Patrick Mahomes wasn’t high on the radar at the start of this offseason. But he has since come on to put an exclamation point on how good of a prospect he is.
As we all know, this isn’t the strongest class of draft prospects at the QB position. There is no clear-cut, blue-chip prospect like an Andrew Luck or a Jameis Winston in it. The class just has a few guys with some talent and upside but no solid foundation.
DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame, Mitchell Trubisky of North Carolina and Deshaun Watson were the big three early on. And neither of them are universally seen as a lock for the first round. Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes threw for 5,052 yards 41 TDs and 10 INTs last season.
But early on, he still wasn’t looked at in the same way the other three were. Most evaluators had him in the second round at best, calling him a “developmental prospect.” Then at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, there was a shift in the force.
Mahomes went out and shined, out-throwing the rest of the prospects. That got him on the radar for a lot of QB-needy NFL teams, sneaking him into first-round consideration. At 6’2″, 220 pounds, he showed exceptional arm strength and accuracy along with some athleticism.
Then came his Pro Day Friday, Mahomes’ last chance to show that he belongs in the first round. And he did that and then some, showing all in attendance his the arm strength and accuracy. On the last throw of the workout, he threw a Hail Mary into that sealed it.
The Houston Chronicle reported that his last throw traveled and impressive 78 yards in the air. Mahomes had to have finished the job of getting himself into the first round now.