be a lot of movement. If we had done this last week, Robert Griffin III would have been much higher on the list than he is right now.

And if we had done it a year ago, we might have thrown a one percent chance on the former No. 2 overall pick who was riding the bench in Washington - and been right on Griffin at least for a week.

So follow our Browns coverage every week. And every Wednesday, check in here to think about the future.

On to the candidates for the Browns Future QB Tracker, Week 1.

• Deshaun Watson, Clemson, 30 percent: He had to take the top spot in the tracker debut. The college junior has topped many early draft boards since leading the Tigers to the National Championship Game last season. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Watson has the arm and downfield touch to serve as an NFL pocket passer, but he comes with the bonus running ability that made him the first quarterback in major college football history to pass for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. Over the course of this fall, his NFL skills will be picked apart, because he's already so good. But he won't ever fade far on this list barring unforeseen circumstances.

Deshaun Watson vs. Auburn 2016
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson has thrown for 270 yards per game with four touchdowns and three interceptions as the Tigers are off to a 2-0 start without looking as sharp as a year ago.
Brynn Anderson, AP

• DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame, 29 percent: It took one game for Kizer to make the top of this list debatable. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, the junior from Toledo Central Catholic ripped apart Texas in the opener and had draft analysts salivating while throwing for 215 yards and five touchdowns.

Throw in his Ohio roots and the fact he's a little bigger than Watson, and his bandwagon should be adding followers all year. It's early, but if this is your Goff-Wentz debate this season, and the Browns are in the top two, you'll like their spot.


• Josh Rosen, UCLA, 10 percent: There's a drop, because the top two make so much sense right now and the Browns seem so positioned to land one of the top two picks. So the third spot goes to the projected overall No. 1 pick - in 2018.

Many Browns fans don't want to think of this. But Rosen is a true sophomore, so this would require the Browns passing on a top quarterback in 2017 and suffering through another down season next year. But the 6-foot-4, 218-pounder has to make the list. He's thrown for 305 yards per game but was picked off three times in a season-opening loss to Texas A&M.

• Brad Kaaya, Miami, 8 percent: College QB No. 4, Kaaya is generally viewed as the third-best prospect in this draft for now. But the 6-foot-4 junior threw two interceptions and no touchdowns in his last outing against Florida Atlantic, his first multi-interception performance since the sixth game of his freshman season.


• Jimmy Garoppolo, New England Patriots, 5 percent: Hey, it's an actual pro. Someone has to lead the backup quarterback brigade of current No. 2s who could become the Browns' future No. 1. May as well start with the guy getting the four-game audition during Tom Brady's suspension.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder threw for 182 yards and a touchdown as the Pats beat Arizona thanks to a last-second missed field goal. By the end of the year, Browns fans should at least know how to spell his last name.

• Cody Kessler, Browns, 4 percent: And now we get to the Browns roster. Third-round picks aren't free. The Browns used one on Kessler in the spring, and before we get to every other quarterback available in the free world, this former USC quarterback should get some kind of audition this season.

• Kessler one play away from seeing the field
• Kessler one play away from seeing the field
Rookie quarterback, who was inactive on Sunday in Philadelphia, will likely serve as the backup to Josh McCown on Sunday.

• Robert Griffin III, Browns, 3 percent: Before his injury, based on Sashi Brown saying he wasn't a short-term venture, Griffin would have been much higher on this list. But after getting knocked out for at least the next eight games with a fractured non-throwing shoulder, his long-term chance may be over before it really started.

• Pluto: RG3 experiment should be over
• Pluto: RG3 experiment should be over
The latest injury to Robert Griffin III should tell the Cleveland Browns that they must continue to look for a quarterback.

• Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers, 2 percent: He's a Super Bowl quarterback and a Hue Jackson favorite. He'a also only 28 years old. The idea of a second act of his career coming in Cleveland isn't out of the question, especially after he was linked to the Browns for a while in March. If he's not Chip Kelly's answer in San Francisco, and he's not for now, he could be someone else's quarterback next year.

• Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings, 2 percent: Let's see him start a game in Minnesota first. But he's also only 28, so maybe a third team in two years would be the charm.

• Chad Kelly, Ole Miss, 2 percent: Back to college. The 6-foot-2, 224-pounder is the top senior quarterback on most draft boards. He has seven touchdowns and three picks this season.

• Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech, 1 percent: Now we're into stat-watching. Mahomes leads the nation, throwing for 511 yards per game. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior once threw for 598 yards in a game against Baylor two years ago.


• Davis Webb, Cal, 1 percent: Jared Goff's replacement in Berkeley is second at 482 yards per game. Goff averaged 363 passing yards per game last year. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound grad transfer from Texas Tech also probably has larger hands than Goff.

• Luke Falk, Washington State, 1 percent: And Falk, at 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, is third in the nation, at 449 yards per game.

• C.J. Beathard, Iowa, 1 percent: The 6-foot-2, 209-pound senior led the Hawkeyes to an undefeated regular season in 2015. He's thrown four touchdowns and no interceptions in two games while averaging 214 passing yards per game.

• J.T. Barrett, Ohio State, 1 percent: No Cardale Jones for the Browns. How about this Ohio State QB? First, the redshirt junior has to decide if he's staying at Ohio State for a fifth year in 2017 or heading to the NFL. Then the NFL has to decide if he reminds anyone of Russell Wilson.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ss...art_river_index

Thanks for the article.

I have one to add:

Teddy Bridgewater. I pray that Bradford studs out and the Vikes move on from Teddy, and then Bridgewater ends up in Cleveland, where he should have landed in the first place.

Well, one can hope. That seems far fetched to me IMO. I don't see Bradford studding out is the main reason

It was tongue-in-cheek, bro.

Of course we are going to have the #1 pick the year before Lamar Jackson can be drafted.

I like Lamar, but he looks like Vick, good and bad.

I'd take pre-dog fighting arrest Michael Vick. He was pretty good and no one was more fun to watch.

He looks like he's 130 pounds. Not an NFL body to be running that often. I'm liking his speed and results though.

This looks like a pre-season list. Kiel lost his job to sophomore Hayden Moore (who impressed me last year.) At Texas A&M, Trevor Knight transferred in from Oklahoma and is the starter now.

I'm watching Lamar Jackson now, his long ball accuracy has looked iffy today, but this is 1 half. Otherwise, very impressive.

This might not seem believable, but FSU has the best defense in the ACC too.

well, Louisville is making them look silly. crazy