Loser: DeShone Kizer, quarterback, Notre Dame
The combine wasn’t all bad for Kizer, who garnered tremendous praise from new San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch after his interview with the club. He also posted respectable numbers in all the measureable drills he competed in, though he wasn’t exceptional in any besides the 3-cone.
However, what we saw from Kizer on the field during the throwing portion of the combine left a lot to be desired. His footwork was inconsistent, he was terribly inaccurate, often throwing behind receivers, which translates to interceptions at the next level (more on all that here).
For a quarterback who has been viewed as potentially the first one taken in the upcoming draft, Kizer’s performance was not helpful. Coupled with his inconsistent accuracy last year at Notre Dame, not to mention his late-game mistakes, it gives NFL evaluators a lot of negative stuff to sort through.
Kizer will almost certainly be drafted at some point in the first round. However, he had a chance to prove he’s the cream of the crop in Indianapolis this past weekend and went the opposite direction.