Doug Dell’Isola – 2017 NFL Mock Draft, Round 1 –
#1, Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett, OLB, Texas A&M
Easily the number 1 prospect in this draft. The Browns need a QB but this is a can’t miss prospect you simply can not afford to pass on.
#2, San Francisco 49ers – Soloman Thomas, DE, Stanford
The 49ers have a lot of holes, especially at QB, but Thomas will step in and make an immediate impact for this team given his superior athleticism and pass rushing ability.
#3, Chicago Bears – Jamal Adams, S, LSU
The Bears need secondary help. Jamal Adams is right up there with Malik Hooker on my board and doesn’t have any injury concerns. Adams should be an easy pick here.
#4, Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
The Jags need a workhorse in the backfield to help out Blake Bortles and the offense. Fournette is exactly that. Tom Coughlin will love having a hard-nosed runner in the backfield.
#5, Tennessee Titans – Jonathan Allen, DT, Alabama
The Titans absolutely need a playmaker on offense in this draft but not at pick number 5. Reaching on a receiver in this situation would be a mistake. Jonathan Allen is a day 1 impact starter and will help that defensive line tremendously.
#6, New York Jets – Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
The Jets secondary needs a lot of help. They need to replace Revis and they should look at Lattimore as that. He’s my favorite corner in the draft and should help an ever so weak secondary.
#7, Los Angeles Chargers – Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
With Adams off the board, the Chargers go with Hooker. The Chargers greatly missed the presence of Eric Weddle last year and Hooker should step in day 1 and help out that secondary immediately.
#8, Carolina Panthers – Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
Cam Newton and The Panthers need more playmaking pop to their offense. McCaffrey will provide that. Him and Jonathan Stewart should make a fine RB duo. And plus McCaffrey and Newton together should be a lot of fun to watch.
#9, Cincinnati Bengals – Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
The Bengals need to revamp the trenches on both sides of the ball. Barnett was a super productive college pass rusher and that’s what the Bengals need.
#10, Buffalo Bills – Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
The first QB off the board goes to the Bills. Trubisky did not play many games at UNC but showed a lot of promise. They could have gone for a big time playmaker like Corey Davis or Mike Williams but with Tyrod Taylor’s future in question, Trubisky is the pick.
#11, New Orleans Saints – Haasan Reddick, OLB, Temple
No one boosted their stock during the offseason more than Haasan Reddick. Now I do think this pick would have been Reuben Foster out of ‘Bama but given his recent drug test complications, the pick is Reddick.
#12, Cleveland Browns – Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
The Browns got their elite pass rusher in Myles Garrett. Now it’s time to invest in a potential franchise QB that’s been eluding them for so long. Watson has shown clutchness and rising to the moment, something the Browns are not accustomed to.
#13, Arizona Cardinals – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
The Cardinals get their big-bodied wideout to replace Michael Floyd. Quarterback could have been the pick here but I didn’t like the value. Davis is the only receiver in FBS history to be top 5 in catches, yards, and TD’s. Don’t sleep on this kid.
#14, Philadelphia Eagles – Kevin King, CB, Washington
With the Giants acquiring Brandon Marshall and the Redskins acquiring Terrelle Pryor, the Eagles need a big physical corner to help their mediocre at best secondary. At 6’3″, King is a perfect fit for this need and the Eagles.
#15, Indianapolis Colts – Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
So Reuben Foster doesn’t slip too far down given his drug test complications. The Colts need to sure up the middle of that defense and Foster is a difference maker. I love his tape. He’s a big hitter and if everything works out with his drug test than the Colts have themselves a gem at #15. Oh yeah, Alabama also has a pretty success with defensive players in the NFL not named Dee Millner.
#16, Baltimore Ravens – John Ross, WR, Washington
This pick could easily be Mike Williams but the Baltimore Ravens go with the fastest prospect we’ve ever seen. John Ross will step in day 1 and make an impact with Joe Flacco’s huge arm. Flacco to Ross will be a huge deep threat connection all year.
#17, Washington Redskins – Charles Harris, OLB, Missouri
Charles Harris has been getting a lot of buzz lately and the Redskins could use a quality pash rusher. Harris is a good fit for the Redskins providing quality length and quickness.
#18, Tennessee Titans – Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
Like I said when they were picking at #5, the Titans are desperate for a playmaker on offense. Mike Williams just so happens to fall in their lap at pick #18. Easy pick. Titans pull the trigger on Williams without blinking.
#19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
O.J. Howard falls further than expected and the Buccs grab the best tight end in the draft. He’s an all around tight end. He can block very well and has the potential to be a great pass catcher with speed. Tight Ends don’t ever go much earlier than this anyway.
#20, Denver Broncos – Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
There’s a lot of debate who the best left tackle in this draft is. I honestly think it’s a toss up between Ramczyk and Garrett Bolles. Maybe throw Cam Robinson in there. But the Denver Broncos go with Ramczyk to fill a big hole at left tackle.
#21, Detroit Lions – Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
Detroit could really use an edge rusher that could make an immediate impact. Taco Charlton is that. His value has bounced around but this would be a good value at #21.
#22, Miami Dolphins – Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
The Dolphins need to upgrade their pass defense. They could go in multiple directions on the defensive side but I went with Conley because outside of Byron Maxwell, they don’t have much depth.
#23, New York Giants – David Njoku, TE, Miami
Giants could have easily went offensive line with this pick but in a weak o-line draft, they go with Njoku. Better value and fills a need. Njoku is extremely gifted and athletic and will give the Giants another dimension to their offense.
#24, Oakland Raiders – Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
The Raiders have some young running backs that they like but with Dalvin Cook still on the board at this point they pull the trigger and select him. He’s just too talented to pass up at this point. Especially with their loss of Murray.
#25, Houston Texans – Patrick Mahomes II, QB, Texas Tech
The Houston Texans dire need for a QB comes at #25. Mahomes has a big arm and has a lot of promise to be a productive QB in the NFL. He may not start immediately but the Texans almost have to select a QB here.
#26, Seattle Seahawks – Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
The Seahawks need to beef up their offensive line and they do that here with Cam Robinson. A big phyical tackle who could be well suited on either the left or right side of the line.
#27, Kansas City Chiefs – Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
The Kansas City Chiefs could really use a 2nd corner to compliment Marcus Peters. This pick should help solidify their secondary into a scary unit as a whole.
#28, Dallas Cowboys – Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State
The Cowboys have a lot of holes on defense and McDowell is a first round talent even with his off the field concerns. The Cowboys have never been shy to take risks with these type of players so I see McDowell as a good fit here.
#29, Green Bay Packers – T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin
A lot of quality corners have already been taken off the board so the Packers go with high riser T.J. Watt. I think it’s saying something that T.J.’s combine performance out-did his brother, J.J.’s. And plus T.J.’s pro comparison: Clay Matthews who just retired this offseason.
#30, Pittsburgh Steelers – Obi Melifonwu, S, UConn
The Steelers need a difference maker in the middle of the field. Obi Melifonwu is an athletic freak and should fit into Pittsburgh’s system and make a day 1 impact.
#31, Atlanta Falcons – Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA
While undersized, Takkarist McKinley brings a high motor and great athleticism to a team with glaring defensive needs. McKinley could be a very effective compliment to Vic Beasley.
#32, New Orleans Saints – Adoree Jackson, CB/WR/KR/PR, USC In this draft the Saints went with Haasan Reddick earlier in the first round to help their weak defense. Adoree Jackson is a swiss army knife that played CB/WR/KR/PR at USC. He will help the Saints greatly on special teams now that they traded Brandin Cooks to the Pats.
