Is there a franchise QB in this year's draft class?

Matt Williamson is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns, and spent the last 10 years at ESPN as a scout and co-host of the podcast "Football Today."

Is there a franchise quarterback in this incoming draft class? There certainly isn't a no-brainer prospect like Andrew Luck. In fact, recent additions to the NFL such as Carson Wentz, Marcus Mariota, and Jameis Winston have far more value right now than any of these incoming signal-callers.

Many look at this class as a group of four at the very top that includes Mitchell Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, Deshaun Watson, and Patrick Mahomes. That seems fair, but to me, there are two at the top of the list; Kizer and Mahomes, with Trubisky and Watson as the next tier followed by a few interesting prospects down the line.

Of those down-the-line guys, Nathan Peterman is a safe choice, but he isn’t a potential franchise quarterback. I respect Davis Webb's big arm, but really don’t see anything to justify the talk of him going in the first round. Brad Kaaya seems to be overlooked right now, which makes little sense. Two super-intriguing prospects that should go on the third day are Jerod Evans and Chad Kelly. If this draft class is to have a home run quarterback selected later in the draft, bet on it being Evans or Kelly.

There is a common saying that quarterbacks are either the truck or the trailer. Think of an 18-wheeler. The truck is a true franchise signal-caller that controls the offense and can persevere when the situation around him isn’t optimal. In this vein, Aaron Rodgers is a locomotive. As for trailer quarterbacks, they need much support and massaging. That doesn’t mean you can’t win with trailer quarterbacks, but the Alex Smiths, Kirk Cousins, and Andy Daltons of the league will not elevate those around them as much as they need to be elevated by scheme and surroundings.

To me, Trubisky and especially Watson are trailers. That isn’t to say they are the cabooses on the train, but neither is as physically impressive as Kizer or Mahomes. In fact, I see Watson as one of the more overrated prospects in this draft class overall. With all respect to his abilities in big games, Watson turns the ball over with poor decision-making far too often for a trailer quarterback with average passing skills.

There is less to go off with Trubisky, but he is an above-average passer and just lacks special qualities overall. He does look very much like a future NFL starter, however, and there is much value in that alone.

Franchise quarterbacks are special. Franchise quarterbacks have special qualities.

Kizer looks the part and has all the tools needed to be a star. He is coming off a rough season, but getting out of Notre Dame could do him a lot of good. He can be an elite deep passer with major playmaking ability overall and was fantastic in the red zone. He has a pretty delivery and a powerful arm. A year behind an established starter like Carson Palmer in Arizona would be ideal for Kizer.

But if one quarterback is going to hit huge in the NFL, it is Mahomes. Much of what he did at the college level was out of structure and that is extremely concerning. However, he played behind a dreadful offensive line in 2016 and had to improvise to survive. Like his father, Mahomes was an excellent baseball player, but gave it up before the football season and improved dramatically as a result. In terms of ability, Mahomes is truly on the Matthew Stafford, Brett Favre, and Rodgers tier (which is the absolute highest of praise) as a passer. He is extremely rare with his overall quarterbacking abilities and has supreme confidence. Not only might Mahomes one day develop into a franchise pivot with the proper tutelage, but he could very well become one of the best at the position.