NFL Mock Draft 2017: Updated 1st-Round Predictions After Week 17

The 2016 regular season has nearly concluded, so fans of the 20 teams not in the playoffs will begin shifting their focus to the 2017 NFL draft on April 27.

The Cleveland Browns nearly threw away the No. 1 overall pick after taking the Pittsburgh Steelers to overtime, but a 26-yard touchdown pass by Landry Jones ensured Cleveland will be selecting first this spring.

The full draft order for the first round will go through a few different iterations based on the playoff results, but many of the first 32 teams are known.

Below is a mock for the first round of the draft, followed by two questions that will linger throughout draft season.

2017 Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	School
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE	Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Tim Williams, LB	Alabama
3	Chicago Bears	DeShone Kizer, QB	Notre Dame
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jamal Adams, S	LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (from Rams)	Jonathan Allen, DE	Alabama
6	New York Jets	Mitch Trubisky, QB	North Carolina
7	San Diego Chargers	Cam Robinson, OT	Alabama
8	Carolina Panthers	Leonard Fournette, RB	LSU
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Jabrill Peppers, LB	Michigan
10	Buffalo Bills	Corey Davis, WR	Western Michigan
11	New Orleans Saints	Reuben Foster, LB	Alabama
12	Cleveland Browns (from Eagles)	Quincy Wilson, CB	Florida
13	Arizona Cardinals	Jalen Tabor, CB	Florida
14	Philadelphia Eagles (from Vikings)	Mike Williams, WR	Clemson
15	Indianapolis Colts	Derek Barnett, DE	Tennessee
16	Baltimore Ravens	Takkarist McKinley, LB	UCLA
17	Washington Redskins	Zach Cunningham, LB	Vanderbilt
18	Tennessee Titans	Cordrea Tankersley, CB	Clemson
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Taco Charlton, DE	Michigan
20	Denver Broncos	Ryan Ramczyk, OT	Wisconsin
21	Detroit Lions	Charles Harris, DE	Missouri
22	Miami Dolphins	O.J. Howard, TE	Alabama
23	New York Giants	Dalvin Cook, RB	Florida State
24	Oakland Raiders	Malik McDowell, DT	Michigan State
25	Houston Texans	Raekwon McMillan, LB	Ohio State
26	Green Bay Packers	Sidney Jones, CB	Washington
27	Seattle Seahawks	Roderick Johnson, OT	Florida State
28	Atlanta Falcons	Desmond King, CB	Iowa
29	Pittsburgh Steelers	Carl Lawson, LB	Auburn
30	Kansas City Chiefs	Marshon Lattimore, CB	Ohio State
31	Dallas Cowboys	Jake Butt, TE	Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Christian McCaffrey, RB	Stanford

Draft-Season Storylines

How Do the Browns Mess This Up?

Every NFL draft, the Browns become a Rube Goldberg machine of bad decision-making. It's impressive how the franchise's draft futility has continued through various owners, general managers and head coaches.

With two first-round picks, Cleveland should be positioned to come out of the 2017 draft with at least one future Pro Bowler. Of course, two first-round picks also gives the Browns double the chance to screw it up.

In 2012, they came out of the first round with Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden, and two years later, they grabbed Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert with their two first-rounders. Cleveland showed some progress, though, when it selected Danny Shelton in 2015 and followed up with Cameron Erving.

With two top-12 picks, the Browns can focus a little less on need and instead target the best player available with the No. 1 selection. Quarterback is obviously a priority for Cleveland in 2017, but the team can afford to wait a little later before surveying the landscape at the position.

On Dec. 11, ESPN's Adam Schefter spoke to a source who said the Browns have an "astronomical grade" on Myles Garrett. While that could be little more than typical draft subterfuge, the Texas A&M defensive end would be a great pick for Cleveland.

Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo had the Browns adding Garrett in his most recent mock draft:

"

That said, they add the best pass-rusher in the draft in Garrett who graded at 91.0 as a rusher this season despite playing while banged up for much of the year. He has the burst, bend and power that teams are looking for off the edge and his three-year production is outstanding. Coming into the year, we wanted to see Garrett improve against the run and he did just that by grading at 86.8 to finish fourth among all edge defenders.

"

Garrett would make an immediate impact in Cleveland and give the team a young defensive line around which it could build for the future.

Will the Months Ahead Bring More Clarity to the 2017 QB Class?

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Just as everyone expected at the start of the 2016 season, Mitch Trubisky has suddenly become one of the biggest risers in the 2017 draft. 

This year's draft will be a great indicator as to how desperate general managers are to find their quarterback of the future. On Dec. 20, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller said many NFL scouts are generally low on the incoming crop of quarterbacks:

In 2013, the Buffalo Bills reached in a weak QB draft class and selected EJ Manuel in the first round. In the four years since, Manuel has made 16 starts. 

Not every draft is going to feature two or three passers who are head and shoulders above the competition and surefire locks to become quality starters. The 2017 edition could be one of those fallow years.

Deshaun Watson and DeShone Kizer's stock slipped throughout the year, and even Trubisky carries big question marks having started just one year at North Carolina.

In an interview with The MMQB's Emily Kaplan, Trubisky explained how a different mental approach helped him excel with the Tar Heels after being Marquise Williams' backup in his first two years:

"

I don’t know when it clicked for me, but it was just this realization that as a quarterback, you can decide how good you want to be, it all comes down to staying locked in at practice. I’d stand behind the other quarterback taking the rep and go through it every single time. I thought, Where would I go with the ball? What footwork would I do? If I physically wasn't going to take the rep, I was going to mentally take it.

"

Trubisky will have a chance to silence some of his doubters during his various draft showcases over the next few months. Throwing well at the combine or North Carolina's pro day won't exactly be definitive proof he can handle NFL defenses, but it will provide scouts with even more evidence they can use to solidify their projections.

Watson, Kizer, Patrick Mahomes and Brad Kaaya, meanwhile, could use that same time to prove themselves worthy of Day 1 consideration.

For teams looking toward the draft to address their quarterback problems, more quarterbacks emerging in a big way will only be a good thing.