A week before the NFL draft, you can count on a measure of misinformation from NFL personnel men trying to cloud views on their draft plans. And from the prospects, you can count on a measure of bravado.
Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer certainly delivered on Thursday.
"No one else can do what I can do. And I've truly figured out in this process, if I can maximize all my potential in every aspect of the game -- this is bold -- I do have the ability to be the greatest quarterback to ever play," Kizer said, per USA Today. "Imagine taking (Tom) Brady's intellect and Brady's preparation and putting it on a guy with Cam Newton's body. Why can't I be the greatest? The only thing stopping me from it is me. That's what's driving me now."
At a time when just about any top prospect will be quick to declare himself the draft's best at his position, Kizer took it to another level. Perhaps not coincidentally, Kizer's draft arrow has been pointing the wrong direction of late. He has fallen out of the first round in four of five NFL.com analyst mock drafts (analyst Bucky Brooks projects him No. 30 to the Pittsburgh Steelers). Once ranked as NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock's No. 1 quarterback, he slipped to No. 4 in the most recent rankings.
Kizer even mentioned one of the quarterbacks who could be selected ahead of him by name.
"Name a college quarterback who goes into the game-plan meetings on Monday and throws his notes at the coaches," Kizer said. "No one else game plans the way I do. No one else prepares the way I do. No one else knows football the way I do. No one else is as big as I am. No one else is as powerful a runner as I am. Pat Mahomes might throw the ball 80 yards and I can only throw the ball 72, but I guarantee he can't throw an out route the way I can."
Of course, the book on Kizer's confidence and potential is just about closed anyway; Wednesday was the final chance clubs had to exhaust 30 allotted pre-draft visits (though private workouts can continue). If clubs aren't sure about Kizer a week before the draft, his Thursday declarations don't figure to change much.
Know this, however: the Fighting Irish two-year starter isn't shy about his game.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
