Skip to main content

Mitch Trubisky intends to enter 2017 NFL Draft

North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky intends to apply for early eligibility to enter the 2017 NFL Draft on the heels of a junior season in which he rose from relative anonymity to one of the top quarterback prospects in the college game.

He announced his decision via Twitter on Monday.

Trubisky (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) wasn't even a full-time starter for UNC until this season, but he led the Tar Heels to an 8-5 record and a bid to the Sun Bowl against Stanford. The junior completed 304 of 446 passes for 3,748 yards, 30 touchdowns and only six interceptions. However, his season-ending 25-23 Sun Bowl loss wasn't a strong finish from a scouting standpoint. NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah sees Trubisky's lack of experience as a concern when it comes to his scouting evaluation.

An NFC personnel executive believes Trubisky has the talent to be a top-10 draft choice.

College underclassmen face a Jan. 16 deadline to apply for early draft eligibility.

Trubisky's standing among other draftable quarterbacks figures to benefit from what is considered a weak draft pool at the position. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks and Jeremiah have compared Trubisky to a pair of Kansas City Chiefs: Brooks sees similarities to Alex Smith, while Jeremiah compared him to ex-Chiefs QB Trent Green.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *@ChaseGoodbread*.