Former Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer is part of the top group of quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft (along with UNC's Mitchell Trubisky and Clemson's Deshaun Watson), virtually guaranteeing that he will be a first round pick. However, he is projected to go anywhere from the top 13 to the very end of the round. So, which teams are the most likely to draft him?
1) Houston Texans
My guess is that Kizer is still on the board late in the first round with the rise of Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes, and the Texans (hopefully) are able to land their franchise QB. Houston desperately needs a quarterback, and Kizer has all of the physical tools and arm talent of a quality starter. He needs to work on his accuracy and decision making, but he has as much upside as anyone in this draft.
2) Arizona Cardinals
Going to Arizona appears to be earliest Kizer will be drafted with the No. 13 selection. Carson Palmer only has another year or two in him before he retires, and the Cardinals need to find their quarterback of the future. Enter Kizer. Having time to sit, learn the NFL game and improve his accuracy should help him become a very productive starter when he does take the field. The Cardinals also love quarterbacks with tremendous size (see Logan Thomas, who they drafted in 2014 and is now a tight end for the Bills), and Kizer is the only quality big quarterback prospect in this class.
3) Chicago Bears
This is contingent on a trade. There's a good chance someone trades up in the last half of the first round to get Kizer, and Chicago seems to be the most likely option. The Bears are very high on Kizer, although they won't take him at No. 3. Instead, we could see a similar deal to the Paxton Lynch one last year, with the Seahawks moving down to the top of round two in exchange for a swap of 3rd round picks (No. 67 for No. 102). The Bears get an extra year on Kizer's rookie deal by making him a first-round pick, giving them insurance if Mike Glennon doesn't become the player they expect.
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