Welcome to my 2017 Mock Draft. There could be some big surprises that will be hard to predict but comment your thoughts. Anything could happen, and this is just my prediction of how things will turn out.
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The Browns will be tempted to take a QB, but this guy is the best player in the draft. The Browns need a defensive end anyways. Garrett is the easy choice with this pick. They have another first round pick that they can use on a QB. The Browns aren’t going to turn down the opportunity to draft Garrett. If the Browns don’t pick him, they will regret it.
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MITCHELL TRUBISKY
QB
NORTH CAROLINA
A lot of people are saying another defensive end will go here but that’s not what the Niners need. They need a QB or a wide receiver. Those are urgent needs. Trubisky is a good fit in San Francisco and he is the best option at QB this early. The 49ers need to draft a QB in the first round or the options for them will be slim. They have nobody who’s a plausible starting option at QB right now. Nobody. They can’t pass on this opportunity.
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REUBEN FOSTER
ILB
ALABAMA
The Bears have a boatload of holes and problems right now. But their biggest gaping hole is at linebacker. They don’t have a starter for one of their ILB slots. Picking Foster makes sense for Chicago right now. They need a QB but when you have defensive needs in this year’s draft, they come first. The defensive class this year is so deep. If you don’t draft someone from this class in the first couple rounds, you will miss out on the best.
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The Jags defense is going to be fine. They could really surprise us this year, and I think the defense is finally up to par. Now time to focus on offense. The loss of Julius Thomas is huge, and another tight end out of the draft would really help fill in for him.
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SOLOMON THOMAS
DE
STANFORD
The Titans have another first Round pick. Their wide receiver needs take a back seat here because of this rich defensive draft class. The Titans still haven’t fixed their defensive problems, and the defense is holding them back. Thomas will definitely help their case.
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The Jets have a lot of offensive problems. This is one case where drafting an offensive player is appropriate. Their QB situation is pretty bad, but the gaping hole at TE is also holding the Jets back. They need to draft one, even if the Jags happen to take Howard. Njoku is their backup plan.
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FS
OHIO ST.
Ever since Eric Weddle left, there has been a problem at safety on this team. Drafting a top safety is essential for this team right now. It will give their defense a big boost, and they need it right now. Hooker seems like the right fit for them.
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I was originally against Carolina drafting a running back, thinking they were alright with Stewart, but the Panthers could use another productive running back to split the carries with Stewart. If Fournette is still available at this point, he is a must-draft for Carolina. Forget the cornerback needs, and if you have any kind of RB need, Fournette is a definite must-draft with extremely high NFL potential, almost as high as Ezekiel Elliott’s was.
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Wow, two LSU picks in a row. For a good reason though, a lot of LSU players have very high NFL potential. The Bengals have had this hole since Reggie Nelson left. Adams is a top prospect, and a good fit for the Bengals. He is the long-awaited replacement for Nelson. Adams has very high NFL potential as well as some other LSU players in this draft class.
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Another WR named Mike Williams on the Bills. This guy should be a lot better and last a lot longer though. This guy was Deshaun Watson’s main target, a superstar that helped Clemson win it all. For a team like the Bills, they could always use another receiver, and despite the fact that Corey Davis is actually higher in most prospect Rankings, I see Williams as the best receiver in this draft class.
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DEREK BARNETT
DE
TENNESSEE
The Saints need to go defense here. They have plenty of defensive holes, but they do need a defensive end, and if a guy like Barnett or Solomon Thomas is still available, they should definitely be drafted here. Drafting a corner is an option, but the defensive line class this year is much better.
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DESHAUN WATSON
QB
CLEMSON
With a defensive player already drafted #1 for the Browns, this is the time to take a QB. Watson was one of the leaders in Clemson’s championship winning season. He will either start all season in Cleveland or replace another starter at some point during the season. You know Brock Osweiler is not satisfactory as a starter. The Browns need a QB, either a free agent, a drafted player or someone they acquire. I think drafting a QB is the smartest way to go. Not many teams would give up a quality QB, but there’s a chance that the draft would give them one. I see Watson as someone who could succeed in the NFL.
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MARSHON LATTIMORE
CB
OHIO ST.
The Cardinals need some other contributors in their secondary. Honey Badger and Patrick Peterson are good, but they need some quality players around them. Most of all, the Cardinals need a second cornerback. Lattimore is one of the best corners in this draft, and if he’s available here, he’s not somebody you should pass on.
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JABRILL PEPPERS
SS
MICHIGAN
The Eagles defense is good but it lacks depth, especially in the secondary. Peppers could really boost the secondary, and I think he has been underrated in prospect rankings. Peppers is more than just one of the best safeties in this draft. He is the best safety in this draft class, at least in my opinion.
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Frank Gore isn’t going to last forever, and eventually, probably in a few years, he’ll get too old to play in the NFL anymore and retire. The Colts need a backup option who learns over the next few years and then takes over for Gore. They should probably draft a running back at this point, a lot of the good free agent running backs already signed, and I feel like Cook is a good fit in Indy.
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JONATHAN ALLEN
DT
ALABAMA
The Ravens trading away Timmy Jernigan and Lawrence Guy says something. It’s time to rebuild the defensive line. The Ravens must bolster their line with this pick by drafting a top d-lineman available. If Allen, Barnett, Thomas or Garrett are available here, the Ravens have to draft one of them. With Barnett, Thomas and Garrett gone, Allen is a must-draft for Baltimore here. The Ravens also need a defensive end, but should look for that in the second or third round.
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The Redskins did lose some offensive power, but the front seven needs an upgrade if the offense is going to go anywhere. Reddick will help fill some of the holes in Washington’s defense and will be another strong pass rusher for them. The Redskins have a lot of options here for their front seven, but Haason Reddick looks like a popular name lately, and that could turn into him being picked early because of it.
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COREY DAVIS
WR
WESTERN MICHIGAN
The Titans need a receiver with this pick. Personally, I think one more receiver could really boost this offense. If Davis is drafted, the Titans offense will thrive, as the defense improves and they’ll be on their way to win the AFC South and make the playoffs. The Titans need a boost, especially because the AFC South is wide open .
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RYAN RAMCZYK
OT
WISCONSIN
The Bucs really need another offensive tackle right now. Their biggest offensive weakness is the offensive line. They have other problems on defense, but the D is underrated and the OT need is urgent. Winston will not continue to do what he’s done with insufficient protection. Marcus Mariota got better with protection from 2016 1st Round draft pick Jack Conklin. Winston will benefit in the same way from a guy like Ramczyk.
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For Denver, this is early for a wide receiver, but I still believe they need a third contributor behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Ross will give them the kind of impact they need, plus more. They will have a great wide receiver trio. Now they need a tight end and a quarterback to add to it. Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch will not last forever as starting options. They’re just not those kinds of players.
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TACO CHARLTON
DE
MICHIGAN
The Lions need a booster in the front seven. Charlton is yet another strong defensive end in this draft. The Lions would gladly take him to provide a powerful player across from Ezekiel Ansah. With that and last year’s addition of rookie A’Shawn Robinson, this defensive line could be great.
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MALIK MCDOWELL
DT
MICHIGAN STATE
The Dolphins still need defensive help, and McDowell should give some to their defensive line. Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake are getting old. They need to add some young talent to their defense. Not necessarily a guy to contribute right away, more like a long term investment. That’s just what McDowell serves as in this first round .
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The Giants are desperate for a tackle, especially with Marshall Newhouse on the outs. Robinson is just the kind of powerful protection they need. Their offensive line will be so much better with another young tackle to boost it. Ereck Flowers did it on one side for the Giants. Robinson can do it on the other.
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Marshawn Lynch isn’t definitely coming to Oakland. In the meantime, they need a young talent alongside DeAndre Washington. McCaffrey would make for a great duo with Washington, and could work as a backup, third-down back or starter. If Lynch comes in to the RB scheme, McCaffrey will still make contributions. Lynch is old, old enough that he retired two years ago and is coming back. He could get banged up, and that’s were McCaffrey and Washington would come in.
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PATRICK MAHOMES
QB
TEXAS TECH
A lot of people think that Mahomes is going to the Chiefs. The Chiefs have interest in him, but I think he’ll go two picks earlier to Houston, and at that point the Chiefs will just give up on a QB until the later rounds. Tom Savage will not be starting all year, and the Texans need a young, talented QB that can step in when he’s ready. Savage will open the season as starter, but later he’ll pass on the torch to Mahomes.
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FORREST LAMP
OG
WESTERN KENTUCKY
The Seahawks need another offensive lineman, and Lamp is a good fit here. The Seahawks could go tackle or guard with this pick, but in a thin offensive line class, Lamp is the best available, and that’s who you take in this kind of class at the position. The Seahawks could upgrade their great defense, or chase another RB option, but with Lynch coming back (not neccesarily to Oakland) and Sherman possibly staying, the Seahawks need to take a lineman now or they’ll lose the chance to get anyone good.
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MARLON HUMPHREY
CB
ALABAMA
With the hope of drafting a QB in the first round gone, I think it’s about time the Chiefs fill one of their secondary holes. Eric Berry and Marcus Peters won’t do the whole job. They need people around them. Humphrey isn’t just a compliment to Marcus Peters. If he comes through, he could be a companion to Marcus Peters, what Peters is but on the other side. They need someone like that across from Peters, and I think Humphrey could be the guy.
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ZACH CUNNINGHAM
OLB
VANDERBILT
The Cowboys have a decent secondary, so they can wait on a corner. The front seven is full of urgent needs for them, so their first round pick needs to be a front seven investment. Cunningham seems like a good fit for them and he’s a top front seven player so I’d go with it.
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TAKKARIST MCKINLEY
OLB
UCLA
The Packers are another team that need front seven players early. McKinley would fill their hole at outside linebacker. They need some linebackers because they do lack depth at the position. If they don’t go linebacker early, they won’t be able to get a quality starter at linebacker in this thin linebacker draft class.
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The Steelers need front seven players as well, but that can wait with the cornerback and safety needs they have. White is a fitting first Round pick for them, it helps begin to fill the many secondary holes to fill. White is a quality propsect that should really do his job and make a mark at cornerback.
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The Falcons have needs at linebacker and now in the d-line. Bowser would be a good fit for them and would help their weakness of strong pass rushing. They have one guy right now, Vic Beasley. Bowser is a quality pass rusher who should be NFL ready. The Falcons could use a linebacker, and they may have found their match.
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GAREON CONLEY
CB
OHIO ST.
The Saints need a corner, and fast. Sure, they have defensive line needs and practically every defensive position needs, but they can take care of those with their 11th overall pick. The next biggest need is at cornerback. When Delvin Breaux is your #1 corner, you know you have a problem. Conley will help finally start to fix the secondary needs the Saints have. They have more than enough safeties, but they lack cornerbacks.
That’s all for my Mock Draft. Watch the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 27 to see if I’m right. If you want to make your own NFL Mock Draft and compete with other mocks on Draft Day, try the app MockOut. I am competing against hundreds of other mocks with this one and you can make your own to compete with too.
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