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The selection of DeShone Kizer by the Cleveland Browns was not made by a united front and could lead to a power struggle down the road.
The Cleveland Browns got a quarterback with the 52nd pick of the draft in Deshone Kizer from Notre Dame. While there's a lot of high-fiving and talks between fans and some members of the media thinking the Browns may have gotten a tremendous value in Kizer here, those in Berea likely don't see it the same way.
Not long after the selection was made, NFL Network's Mike Silver reported a curious quote:
.@MikeSilver on #Browns: "Did they get a QB that everyone in that room views as the future of the franchise? I would say that's a stretch"
— Keith Britton (@KeithBritton86) April 29, 2017
This is incredibly revealing. First, it doesn't appear that this came from head coach Hue Jackson. But even if it did, the team is not united on the prospects of Kizer's future. At the very least, the timing so closely after the selection is curious and certainly doesn't come off as an endorsement.
The analytics are not kind to DeShone Kizer. He's an average athlete for his size and his production is equally average. Most of the positives from his profile are due to his size, both in terms of his overall build and the size of his hands.
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Defenders of Kizer will point to the supporting cast and his head coach, suggesting that they prevented him from being successful enough to produce better numbers and more wins. Numbers don't care. Their unflattering and inflexible.
Kizer's redshirt sophomore season was mediocre and his draft process didn't go much better. The Fighting Irish went 4-8 and his performance was wildly inconsistent from week to week and even within games. Kizer's last year has a major disappointment, given his projected growth. Kizer should have stayed in college.
And on some level, people are overrating just how much damage a coach can do just as others are overrating just how much a coach can improve or 'fix' a player. The truth is somewhere in the middle and the player is ultimately the player. Kizer wasn't good and getting away from Brian Kelly and Notre Dame, going to Hue Jackson in Cleveland isn't a panacea.
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) attempts to throw the ball against the Michigan State Spartans during the first quarter of a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
In terms of becoming a Pro Bowl or better quarterback, Kizer is working on the fringes in terms of the odds relative to the entire history of the NFL at the quarterback position. Even in terms of making it to becoming a starter, Kizer's odds aren't terribly promising.
Meanwhile, the other four prospects the Browns selected so far in this class are gems by the numbers. All four of them have the metrics to suggest they can be longterm starters and potentially become Pro Bowl players.
Kizer is the lone prospect that doesn't fit that trend, going completely in the other direction from a metric standpoint and sticks out like a sore thumb. It stands to reason that the front office was pushing for another player and it would be fascinating to know who that player is, especially if they ultimately become a great player elsewhere.
That quote to Silver likely indicates that the members of the front office that believe in the numbers aren't on board with Kizer as anything other than a shot. They effectively let Hue make his pick, take the guy he wanted and are willing to let him see just how good he can become.
This potentially causes some problems both this coming season and may cause cracks in the organizational foundation of the franchise that lead to major problems down the road. Based on his college career, Kizer has no business seeing the field as a rookie. He should sit for the entirety of his rookie season and perhaps longer.
That becomes a problem if the Browns find themselves in position to take another a stud quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft class. Currently, the Browns have a pair of first-round picks and three second-round picks for that group, so they are poised to be in great position to select a quarterback — unless one of their current passers vastly exceeds expectations.
In the event the Browns are staring a good quarterback prospect in the face, are they going to pass on him for the sake of Kizer? If the front office sees a franchise caliber quarterback prospect by the numbers, they're obviously going to want and push for that player. Jackson is then put in a position where he may have to defend Kizer and in effect, his role within the organization.
Both Jackson and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams have personnel input written into their contracts. Jackson got the guy he wanted in Kizer and effectively did it on his own, seemingly going on an island for Kizer.
This could lead to major problems after this coming season and potentially lead to a power struggle. On some level, the same argument people are having over analytics and the value of it outside the organization is now taking place within it. Unlike Robert Griffin III, who was also firmly Jackson's pick, this one cost a significant draft asset and presents the problems next year in the draft when they are still searching for a franchise quarterback.
For the time being, many fans and the media have "hope" in Kizer, but if it's ultimately revealed there's a division within the ranks of the Cleveland Browns organization between the front office and coaches, Kizer is a significant symptom. The fact the Browns are not a united front behind the selection of Kizer, even just minutes after the selection, should be extremely concerning.
