Mock draft for the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, version 1.0.
Well, we aren’t used to this. The Raiders have a later pick than the previous year — and will hopefully have the last pick in the draft next year. For now, I’ll try predict how this year’s will go because we all love a mock draft.
We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get started.
1. Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Analytics run the Browns now with Sashi Brown as the General Manager. Myles Garrett is a pass rushing prospect with Julius Peppers level talent. Garrett has the production, athleticism and fills a need for a Browns team lacking in talent.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Deshone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
The Niners fired their head coach for the third year in a row, and now it’s Kyle Shanahan’s turn to try to turn this franchise around. The rookie head coach will have a rookie GM, which may not go so well. The team is in need of a fresh start, and Kizer is a QB that Shanahan can build the team around.
3. Chicago Bears: Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
Cutler has been holding this team back, getting worse each year. The lack of talent hasn’t helped, either. But last year they found a gem in running back Jordan Howard, and can have him be the forefront of the offense while Trubisky grows into it.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Ezekiel Elliott breathed new life into the RB position last year, showing that he was well worth that #4 pick in the 2016 draft. The Jaguars have most of the things they need on offense and seem willing to stick it out with Bortles for another year, although I wouldn’t. Dalvin Cook could be just what they need to make this offense turn around.
5. Tennessee Titans (from Rams): Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
The Titans were able to trade out of the first pick last year, and have been rewarded with top five pick this year as a result. Their team is talented and has an opportunity to get much better. They win again here getting arguably the best player in this draft and a potential instant pro bowler.
6. New York Jets: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
The Jets defense suffered quite a bit last year, no thanks to the once great Darrelle Revis, who time has caught up with. Marshon Lattimore has all the talent to be one of the best CBs in the NFL, something the Jets would love to have once again.
7. Los Angeles Chargers: Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
The Chargers are in need of some talent to help Joey Bosa, the defensive rookie of the year in 2016. In Jonathan Allen, they get a versatile defensive lineman to team up with Bosa and wreck havoc on the AFC West QBs for years to come.
8. Carolina Panthers: Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Carolina has needed an elite safety for a long time, and they have one fall to them here in Malik Hooker. He could go higher but I think him not testing at the combine may drop him a little. Hooker gives them a rangy safety to back up Luke Kuechly.
9. Cincinnati Bengals: Solomon Thomas, DL, Stanford
The Bengals need a few things, but they definitely need a pass rusher to help that defense. Thomas checks a lot of the boxes that the Bengals like — he may not be as tall and long, but he has explosion and interior disruption ability. It’s best he plays as a 4-3 base end and slides inside on passing downs. Passing downs for AFC North QBs get scary with Thomas, Dunlap and Atkins coming at them.
10. Buffalo Bills: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
The Bills don’t seem to be sold on Tyrod Taylor, with all the rumors of them honing in on a QB via the draft. They do have Cardale Jones, but not all teams can count on a late round QB to become something like Dallas did. Deshaun Watson gives the Bills a leader, winner and my number #1 QB. Watson and Watkins could become a deadly duo.
11. New Orleans Saints: Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Jairus Byrd hasn’t turned out like the Saints had hoped, and Kenny Vaccaro has had his ups and downs. The Saints defense needs a pass rusher and some linebackers but having Jamal Adams fall to them, they have to make this pick. Adams is a dog and one of my favorite players in this draft. He’ll make any team better.
12. Cleveland Browns (from Eagles): Pat Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Mahomes is the most talented QB in this draft in terms of tools and talent. His arm is the best in this draft. While he doesn’t have the typical mechanics or do things by the book, he does makes plays. He didn’t have many weapons at Texas Tech and was everything for the Red Raiders offense. He’ll have to do that in Cleveland, but that’s why I believe he is the perfect fit for this team.
13. Arizona Cardinals: Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
Arizona is going to have to live off their defense and a strong run game with Carson Palmer getting older and their passing game fading like it did last year. Teams attacked the CBs on the opposite side of Patrick Peterson all day in 2016. Jones gives them a potential shutdown corner and a duo that could be the best in the league.
14. Indianapolis Colts: Grant Bolles, OT, Utah
The Colts need to protect Andrew Luck. Do I need to say anything else? Bolles has all the talent to be a top player at the position, and even though he is a little older and only played one year at Utah, it’s a weak tackle class, so a player of his calpiber gets a bump.
15. Philadelphia Eagles (from Vikings): Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Wentz needs help — that was evident in 2016. Davis can remedy that. He has great hands, speed and ball skills. Now if Wentz can hang onto the ball and get it to Davis, he could have a similar season to what Michael Thomas just had in New Orleans as a rookie.
16. Baltimore Ravens: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
Terrell Suggs isn’t getting younger, and the Ravens don’t have much in terms of pass rush outside of him. Barnett is the Volunteers leading sack record holder, beating NFL Hall of Famer Reggie White’s record. He plays like a Raven, so I like this fit.
17. Washington Redskins: Malik McDowell, DL, MSU
McDowell has all the talent to be a top five pick in this class, but he has some serious off the field issues that could see him fall out of even the first round. Redskins GM Scot McCloughan is known to take risks on guys with talent, and Malik is exactly that.
18. Tennessee Titans: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
How many MIke Williams’ that play wide receiver are there? The latest Mike Williams makes a living “mossing” people, making plays on the ball that normal receivers don’t make. Mariota and the Titans offense needs a true #1 WR, and Mike WIlliams can give them just that.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Budda Baker, S, Washington
BULLDOG. That’s a light way to put what type of player Budda Baker is. He reminds me a lot of Karl Joseph. Hard hitter, ball hawk and versatile. Baker is the perfect complement to the Bucs defensive backfield with Vernon Hargreaves.
20. Denver Broncos: Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Russell Okung was a plug-and-play for Denver and played quite well for them, but he isn’t the future at left tackle. Having great tackles in the AFC West has become a necessity with pass rushers littered all over the division. Protecting their QB of the future Paxton lynch has to be a priority.
21. Detroit Lions: Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Detroit is just a few pieces away. The Lions found a gem in Kerry Hyder Jr. (whom I was a big fan of coming out of the draft) to pair with Ansah, but as you know, you can never have enough pass rushers. Charles Harris is the first Missouri defensive end I’ve liked from their factory line of pass rushers they have sent to the NFL.
22. Miami Dolphins: Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
Swagger. That’s what Tabor has, and he has a ton of it. He plays like you want your CB to play — with confidence and aggression. This is a deep CB class and any of these cornerbacks could be the best in the league in the future.
23. New York Giants: David Njoku, TE, Miami
The Giants are rumored to have an affinity for David Njoku. This was easy to peg. Njoku gives the Giants an inside presence to team with Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard, giving the Giants a formidable pass catching trio.
24. Oakland Raiders: Tre’davious White, CB, LSU
To be honest, I would rather pick someone else here but Daniel Jeremiah had White in his mock, and from murmurs I heard, White is a very real option for the Raiders. White hits all of the perimeters of the Ron Wolf tree (where Reggie learned his trade) to add to my theory on this pick. White was bad in 2015, so he went back and really improved his game, which is a positive. I haven’t graded White yet, so I’ll have more on him soon.
25. Houston Texans: OJ Howard, TE, Alabama
OSWEILER IS BAD. There is no way around it. Unfortunately for the Texans, they’ve invested a lot of money into him. As bad as he is, his tight ends didn’t help him whatsoever. O’Brien came from New England where he had Gronkowski. Howard possibly gives the Texans someone close to that.
26. Seattle Seahawks: Jabrill Peppers, DW, Michigan
Overhyped? Most definitely.
Still a good football player? Yes.
Can he be great? Indeed.
DW, you ask? Defensive Weapon.
Peppers is a world class athlete without a real position, and even though he had all the Heisman hype and won multiple defensive awards, his play didn’t really warrant them. In saying all that, Peppers is a bonafide playmaker with the ball in his hands, and in a place like Seattle, where they mold athletes into football players, I see him as a perfect fit here.
27. Kansas City Chiefs: Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
Derrick Johnson going down last year showed what Kansas City’s defense looks like without a good linebacker. He is only getting older, so they are going to have to replace him at some point. Zach Cunningham was a playmaker all year for the Commodores, blocking kicks, jumping piles and making tackles for losses.
28. Dallas Cowboys: Takkarist Mckinley, DE, UCLA
Dallas got tremendous production out of their rookie class in 2016, and will be hoping for the same again this year to help them take a step further in the playoffs. Takkarist Mckinley is a mold of clay — he has all the traits but has to be molded into the player you want him to be. Rod Marinelli is just the guy who can mold Takkarist into a Pro Bowl player.
29. Green Bay Packers: Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
Green Bay badly needs help at the cornerback position. They just released Sam Shields and had your high school janitor starting at CB for them in the playoffs. Insert Wilson, who hits all the Ron Wolf tree dimensions for a CB while also filling a need.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Haason Reddick, LB, Temple
Pittsburgh counted on James Harrison mostly for the pass rush last year on the edges. That can’t hold up with Harrison at his age. In Reddick, they get a versatile player that was a DB walk-on at Temple that turned himself into a productive edge player for the Owls. Reddick can cover, rush and make plays against the run. Hopefully him and Dupree can grow into a formidable duo. Reddick can also possibly play inside.
31. Atlanta Falcons: Tim Williams, DE, Alabama
Williams might be the best pass rusher in this draft. But he is rumored to have serious off the field issues, so I have him dropping here. Atlanta has the culture and coach to get the best out of WIlliams. Here is hoping a Williams and Beasley pass rush wouldn’t give up a 25 point lead.
Next: Potential Cap Casualties
32. New England Patriots: Curtis Samuel, OW, Ohio State
The NFL is gonna let this happen and we are all gonna pay. Coached by Meyer and Schiano, Bill Belichick has to be licking his chops here. Samuel is an elite playmaker/offensive weapon that can make plays from the slot, outside and from the backfield. Giving the empire another death star to destroy us all with.