Hello everyone, and welcome to another post in our 2017 NFL Draft Series! Currently it looks a little something like this:
2017 NFL Draft Series: Intro | Team Previews 1-16 | Team Previews 17-32 | QB and TE’s Preview | HB and WR’s Preview
It’s Draft Day you guys! Are you excited? I’m pretty excited! I think Matt might be excited! After a couple of months of podcasting and posting, we are coming down to the final two posts in our series! This year’s draft is shaping up to be a very exciting and eventful one, so enough chatter!
Let’s get to it!
2017 Razzball NFL Mock Draft
1.) Cleveland Browns: Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
I’m pretty torn about this one you guys. As I tried to mention on the podcast, there seems to be a rift between Cleveland’s front office and coaching staff. Their front office seems to have their minds set on Trubisky, while Hue Jackson and Co. want to go with the very talented Myles Garrett. I really see the administration overpowering Jackson and the rest of the coaches in this first overall pick. I strongly believe it is a huge mistake if the Browns take Trubisky in this spot and pass up the chance to take the best prospect in this year’s class. I don’t want Cleveland to, but I firmly believe they will. The bottom line is that there is plenty of QB depth of the top options; there isn’t an arm that stands above the rest. But Garrett stands above the rest. Plain and simple.
2.) San Francisco 49ers: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
Congratulations 49ers, you guys did it. This is a pick where if Cleveland does go the Trubisky route, John Lynch and Co. won’t think twice. Garrett is just that good, and he’ll be a fantastic addition to this young defense. A three-headed monster of DeForest Buckner, NaVorro Bowman and Myles Garrett is a force to be reckoned with. Combined that with an offense featuring Brian Hoyer, Tim Hightower, Carlos Hyde, Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, and Vance McDonald, this is a 49ers team that can make great strides under new HC Kyle Shanahan. Dare I say they might be a dark horse for a NFC Wild Card spot? Anything can happen. San Fran has needed an edge rusher for a while ever since the departure of Aldon Smith, and Garrett fills this hole in more ways than one.
3.) Chicago Bears: Jamal Adams, S, LSU
Some strange things are afoot in Chi-Town. For the past month or so, Chicago cannot keep their mouths shut about Clemson QB DeShaun Watson, even after they paid Mike Glennon. If they select him here at the 3rd spot I wouldn’t know what to do. They are either trying to talk him up in hopes that another team can trade up for them and they can trade back (which seems like the play here), or they’re actually thinking about taking him here. Keep your eyes open though. Until that happens, I am going to have the Bears take Adams in this spot, as Chicago definitely needs some help in the secondary (according to GM Ryan Pace in an interview in January), and Adams fills this hole for them. I would have put Malik Hooker (Ohio State), but he’s had a boatload of injury issues these past few months.
4.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette, HB, LSU
Rumor has it that the Jags will take a back at the 4th spot here, and the consensus of the draft community is that the best back in this year’s class is Fournette. I actually disagree and give the edge to Dalvin Cook, but I have no doubts that I am in the minority when it comes to this decision. And who can blame Jacksonville for wanting to take a back? T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory have been utter disappointments, and Fournette seems to be the perfect choice for the Jags. For more analysis on Fournette, click here.
5.) Tennessee Titans: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
Although they did sign Logan Ryan this past offseason, the cutting of Jason McCourty seemed to confirm our beliefs that the Titans have plans to take a CB at the 5 spot, and it’s looking like Lattimore is that option for the Titans. With Tennessee leaning towards a defensive prospect, it’s very likely that they’ll take an offensive weapon in their next first round pick, and as we mentioned on the podcast, a wideout.
6.) New York Jets: Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Okay, first things first, there is a ton of news out of the Jets camp over the past few weeks. According to ESPN.com writer Rich Cimini, the two biggest prospects New York has studied at the 6th spot is QB Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech), and Jamal Adams. Chimini doubts that they’ll take Mahomes here, leaving the next best safety to be selected here, and I believe that after Adams, it’s Hooker. And as for Hooker’s injuries, to be honest, the Jets probably don’t care too much and view Hooker’s upside as being too great and their need for a defensive back too great. However, I did want to mention is to not be surprised if Mahomes’ name is called here.
7.) Los Angeles Chargers: Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
It’s pretty tough to figure out what the Chargers will do here. The feeling is is that they’ll eventually select a gunslinger, but the question is: will it be in the first round, or the later rounds? The logical answer is to select a backup in the later rounds and not a franchise selection to replace Rivers immediately. But hey, we never really know. In that case, I’ll take the prospect that fills their biggest need, which will be Robinson on the O-Line.
8.) Carolina Panthers: Christian McCaffrey, HB, Stanford
Both Todd McShay of ESPN and Greg Gabriel of Pro Football Weekly seem to have it that Carolina won’t pass up the chance to get McCaffrey if they fall to him at 8, which he should. Simple as that. If for some reason they don’t select him, the feeling is they would possibly roll with TE O.J. Howard, but I highly doubt that.
9.) Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
Okay, so the vibe coming out of Cincy is that they are leaning McCaffrey/Fournette if they fall to 9, but in the case that they do not, they’re ready to pounce on a wideout, possibly John Ross. As you can see above, I don’t have Fournette or McCaffrey falling this far, so I am taking a wideout here. However, I have Williams ahead of John Ross only because I believe the Bengals front office will widen up over the coming days and select a wideout that doesn’t have injury concerns. Williams fits this description.
10.) Buffalo Bills: John Ross, WR, Washington
This is another tough pick. Like the 9 other picks above them, the Bills seem to want to trade out of the first round, but in the instance that they don’t, there have also been some reports that they’re leaning Mitch Trubisky, although Mike Buscalgia seems to disagree. I don’t even think they have a chance with him even if they do want him. In that case, let’s take this pick to fill a team need, and alas, as I predicted on the podcast last night, we have John Ross. If they even decide to keep Tyrod, he’ll need a wideout across from Watkins, and Ross is the man for the occasion.
11.) New Orleans Saints: Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
The big story out of ‘Nola is the fact that the Saints may keep this pick at 11, or ship it off to New England for Malcolm Butler (I will not go against this if the Patriots pull this off. All that talent and a pick at 11? Oh my.). Either way, they need a Cornerback sometime soon, however, reports are indicating that they’ll take one at #32, which confirms to all of us that they’ll take a pass-rusher here at 11. And here we have our man Taco.
12.) Cleveland Browns: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
Again, this is another interesting spot just based on the riff between the front office and coaching staff. There is a very likely chance that they’ll take Garrett at 1, and then Trubisky at 12, but I just don’t see that happening. Instead, I have them going Trubisky at 1, missing out on Garrett at 12, instead, going for Barnett. Not too bad, but it could have worked out better for them. Oh well, at least the Cavs are looking pretty good right now.
13.) Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
There’s been a lot of talk coming out of the desert that Arizona could spend this pick on Patrick Mahomes. According to multiple sources, they seem to be very interested in this kid. Even the Cardinals GM stated in an interview with the team’s website back in February that “we have to find a QB to follow Carson Palmer”. Some people believe this is the pick to do so, and some believe that they’ll spend the weekend to take a gunslinger. Personally, as I’ve again stated in past articles, the defensive back positions are abundant this year, but the same cannot be said for th.e mid-low tier of QB’s in this year’s class. Yes, the top QB’s aren’t that much better than each other, however a strategy to pass one up for another only works if you have multiple first-round picks. Unless they start dealing, Arizona does not have this luxury. This pick is a little bit shocking, and the more logical pick would be a DB, but screw it, I’m putting Mahomes here.
14.) Philadelphia Eagles: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
It’s really tough to predict where the Eagles will go here. Early reports indicated that they might try to take a HB at this pick, but recent reports have contradicted this. Either way, they’ll have to get one eventually, and believe it or not, I actually think they’ll go with Joe Mixon in the second round. Take that for what you will. So because of the difficulty of predicting this pick correctly, it wouldn’t shock me if they fill their biggest team need and gowith a Cornerback. Keep in mind, they might just want to load up on WR here even after signing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, but the biggest need is still currently at the CB position.
15.) Indianapolis Colts: Jarrad Davis, ILB/OLB, Florida
According to Tony Pauline, the Colts seem to express great interest in ILB Jarrad Davis. Many analysts don’t believe Davis is a Top-20 prospect, but it certainly seems the Colts believe he is (and they’re the ones picking here), and the selection is a very good one considering that Indy’s linebacker corps is definitely the weak spot of their defense. Good news for Pagano, Davis can be featured as both an inside and outside linebacker.
16.) Baltimore Ravens: Garett Bolles, OT Utah
According to Jeff Zrebic of the Baltimore Sun, word on the street is that the Ravens’ plan to attack the draft is to “mimic Dallas” and build a solid offensive line. Reports suggest that they have their eyes set on ‘Bama OT Cam Robinson, but as you see, I have them going 9 spots earlier to the Chargers. I don’t believe that they’ll abandon this strategy just because Robinson will be selected, however, if Robinson isn’t available at 16, will they roll with a back, specifically Dalvin Cook? Only time will tell. I still believe they’ll take a tackle. And hey, as we saw with Dallas a few years back, this strategy seems to work. So good luck Baltimore.
17.) Washington: Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
This team can’t seem to figure out if they want to stick with Kirk Cousins or not, so who am I to try to predict where they’ll go here at 17? Even a few days ago, it seemed like they were set on selecting Gareon Conley, but then he was accused of rape, and is looking like he might go undrafted. Even Peter King reports that the team is divided on Dalvin Cook. I really have to idea where Washington will go, so let’s just fill up a team need, and the biggest need outside of QB (I doubt they’ll go with an arm here, it’s more likely they pull of a trade with San Fran at this point than it is drafting a QB) is at the DE position. And they should be extremely grateful if Thomas falls this far. Extremely.
18.) Tennessee Titans: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Like I mentioned above with their 5th pick, I see Tennessee addressing concerns in the secondary early, opting to address receivers in their second first-round selection. And Davis accomplishes their goal.
19.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dalvin Cook, HB, Flordia State
MB’s absolutely fantastic analysis on this pick just further goes to show why I believe that he is one of the most underrated voices out there on the fantasy scene. You guys should only be so lucky, so if you haven’t, check out the recent Razzcast episode now. Although he made me second-guess this selection, I still believe he speaks from the perspective of a tortured Tampa Bay fan, so I’ll still take Cook here. The Bucs are just too linked to the prospect. And I think he’s a great prospect at that. As I’ve said before, if they manage to select Cook, I think they’ll find themselves in the playoffs when the weather turns cold.
20.) Denver Broncos: Ryan Ramcyzk, OT, Wisconsin
According to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, Denver seems to be interested in Bucknell OT Julie’n Davenport. Honestly, I don’t think they reach for him, but the need of a tackle is still an important one, so I think they’ll take one here at 20. And get this, Denver’s Tight Ends coach, Geep Chryst, is the brother of my personal messiah, Wisconsin HC Paul Chryst. So they’ll get some deep insight on what Ramcyzk has to offer.
21.) Detroit Lions: Jonathan Allen, DT, Alabama
Reports are everywhere on where the Lions will go at 21, from help on the defensive line (the most logical), to Tight End, to Running Back. I think they will go with a DT here at 21, and if Allen falls to this spot, I hope Detroit recognizes this as an absolute steal.
22.) Miami Dolphins: Charles Harris, DE, Mizzou
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald firmly believes that the ‘Fins will take an edge rusher, and even though he didn’t need my input on the subject, I agree with him.
23.) New York Giants: O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com, the Giants have ‘Bama Tight End O.J. Howard on the top of their big board. And who can blame them? Their defense is pretty solid at the moment, and so is their offense apart from the TE position where they haven’t had a reliable weapon in a very long time.
24.) Oakland Raiders: Kevin King, CB, Washington
According to Tony Pauline, the Raiders will look to beef up their secondary at pick #24, and they seem to have their eyes set on Kevin King. Some view him as a second-day selection, but again, this is all about who a team feels is better than others. And they believe King is the best option for them unless something opens up elsewhere.
25.) Houston Texans: DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson
This is an easy pick. The Texans need a QB, simple as that. The best available to them here according to this mock is Watson, but it could be someone different depending on who is on Houston’s big board/what happens in the first round.
26.) Seattle Seahawks: Obi Melifonwu, S, Conneticuit
This is another tough pick. However, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports, Seattle has done quite a bit of research on Melifonwu. It might be a reach, but it seems like the only possible choice here at 26.
27.) Kansas City Chiefs: Curtis Samuel, WR, Ohio State
If for some reason Pat Mahomes falls to Kansas City here at 27, this is where he will be taken, but I highly doubt he even gets past Houston. In the likely case that he doesn’t, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star believes Samuel would be a great fit and that the organization is eyeing him. And the more help Smith could get on offense, the better.
28.) Dallas Cowboys: Adoree’ Jackson, CB, Southern California
I originally mentioned that if a receiver falls into Dallas’ lap, they’ll take him, and I still do believe that, I just doubt that it will happen. However, they do need help in the secondary, and Tony Pauline reports that they’ll spend this pick on Jackson.
29.) Green Bay Packers: T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin
Again, huge shoutout to MB for the efforts on the Razzcast. He initially predicted Watt to go to Green Bay, and again, I think he’s correct when it comes to this. Not that he needed my opinion or anything. Second, I’m really gonna miss my buddy T.J. (yes, we’re buddies, and yes, we’re on a first-name basis) as he departs Madison for the NFL. It was lots of fun to watch him every Saturday for the Badgers, and I wish him well in the future. Alright, back to the real schutff. Multiple analysts, including Dan Dahlke and Tony Pauline believe Watt will stay in Wisconsin. So there’s that. *Side Note*: All this talk about Watt and Wisconsin makes me SUPER excited for the upcoming Badgers season. That is all.
30.) Pittsburgh Steelers: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
It sounds silly, but I really do think the Steelers are preparing for life without Big Ben after the offseason in which Roethlisberger was going back and forth on retiring and coming back. According to Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com, it seems like Pittsburgh is eyeing the young, outspoken (not really a bad thing in my opinion) gunslinger.
31.) Atlanta Falcons: Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State
I’m not really sure on this pick. If they don’t trade up or down (like every other team), I think they address a team need, and that comes in the form of DT Malik McDowell to add another young piece to this defensive unit.
32.) New Orleans Saints: Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
As I mentioned above, this is the spot in which they’ll address the CB position, and you have that with Conley. There are some off-the-field issues, but as we’ve seen in the past, not many teams seem to care that much if they are talented enough. Inspiring, huh?
Alrighty guys, thank you so much for keeping me company as we get closer and now are only a few hours out from draft night. Keep your eyes peeled for MB’s continuing fire analysis in recapping the entire draft, or at least the fantasy relevant parts. As always, if you have a question or comment about anything said in this article from analysis to a certain pick, or if you just want to say hello, please don’t hesitate to leave one below.
Go read a book.
You Can Follow Zach on Twitter @ohuhave12.
