TOP 10 QUARTERBACKS
1. DeShaun Watson – Clemson – Senior – 6-2, 221 – 4.66
In a class that has no definitive No. 1 quarterback, my reasoning behind making Clemson’s Deshaun Watson my top guys is simple: he plays big when the lights are brightest. Watson has led his team to back-to-back national championship appearances, going through a playoff gauntlet of the top defenses in college football, and even though he came up short in the first, he played incredibly well, carried that into the following season and returned to this time be crowned champion. He may not have the fastest throws, the strongest arm or the most consistent accuracy (all three are fine), but no quarterback in this class has the resume of big game and big moment success like Watson does. Give me that guy.

2. Mitchell Trubisky – UNC – Junior – 6-2, 222 – 4.6
There’s an aura around Trubisky to why it makes sense for NFL teams to covet him. Some would look at his limited one-year experience as a negative. But, by throwing for 30 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions with over 3,700 yards and a 68 completion percentage in that one year, most seem to view it as a great starting point for a quarterback who will only continue to grow and develop. Trubisky has the big “NFL arm” that can push the ball down the field and to the sidelines with distance and pace. 98 percent of his plays came from the shotgun at UNC, which, again, some could say is a negative, but with the NFL moving towards a faster game with more plays from the shotgun league-wide, I would rather have it be that than the other way around.

3. Patrick Mahomes – Texas Tech – Junior – 6-2, 225 – 4.80
Mahomes is without a doubt the most polarizing quarterback in this year’s class; you either believe in him or you don’t. One of those paths make him a first round quarterback, the other could very well be justified as a Day 3 player. Mahomes’ mechanics are unorthodox, but I wouldn’t say they’re “bad” – they’re only bad if they get him in trouble, and they really haven’t yet. The reason for that is because Mahomes has an incredible arm (and IQ) that makes up for it. Those who say Texas Tech runs a one-read, simplistic offense are wrong. In fact, Mark Schofield, of Inside The Pylon, says that there’s a good chance Mahomes’ first NFL playbook with be less complex than the one he had at Texas Tech – and I agree. There’s much more to Mahomes that just an odd-throwing, air-raid quarterback with a big arm, and because of that, I think he’s a lot closer to that first round quarterback projection than he is the Day 3 one.

4. DeShone Kizer – Notre Dame – Junior – 6-4, 233 – 4.83
Though not quite as dividing as Mahomes, Kizer’s projection is still pretty up in the air. On one hand, you have a quarterback who has prototypical size and arm strength at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds with good mobility, too. He’s shown glimpses of when he can put all that together during his two year rotation at Notre Dame, and during those times you see an NFL quarterback. But, then there are the unknowns. The big thing with Kizer for me is mental toughness. The same reason I have Deshaun Watson as my QB1 is the same reason Kizer is my QB4. Kizer has never gone into an offseason where he knew he was going to be “the guy” for the Fighting Irish. There was also a point where he almost quit football (though it was more complicated than that due to a loved one being in the hospital). I also see times when Kizer’s on the field that he either hesitates or takes too long on a certain read, even if the right one is made. There are certainly tools to like, but the most important one for a quarterback is the one between the ears. Kizer still scares me with that one because I just don’t know.

5. Brad Kaaya – Miami – Junior – 6-2-, 212
After Kizer – or the first four quarterbacks, however you have the ordered – the quarterback class is a scheme-dependent toss up. Kaaya gets the nod as the fifth quarterback in the rankings because of his experience and how well we know he can be in a quick-hit offense. In an offense that can get the ball out of his hands quickly, Kaaya can be effective (West Coast). It’s his deep passes that really limit him. You’d think that for a player who is 6-foot-4, deep passes and distance arm strength would be where he makes his money, but he just never developed to show that in his three years at Miami. That may limit him in terms of draft spot, but I still expect him to be a solid back up and even a potential starting quarterback in the right system.

6. Josh Dobbs – Tennessee – Senior – 6-3, 216 – 4.64
If I were to put these rankings in tiers instead of a list, Peterman, Webb and Dobbs would all be in the same tier. What I like about Dobbs is his intelligence. He’s a smart kid and a smart football player who was asked to do a lot – basically everything – for Tennessee’s offense. He had to know the blocking concepts of a chaotic gap scheme, he had to be the captain of a read-option playbook, and he had to be able to read and react to some of the most stacked defenses in the nation in the SEC. I like Dobbs more than other people it seems. He has consistencies he needs to clean up, and he doesn’t have the strongest arm in the class, but I wouldn’t be surprised if an injury or something gave this kid a chance to start and he performed well.

7. Nathan Peterman – Pitt – Senior – 6-2, 226 – 4.82
After Kaaya, we have a couple big-arm quarterbacks who can also be loose cannons at times. Peterman is a journeyman prospect who started his career off at Tennessee before transferring to Pitt after he knew he wasn’t going to beat out Josh Dobbs. After two years as a starter, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns at Pitt, Peterman accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. During the week, Peterman looked like the most capable quarterback of the six with some nice deep passes. If you have to take a chance on a later quarterback, give yourself the chance to do with one you might hit the jackpot with who isn’t physically limited.

8. Davis Webb – Cal – Senior – 6-5, 230 – 4.79
Davis Webb follows the same school of thought as Peterman when it comes to being a journeyman. He started his career off at Texas Tech where he was the starting quarterback for his freshman and sophomore seasons. However, he ended up being replaced by Patrick Mahomes during his junior year. So, that forced him to transfer over to Cal where he played for one season, threw for over 4,000 yards with 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Word is that NFL teams love Webb because he is very intelligent. They like his football IQ and believe that, along with his big arm and knack for throwing touchdowns, is what might make him worth a first round selection. I do not think he is complete enough as a prospect to warrant a Day 1 pick, but I do think he could be a nice developmental backup in his early years.

9. Jerod Evans – Virginia Tech – RS Junior – 6-3, 232 – 4.80
Evans is an interesting case in this quarterback class. He’s even more of a journeyman than Peterman and Webb. He started his career out at Air Force, but after tearing his ACL, transferred to Trinity Valley, then back up into D1 to Virginia Tech. In his only year as a starter for the Hokies, Evans threw for 3,546 yards, 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He has a big arm, but most of his plays were just throwing balls up to Bucky Hodges and Isaiah Ford and letting them flourish. I don’t think he’s fast enough to be considered a dual-threat and I don’t think he has good enough control of his arm to be as effective as needed pushing the ball down the field. He’s more of a project quarterback to me.

10. Chad Kelly – Ole Miss – Senior – 6-2, 209
The reason Kelly gets the nod over some of the other quarterbacks in this class is because I know I’m picking him late in the draft, if at all, and if that’s the case, give me the guy who has the best chance to be a homerun pick. I don’t think Kelly’s arm is strong enough to be the gunslinger he was in college, but in terms of mentality, I’d at least want the guy who will go for passes and not shy away from the goal when he sees it – that’s Kelly. He threw for 5,800 yards with 50 touchdowns and 21 interceptions during his collegiate career. Injuries have also clouded his draft status as of late, but because of his confidence, and that making his possible payoff the highest, I’ll take him before the draft is over.

BEST OF THE REST
11. Seth Russell – Baylor – Senior – 6-3, 213 – 4.50
Incredibly athletic quarterback with a reported 40-inch vertical jump and 4.5-flat 40-yard dash. Russell was the signal caller for a points-heavy offense in Waco, but had his final year cut short due to an ankle injury. When healthy, he’s put up All-Conference numbers. Russell’s arm tends to float slow passes more than zip them into tight windows, but I’ll take a guy who knows how to throw touchdowns – and lost of them.

12. Alek Torgersen – Pennsylvania – Senior – 6-2, 218 – 4.91
Torgersen threw for school-record 51 touchdowns and 70 total touchdowns with 7,937 total yards during his collegiate career. He’ll have some learning to do in a pro-style offense in the NFL as almost all of his offensive play calls came from the sideline at Penn. Will also have a learning curve with reading the field at NFL speed.

13. Antonio Pipkin – Tiffin – Senior – 6-1, 221
Is a threat as a passer and a runner. Was very productive in Tiffin (a D2 school) offense. He’s more quick to run than to throw, however, and his release on longer passes take too long in his throwing motion. Has nice touch and feel, but must improve processing and throwing speed to have success in the NFL.

14. Trevor Knight – Texas A&M – Senior – 6-1, 219 – 4.54
Knight was a good college quarterback for an air-raid, quick hit, read-option offense in College Station, but with just a 53 percent completion percentage, he’s more of a runner than a passer. Has a strong arm and can get the ball anywhere down the field, but accuracy and timing issued don’t make him a strong pro prospect right now. Very athletic for the position, but certain need to clean up his passes from the pocket.

15. Sefo Liufau – Colorado – Senior – 6-3, 232 – 5.08
Liufau set Colorado school records in passing yards (3,200), passing touchdowns (28) and completion percentage (63). However, he also led the Pac-12 in interceptions this year with 15. He’s shown nice moments, but doesn’t take care of the football well enough

– Trevor Sikkema

Click the next page to see who we have as our “Best Bets” for the Bucs to pick from this group.