So here you have it, the ten quarterbacks I've given draftable grades to in the 2017 class. I do believe more QBs will be selected this weekend, but anyone outside of this group I would consider to be a somewhat-wasted developmental pick. On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are four QBs in this class that I would consider to have starter potential: Deshaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky, DeShone Kizer and Patrick Mahomes.
For a much-maligned group of quarterbacks, four with starter potential is really not all that thin. Consider the 2015 class, where that number was 2 (Winston & Mariota) before the cliff dropped off to Brett Hundley and Bryce Petty, or the 2013 class, whose top QB prospects were Geno Smith, EJ Manuel, Mike Glennon and Matt Barkley.
That being said, I don't believe there is a starter in this year's group that belongs in the top 10 picks, and that lack of top-end talent has tamped down the excitement around the 2017 class of QBs. But after all the hemming and hawing, it does appear that one or two will ultimately end up being selected in the top 10 anyway.
Here are some final thoughts on the draft-worthy quarterbacks of this year's class, beginning with the four with starter potential:
Deshaun Watson is my top quarterback in the draft and to me he's the best player in this group on multiple fronts. A plus arm, championship pedigree and phenomenal leadership traits make him a very exciting prospect. Some issues with accuracy and turnovers are the only things keeping him from the very top of my overall draft board.
Mitchell Trubisky is a far less exciting player than Watson, but displayed NFL starter-level talent during his one statistically impressive season at the top of the UNC depth chart. The more of his film I watched, the more I liked about Trubisky. Six weeks ago I had him as my number four QB in the class, but after additional tape evaluation I found him to be a more reliable prospect than Patrick Mahomes or DeShone Kizer. That said, a top 10 pick is an incredibly steep price for his services.
DeShone Kizer was extremely difficult to evaluate because of his brilliant flashes of talent and very concerning inconsistency. I believe in his considerably high upside, but he still has a ways to go. The situation he is drafted into will of course play a huge role in his development, as will his team's ultimate willingness to be patient with him.
Patrick Mahomes was once my number two rated QB in the class and I still do like him a lot. He possesses a remarkable arm and the natural athleticism of a lifelong shortstop. But the more I watched, the more inconsistency I spotted in his game, and he will have to be weaned off of his penchant for taking extreme risks with the football as a pro. Still, he has undeniable upside and an early second round pick would be good value for his potential.
After these four, I do believe there is a significant dropoff in the QB class. Nathan Peterman's game film particularly impressed me, and I do believe he has the adequate tools to survive as a solid NFL backup. On the other hand, the more I watched Davis Webb, the more I shook my head. He has arm talent and an NFL frame, and this alone has him rumored in the late first round. I have a fourth round grade on him.
After this, there is another slight drop to Trevor Knight, who is my dark horse QB prospect in this draft. He had an outstanding combine after an adventurous college career, and his athleticism and playmaking ability have been overshadowed by his 6'1'' frame and real accuracy issues. I had similar reservations about a similar player in last year's draft, one Dak Prescott, who was in my incorrect opinion drafted too early when the Cowboys took him in the fourth round. I'm not saying I expect anything remotely similar to happen to Knight's career, but I do think he has more than enough talent to merit a mid-to-late-round selection.
Jerod Evans and Joshua Dobbs are both interesting players that flashed real ability in their 2016 seasons. Evans is a raw athlete who will need time to develop but has tools to warrant a flier late in the draft. Dobbs is slightly more exciting. An intelligent leader with good deep ball passing ability, Dobbs could never quite put it all together at Tennessee. An NFL team will certainly give him the opportunity to continue his development.
FInally, there's Brad Kaaya, a prospect I have very little faith in. In fact, I find him on the very edge of being undraftable. He's a big kid with a big arm, but he does not move well, is consistently wild with his throws and is easily overwhelmed by pressure. He may go as high as the fourth round, however, as the pro scouts apparently disagree with my assessment of him.
As for the rest of the class, I'll throw out some more names that may well come up over the course of the weekend: Chad Kelly (Ole Miss), CJ Beathard (Iowa), Sefo Liufau (Colorado), Alek Torgersen (Penn), Mitch Leidner (Minnesota), Zach Terrell (WMU) and Antonio Pipkin (Tiffin). In my opinion, you have to be extremely needy of QB depth to spend a draft pick on any of these players, especially when one or more of them may be available to sign after the fact. Despite this, I do think it's likely that at least 3 and as many as 6 of them will wind up drafted.