Re-drafting the 2017 NFL draft: Jaguars land Kupp, Jets tab Watson and five running backs selected
21. Detroit Lions
Original selection: Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
Re-draft pick: Aaron Jones, RB, UTEP
Davis' NFL career did not work out like the Lions had hoped for. He was not a bad player, but he has some major flaws. His coverage abilities left a lot to be desired and he missed too many tackles for the Lions to continue to rely on him. After three seasons as a starter, he moved more into a backup role, participating more on special teams. He was out of Detroit after four seasons, joining the Jets in 2021. He returned to the Lions in 2022, but was then traded back to New York, this time landing with the Giants. He was out of the league in 2023.
The Lions needed help on defense, but they also needed a running game. From 2005 to 2021, the Lions had one 1,000-yard rusher. Reggie Bush crossed that threshold barely in 2013 with 1,006 yards that season. Jones has rushed for over 1,000 yards three times in his career and has over 8,000 career yards from scrimmage. He would have provided Matthew Stafford with a reliable weapon out of the backfield.
22. Miami Dolphins
Original selection: Charles Harris, EDGE, Missouri
Re-draft pick: Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
Miami needed help on defense. Harris did not provide it. In three seasons with the Dolphins, he had 3.5 sacks. He was traded to the Falcons in 2020 for seventh-round selection. He did have what seemed to be a breakout season in 2021 with 7.5 sacks after joining the Lions, but has recorded just two more sacks over the past two seasons.
For the Dolphins, taking White here would be about what he was able to do before he got hurt. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year, had a solid 2018 campaign and then was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2019 and 2020. He was in the midst of another strong season, but tore his ACL late in 2021. It cost him a good chunk of 2022 as well. Finally healthy for 2023, his season ended after just four games due to a torn Achilles. He signed with the Rams this offseason. At this stage of the draft, it is hard to find players who had a more productive spell than White did from 2017-20. He might still have a little left in the tank as well.
23. New York Giants
Original selection: Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss
Re-draft pick: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
Engram has developed into a solid tight end. Unfortunately, all of that development came after he left the Giants and joined the Jaguars. Injuries and inconsistency marred his career with New York. He missed 16 games in five years and ultimately left in free agency after 2021. Engram's best two seasons have been the two he has spent in Jacksonville. New York would love to have that player, but it is tough to justify taking him again knowing it would take five years to get there.
Instead, the Giants can land one of the top running backs in the league over the past half decade. Cook struggled with injuries out of the gate, but settled in by 2019. It started a four-year run of at least 1,300 yards from scrimmage and a Pro Bowl appearance. Things went off the rails in his stint with the Jets last season, but everyone suffers when playing for Nathaniel Hackett. Cook would have provided a nice boost in Eli Manning's final seasons and likely would have saved Dave Gettleman from himself and prevented him from spending the No. 2 pick on Saquon Barkley the following year.
24. Oakland Raiders
Original selection: Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
Re-draft selection: Dalvin Tomlinson, DL, Alabama
Like many of the picks made during the Jon Guden-Mike Mayock era, Conley was a flop. He played just three seasons in the NFL, two with the Raiders and then one more where he was traded midseason to the Texans.
Bulking up the defensive line would have been a better move. Tomlinson does not offer a ton as a pass rusher, but he is one of the best run defenders in the league. He has a big frame at 6'3", 325 pounds, allowing him to plug rushing lanes and disrupt gaps. Adding him to a defense that featured Khalil Mack, Mario Edwards, Bruce Irvin and Navarro Bowman would have definitely provided a big boost.