2017 Top 10 Mock NFL Draft

A look at what each potential top-10 team will land in the 2017 NFL Draft.

This will be my second mock NFL draft for 2017 along those lines. Until the official draft order for the top 10 is set, I will use the current Vegas super bowl odds to order the teams at the bottom. One note: this was done before the Jets/Bills game on Thursday night.

1-Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE/EDGE Texas A&M

Cleveland is a mess and in a perfect world for the Browns, Philly would lose the rest of their games so that they can have 2 top 10 picks.

Right now, that’s not happening so the Browns go for sheer talent over need. Garrett is a transformation prospect and with Jadeveon Clowney’s extremely impressive week 1 performance, teams aren’t going to shy away from taking a top flight pass rusher at #1 overall again.

#2-New York Jets: Chad Kelly, QB Ole Miss

If the Jets end up picking this high, their owner Woody Johnson should fire any coach or front office person on the spot if they told him that Hackenburg is the future. They need a good quarterback and Fitzpatrick isn’t that.

Kelly is rough around the edges but he got as much arm talent as any QB in the draft has since Jameis Winston came out.
#3-Tennessee Titans: Mike Williams, WR Clemson

Mariota has real talent and their running back committee looks like a potential strength for the Titans. The problem is that they don’t seem to have any talent at wide receiver that they could build around. Tajae Sharpe is a great story but he’s probably not going to be enough for them.

Mike Williams is the multi-level threat that they could use to maximize the play action and for Mariota’s arm talent. He has real deep speed, can play any wideout spot and has good size.

#4-Atlanta Falcons: Jonathan Allen, DL Alabama

The Falcons’ defense is a conceptual mess. Vic Beasley is an undersized 3-4 edge rusher and he’s playing 4-3 Will for them. Brooks Reed, another undersized 3-4 rusher is playing Left DE for them. And they have a 3-4 5 tech playing right DE for them in a 4-3 defense.

Their defensive plan is “disruption with athleticism” but if the defenders can’t do this, the defense looks bad. The team needs to stop this madness and get talent which fits their intended scheme and can be physical. Allen is a 4-3 #6 End but he could slide inside and play the 3 Tackle spot really well.

This would give them talent stability and allow them to either move Beasley to another team or play him like Quinn played Bruce Irvin in Seattle(as a stand up/3 point edge guy).
#5-Miami Dolphins: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame

If they’re picking here, Ryan Tannehill is being shuffled off the roster. Gase likes his quarterbacks with a big arm and guts. Tannehill has the arm, but he might not have the guts that Jay Cutler did for Gase.

Kizer looks like a dual threat quarterback who’s put aside his running to learn how to be a pocket passer and might have one of the best arms in the draft. I question his footwork, but that can be coached out of him.

#6-New Orleans Saints: Tim Williams, DE/EDGE Alabama

He’s not a great fit for their defense but the Saints have shown that they care about sheer talent over pure fit. The thinking behind this pick is that with Rankins coming back, Jordan+Williams+Rankins+whomever will be a quality defensive front that allows them to rebuild the secondary.

#7-Buffalo Bills: Isaiah Ford, WR Virginia Tech

When healthy(which is rare), Sammy Watkins can be a devastating wideout that can torch any coverage or defensive back. But regardless if Watkins is healthy, Robert Woods and the rest of their wide receiving corps is pretty pedestrian. Woods might be a good #3 guy but he certainly can’t carry the load if and when Watkins gets hurt. Ford is a name you’ll hear more and more of in the coming months. He can play any WR spot and play at any level.

#8-Washington Redskins: Leonard Fournette, RB LSU

If the Redskins are picking here, then they’ll flush the decks of the coaches and Kirk Cousins. If Kizer dropped here, they’d probably take him. Watson doesn’t seem like a viable option even if I thought he was top 10 talent because they’re still recovering from the RG3 debacle.

More from With the First Pick

Their GM talks constantly about getting back to power football where the running game dominates and wears down the opponent. Fournette would certainly fill a major need and be a good fit for this style of play.

#9-Chicago Bears: Tre’Davious White, CB LSU

Fuller is a good corner when he’s actually out on the field. Porter is okay but is getting old and injury prone. White is a talented and athletic man press corner who can contribute as a returner. The Bears have talent, it’s a matter of getting it all on the field and on the same page at the same time.

#10-San Diego Chargers: Jabrill Peppers, Defender Michigan

It’s hard to tell where Peppers will end up playing in the NFL but he makes plays. He could be best as a Will linebacker in a 3-4 so he can roam the formation and pick his spots.

Personally I worry about him in coverage deep so strong safety-unless he’s playing in a Lebeau style 3-4 cover-3 defense-would be problematic. The Bolts fans love Teo and Perryman, but it’s doubtful that the team feels the same way. Or at least they shouldn’t.

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