Tar Heels NFL Draft Profile: Mitchell Trubisky

Mitch Trubisky had to sit behind Marquise Williams on the Carolina quarterback depth chart before finally getting to show what he could do as a starter in 2016. The Ohio native turned in an incredibly impressive season that made his draft stock soar so much that he decided to declare for the NFL Draft after just one year as the Tar Heels’ signal caller.

When media outlets are saying you have a pretty good chance to be the first quarterback taken in the draft, it isn’t difficult to pass up the risk of continuing to play without compensation in college where your career could end on any given play. So Trubisky decided to forego Saturdays for Sundays despite having just 13 starts under his belt.

UNC Career:

As a starter in 2016, Trubisky was fifth in the country in completion percentage at 68.0. He threw 30 touchdown passes to just six interceptions all season, and he hadn’t thrown a single pick until the infamous Hurricane Game against Virginia Tech in October. Mitch proved to have some of the same dual-threat capabilities of his predecessor, running for five touchdowns and 308 yards.

Although his starting career was limited to just 13 starts, those who matter were clearly impressed with what Trubisky was able to do. Aside from a few forgettable blips on the radar, like the Hurricane Game, Trubisky was a driving force for the Tar Heels even without his best deep threat in Mack Hollins after he went down with injury in the Miami game.

Strengths:

Trubisky has a very strong arm that should be able to hold up well at the next level. He’s an accurate passer who has the ability to move his feet when necessary. Trubisky has good mobility in the pocket, and also can take off and run when the situation calls for it. He makes good reads down the field and is physical enough to hang in there against the defense.

Experience concerns aside, the greatest change for Trubisky at the next level will be learning to take snaps under center. He worked almost exclusively out of the shotgun at Carolina, and his snap under center in UNC’s bowl game with a chance to tie it late...didn’t go well.

Draft Projections:

WalterFootball has Trubisky being taken 12th overall by his hometown team, the Cleveland Browns, as the first quarterback off the board.

ProFootballFocus projects Trubisky to be taken 10th overall by the Buffalo Bills, also as the first quarterback taken.

CBS Sports agrees with WalterFootball’s assessment, also putting Trubisky at 12th overall to the Browns. Trubisky going to the Browns has been a popular pick for months now.

As far as mock drafts go, Drafttek is the low man on Trubisky. They have him projected at 27th overall, going to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Where do you think Trubisky will end up going in the draft?