Hyped Prospect Mitch Leidner Far from Being a Future NFL Franchise QB

The definition of a franchise quarterback has changed over the years. Before the salary cap came to the NFL, teams were able to develop their rosters better, as they were able to establish schematic programs instead of haphazardly acquiring talent and hoping that their coaches could find a way for their personnel to mesh. Between the salary cap and the rule changes in the league over the last decade and a half, there has never been more of an emphasis on finding a quarterback.

Instead of building full rosters, teams now mortgage their futures for savior quarterbacks in the NFL draft, seemingly the only realistic way they can add talented passers in this era of professional football. Since the NFL is now a parity league, due to the salary cap and free agency, quicker and better results are demanded by owners, the media and fans. It’s no longer odd if a staff gets fired after just one season with a franchise.

The writing is on the wall for any front office and coaching staff taking over a team: Find a quarterback or you’re out. With cheaper rookie contracts under this collective bargaining agreement, finding a passer on a first deal is essentially a cheat code. All of this coming together means that the league has never been more thirsty for incoming quarterbacks, even though you rarely see developed “pro style” passers on Saturdays.

This is where the idea of franchise passers gets warped. It’s no longer about who a prospect is or what he can do, but what he might be or might do. There is no better example of this in the projected 2017 draft class than Mitch Leidner of Minnesota.

Listed at 6’4″ and 237 pounds by the Golden Gophers’ official site, and just short of 6’4″ and 236 pounds on NFL Draft Scout, the Big Ten passer checks off multiple boxes for coaches who like traditional passers. This is the start of the “what he could be” journey.

The first draft pundit to mention Leidner as a potential “sleeper” in the 2017 draft was Benjamin Allbright of CBS Sports in mid-March.

Always try to give a QB to look for as a “sleeper” for the next class, last year that name was Carson Wentz. This year it’s Mitch Leidner.

— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) March 19, 2016

By the middle of May, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, the biggest name in NFL draft coverage, had the Minnesota quarterback listed as his second overall senior prospect at the position. In a class which may only see one or two underclassmen declare, that’s an incredibly important projection. Fanbases of teams who have ongoing quarterback controversies, like the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, now have Leidner on their radars, even though just a few months ago no one had considered the prospect a major domino in the draft.

There’s reason for that. …

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