Breakfast: The top 3 QBs of the Harris 100

Apr 27, 2017 at 12:24 AM

Draft day is finally here!

Earlier this week, Texans analyst John Harris published his final 'Harris 100', the top 100 players available in this year's draft. The Texans will pick 25th in tonight's first round (barring a trade), and indications are that at some point this weekend, Houston will draft a quarterback.

So, who are the top three available? Glad you asked.

32. Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina Previous: 29 Combine: Trubisky tested well in Indianapolis, posting a 4.67 40-yard dash, a blazing 6.87 seconds in 3-cone and 4.25 seconds in the short shuttle. He spun it well during his throwing session, but not to the point where he definitively earned the top spot at the quarterback position. Oh, he also reminded everyone that he wants to be known as Mitchell from now on. He threw again at his Pro Day in mid-March and most felt the same way about it - solid, but not the best they’ve ever seen. Watching from afar, I saw something in his release that was a little funky that didn’t show up watching games. It shouldn’t be a deal breaker, but just odd, that’s all. Overall: With an effortless throwing motion and quick release, Trubisky reminds me of Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. As such, I was a big fan of Garoppolo coming out of Eastern Illinois but haven’t come all the way around on the former Tar Heel star. For starters, Trubisky is a couple of inches shorter than Garoppolo and he only started one season in Chapel Hill. For those reasons and others, I’m a bit skittish to completely buy into the accelerated hype on Trubisky. Final Thoughts: He’s steady. He’s safe, seemingly. He’s also only had one year to work out any kinks before he gets thrown to the wolves. Or Bears. Or Bengals.

A post shared by Harris 100 (@theharris100) on Apr 24, 2017 at 7:16pm PDT

17. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech Previous: 22 Combine: Not surprisingly, Mahomes had impressive change of direction times, but if you’ve seen him play, that’s not a shocker. He had a 6.88 3-cone and a 4.08 short shuttle. Those times are well above average for a receiver or a running back, much less a quarterback. Consequently, he didn’t overwhelm the assembled masses with a throwing show, but he still showed that he’s comfortable pushing away from center after never having done so before. Overall: Some art aficionados revere photorealistic portrait artists. Every stroke of art perfectly and adroitly painted on the canvas. The attention to detail is minute but necessary. Then, there are the Jackson Pollak’s of the world, breaking every rule when it comes to painting, marching to the beat of their own drum. Mahomes is clearly a Jackson Pollak type. The footwork is nearly never on point. He’ll throw back across his body to the middle of the field. He’ll scramble ten yards backwards. He’ll hold the ball too long. Then, when you’re ready to write him off, he throws a laser for a first down or drops a dime 45 yards downfield for a score. He reminds me most of Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who seems to appreciate the no rules approach to art, I mean, quarterbacking. Final Thoughts: His journey on draft night may be as exciting as it is to watch him make plays against Big 12 defenses.

A post shared by Harris 100 (@theharris100) on Apr 24, 2017 at 7:27pm PDT

16. DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson Previous: 17 Combine: It wasn’t a remarkable Combine one way or the other for Watson. NFL teams didn’t leave with warm and fuzzies about any of the quarterbacks in Indianapolis. He threw at his Pro Day in mid-March and it was about the same: adequate, but not mind-blowing. Overall: I’ve gone back and studied nearly every single one of Watson’s throws the past two years. There are some questionable throws on tape. There are some definite “What the ----?!?” throwing decisions in his repertoire. However, what makes him a top ten candidate are the impressive throws into tight windows and clutch throws late in games. The obvious example was the clutch performance in the fourth quarter against Alabama for the National Championship victory. However, that’s just the starting point when assessing Watson. Sometimes the analysis can be as easy as answering the question: what guy do I want with the ball in his hands with the game on the line? That’s Watson. Final Thoughts: As with all of the quarterbacks on this board, there’s no telling what happens with Watson on draft night. He could go as high as number two to San Francisco and as low as the second round. I see more the former than the latter; he’s a first round pick. After a practice DeAndre Hopkins asked me what I thought about Watson and I said he’s a first rounder. He agreed. Many others do as well.

A post shared by Harris 100 (@theharris100) on Apr 24, 2017 at 7:28pm PDT

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