Cornerback added:
ments to USA Today that he wants to be the greatest quarterback who ever lived.
“Absolutely,” he said. “That’s why we all do what we do. But I’ve quickly acknowledged how much work it will take.”
Kizer said he was disappointed not to have gone in the first round. The Browns took him Friday deep in the second round, 52nd overall — quite a fall for someone who prior to the 2016 season had been seen as a possible top-10 pick.
He ended up the fourth quarterback picked, behind first-rounders Mitchell Trubisky (Bears), Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) and Deshaun Watson (Texans).
“There was a lot of emotion” Thursday in the draft waiting room in Philadelphia, Kizer said. “As a competitor, I wanted to go in the first round. I left disappointed. I’m in the right place for a reason. God always has a plan. When I saw the 440 (Cleveland) area code, I was pretty excited.”
He said his biggest asset is “probably being a quarterback at Notre Dame” and that his mottoes have always been “win from within” and “motivate yourself.”
Clearly he would like to motivate himself into a starting Browns’ second-round pick role in 2017, and his path is not littered with Pro Bowlers. Second-year pro Cody Kessler would seem to be his main competition. Kessler was a third-round pick last year.
Browns coach Hue Jackson was far from ready to christen Kizer his starter just yet.
“We’re going to give all our guys an opportunity to compete,” Jackson said. “That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about who is the starter. Let’s let these guys get here and learn our offense ... and go out on the field and let’s see how it all turns out.”
Behind Kessler, other QBs on the roster, at least for the moment, are Brock Osweiler and Kevin Hogan. The Browns will wait to see if a veteran becomes available. Sashi Brown, the team’s head of football operations, said he might try to trade for a veteran or do whatever it takes to upgrade the spot.
“I think we’re better at the position,” said Jackson. “I think we’ve made huge strides over the last several months at that position.”
Kizer (6-4, 233) is the biggest of all the top prospects, and has some mobility to go with his strong arm.
Jackson acknowledged at the NFL combine that Kizer’s 4-8 record last season at Notre Dame was a concern. What’s more, Kizer was benched in the third quarter of the Stanford game after throwing back-to-back interceptions.
“I think just through our conversations ... we did a really good job of making sure we are very comfortable with his situation at Notre Dame,” said Jackson.
Kizer’s completion percentage dipped from 63 percent in 2015 to 59 percent in 2016.
The Browns traded back into the fourth round and selected Howard Wilson, a cornerback from Houston, with the No. 126 overall pick.
Wilson is 6-1, 184 pounds. He had five interceptions in 2016 and was an American Athletic Conference firstteam selection. He started all 13 games. Wilson played in three games in 2015 before suffering a torn ACL. He was one of just four Houston freshmen to appear in all 13 games during the 2014 season, making three starts. He had three interceptions.