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, Oct. 6, 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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Cleveland Browns: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
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. This seemed like a great idea at the time, but they have to be kicking themselves now, with Carson Wentz playing so well and their other pick set to be in the late 20s or even in the 30s. Cody Kessler has been fine as a replacement for Josh McCown, but he's not a franchise quarterback.

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 Deshaun Watson, QB
San Diego Chargers: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
The Chargers have three excellent cornerbacks, so imagine how potent their defense would be if it could put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They'd be able to do so with Myles Garrett, as he would start across from Melvin Ingram, though Ingram may not return next year because he's an impending free agent. Jeremiah Attaochu, meanwhile, has struggled and needs to be upgraded.

Garrett is a monstrous pass-rusher, and he happens to be the top prospect in this class. He's a no-brainer for San Diego at No. 2 overall.

Pick change; previously Cam Robinson, OT
Detroit Lions: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
The Lions have a talented running back in Ameer Abdullah, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy. Detroit knows all about injury-prone backs, so if it's picking No. 3 overall, it'll strongly consider Leonard Fournette to help Matthew Stafford.

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 Stafford with Fournette lining up in the backfield.

Pick change; previously Caleb Brantley, DT

Indianapolis Colts: Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
I don't need to tell you that the Colts have major problems on the offensive line. Will Ryan Grigson finally fix them? I guess we'll see, but Cam Robinson would be a nice start. Indianapolis has a huge hole at right tackle, and this would be a major upgrade.

I dropped 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 Leonard Fournette, RB
Jacksonville Jaguars: Jonathan Allen, DE/DT, Alabama
Despite their six sacks of Andrew Luck, the Jaguars don't pressure the quarterback consistently. They have some promising edge rushers in Dante Fowler and Yannick Ngakoue, and while they could strengthen that position, they could also stand to bolster the interior of the defensive front.

Jonathan Allen is currently No. 3 on our 2017 NFL Draft Big Board, as he has been dominant this year.

Pick change; previously Myles Garrett, DE
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
The Buccaneers desperately need help at safety, but they also happen to be weak at cornerback, as Brent Grimes has just been a mediocre, short-term solution there. Having a true No. 1 shutdown cornerback would be a huge boost for this struggling defense.

Pick change; previously Dawuane Smoot, DE

Miami Dolphins: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
The Ryan Tannehill experiment may end soon. There might be a chance Adam Gase gives Tannehill another season to prove himself, but he may want to bring in his own quarterback. Tannehill hasn't shown much improvement over the years, so the Dolphins may just decide to move on with another franchise signal-caller.

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 Jalen Tabor, CB
New York Jets: Brad Kaaya, QB, Miami
The Jets won't waste any time handing in their card if they're on the clock with a franchise quarterback available. Everyone has finally seen through the Ryan Fitzpatrick farce, while Christian Hackenberg doesn't have any sort of long-term prospects, as evidenced by Todd Bowles' unwillingness to play him in the preseason.

Brad Kaaya has played brilliantly this year and may eventually pass Deshaun Watson.

Pick change; previously Dalvin Cook, RB
Arizona Cardinals: Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida
The Cardinals made the mistake of rolling into the season with a former running back as one of the starting cornerbacks, and they were punished for it. They've since replaced Brandon Williams with Marcus Cooper, which has worked out. However, Cooper is just a temporary solution, and he's an impending free agent anyway. The Cardinals need a long-term option across from Patrick Peterson.

Pick change; previously Adam Bisnowaty, OT

New Orleans Saints: Adoree Jackson, CB/KR, USC
The Saints need to draft the best defensive player available. That could be Adoree Jackson, 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.

Pick change; previously Marlon Humphrey, CB
San Francisco 49ers: Charles Harris, DE/OLB, Missouri
The poor 49ers miss out on a quarterback, but only because they're one of the 1-3 teams with a difficult schedule thus far. This could all change next week, but for now, the 49ers could stand to finally obtain a replacement for Aldon Smith, as their pass rush is extremely lacking.

Pick change; previously Brad Kaaya, QB
Tennessee Titans: Jabrill Peppers, S/LB/CB, Michigan
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. Jabrill Peppers could move to linebacker, much like Deone Bucannon did for Arizona, but the Titans need a play-maker on defense regardless.

Pick change; previously Jamal Adams, S

Chicago Bears: Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame
The Bears are another 1-3 team that has played a difficult schedule, so they've also moved out of position to draft a quarterback - for now. Instead, they can grab a potential franchise tackle, as that position is the weakest area on their roster right now.

Pick change; previously DeShone Kizer, QB
Carolina Panthers: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
The Panthers draft the best player available, and by my estimation, that would be Dalvin Cook. Jonathan Stewart is obviously still on the roster, but given that he'll be turning 30 in March, Carolina may decide to add another talented running back to lighten Stewart's workload in an attempt to keep him healthy. Cook would then take over as the starter once Stewart moves on in a couple of years.

Pick change; previously Christian McCaffrey, RB/WR
Kansas City Chiefs: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
The Chiefs currently aren't getting any pressure on the quarterback. That's obviously because Justin Houston is out, but Dee Ford, starting in his place, has done nothing. Tamba Hali doesn't have much longer remaining as a pro, so the Chiefs will need to find a suitable replacement for him.

Pick change; previously Tre'Davious White, CB
Buffalo Bills: Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida
The Bills have to add to their pass rush, and Caleb Brantley 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.

Pick change; previously Jonathan Allen, DT

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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