2017 NFL Draft- Final Mock Draft- Two Rounder
After a long wait of approximately ten weeks, we are finally at the 2017 NFL Draft. Below is my final two-round mock, and I want to note that this is what I think will happen, not what I would do if i were the GM of every team in football.
1. Cleveland Browns- Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M – This is the most nailed on number one pick for a long time, and Garrett looks like a generational talent. He is a natural fit as the edge guy in Gregg Williams’ defence, and he will be a long-term threat alongside the underrated Danny Shelton.
2. San Francisco 49ers- Jamal Adams, S, LSU- For a long time, I have had Solomon Thomas mocked here, but I recently changed my mind. The 49ers have used a lot of picks on edge rushers in recent drafts, and they should stick with what they have for a year. Adams is a generational talent, and he forms a fun tandem with the excellent Eric Reid. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes John Lynch could be tempted by Adams, and it’s a fit that makes sense.
3. Chicago Bears- Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama- The Bears have a very exciting linebacking corps, so adding a disruptor up front is the next step to them becoming a top five defence. Allen has his shoulder concerns, but even if he has a shortened career in the NFL, it’s going to be a shortened career full of pressures and sacks.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU- The Jaguars choose Fournette, and this allows them to bury the TJ Yeldon pick from a few drafts back. Fournette is a generational talent, and the only way the Jaguars are going to be successful with Bortles under center is if they run a play-action heavy offence. Fournette allows them to do this.
5. Tennessee Titans- Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State- The Titans need some help in their secondary, and Lattimore looks to be a man corner which is highly important in Dick LeBeau’s scheme. The Titans may have been tempted by someone such as Malik Hooker, but their inability to cover wideouts means they should use a high pick on a corner.
The Cleveland Browns trade 12, 33 and a future Fourth round pick to the New York Jets for the sixth overall selection
6. Cleveland Browns- Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina- I generally don’t put trades in my mocks, but I am almost certain that this trade will happen. The Jets won’t reach for a quarterback as Mike Maccagnan is a smart GM, and they need as many picks as possible. The Browns are reportedly torn on drafting Trubisky or Garrett at 1, but they should be able to land Trubisky by moving up to the sixth pick.
7. Los Angeles Chargers- Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State- The Chargers defence only has one weakness- and that is the safety position. Gus Bradley’s defence needs good safety play, and Malik Hooker is a generational talent. His injury history will concern Tom Telesco, but passing up on a rangy safety would be a terrible decision, as the Chargers are in win now mode.
8. Carolina Panthers- Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford- Despite investing a lot of draft capital into the defensive line, the Panthers still didn’t generate enough sacks last year. I think Thomas is a bit overrated, but he provides good value at the eighth pick and gives Carolina a genuine double digit sack threat.
9. Cincinnati Bengals- Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee- The Bengals are desperate for an edge rusher across from Carlos Dunlap, and Barnett was a highly productive player in college. They run a lot of zone coverage, but they won’t be able to do this without improving their pass rush.
10. Buffalo Bills- Mike Williams, WR, Clemson- The Bills need difference makers at the wide receiver position, and Mike Williams has the ability to be an all-pro level player. He can catch contested balls, which is a good fit for Buffalo as they want to run a simple scheme next year, and because Tyrod isn’t very accurate.
11. New Orleans Saints- Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama- The Saints linebacking corps was horribly makeshift this year, but by adding Foster, they would have one of the better corps in the League. He is a three-down player who hits hard, and the Saints need this as their linebacking corps was soft in 2016.
12. New York Jets- OJ Howard, TE, Alabama- The Jets will take the best player available, and OJ Howard could become one of the best tight ends in the history of the game. The Jets have a good run blocking offensive line, but Howard’s ability to block at the second level could give the Jets a sneakily good run game next season.
13. Arizona Cardinals- Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech- The Cardinals need a new QB as Carson Palmer declined last year, and Mahomes is the gunslinger-type signal caller that Bruce Arians covets. He needs a lot of work, but Bruce Arians won’t play a rookie QB until they are ready, and this is the best fit for Mahomes.
14. Philadelphia Eagles- Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford- The Eagles could go in any direction with this pick, but passing up on McCaffrey would be a strange decision. The Eagles running backs were too makeshift last year, and McCaffrey gives them a three-down back who can allow Doug Pederson to stick more rigidly to his west coast scheme.
15. Indianapolis Colts- Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA- The Colts pass rush is a travesty, and they could do with adding some speed to the group. McKinley doesn’t have the same finishing moves as some of the other pass rushers, but speed kills, and his pure athleticism would be enough to scare offensive coordinators.
16. Baltimore Ravens- Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan- The Ravens wide receiving corps was rocked by the sudden retirement of Steve Smith, and it is a huge blow because he was in reality their only good wideout. Davis is a good route runner, but he can make contested catches which makes him a better fit than John Ross at this pick in the draft.
17. Washington Redskins- Obi Melifonwu, S, UConn
According to Sporting News, the Redskins are very high on Obi Melifonwu, and they need a safety desperately. He needs a lot of coaching, but his pure athletIicism and speed would vastly improve the Redskins defence, as they gave up a passer rating of 125 on deep central passes last year, and they couldn’t cover tight ends.
18. Tennessee Titans- John Ross, WR, Washington- The Titans have a lot of redzone threats, what they really need is a speed receiver. Ross’ route running could do with some polishing, but Mike Mularkey wouldn’t demand him to be an exceptional route runner, he would instead allow him to use his deadly speed in the Titans play-action heavy offence.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State- The Buccaneers look done with Doug Martin, so they need to find themselves a franchise running back. Cook is a three-down player who might actual be a better receiver than he is a runner, but he is a good fit in Dirk Koetter’s system. The off-field stuff is a worry, but Dirk Koetter is a players coach, and should be able to keep him controlled.
20. Denver Broncos- Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin- The Broncos are in desperate need of some protection, and Ryan Ramczyk is one of the more underrated draft prospects in recent years. He received excellent coaching, and he could line up on either side for the Broncos, who need good tackles as Paxton Lynch is a deep ball QB.
21. Detroit Lions- David Njoku, TE, Miami- The Lions need some playmakers in their receiving core, and Njoku fits the bill. He needs some work, but he looks to be a more exciting prospect than Eric Ebron was, and his deep threat ability could add an extra dimension to what was a very boring Lions offence.
22. Miami Dolphins- Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan- The Dolphins appear to be all in on drafting a safety, and Peppers is someone who could perform a variety of roles on Matt Burke’s defence. He has good range, and he can blitz from the edge which gives the Dolphins an extra way of generating pressure.
23. New York Giants- Garret Bolles, T, Utah- According to Peter King, the Giants are after an offensive tackle, and this makes some sense. Their offence is a quick snap offence so the need for a great offensive tackle isn’t paramount, but they need better run blocking, and they need to somehow move Ereck Flowers over to right tackle. They don’t have any other glaring needs, and Bolles provides good value here.
24. Oakland Raiders- Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida- The Raiders linebackers were all terrible last year, and they need to add a three-down player who makes them a bit more scary. Davis is a hard hitter who reminds me of Bobby Wagner, and Ken Norton would love to get a prospect in the same mould as his former Seahawks pupil.
25. Houston Texans- DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame- The Texans don’t have any needs, apart from the one position that actually matters when all is said and done. Kizer divides opinion, but he isn’t scared to make big decisions, which is needed in Bill O Brien’s offence as he puts a lot of pressure on his signal caller. He needs work, but he seriously cannot be any worse than Brock Osweiler was.
26. Seattle Seahawks- Forrest Lamp, OG, Western Kentucky- The Seahawks offensive line was improved by the signing of Luke Joeckel, but they could do with a guard, as this would allow them to push Germain Ifedi to right tackle. Lamp has drawn comparisons to Zack Martin, and to be honest, even if he was half the player of Martin, that would provide an upgrade on Garry Gilliam.
27. Kansas City Chiefs- Kevin King, CB, Washington- It wouldn’t surprise me if King was taken in the top ten, because I believe he is CB2 in this class behind Marshon Lattimore. He is an extreme athlete, and having him alongside Marcus Peters and Eric Berry would give the Chiefs the best secondary in football.
28. Dallas Cowboys- Charles Harris, DE, Missouri- The Cowboys are desperate for some pass rush, and Charles Harris is a very versatile player, which makes him a good fit on a defence that lacks talent. Rod Marinelli is far and away the best defensive coordinator in the business, and he could make Harris a genuine double digit sack threat.
29. Green Bay Packers- TJ Watt, LB, Wisconsin- For some reason, the Packers are persisting with Dom Capers’ awful defence, so they need versatile and smart players. Watt can line up from a variety of areas, and he might be a useful chess piece in some of Capers’ diverse blitz packages. He isn’t a full time edge guy, but he won’t need to be in Green Bay.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers- Haason Reddick, LB, Temple- For some, this is way too low, but I am concerned about Reddick, for multiple reasons. He has great athleticism, but he doesn’t have an actual position, and this makes picking a landing spot for him very difficult. The Steelers generally move their linebackers around, so Reddick is a good fit in that defence.
31. Atlanta Falcons- Jordan Willis, EDGE, Kansas State- The Falcons need to find some edge rushers, and Willis is one of the most productive players in the draft. He has the speed Dan Quinn wants, and he is probably a better pressure generator than Vic Beasley, which could open things up for Dontari Poe and Grady Jarrett inside.
32. New Orleans Saints- Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State- I am not high on Conley because of his inability underneath, and the fact he was protected in college by excellent safety play. Regardless, his ability as an outside corner would be a huge boost to a Saints defence that just couldn’t cover wideouts in 2016.
33. New York Jets via Cleveland- Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida- Todd Bowles needs some corners who can play man to man, and Wilson certainly fits this bill.
34. San Francisco 49ers- Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee- The 49ers need to add some offensive playmakers to run Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, and Kamara is a dual-threat back who is being underrated by most.
35. Jacksonville Jaguars- Nathan Peterman, QB, Pittsburgh- The Jaguars need their next QB, and Peterman provides good value here. He is very pro-ready, and Tom Coughlin is more likely to pull the trigger on someone like Peterman than someone like DeShaun Watson.
36. Chicago Bears- DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson- Watson wouldn’t be terrible value at 36 for the Bears, as he is definitely someone who could compete for a starting job. Mike Glennon can’t be the long-term answer for John Fox, so they need to provide competition.
37. Los Angeles Rams- JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC- If the Rams don’t add wide receivers, then they simply won’t be able to run Sean McVay’s offence which is based on carefully planned route combinations. Schuster could become a possession receiver in that system, and he gives Jared Goff a reliable target.
38. Los Angeles Chargers- Dion Dawkins, OG, Temple- The Chargers are going to run the ball a lot next year, so it makes perfect sense for them to add a guard here. Dawkins could play tackle, but he would most likely slot in on the right side of the Bolts’ line.
39. New York Jets- Budda Baker, S, Washington- The Jets would win the draft if they pulled off this haul, as Baker is a rangy safety who can play man, which will allow Todd Bowles to blitz more often than he did last year.
40. Carolina Panthers- Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss- In all honesty, the Panthers could convert Engram to a wideout, and he would automatically become their most productive receiver. They need to give Cam Newton some dynamic targets, and Engram has the frame to play in their offence.
41. Cincinnati Bengals- Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama- Robinson is differently valued by different scouts, but I’m concerned by the fact he spent a lot of time on the floor. Regardless, the Bengals are desperate, and he could compete for a spot on either side of the line.
42. New Orleans Saints- Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan- Charlton will slide because of his poor combine, but the Saints will take him because of pure reputation alone. He could be the long-term option across from Cameron Jordan, and if he reaches his potential, the Saints could finally have a pass rush.
43. Philadelphia Eagles- Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama- The Eagles may consider Humphrey at 14, but he could very easily slide into the second round. He doesn’t turn his head fast enough, and he played in a very good Alabama defence which causes him to be marked down. In Jim Schwartz’ scheme, he would be used in a variety of tasks, which suits him.
44. Buffalo Bills- Marcus Maye, S, Florida- Maye could genuinely be a first round prospect, but he is unlucky in the sense that there are a lot of great safeties this year. The Bills need help in the middle of their defence, and Maye proves a remedy here.
45. Arizona Cardinals- Jourdan Lewis, CB, Michigan- The Cardinals don’t care about character concerns, so this could be a very good match for Jourdan Lewis, who is a very talented player. Marcus Cooper evolved into a solid CB2 for Arizona last year, but he opted to join the Chicago Bears this summer, and this left a hole in Arizona’s secondary
46. Indianapolis Colts- Adoree Jackson, CB, USC- Jackson looks like a good corner prospect, and he can also be a return specialist, which is something the Colts need desperately.
47. Baltimore Ravens- Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt- The Ravens were rocked by the retirement of Zach Orr, and they need to add new blood at middle linebacker. Cunningham can be stiff at times, but he’d be a good three-down player in Dean Pees’ system.
48. Minnesota Vikings- Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana- The Vikings need to give Sam Bradford a fighting chance, so it makes sense for them to add a guard to their ranks. Feeney is versatile, and a good fit in their spread offence they will employ next year.
49. Washington Redskins- Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida- The Redskins need to generate some interior pass rush, and Brantley could be a destructive player if he increases his effort levels.
50. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Tapoh Kpassagnon, DE, Vilanova- Tampa Bay need to add a full time edge player to go alongside Gerald McCoy and Noah Spence, so Kpassagnon makes sense here. He can play inside-out, which fits the type of player Tampa are going after on their defensive line.
51. Denver Broncos- Malik McDowell, DE, Michigan State- The Broncos never recovered from the loss of Malik Jackson, so by adding McDowell, they could re-create their excellent Super Bowl winning defensive line.
52. Cleveland Browns via Tennessee- Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU- The Browns need to add corners who can play zone, press and man, and White fits this bill. He isn’t as athletic as other corners, but Gregg Williams will find a role for him.
53. Detroit Lions- Joe Mixon, RB, Oklahoma- The Lions need a running back quite badly, and Mixon is a definite first round talent. I am actually of the opinion he is the best running back in this draft class, and the Lions could do with talent there.
54. Miami Dolphins- Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee- The Dolphins are OK on the outside, but they need to add a slot corner. Sutton is a ballhawk who would help them be better against the pass.
55. New York Giants- Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado- The Giants don’t have many glaring needs, so they may want to use this pick to get another corner. Awuzie can cover in a variety of ways, and he would be a good fit alongside Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins.
56. Oakland Raiders- Fabian Moreau, CB, UCLA- Moreau is a well-rounded prospect who would give the Raiders some much needed relief in their ordinary secondary.
57. Houston Texans- Antonio Garcia, OT, Troy- The Texans need to address the offensive line, as the right tackle position was a revolving door last year, and Duane Brown missed time at left tackle. Garcia is great in pass protection, and he could be their long-term answer at the position.
58. Seattle Seahawks- Sidney Jones, CB, Washington- This may be controversial because Seattle would have two injured cornerbacks on the roster, but Jones is simply too talented to pass up on. The injury is a problem, but Seattle are always thinking long-term rather than short term.
59. Kansas City Chiefs- Davis Webb, QB, California- The Chiefs need to find the solution for when Alex Smith retires, and Davis Webb could be a good fit here. Andy Reid is a good offensive mind, and he wouldn’t play Davis until he was absolutely ready.
60. Dallas Cowboys- Cordrea Tankersley, CB, Clemson- The Cowboys need some cover corners, and Tankersley fits their defence perfectly. He can cover in a variety of ways, and Rod Marinelli’s scheme demands this from his cornerbacks.
61. Green Bay Packers- D’onta Foreman, RB, Texas- The Packers can’t keep using a wideout at running back, so they need to add someone to the positional group. Foreman is a good prospect who could be a power back in Mike McCarthy’s offence.
62. Pittsburgh Steelers- Bucky Hodges, TE, Virginia Tech- The Steelers offence needs a playmaking tight end as the Ladarius Green signing was an epic fail, so adding Hodges at the bottom of the 2nd round makes a lot of sense.
63. Atlanta Falcons- Dorian Johnson, OG, Pittsburgh- The Falcons can get the types of defensive player Dan Quinn likes in the later rounds, so adding a guard to their ranks would solve their only weakness on the offensive side of the ball.
64. Carolina Panthers via New England- Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown State- The Panthers will always go big on their defensive line, and Rivers is a vastly underrated prospect. If the Panthers land him and Solomon Thomas, they would have a cheap and deadly defensive line for the next five seasons.