Daniel Carrigy’s 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

The Brock Osweiler experiment is over. The Texans gambled hard and lost even harder. So much so that they had to give Cleveland a 2nd rounder just to swallow Osweiler’s contract. Ouch.

Texans owner Bob McNair admitted that the organization didn’t know Brock Osweiler well enough before signing him. That in the whirlwind of free agency they jumped at the chance to snap up what appeared to be a franchise quarterback. Now, they’re without that quarterback,  without a 2nd round pick for their troubles and without a leader on offense.

The Texans go with someone in this draft that everyone knows well. National Champion Deshaun Watson. The one thing that keeps coming up about Watson is that he’s a winner. He showed it time and time again in college, especially when it mattered most. He boasts tremendous leadership abilities as well, whereas Osweiler had the charisma and gumption of a bored dental receptionist.

Watson displays good mobility and pocket awareness, great touch and anticipation on his throws with a nice tight spiral. He can pick up yardage with his legs and is a threat close to the end zone. Watson is still a work in progress however, as he needs to improve his accuracy and could stand to make a habit of defenders mid play.

Some might say Trubsiky makes more sense here, but Watson is a national champ with more experience, so I think you have to go with him. Pairing him with Deandre Hopkins, however, and that offense immediately gets ignited. An exciting pick that would make last year’s quarterback woes a distant memory.

The offensive line definitely needs help, but I think the Seahawks fall for the chance of scooping up another long, physical cornerback. Especially, considering the recent Richard Sherman trade talk.

As aforementioned, King is a physical corner, and tall at 6’3′. He bullies wide receivers all the way through their routes, and can push them towards the sideline. King has sublime ball skills and in his last 101 targets has surrendered only 1 touchdown. He has a ways to go as a reliable tackler, however.

Kill me. Just kill me. Remember when I said Bosa was my favorite player in last year’s draft? Well McCaffrey is my favorite this year. I couldn’t stand to watch him in a Chiefs uniform. McCaffrey could go anywhere after number 5 (some are mocking him to the Panthers), but I don’t think he falls further than 27 to the Chiefs.

McCaffrey can cut on a FREAKING DIME. Easily one of the most exciting running backs in recent memory, McCaffrey has elite game speed, can burst through the gap when required, but also shows a commendable level of patience for his blocks to develop. He can wriggle and squirm his way out of arm and gang tackles, and has a supreme ability to evade safeties in the open field. A home run hitter, McCaffrey is an incredible specimen.

He can hurt you in the passing game as well. At the combine McCaffrey showed just how good his hands were. A natural pass catcher, he could play receiver at the next level, meaning teams can move him around to exploit mismatches that are grossly unfair. Furthermore, his shiftiness, speed, precision route running and pass catching skills will surely send some linebackers into early retirement.

For the Chiefs, their backfield duo of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware didn’t exactly excite last season, one reason they were so reliant on Tyreek Hill. With Charles hitting repetitive injuries, McCaffrey would make the Chiefs offense just ridiculous. And you know that gimmicky jerk Andy Reid would find ways to make McCaffrey one of the most dangerous men in football. Together with his reality show jerk of a tight end and his game manager jerk of a quarterback and his whole jerk team. I hate the Chiefs.

The Cowboys said goodbye to Morris Claiborne in free agency, but their secondary as a whole needs to be addressed. They hit the jackpot on offense last year with Elliott and Prescott, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see their first three picks all be defense.

Jackson has experience playing in multliple coverages and can recognize pass patterns well. He has good ball skills, closing speed and tackling ability, but is also an electric returner. He is undersized however, which means he could likely be bullied by more physical receivers.

Packer cornerbacks were woeful last year so chances are they’ll take one in the first and one in the middle rounds.

Wilson is a big hombre at the cornerback position. He can match up physically with receivers at the line and take them out of the play from the first whistle just because of his tenacity. He’s a good tackler but doesn’t possess blazing speed, he can fall behind on long routes.

Lawrence Timmons’ departure has made the linebacker position even more of a priority for Pittsburgh. I feel like they might be tempted to give tight end David Njoku a look here, but Davis fits the mold well.

Davis is a downhill linebacker with great wrap up ability. He’s a great hunter all over the field and often finds his way to squeeze through gaps and penetrate the backfield. Coaches speak highly of his maturity and leadership. He’d be a great fit in Pittsburgh.

Finding a solid option at right guard is a must for Atlanta right now. They added to their defensive front with Dontari Poe in free agency, so I think this pick makes a lot of sense.

Lamp’s stock has steadily risen this offseason. Scouts have praised his technical proficiency at guard, who had a tremendous game against Alabama. He’s got great bend and strength, excelling with his hands as a pass blocker. I love Lamp.

For the same reasons the Saints go corner at number 12, they go safety here. Their secondary needs serious improvement, especially when facing those NFC South quarterbacks.

Baker is an explosive player at the safety position with enviable speed. He plays with good agility and fluidity in his hips and can track a quarterback’s reads well. Reports are that scouts love his intangibles. Baker is undersized and could get bullied by NFL tight ends, but for the most part, he’s a very good option at safety.

Next: Are the Raiders done with free agency?

So there it is. My 2017 NFL Mock Draft. Let me know what you think in the comments below!