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Top 10 Prospects for the 2017 NFL Draft

By jonfox

Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; MVP LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) and head coach Les Miles talks to a reporter after defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders at NRG Stadium. LSU won 56 to 27. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; MVP LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) and head coach Les Miles talks to a reporter after defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders at NRG Stadium. LSU won 56 to 27. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Now that the 2016 NFL draft is in the books, let’s take a quick peek at the 2017 NFL draft and go over the top 10 prospects for the next NFL Draft.

  1. Leonard Fournette, RB LSU. Could he become Adrian Peterson 2.0? Absolutely. He has that amazing combination of speed, size, vision and just sheer ability that Peterson had coming out of school. I have no doubts that he’s going to be a Heisman front runner. That said, what did Alabama do to shut him down so effectively?
  1. Christian McCaffrey, RB Stanford. He really should be 1A to Fournette in the 2017 NFL Draft. His speed and quickness might make him more effective in the NFL than Leonard ultimately becomes. The key for him will be going to that team which is going to use him properly.  
  1. Myles Garrett, DE Texas A&M. It’s hard to see him on the field and not think of a bigger version of Von Miller. He has that bend, speed, quickness and explosion that teams look for in an Edge rusher. But at 260 lbs, he could easily play weakside end in a 4-3 defense.
  1. CJ Beathard, QB Iowa. Beathard is the grandson of legendary general manager Bobby Beathard. He’s my top quarterback right now and when it comes to pro-readiness, it’s not that close. I’d say that the best way to describe him is that he seems to have everything good about Connor Cook with none of his leadership/sack panic/attitude issues. He’s not a perfect prospect but he should be the best pro style passer in this class. I see a lot of Eli Manning in him. 
  1. Tim Williams, EDGE Alabama. The usual red flags for Alabama defenders apply to Williams, but it’s been a long time since they had an edge rusher with this much natural pass rush talent. Upshaw was more of a 2 way linebacker who rushed inconsistently for them. Williams is a dedicated rusher for the Crimson Tide and looks very pro ready in this role. He’s no Myles Garrett, but who is?
  1. Chad Kelly, QB Ole Miss. Kelly’s biggest enemy is himself. He got booted from Clemson and struggled to find a new school until he talked Huge Freeze into a chance(considering the scandals swirling around the Ole Miss program, this is probably something that the NCAA would like to look into). If he can focus and stay humble, Kelly could be a serious contender for the Heisman and could be a top 5 pick ultimately. He has an amazing arm, great touch and power and a nice compact delivery that NFL coaches drool over. It’s really hard not to come off impressed by him. But his behavior and mindset are going to be critical for his success and eventual draft stock. 
  1. Cam Robinson, OT Alabama. His play dipped a bit in the early part of 2015, but he recovered strong and showed to be a very good blindside blocker especially when he had to face Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd and the Michigan State defenders during the playoffs. Alabama ran much better behind him than behind anyone else in 2015. The two tackles in Los Angeles(Banner and McDermott) could surpass him as pro prospects but right now they have a high hill to climb to do that.

Note: this was written before Cam Robinson’s arrest on monday night. It’s too early to say how this will affect his draft stock or even if he’s playing in 2016 for the Crimson Tide.

  1. Desmond King, CB Iowa. I have him over Tabor right now on sheer pro-ready ability. Tabor has more sheer potential but King looks so much more ready to play in the NFL. Tabor might end up the better pro but King will be a 5 year starter immediately. King also has the athleticism to contribute as a returner for as long until the NFL outlaws them.
  1. Dalvin Cook, RB FSU. Some people have Cook as the top running back in this class. I think he’s a fantastic runner and could fit in nicely in an I-Back offense in the NFL but he doesn’t have Fournette or McCaffrey’s sheer athletic explosion. 
  1. Jamal Adams, S LSU. He’s a coverage strong safety or a slower free safety. I’d compare him to Karl Joseph without the nasty intimidation factor that Joseph brought to the field. But he can ballhawk, play two ways and make smart decisions like Joseph did at West Virginia. Adams is a guy that Zone defense teams are going to covet since he could play in a number of roles for them.
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