2017 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down Post-Week 6 Predictions

The NFL season is always full of surprises, and the 2016 season has been no different. 

Who could have guessed that just six weeks into the season we would be talking about the Carolina Panthers turning their attention to the NFL draft? But after another loss dropped Carolina to 1-5, the Panthers are now in position to own the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NFL draft. 

There's still plenty of time for the Panthers and other struggling teams to resurrect their seasons, but it's now must-win time for the teams sitting in the top 10 of the current draft order. 

Here's a look at an updated 2017 NFL mock draft, featuring the current draft order entering Monday Night Football:

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett	DE	Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Malik McDowell	DT	Michigan State
3	Carolina Panthers	Jabrill Peppers	LB/S	Michigan
4	Chicago Bears	DeShone Kizer	QB	Notre Dame
5	New York Jets	Cam Robinson	OT	Alabama
6	San Diego Chargers	Jonathan Allen	DL	Alabama
7	Cincinnati Bengals	JuJu Smith-Schuster	WR	USC
8	Miami Dolphins	Deshaun Watson	QB	Clemson
9	Indianapolis Colts	Leonard Fournette	RB	LSU
10	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Gareon Conley	CB	Ohio State
11	New Orleans Saints	Derek Barnett	DE	Tennessee
12	Arizona Cardinals	Brad Kaaya	QB	Miami FL
13	Jacksonville Jaguars	Marlon Humphrey	CB	Alabama
14	Baltimore Ravens	Malik Hooker	S	Ohio State
15	Tennessee Titans (from LA)	Zach Cunningham	LB	Vanderbilt
16	Tennessee Titans	Mike Williams	WR	Clemson
17	Detroit Lions	Dalvin Cook	RB	Florida State
18	New York Giants	Quincy Wilson	CB	Florida
19	Kansas City Chiefs	Tim Williams	LB	Alabama
20	Green Bay Packers	Dan Feeney	OG	Indiana
21	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Mitch Trubisky	QB	North Carolina
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Lowell Lotulelei	DT	Utah
23	Atlanta Falcons	Teez Tabor	CB	Florida
24	Houston Texans	Raekwon McMillan	LB	Ohio State
25	Buffalo Bills	Cordrea Tankersley	CB	Clemson
26	Oakland Raiders	John Ross	WR	Washington
27	Denver Broncos	Charles Harris	DE	Missouri
28	Washington Redskins	Marquis Haynes	LB	Ole Miss
29	Seattle Seahawks	Mike McGlinchey	OT	Notre Dame
30	New England Patriots	Jourdan Lewis	CB	Michigan
31	Dallas Cowboys	Dawuane Smoot	DE	Illinois
32	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Reuben Foster	LB	Alabama

7. Cincinnati Bengals: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

After a shaky start to the season, JuJu Smith-Schuster's NFL draft stock was falling fast. Smith-Schuster managed just 11 receptions in USC's first three games. 

However, when the Trojans turned the offense over to quarterback Sam Darnold, Smith-Schuster's performance immediately reverted back to the level we've become accustomed to seeing from the 6'2", 220-pound star. 

In four games with Darnold, Smith-Schuster has hauled in 29 receptions for 466 yards and six touchdowns. 

Smith-Schuster suffered a back injury in the Trojans' win over Arizona on Saturday, but even if he's forced to miss some time, he has done enough in recent weeks to solidify himself as one of the elite offensive weapons in this draft class. 

The Cincinnati Bengals, clearly suffering from the losses of free-agent receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, would likely jump at the chance to add another weapon like Smith-Schuster opposite A.J. Green. 

21. Cleveland Browns: Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Many mock drafts have the Cleveland Browns selecting a quarterback with the No. 1 overall selection. CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler is among those who have projected the Browns to select Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer.

However, the recent performance of the top quarterbacks may force the Browns in a different direction. Most notably, Kizer's struggles against Stanford on Saturday led Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly to bench him for a portion of the second half. 

With two first-round picks, the Browns may not feel pressured to reach for a quarterback at No. 1, instead opting to wait for better value later in the round with the pick they own from the Philadelphia Eagles. 

North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky has been one of the fastest-rising prospects this year, his first as the Tar Heels' starting quarterback. 

His lack of experience may concern some scouts, but as Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski pointed out, we've seen prospects with similar experience go early in the draft before:

"

A lot will be made of Mitch Trubisky only starting one season if he declares. He's on pace to have more collegiate pass attempts than Wentz.

— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) October 15, 2016"

Adding an elite defensive player like Texas A&M lineman Myles Garrett early in the draft, followed by a quarterback such as Trubisky later in the round, could be the ideal scenario to speed up the Browns' rebuilding process. 

26. Oakland Raiders: John Ross, WR, Washington

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

The Oakland Raiders are among the most improved teams in the NFL and a legitimate playoff contender. They've reached this point by rebuilding through the draft, primarily with the smart approach of drafting the best available player rather than reaching for needs. 

In order to elevate this team to the next level, however, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie will need to take a more aggressive approach next offseason. 

Wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper have been productive, but the Raiders could use an infusion of speed on offense to help stretch the field. 

According to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, an NFL scout recently called Washington receiver John Ross "the fastest player in college football" and compared him to New Orleans Saints receiver Brandin Cooks. 

Adding a dangerous deep threat like Ross could help quarterback Derek Carr elevate his game to an elite level in 2017.