2017 NFL Mock Draft

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Walter of WalterFootball has been WalterFootball'ing since 1999'. Older Content is being kept around here. Thanks for reading.

Last update: Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016. Major changes.
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The order of this 2017 NFL Mock Draft is based on the current NFL Power Rankings.

NFL Draft Recent Links:

2020 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 2/11): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
Other 2020 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (2/10) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/27) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2019 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
Other 2019 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25)

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Chicago Bears: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
The Bears are a complete mess, and they need to start over. That basically means jettisoning Jay Cutler, who has been a blight on the team and the franchise's salary cap for far too long.

DeShone Kizer is currently the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick. Some team sources have said that they favor him over Deshaun Watson and Brad Kaaya, and it's easy to see why, thanks to his arm strength, accuracy and mobility.

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Pick change; previously Brad Kaaya, QB
San Francisco 49ers: Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami
The 49ers obviously need a quarterback. Of their two primary signal-callers, one is cowardly and does nothing but toss checkdowns, while the other distracts his team with political antics. San Francisco needs to begin anew with either DeShone Kizer, Deshaun Watson or Brad Kaaya. Hiring a new head coach and general manager would help, too, as would finding a new owner.

I've had Watson as the No. 2 quarterback for several weeks now, but I'm beginning to think Kaaya has passed him on the pecking order. Watson hasn't quite been himself thus far, while Kaaya has played brilliantly.

Pick change; previously Deshaun Watson, QB
Jacksonville Jaguars: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
The Jaguars added some nice pieces to their secondary and linebacking corps, but their defense could use another edge rusher. They couldn't rattle Philip Rivers at all, allowing the veteran signal-caller to torch them. With stronger quarterback play now prevalent in the AFC South, Jacksonville needs to improve its ability to put pressure on opposing signal-callers.

Myles Garrett is a monstrous pass-rusher, and he happens to be the top prospect in this class.

Pick change; previously Deshaun Watson, QB

Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
The Browns traded away the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Eagles, passing on the possibility of drafting a quarterback. Cleveland did the smart thing at the time, albeit with stupid reasoning. They believed Robert Griffin would be a better quarterback than Carson Wentz, which seems so ridiculous now. If the Browns were able to get a top-10 pick from the Eagles, this would still be a good trade in their favor, but we can all see that's not the case anymore. Philadelphia's selection is likely to be in the 20s, so the Browns have to take a quarterback with their one top-10 choice.

College football's version of Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson had an amazing run despite being just a mere sophomore. The sky's the limit for him, despite his slow start this season.

Pick change; previously DeShone Kizer, QB
New Orleans Saints: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
The Saints need to draft the best defensive player available. That could be Marlon Humphrey, who would offer a tremendous boost at cornerback. The Saints lost Keenan Lewis this offseason and now is incredibly thin at the position. Delvin Breaux is a good player, but New Orleans needs to find someone to start across from him.
Indianapolis Colts: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
This is an easy, slam-dunk pick. The Colts almost have to draft Leonard Fournette. Sure, they have offensive line and defensive issues, but Fournette is the best player on the board and also fills a huge need. The Colts have nothing beyond Frank Gore, whose expiration date is quickly approaching.

Fournette would've been considered the top running back prospect since Adrian Peterson if it weren't for Todd Gurley, and I'd have to think there would be far less pressure on Andrew Luck with Fournette lining up in the backfield.

Miami Dolphins: Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida
Miami has a very strong defensive line, but happens to be very weak on the back end. Byron Maxwell has predictably struggled thus far. Fortunately for the Dolphins, there are numerous talented cornerbacks projected to be in this class, so they'll be able to improve this area.

Pick change; previously Adoree Jackson, CB
Buffalo Bills: Jonathan Allen, DE/DT, Alabama
The Bills have to add to their pass rush, and Jonathan Allen is one of the better players on the board. Buffalo is very weak in the defensive interior, as it's unclear what will become of Marcell Dareus, who can't seem to stay out of trouble. Dareus has entered rehab, so perhaps that will help. Either way, Allen will be strongly considered.

Pick change; previously Myles Garrett, DE
Atlanta Falcons: Charles Harris, DE/OLB, Missouri
It was a bit odd to see the Falcons eschew their pass rush in the 2016 NFL Draft, especially when Shaq Lawson dropped to them at No. 17. I'm sure that after another year of struggling to get to the quarterback, they'll be desperate for someone who can apply pressure on opposing signal-callers in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Pick change; previously Jonathan Allen, DE/DT

Tennessee Titans: Jamal Adams, S, LSU
The Titans will score plenty of points this season, so they almost have to select the top two defensive players available with their pair of draft picks. Safety is a big issue, as Rashad Johnson has proven to be a huge liability.

Pick change; previously Jalen Tabor, CB
San Diego Chargers: Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
Selecting Laremy Tunsil at No. 3 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft would've made a ton of sense, but Tunsil's draft stock took a hit when his bong video was released. Perhaps the Chargers will look to address the left tackle spot with another potentially troubled blocker.

I dropped Cam Robinson to the second round of this 2017 NFL Mock Draft over the summer in the wake of his arrest, but he's been cleared, and it sounds like most teams will consider him, though we'll have to see how he interviews.

Pick change; previously Jamal Adams, S
Washington Redskins: Jabrill Peppers, S/LB/CB, Michigan
The Redskins were supposed to have a great secondary, but their safety situation is now a concern. DeAngelo Hall tore his ACL, while David Bruton has been pretty pedestrian. Here's an upgrade, although Jabrill Peppers could move to linebacker, much like Deone Bucannon did for Arizona.

Pick change; previously Dalvin Cook, RB

Tennessee Titans: Adoree Jackson, CB/WR/KR, USC
Both defensive back positions can be addressed by the Titans, who are extremely weak on the back end. Perrish Cox has been an abomination in coverage, and he can't tackle either. He needs to be upgraded immediately.

Pick change; previously Jabrill Peppers, S
New York Jets: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
The poor Jets miss out on a quarterback, but they can at least find a permanent solution in their backfield. Matt Forte has been a nice addition, but he won't last much longer.

There's a strong possibility that two running backs are chosen in the top 10. Dalvin Cook and Leonard Fournette are that good. In fact, if you check out the NFL Draft Rumor Mill, you'll see that some scouts believe that Cook may pass Fournette in the 2017 NFL Draft pecking order, despite how highly Fournette is regarded.

Pick change; previously Derek Barnett, DE
Dallas Cowboys: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
The Cowboys once had a very promising, young pass-rushing tandem in Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. However, the two haven't been able to play because of suspensions. Lawrence could turn out to be fine, but Gregory seems like a lost cause at this point. Dallas has to consider an edge rusher in the first round.

Pick change; previously Cam Robinson, OT
Baltimore Ravens: Malik McDowell, DE/DT, Michigan State
The Ravens don't really have much at defensive end right now, outside of Timmy Jernigan and fourth-round rookie Willie Henry. Unless Henry proves himself, I have to believe that Baltimore will target a defensive lineman at some point in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Go to 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I've received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwidth.

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