DeShone Kizer hasn't had the career he envisioned with two NFL seasons behind him. The former Notre Dame starting quarterback looked the part of a first-round pick in 2017. But, he didn't see his name called then. That went to Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes, and Deshaun Watson. Instead, he slipped to No. 52 overall, where the Cleveland Browns selected the Toledo, Ohio native.
Kizer's first season as a pro was disastrous. His Browns were the second team in NFL history to finish 0-16. He started 15 games for them and finished the season throwing an NFL-high 22 interceptions to 11 touchdowns and 2,894 yards on a 53.6% completion rate.
The Browns saw enough from Kizer as they replaced him with Baker Mayfield, Tyrod Taylor, and Drew Stanton. The former second-rounder found himself on the trade block, where the Green Bay Packers swooped in, acquiring him for safety Damarious Randall and a mid-round swap.
In his first season in Green Bay, Kizer solidified himself as the No. 2 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers. He played the first game of the season against the Chicago Bears — after a Rodgers' knee injury — and failed to impress. He threw for 55 yards on four for seven passing and threw a costly Khalil Mack pick-six. From then on, Rodgers came back, and Kizer played limited snaps throughout his sophomore season.
Kizer's fall from potential first-round pick and franchise quarterback was swift. But, is he showing signs of life in year three?
In the Packers' preseason opening 28-26 win against the Houston Texans on Thursday, Kizer impressed. He started the game and played the bulk of the snaps at quarterback. His box score stat line from the night includes 102 yards, a score, no interceptions, and a 61.5% completion rate. But his numbers don't tell the story of the game.
Kizer started slow, but began to pick up the pace after the first drive. He played the entirety of the first half, and drilled an impressive completion to Robert Tonyan on third and seven; a 23-yard strike down the seam. Right after, he found his running back (Dexter Williams — a fellow Notre Dame man) on an 18-yard screen pass. Then he threw a 14-yard pass to receiver Darrius Sheppard for a touchdown to cap off a 10 play, 75-yard drive to close out the first half.
On his lone touchdown of the day, Kizer slightly overthrew Sheppard, which put him into harm's way. Kizer wasn't pleased by that, saying in the post-game press conference, “I probably missed 4 or 5 inches higher than I would like to in that situation.”
It wasn't his only bad pass of the night, as he overthrew his receiver on a swing and placed a cross to J'Mon Moore behind his back. But, for the most part, Kizer showed improvement.
In a meaningless preseason game, Kizer was able to control his offense and keep the ball in his hands. A trait he hadn't possessed yet in the NFL. He threw accurately for the most part, and his arm strength (that everybody knew was there) showed, as he passed with zip and poise in the pocket. Upon reviewing the tape, it became clear that this Kizer wasn't like the Browns' version.
Of course, it's preseason, and Kizer finds a way to do well in preseason action dating back to his rookie year. But he showed signs of improvement. Kizer was never supposed to be a day-one starter. He was a developmental prospect heading into 2017. That's shown, but the Packers' ability to round him out is noticeable too. If he can continue to show improvement behind Rodgers in 2019, Kizer may get a shot at a bigger role again in the NFL.
Still, it's preseason ball, and Kizer must show more progression as he's rather raw entering year three. Nonetheless, the 6-foot-4 quarterback has shown the tools to bounce back.
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