The start of the 2017 NFL Draft is exactly two weeks away, and teams around the league have turned their full attention towards it, scheduling last-minute visits with prospects and making their final evaluations. Here are all the latest 2017 NFL Draft rumors and news you need to know from around the league.
Does DeShone Kizer have "diva qualities?"
Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer is projected to be a mid- to late-first round pick in the upcoming draft, but has seen his stock fall since the end of the college season. Albert Breer of The MMQB provided some insight into that, as one anonymous AFC coach told him that he thinks Kizer has "diva qualities:"
"He's got the size, the arm talent and he's very bright," the anonymous coach said. "But there's a disconnect there. There are diva qualities there, and he seems to get voices in his head, like he's fighting who he is. And once the cycle starts, he can't get himself right."
Kizer passed for 2,925 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 472 yards and eight more touchdowns.
Scouts high on Joshua Dobbs
While Kizer has been falling, Tennessee's Joshua Dobbs has been one of the hot names in league circles about being a late-round pick with starting potential. Via Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport:
One AFC college scouting director told Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of NFL.com that despite an uneven 2016 throwing the ball that included 12 interceptions, he's convinced Dobbs has the potential to start in the NFL:
"Dobbs definitely has the tools to be a solid player in the league. He's smart, tough and athletic. Plus, he showed at the Senior Bowl that he could adapt to a pro-style offense. ... I'm not saying he is a Day 1 guy, but I would certainly take a chance on him as a developmental player. He's a much better player than people think."
Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson, who coached Dobbs in that Mobile, Alabama, game agrees.
"I thought he ran the offense, moved the ball and did the things we thought we could do," Jackson told NFL Network (h/t Shehan Jeyarajah of SEC Country). "He did a good job."
Dobbs passed for 2,946 yards with 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season while rushing for 831 yards and 12 more scores.
Jaguars interested in Nathan Peterman
Pitt quarterback Nathan Peterman has also continued to rise up draft boards in the pre-draft process, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have now taken an interest in him, according to Kristian Dyer of the Sporting News:
Pittsburgh quarterback Nathan Peterman recently has emerged as a hot name in the 2017 NFL Draft and has had a number of private workouts with teams. They'll continue early this week.
Peterman will work out for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, a source tells Sporting News.
Jaguars executive Tom Coughlin hasn’t ruled out drafting a quarterback this year, and his comments throughout the offseason have not exactly been ringing endorsements of incumbent starter Blake Bortles.
Peterman, who transferred from Tennessee to Pitt after two seasons, passed for 2,855 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions last year while rushing for 286 yards and three more scores.
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