STRENGTHS
Kyler is an excellent quarterback. He has a very strong arm and shows accuracy from the pocket or when on the move. He can easily manipulate the pocket and shows the skill needed to throw the ball from different release points without losing any velocity or accuracy. Kyler is very athletic and could play more than one skill position on your offense and I’m sure would be an excellent cornerback on defense if he were asked. He is a quick twitch athlete with the speed of a gazelle in the open field. Kyler is one of the quarterbacks in this draft that has the decision-making skills to go along with a strong arm, accuracy in and out of the pocket and the athletic talent to become a franchise quarterback for the team that selects. That being said…as with any quarterback coming out in the draft there are some negative issues and Kyler has one big one for sure.
CONCERNS
The biggest concern is that Kyler signed a guaranteed contract to play baseball. Of course, his lack of height and bulk will make some teams just say no, because they are scared to put their careers on the line for a quarterback who might be 5’ 9’ if you stretch him, but HOW he plays the game is not in question.
TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.37
I would struggle selecting Kyler in the top ten because of his commitment to baseball and because of his lack of bulk to take the pounding in the NFL at any position. I would have no problems with moving back into the first round after my first pick and selecting him because this type of athletic talent to play any position in the NFL in any size body does not come along very often and having a 5th year option might come in handy. He is a special player and special players are hard to find on either side of the ball. I know you might need to adjust your offense but as far as I’m concern that’s what’s needed for any quarterback coming out in any draft. So, lets devise a plan before the draft, on how I might select Kyler, that includes him signing that baseball contract. Remember the NFL is a business so the first thing I would do is write up a special contract now and see if the NFL and NFLPA would allow it. If they agree than I go to Kyler’s agent and ask him, if I selected Kyler would he agree to this special contract. If he said yes than I have a plan for selecting Kyler and although that plan might not happen depending on if he declares or is tied up with his baseball contract, at least I had a plan. The other option might be to select him if I had a compensatory pick in any round even if Baseball was not off the table. That would not give me a 5th year option but you’re talking about top ten talent to play multiple positions and impact. Kyler could play receiver, or be a third down running back or be an impact returner on special teams not to mention… play quarterback! Why would anyone pass that up? I’d let him play baseball if he was willing to be a specialty player…why not? Like I said, the kid runs like a gazelle and we know he has the hands to catch the ball so…why not? I rest my case.
UPDATE; 4/29/2018 – Kyler has fully committed to playing football and now he doesn’t need a special contract so just draft him, put in the offense he can play in and let him do the rest. He has the talent to be a franchise QB.
