The clock is ticking on the 2017 NFL Draft.
One of the league's most important events kicks off with the first round at 7 p.m. (CT) on April 27 in Philadelphia. The second and third rounds begin at 6 p.m. (CT) on April 28. Rounds 4-7 start at 11 a.m. (CT) on April 29.
The Vikings currently have eight selections in the draft, beginning with the 48th overall pick, which is the No. 16 spot in the second round.
Vikings.com is taking a glance at the top prospects at each position leading up to the draft.
Quarterbacks are first up on the list.
Where the Vikings Stand
Minnesota currently has four quarterbacks on its roster. Sam Bradford enters the season as the starter after throwing for 3,877 yards and 20 touchdowns while setting an NFL record for completion percentage at 71.6. Teddy Bridgewater continues to rehab from an injury suffered in August. The Vikings signed Case Keenum earlier this month. Former undrafted free agent Taylor Heinicke returns for his third season.
Recent Draft History (over past five years)
Total number of quarterbacks taken: 58
Round 1: 13
Round 2: 5
Round 3: 7
Round 4: 11
Round 5: 4
Round 6: 10
Round 7: 8
Teams have looked early and often to grab signal-callers for their team. Teams have been more likely to go for a first-rounder such as Bradford or Bridgewater, or wait until later in the draft and try to hit on a player such as Dak Prescott, who was taken by Dallas in the fourth round in 2016.
The Prospects (based on rankings by CBS Sports)
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1. Mitch Trubisky
North Carolina, Redshirt junior, 6-foot-2, 222 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.67 seconds
Vertical jump: 27.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 8 inches
3-cone drill: 6.87 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.25 seconds
2016 stats: completed 304 of 446 passes (68.2 percent) for 3,748 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions
Hot take: According to Dan Brugler of CBS Sports, Trubisky is a "tall, solidly built passer. Outstanding athlete with the mobility and body strength to escape pressure and extend plays. Efficient pocket movements to climb and delicately operate amidst backfield pressure with his eyes downfield. Quick to reset his feet, set and fire. Slightly above average arm strength and controls his ball speeds well."
Brugler also noted Trubisky's "throwing mechanics require tweaking. Doesn't consistently drive through his hips in his delivery and needs to better shift his weight. Tends to lock onto reads and stare down targets. Needs to improve his pre- and post-snap reads and understanding of coverages, not consistently deciphering alignments and the responsibilities of defensive backs."
2. Deshaun Watson
Clemson, Junior, 6-foot-2, 221 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.66 seconds
Vertical jump: 32.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 11 inches
3-cone drill: 6.95 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.31 seconds
2016 stats: completed 388 of 579 passes (67 percent) for 4,593 yards with 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions
Hot take: According to Rob Rang of CBS Sports, "The first thing that stands out about Watson is his remarkable athleticism. He is a fluid athlete with the vision, elusiveness and speed to make even well-coached defenses look silly. Even better, Watson looked no worse for the wear following the knee surgery, demonstrating the flexible joints and explosive acceleration that often takes a year (or more) to return."
Rang also noted "of even greater concern in the projection to the NFL is Watson's upside as a passer. Clemson's offense is a relatively simple one, frequently asking the quarterback to make simple underneath throws off of pre-determined reads."
3. DeShone Kizer
Notre Dame, Redshirt sophomore, 6-foot-4, 233 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.83 seconds
Vertical jump: 30.5 inches
Broad jump: 8 feet, 11 inches
3-cone drill: 7.40 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.53 seconds
2016 stats: completed 212 of 361 passes (58.7 percent) for 2,925 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions
Hot take: According to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, Kizer "looks the part with the desired height and developed build. Above average arm strength with easy velocity to make every NFL throw. Comfortable downfield passer, delivering with proper touch and trajectory. Efficient set-up with an elevated, natural release."
Brugler also noted Kizer's "internal clock lacks sophistication, holding the ball too long and appearing gun shy at times from the pocket. Too many late throws on his resume tape and would greatly benefit from speeding up his process a half second. Wide throwing base, stemming from his background as a baseball pitcher throwing off the mound."
4. Patrick Mahomes II
Texas Tech, Junior, 6-foot-2, 225 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.80 seconds
Vertical jump: 30 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 6 inches
3-cone drill: 6.88 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.08 seconds
2016 stats: completed 388 of 591 passes (65.7 percent) for 5.052 yards with 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions
Hot take: According to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, Mahomes has a "moldable frame with adequate height and room to fill out. Above-average arm strength to sling the ball all over the field. Unforced velocity and can deliver from different arm angles without losing RPMs. Fleet of foot athlete with nimble start/stop quickness to make defenders miss. Routinely throws from various platforms. Keeps his eyes elevated to reset and deliver on the run."
Brugler also noted Mahomes has "messy mechanics, footwork and body motion and his technique needs rebuilt from the ground up. Drifts in the pocket and throws with an unbalanced base. Narrow, irregular steps in his drops."
5. Davis Webb
California, Senior, 6-foot-5, 229 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.79 seconds
Vertical jump: 33 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 10 inches
3-cone drill: 6.92 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.21 seconds
2016 stats: completed 382 of 620 passes (61.6 percent) for 4,295 yards with 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions
Hot take: According to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, Webb is a "tall, light-footed athlete with lean limbs, but workable body type. NFL arm strength and spins a pretty football without much effort. Quick, clean delivery motion. Beautiful touch on fades and bucket throws. Quick mental processor to make efficient whole field reads when he doesn't pre-determine his targets."
Brugler also noted Webb has a "lean body type with minimal body armor. Allows pressure to alter his process and disrupt his accuracy. Doesn't consistently reset his base once moved from his spot. Ball placement looks perfect on some passes and erratic on others."
6. Nathan Peterman
Pittsburgh, Redshirt senior, 6-foot-2, 226 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.82 seconds
Vertical jump: 31 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 3 inches
3-cone drill: 7.14 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.31 seconds
2016 stats: completed 185 of 306 passes (60.5 percent) for 2,855 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions
Hot take: According to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, Peterman has a "solidly-built frame with large hands and adequate height. NFL quality arm. Excellent touch on deep tosses -- averaged 9.3 yards per pass attempt in 2016 and not afraid to unload the ball downfield. Capable of driving the ball with added velocity with proper follow-through."
Brugler also noted Peterman has "erratic ball placement and makes receivers work for the reception. Inconsistent weight transfer and his feet and eyes are often on different pages. Pre-determines throws. Inconsistent eye use and bird-dogs his reads."
7. Brad Kaaya
Miami, Junior, 6-foot-4, 214 pounds
Combine numbers
None, did not participate
2016 stats: completed 261 of 421 passes (62 percent) for 3,532 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions
Hot take: According to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, Kaaya has "adequate height for the position with room to add bulk. Strong understanding of touch and trajectory downfield, fitting the ball between levels of the defense. Unforced throwing motion with the arm strength to make all the necessary NFL throws. Displays crisp zip on outs, slants and dig routes."
Brugler also noted Kaaya has a "slow-twitch trigger and shows too much hesitation from within the pocket, holding the ball too long and taking hits. Leaner-than-ideal body type and needs to continue and fill out. Late, inconsistent decision-maker and needs to improve his anticipation of passing windows."
8. Joshua Dobbs
Tennessee, Senior, 6-foot-3, 216 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.64 seconds
Vertical jump: 33 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 2 inches
3-cone drill: 6.75 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.31 seconds
2016 stats: completed 225 of 357 passes (63 percent) for 2,946 yards with 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions
Hot take: According to Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, Dobbs "shows impressive understanding of the offense and where his receivers are, often resorting to second and third targets rather than relying on pre-snap reads. Has a calming presence in the huddle along with mental toughness."
Brugler also noted Dobbs "displays inconsistent decision-making and erratic ball placement from within the pocket. Has a slight hitch in his delivery and doesn't consistently enough step into his throws, impacting his accuracy."
9. Jerod Evans
Virginia Tech, Junior, 6-foot-3, 232 pounds
Combine numbers
40-yard dash:* *4.80 seconds
Vertical jump: 26.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 4 inches
20-yard shuttle: 4.41 seconds
2016 stats: completed 268 of 442 passes (63.5 percent) for 3,552 yards with 29 touchdowns and eight interceptions
Hot take: According to Rob Rang of CBS Sports, Evans "possesses a thick, powerful frame with rare strength for a quarterback. Quickly acclimated to Virginia Tech's offense, showing impressive instincts and the ability to read defenses in his first season at the helm. Evans has a slight hitch in his delivery but a snappy release and the ball jumps out of his hand."
Brugler also noted that "on far too many plays, Evans either threw the ball to his initial read or simply tucked the ball and ran, raising concerns about his patience, field vision and recognition of where his secondary targets might be breaking free."
10. C.J. Beathard
Iowa, Redshirt senior, 6-foot-2, 219 pounds
Combine numbers
Vertical jump: 31 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 5 inches
2016 stats: completed 170 of 301 passes (56.5 percent) for 1,929 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions
Hot take: According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Beathard is "capable and confident rolling out. Squares shoulders to deliver strikes. Completed 57 percent of his passes outside of the pocket at Iowa. Showed improved touch on short throws. Footwork and pocket mechanics look solid. Throws with some natural accuracy despite pedestrian completion percentage."
Zierlein also noted Beathard's "hesitation is a noticeable issue. Often late to pull trigger on throws toward the sideline, forcing receivers into boundary and out of the catch. Slow field scanner who tends to lock into a single side. Too much eye-balling and not enough manipulating."
