Mayock: I'd be scared to death to take Watson, Kizer, Trubisky in top 10
Count NFL draft guru Mike Mayock among those with serious doubts about this year's quarterback class.
The NFL Network analyst said none of the top three quarterback prospects - Clemson's Deshaun Watson, North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer - are worthy of being taken high in the first round.
"All three of these quarterbacks, to me, I would be scared to death in the top 10," Mayock told "The College Draft" podcast, according to Chase Goodbread of NFL.com.
Mayock expressed concern over Trubisky's lack of experience and Kizer's inconsistent technique and pocket presence.
"If (Trubisky is) so talented and gifted, and a top-10-type pick, one of the first questions a lot of teams are asking is, why couldn't he beat out Marquise Williams the last couple years at North Carolina? What's the answer to that one?" Mayock said.
He added: "The problem I have is that (Kizer's) pocket mechanics seem to break down at the worst times. He got removed in the fourth quarter from two or three games last year. He got replaced at Stanford, he got replaced at USC. I've watched five of his games so far, and in almost every game at critical times, the pocket mechanics, the feel in the pocket, the decisions you're making with the football, seems to break down when the team needs him the most."
Despite the Cleveland Browns' dire need at the game's most important position, it appears unlikely they'll reach to take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, though they could at the No. 12 slot.
Beyond the Browns in the top ten, the San Francisco 49ers, the Chicago Bears, the New York Jets, and the Buffalo Bills could be in the market for a new man under center.
While none of Watson, Kizer, or Trubisky are the type of slam-dunk first-rounders we've seen in recent seasons, the importance of the quarterback position - and the desperation of teams to find a franchise player - usually leads to flawed prospects finding their way into the top ten.