The top two QBs of the 2017 NFL Draft class will be on separate sidelines in the final game of the 2022 NFL Divisional Round. However, the paths to this point for Patrick Mahomes and Mitch Trubisky have certainly been different. Let’s look back at the QBs selected in the 2017 NFL Draft and how the first five years of their respective careers have played out.
Patrick Mahomes and Mitchell Trubisky were the first two QBs selected in 2017
There was much debate surrounding the early selections of the 2017 NFL Draft. Myles Garrett was viewed as the best all-around player, but the team holding the No. 1 selection, the Cleveland Browns, had a major need at quarterback. The Browns would ultimately select Garrett, which triggered a series of events that have invited revisionist history.
The Chicago Bears entered the draft with the third overall selection. However, after the Browns selected Garrett, the Bears decided they needed to get to the second spot. To move up one spot, the Bears sent the San Francisco 49ers their third selection, a third-round pick in 2017 and 2018, and their fourth-round pick in 2017.
The trade itself was not really what made the headlines. Several teams needed a quarterback in that draft, and the Bears wanted to make sure they got their guy. It was the decision of who to select that had aged poorly for the Bears. They picked North Carolina QB Trubisky, who had thrown just 572 passing attempts during his three years in college.
Trubisky would experience a roller-coaster four years in Chicago. He finished his time there with a 29-21 record, 64 passing touchdowns, and 37 interceptions, averaging 208 passing yards per game. His performances were not enough for the Bears to re-sign him at the end of his rookie contract. Trubisky would sign a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2021 season.
Mahomes was taken 10th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs
It was somewhat of a surprise that the second QB in the draft was not selected until the 10th pick. Even then, the Chiefs traded up for Mahomes to come off the board at No. 10 overall. The Chiefs already had Alex Smith under center, but they viewed Mahomes as the franchise’s long-term future. Therefore, they moved up from the 27th pick in the first round in a trade with their now Divisional Round opponents, the Buffalo Bills.
Mahomes sat for the first 15 games of his rookie season before starting in Week 17 (the Chiefs were resting Smith). After another playoff failure in the 2017-18 season, the Chiefs decided to make the move from Smith to Mahomes that offseason. They traded Smith to Washington — Mahomes started Week 1 of the 2018 season.
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It turned out to be a fantastic decision. The Chiefs have gone to three straight AFC Conference Championships with Mahomes under center. They have also represented the AFC in the last two Super Bowls, winning one of them. The Chiefs would initially pick up his fifth-year option before signing Mahomes to a 10-year contract extension worth up to a total of $503 million.
When the deal was signed, Mahomes was the first professional athlete to have a contract worth more than half a billion dollars. The outcome of the first two QB selections in the 2017 NFL Draft could not have been much wider.
Deshaun Watson headlines the remaining QB selections in 2017
Let’s take a look at who else was selected at the QB position in the 2017 NFL Draft. Have any other selections from that draft had success, or does Mahomes stand alone?
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans | Pick 12
There is a lot to unpack with the selection of Deshaun Watson. To keep it simple, the selection of Watson by the Texans has been successful on the field. However, off the field, the pick is proving to be much more difficult to judge due to multiple outstanding allegations of sexual assault.
In terms of the selection itself, it was a fascinating decision. The QB-needy Browns traded the pick to the Texans, who then selected Watson. The merits of Watson as an NFL-caliber QB were much debated, but the decision by the Texans to make the move has largely been validated on the field. The Browns’ decision-making in this trade has been questioned, largely because of how their selection played out.
DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns | Pick 52
The decision to pass on both Mahomes and Watson is much debated in Chicago, but the Browns essentially did the same. The selection of Garrett can be forgiven — he turned out to be a cornerstone piece on their defense. However, the Browns had the ability to move up and select Mahomes or take Watson, who fell into their laps with the 12th pick.
Instead, they traded back and ultimately selected Kizer in the second round. Kizer started 15 games as a rookie, and the outcome was largely a disaster. He completed 53.6% of his passes for 2,894 yards, throwing 11 touchdowns compared to 22 interceptions. Kizer was traded to the Green Bay Packers less than a year after being selected by the Browns. He was signed to the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad back on November 26 but was released three days later. He is currently a free agent.
Davis Webb, New York Giants | Pick 87
In a strange twist, the Bills actually have two QBs selected in the 2017 NFL Draft on their roster as they face Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the 2022 NFL playoffs. Davis Webb spent a year with the Giants and Jets and has since been with the Bills, largely on the practice squad.
C.J. Beathard, San Francisco 49ers | Pick 104
Since being drafted in 2017, C.J. Beathard has started 12 games in his career. He had mixed results in his first two seasons, starting 10 games in that stretch. In 2020, he started two games for the 49ers, appearing in six in total. He threw 6 touchdowns and completed 63.5% of his passes but was not re-signed in San Francisco. Beathard spent the 2021 season as the backup for Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville.
Joshua Dobbs, Pittsburgh Steelers | Pick 135
Joshua Dobbs spent his first two years in the NFL with the Steelers. He was then traded to the Jaguars in 2019 after Nick Foles broke his clavicle. But once the Jaguars waived Dobbs in 2022, the Steelers claimed him and signed him to a one-year contract last offseason. He then spent the 2021 season on injured reserve.
Nathan Peterman, Buffalo Bills | Pick 171
Nathan Peterman has certainly had an interesting career. He was named the starter in Week 11 of the 2017 season and threw 5 interceptions in the game. Peterman then stepped in for Buffalo when Tyrod Taylor was injured during their Wild Card game in 2017. He threw another interception that cemented the Bills’ loss.
Peterman was the opening day starter for the Bills — over Josh Allen — in 2018. He threw 2 interceptions and posted a 0.0 passer rating before being benched for Allen. Peterman did play in more games for the Bills in 2018, but interceptions continued to blight him. He ended his time in Buffalo with 3 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. He was signed by the Raiders late in 2018 and was with the team until January 15, 2022.
Brad Kaaya, Detroit Lions | Pick 215
Brad Kaaya has never taken a snap in an NFL game. He was waived by the Lions ahead of the 2017 season and has since spent time with the Panthers, Lions (again), Colts, and Bengals. He became a free agent in March 2019 and has not been on an NFL roster since.
Chad Kelly, Denver Broncos | Pick 253
Chad Kelly has never thrown a pass in the NFL, but he did get on the field for the Broncos in 2018. He was released in October 2018 after being arrested on suspicion of first-degree criminal trespassing. Kelly spent the 2019 season with the Colts and was released from their practice squad at the end of September 2020. He has not been on a roster since.
Taysom Hill, Green Bay Packers | UDFA
Arguably the most successful player on this list outside of Mahomes and Watson, Taysom Hill has become a valuable part of the New Orleans Saints’ offense. The Packers released Hill during the final roster cuts in 2017. The Saints claimed him, and he has served a utility role for the team ever since.
His performances on special teams initially earned him recognition, but he has gradually become a bigger part of the Saints’ offense. In both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Hill has served as the team’s starting QB for a total of nine games. Hill recently signed a never-before-seen hybrid contract, where his salary and incentives are earned based on his snaps as a QB and passing attempts.
P.J. Walker, Indianapolis Colts | UDFA
P.J. Walker spent his first two seasons on Indy’s practice squad. In 2019, he was initially placed on the practice squad before being released two days later. Walker made a name for himself with the Houston Roughnecks in the XFL in 2020, and the Panthers signed him that March. He has appeared in eight games with the Panthers but has only had the opportunity to start twice.
Nick Mullens, San Francisco 49ers | UDFA
With 17 games started, Nick Mullens is one of the success stories of this class. As an undrafted free agent, Mullens did not play as a rookie, spending the season on the practice squad. After an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo in 2018, the 49ers promoted Mullens to the active roster. He started eight games that season, throwing 13 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He started another eight games for the 49ers in 2020 following further injuries to Garoppolo.
As a potential restricted free agent, Mullens was not offered a tender by the 49ers. He signed for the Eagles as an unrestricted free agent but was waived ahead of the season. Mullens started the 2021 season on Cleveland’s practice squad. The Browns leaned on him to start against the Raiders in Week 15 when Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum tested positive for COVID-19. He ended the season on the Browns’ practice squad.
