Fran Brown, Syracuse’s head coach, made an adamant defense for his former starting quarterback to be a first-rounder. When will Kyle McCord come off the board?
Brown Stands Up For Kyle McCord’s Talent on Draft Day
As the 2025 NFL Draft is set to kick off in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Thursday night (April 24), the talk has been about quarterbacks beginning with presumptive number one pick Cam Ward of Miami. But according to Brown, his former quarterback deserves to be mentioned as a high first-round pick.
“Kyle should be getting picked in the first round.”
Fran Brown makes his case for Kyle McCord to be a first-round pick 🍊 @FranBrownCuse | @CuseFootball pic.twitter.com/skdkkESe0S
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) April 24, 2025
Brown was being interviewed on the ACC Network when McCord was mentioned by ACC PM host Mark Packer, who said he didn’t know where he would go in the draft. That prompted Brown to interject.
“Listen, Kyle should be getting picked in the first round,” Brown began. “There’s a couple of quarterbacks I’m seeing being mentioned, and I get it. But if you take five quarterbacks in the first round, and you don’t take Kyle, that is robbery. That is getting away with a crime…you’re allowing them to get away with a crime, that is not right.”
Brown continued, “I don’t understand that. He broke the [touchdown] record at this school, he threw 34 touchdown passes, threw for damn near 5,000 yards. When he had one bad game, he came back and threw for 240 yards…I think the stats speak for themselves.”
He concluded, “If you want a leader who can relate to everybody on your team no matter who they are…I don’t know why you wouldn’t take Kyle McCord.”
KEEP READING: Top 300 Prospects — Get Your Free Printable 2025 NFL Draft Big Board
McCord’s draft stock has risen in the past few days since he declared for the draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has him ranked fifth among all available quarterbacks in the draft, after he performed so well during workouts for the East-West Shrine Game that he opted not to play off of the strength of his output.
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