Thoughts on DeShone Kizer from Rick Serritella

The last few months have been an up and down time for quarterback DeShone Kizer. The 6-foot-4, 233-pounder declared for the NFL in December and has gone through the circus leading up to April 27th.

Rick Serritella of NFL Draft Bible has been covering the NFL Draft for years and knows this is the time where top prospects have every flaw pointed out by NFL teams and the media.

“They have time to poke holes in player’s games and DeShone Kizer is now the odd man out of the equation,” Serritella told Irish Sports Daily this week. “It used to be Mitch Trubisky, DeShaun Watson, and Kizer as the main topic of conversation. You hear it could get lonely for Kizer in the green room now.”

There are whispers Kizer could fall all the way out of the first round, but Serritella knows better. Quarterback is always held in high regard, and there will be run on the position in the first round.

“Some people are saying he could fall to the beginning of the second round, but I don’t buy it,” stated Serritella. “There are too many quarterback needy teams. My idea was a guy like Bruce Arians, who is a quarterback whisperer, could be there in the first round and have him sit behind Carson Palmer for a year or two. I did see the other the Cardinals brought him in for a private workout.”

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly recently made comments about Kizer:

“He should still be in college,” Kelly told SiriusXM NFL. “The circumstances are such that you have to make business decisions and he felt like it was in his best interest. I’m going to support him in his decision, but the reality is that he needs more football.

“He needs more time to grow in so many areas, not just on the field but off the field.”

The interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, but Kizer strangely agreed publicly with the comments on a Chicago radio show, and it took NFL teams by surprise.

“The fact Kizer came out and basically agreed with Coach Kelly – I want my franchise quarterback confident and borderline cocky,” explained Serritella. “I want him to be a leader of men. When a coach criticizes you and even if it’s true – when Mark Sanchez came out, and Pete Carroll said those things about him at USC, Sanchez politely disagreed in a way he was still confident.

“Was Carroll correct? Looking back at it, yes for sure. Who is advising this guy? When these kinds of things happen, there is a scurry behind these agencies. They are on top of this stuff with his image, words, and things that get out there with the media.”

It might not have totally been Kizer’s fault as much as those advising the Toledo native.  

“With a high-profile client like Kizer, I am wondering what kind of advice he was given,” stated Serritella. “Did he say those things on his own? I hope he wasn’t advised to say those things because I don’t think he helped himself regarding boosting his draft stock.”

Kizer has recently done Notre Dame’s Pro Day in March and then a slew of visits to teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers to name a few.

Serritella believes the private workouts and meetings can go a long way in helping Kizer slide back up the draft boards.

“The private workouts go a long way,” Serritella said. “Let’s face it, the combine you’re relegated to 15 minutes. When evaluating quarterbacks, a lot is crammed into a 15-minute window where you have several coaches and scouts firing questions at this guy.

“When you these private workouts and visits, the teams get to spend more time and get to know you as a person. They get to throw multiple plays at you during the chalk talk. The chalk talks are invaluable because you put a player on the spot. You can throw different scenarios at him, and you can see where he is at with his check downs and progressions. That’s what NFL teams want to see with Kizer.

“His decision making is going to come into question. I am sure they are going to roll some plays and asking him what his thought process and reads were.”

One of the main reasons Serritella believes Kizer will go in round one is the need to have a franchise quarterback in the present and waiting in the wings. It’s clear the Browns, Bears, and 49ers needs quarterbacks, but teams at the end of the first round also need to prepare for the future.

“You have teams like the Cardinals, Chargers, Saints, Steelers, and even the Giants, there are a lot of teams that are going to have to find the next signal-caller,” explained Serritella. “The way the college game is played with the spread, you’re going to have to go back to the days of grooming a quarterback like Steve McNair, Aaron Rodgers, and Eli Manning.”

With players like Carson Palmer, Phillips Rivers, and Drew Brees at the end of their careers, teams will now have to decide if Kizer is the guy to groom to take over.  

“Are you comfortable enough he can fit your scheme, learn the terminology, and be confident,” said Serritella. “It might seem like a little thing with him agreeing with Coach Kelly, but there are some whispers that his confidence was rattled when he was switching with Malik Zaire. Now, he is saying that he might not be the best quarterback in the draft, but before he made the comments, NFL evaluators believed he had the most upside because of his size, arm strength, and the body built to get through a 16-game schedule.

“If you look at the teams, Steelers and Ben Rothlisberger, I know there have been comparisons made to Big Ben. They have a very similar skill set, and he could be groomed along. Let’s be honest; they are trying to squeeze another year or two out of him.

“Carson Palmer is another guy. Big, tall, and has the arm to make all the throws like Kizer has shown. Kizer’s size will help him. Watson and Trubisky are in the 6-foot-2 range. Pocket-passing quarterbacks with size will always be at a premium.”

Serritella’s gut feeling is Kizer will find a new home in new weather when push comes to shove.

“I am going to stick with the Cardinals,” Serritella said. “It was my dark horse team from the get-go. I am going to stick with my guns. They can groom Kizer behind Palmer for a year or two and spend time with Arians. You would be setting Kizer up for a great situation to succeed and with a player’s guy like Arians.

“Playing for Arians, Kizer will gain confidence, and he will be provided with the tools succeed. He will give him the door of opportunity to peak and maximize every skillset, and every ounce of talent Kizer has now.”

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