Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer had to wait a day at the NFL draft in Philadelphia before the Browns selected him in the second round with the No. 52 pick on Friday night.
Kizer, who attended the first round Thursday, had been confident he would be drafted then but his name wasn't called. He compared his potential with standout NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Cam Newton in a predraft interview, but three other QBs _ Mitch Trubisky to the Bears, Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs and Deshaun Watson to the Texans _ were among the first 12 selections.
Kizer was the fourth quarterback off the board.
"Being in Philly yesterday was a unique experience," Kizer said in a teleconference with reporters from his home in Toledo. "To sit there and wait and try to figure out where you are going to land is definitely new to me. Obviously, the wait was well worth it now that I'm going to be able to stay at home and call myself a Cleveland Brown."
Draft analysts have polarizing opinions about Kizer's potential. Even Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said in a radio interview he thought Kizer needed more time in college.
"To digest that (criticism) is just to understand that there is a lot of room for improvement," Kizer said. "I do have a lot of room for growth, and I will grow consistently. I can't wait to do that."
Kizer last season completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He added eight rushing touchdowns, but the Irish finished 4-8 and Kizer struggled to pull out close games in the fourth quarter.
Kelly grew frustrated with him during the season and benched him midway through a 17-0 loss to Stanford. Kizer's arm strength is often praised, but critics have pointed out flaws with his accuracy and decision making.
Kizer should have a strong fan base in Cleveland. Most analysts believe he won't play immediately and needs time to develop, but the Browns have a void at the position. Kizer will compete with the Browns' current quarterbacks _ Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler and Kevin Hogan _ who haven't impressed.
