2017 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down Post-Week 2 Predictions

We're only through two weeks of the NFL season, but for some fans it's already time to start thinking ahead to April's NFL draft. 

Putting together a mock draft this early can be difficult because the draft order is so far from being set. For this mock draft, rather than overreacting to early-season results, we'll stick with an order based off preseason expectations. 

Obviously the order will change dramatically in the coming months, so rather than reacting to where your team is placed, focus on the order of the players at this stage of the evaluation process. 

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Cleveland Browns	DeShone Kizer	QB	Notre Dame
2	San Francisco 49ers	Myles Garrett	DE	Texas A&M
3	Tennessee Titans	Malik McDowell	DL	Michigan State
4	Chicago Bears	Jonathan Allen	DL	Alabama
5	New Orleans Saints	Jabrill Peppers	S/LB	Michigan
6	Buffalo Bills	Tim Williams	LB	Alabama
7	Tennessee Titans (from LA)	Teez Tabor	CB	Florida
8	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Leonard Fournette	RB	LSU
9	Miami Dolphins	Deshaun Watson	QB	Clemson
10	San Diego Chargers	Mike McGlinchey	OT	Notre Dame
11	Detroit Lions	Mike Williams	WR	Clemson
12	Washington Redskins	Dalvin Cook	RB	Florida State
13	Atlanta Falcons	Marlon Humphrey	CB	Alabama
14	Dallas Cowboys	Raekwon McMillan	LB	Ohio State
15	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Reuben Foster	LB	Alabama
16	Jacksonville Jaguars	Cam Robinson	OT	Alabama
17	Houston Texans	Jamar Adams	S	LSU
18	Baltimore Ravens	Zach Cunningham	LB	Vanderbilt
19	New York Jets	Brad Kaaya	QB	Miami FL
20	Kansas City Chiefs	Christian McCaffrey	RB	Stanford
21	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jourdan Lewis	CB	Michigan
22	Oakland Raiders	Cameron Sutton	CB	Tennessee
23	Indianapolis Colts	Gareon Conley	CB	Ohio State
24	Denver Broncos	Taco Charlton	DE	Michigan
25	New York Giants	Charles Harris	DE	Missouri
26	Green Bay Packers	Royce Freeman	RB	Oregon
27	Pittsburgh Steelers	JuJu Smith-Schuster	WR	USC
28	Cincinnati Bengals	Carl Lawson	DE	Auburn
29	Seattle Seahawks	Cooper Kupp	WR	E. Washington
30	Arizona Cardinals	Pat Elflein	C	Ohio State
31	Carolina Panthers	Corey Davis	WR	Western Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Desmond King	CB	Iowa

1. Cleveland Browns: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame

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Predictions for the Cleveland Browns' selection will likely change many times over the coming months, but the position will remain constant. The Browns desperately need to address the league's worst quarterback situation, and there appears to be a few prospects potentially worthy of the top pick in the upcoming draft. 

The latest name to rise to the top is Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer. 

At 6'4 ½" and 230 pounds, Kizer has the physical build of a prototypical pocket passer, but he also has enough mobility to add another dimension to his game. 

It may feel like an overreaction to place Kizer so high, especially considering the fact that he wasn't even included in most first-round mock drafts prior to the start of the season. However, this rise for Kizer was always expected of him. 

Kizer is a redshirt sophomore, and many expected him to need more time to reach his full potential in college—especially since he wasn't even guaranteed the starting job at Notre Dame this year. But after three games it's clear that Kizer has improved by leaps and bounds this offseason and is already playing at the level of a top draft prospect. 

9. Miami Dolphins: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

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Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson is another player in contention for the No. 1 overall pick, but his draft stock is starting to slip in the opposite direction as Kizer's. 

Watson appeared to get back on track this past weekend against South Carolina State, but in his first two outings against FBS opponents he did not play like a future top pick. 

One of the negatives in Watson's scouting report is his inability to effectively handle pressure. CFB Film Room recently shared some numbers on his issues in this area:

There is still plenty of time left in the season for Watson to rebound, which is why he still belongs in mock drafts based off his 2015 performance. However, if he keeps up his early-season performance, he will continue to slip down the board. 

27. Pittsburgh Steelers: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC

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No highly-touted prospect is having a worse season than USC receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. He has failed to get on the same page as quarterback Max Browne and has just 11 receptions for 99 yards through three games. 

In his latest Scouting Notebook, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reported that multiple NFL scouts had called Smith-Schuster the most overrated draft prospect in this class. 

That may be true based on early-season expectations, but Smith-Schuster should still be considered a candidate to land in the first round based off his raw skills. There are only so many 6'2", 220-pound receivers with Smith-Schuster's speed and athleticism available in every draft, and they often come off the board early even without elite production in college. 

If his season continues to be a disappointment, Smith-Schuster could be an ideal pick in the late first round for a veteran team like the Pittsburgh Steelers. Surrounded by veteran leadership in a place like Pittsburgh, Smith-Schuster may finally be able to get the most out of his obvious talent.