The 2017 NFL Draft had some gems. Some of them hidden and others in plain sight. Productive running backs like Alvin Kamara, James Connor, and Kareem Hunt weren’t drafted until the third round. Fourth-rounders Eddie Jackson and Tarik Cohen, both 2018 Pro Bowlers, have helped their team shape a new identity. Even Pro Bowler George Kittle wasn’t taken until early in the fifth round and he broke the single-season receiving yards record for a tight end just one year later.
Let’s focus on the first-rounders though, quarterbacks in particular. Mitchell Trubisky was the first quarterback off the board in 2017 when the Chicago Bears moved up just one spot to take the Tar Heel with the second overall pick.
Eight picks later, Kansas City drafted their quarterback of the future with the 10th overall pick. The last quarterback to be drafted in the first round of the 2017 Draft was Deshaun Watson, taken 12th overall by the Houston Texans.
The first season for these rookie quarterbacks was unique for all of them. Trubisky was a part of a conservative offense that did not allow him to show his true abilities.
Patrick Mahomes was a backup that gained valuable experience watching, learning and studying Alex Smith. Having Andy Reid as your head coach is always something that works in a quarterback’s favor.
Watson came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. Sadly, his season was cut short after he suffered a torn ACL before the seventh game of the regular season.
Put 2017 aside for sake of comparing these three young quarterbacks and let’s take a look into their 2018 season that gave all three a Pro Bowl nod.
Trubisky had multiple games in 2018 where he looked like the franchise quarterback of the future for the Chicago. He also had some games that left fans scratching their heads. However, this is not a surprise for a quarterback that only started 13 games in his college career.
Early in the season, Trubisky had several occasions where he had trouble hitting or even locating the open receiver. When he did have a receiver wide open, it quickly became a trend to overthrow them.
As the season continued, he managed to do a much better job finding the open receiver and hitting them in stride. The fact that he outgrew the habit is a good indicator of growth. Many Bears fans hope that’s the case.
Overall, Trubisky put together a strong sophomore campaign, throwing for 3,223 yards, picking up an additional 421 yards on the ground and 27 total touchdowns. He completed 66.6 percent off his passes and a total of 12 interceptions. Trubisky ranked third in total QBR at 72.8 percent. He also took two weeks off to nurse a shoulder injury. As long as Trubisky continues to progress and take better care of the football, Chicago may have their quarterback for the foreseeable future.
From deep bombs to left-handed throws to no-look passes, Patrick Mahomes appears to be able to do it all. In his first year as Kansas City’s starting quarterback, he led the team to an AFC Championship appearance, led the league in passing touchdowns and got the job done in big-pressure moments. Not bad for a sophomore signal-caller.
In Mahomes’s second year in the NFL and first as a starter, the Chief’s quarterback managed to put together a season that has him listed as favorite to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. Kansas City’s new star threw for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. He is only the second player in NFL history to accomplish such a feat. Mahomes gets to share that honor with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. He completed 66.0 percent of his passes while throwing 12 interceptions. He tops the 2018 leaderboard in terms of total QBR with a rating of 81.7 percent. It’s safe to say the Kansas City Chiefs have nothing to worry about at the quarterback position for some time.
Former collegiate national champion Deshaun Watson should be pleased with the 2018 season he put together after battling back from an ACL injury the year before. He became the first player in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards, throw for at least 25 touchdowns and rush for over 500 yards. More impressive, at only 23 years old he threw just nine interceptions with over 500 pass attempts. In 2017, he threw eight interceptions in seven games played. Seeing the difference in turning the ball over from 2017 to 2018 is something Texans fans should definitely be happy with.
Watson ended the season with 4,165 passing yards along with 26 touchdowns through the air. He had the highest completion percentage out of all three 2017 first-round picks with a strong 68.3 percent. The Houston quarterback was rated right around the league average for total QBR at 64.1 percent. His passer rating was right outside of the top five. Texans fans have plenty to be excited about with this guy under center. Since college, he has proven he can lead his team to the championship and go toe to toe with the best of them.
From Chicago to Kansas City all the way down to Houston, fans of these teams should be excited for what the future could hold. All three teams managed to make the playoffs with sophomore quarterbacks throwing the rock. These 2017 first-round picks are proving why they were taken on the first night of the draft. They check all of the boxes when it comes to character and some of them are accomplishing feats that second-year quarterbacks do not typically accomplish. The future of the NFL is bright, and these young quarterbacks don’t mind shining in it.
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