NFL Draft 2017: Round 1 Mock Draft Projections Before Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl LI is right around the corner, which means we're on the verge of wrapping up the 2016 NFL season. By Monday, the collective football world will be turned directly toward the looming offseason.

While the offseason represents a long and barren time devoid of real NFL action, we do have a couple of events to look forward to. The biggest of these is undoubtedly the NFL draft.

During the draft, we get to see hundreds of NFL hopefuls take the first steps on their professional journeys. Fans also get to see their favorite teams improve with the influx of rookie talent—at least, that's the primary goal of the draft.

Of course, improvement only comes if teams make the right choices during draft weekend. Between now and late April, opinions are going to change quite a bit regarding what the right choices are.

We're going to take a crack at predicting what choices will be made in the opening round of April's draft. We'll be making our picks based on factors like projected player potential, team needs and team fit. We will also take a closer look at some of the top pairings in our mock.

One side note here: We're placing the Indianapolis Colts at No. 14, though a coin flip will be used to determine whether they or the Philadelphia Eagles pick at that slot.

NFL Mock Draft

Pick	NFL Team	Proj. Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
3	Chicago Bears	Jamal Adams, S, LSU
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
5	Tennessee Titans (from LAR)	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
6	New York Jets	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
8	Carolina Panthers	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
10	Buffalo Bills	Jabrill Peppers, LB, Michigan
11	New Orleans Saints	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
12	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
13	Arizona Cardinals	DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
14	Indianapolis Colts	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
15	Philadelphia Eagles (Minnesota Vikings)	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
16	Baltimore Ravens	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
17	Washington Redskins	Chris Wormley, DL, Michigan
18	Tennessee Titans	Charles Walker, DT, Oklahoma
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
20	Denver Broncos	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
21	Detroit Lions	Dawuane Smoot, DE, Illinois
22	Miami Dolphins	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
23	New York Giants	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
24	Oakland Raiders	David Njoku, TE, Miami
25	Houston Texans	Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida
26	Seattle Seahawks	Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky
27	Kansas City Chiefs	John Ross, WR, Washington
28	Dallas Cowboys	Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
29	Green Bay Packers	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
31	Atlanta Falcons	Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana
32	New England Patriots	Teez Tabor, CB, Florida

6. Deshaun Watson to New York Jets

One thing we know for certain about the New York Jets and their quarterback situation is that journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't likely to be part of the equation moving forward. Another thing we know is that wide receiver Brandon Marshall—who campaigned heavily for Fitzpatrick last offseason—doesn't want to help make any decisions at the position.

"I think last year the whole Fitz situation took a lot out of me," Marshall said, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. "I think that was something that made me realize I need to focus on myself and football. I need to do my job. My job is to be a wide receiver."

As a receiver, though, Marshall should be concerned about who is throwing him the football. This is where Clemson's Deshaun Watson should come in.

Watson may need a bit of seasoning in order to hone his overall game, but he has tremendous arm talent and is a proven winner. He has also shown that he has the mental goods to dissect a pro-style defense. He has played the best defense college football has to offer twice in national title games.

Watson lost to Alabama in the first meeting. He bested the Crimson Tide in the second. He passed for 420 yards and no interceptions in last month's big win.

While the Jets have two young quarterbacks in Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, they don't have one with the overall potential that Watson possesses. If he falls past the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears, the Jets should pounce.

20. Ryan Ramczyk to Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos went through their own transition at quarterback this past season, though that isn't the primary reason the team ended up missing the playoffs. Trevor Siemian performed well at the position, at least when afforded time by the offensive line.

Pass protection and offensive line play in general were big issues for the Broncos in 2016. Pro Football Focus rated the team just 28th in pass blocking for the season. Improving the line should be a priority in this year's draft.

Should Wisconsin's Ryan Ramczyk fall to the Broncos at No. 20, the team would be wise to snag him. While the national spotlight has caused Alabama's Cam Robinson to garner a lot of attention heading into the draft, Ramczyk may be the superior tackle prospect.

Pro Football Focus (PFF College) rated Ramczyk first overall among all collegiate tackles in 2016.

Because of the amount of defensive talent in this year's draft—and the positioning of quarterback-needy teams at the top—there is a realistic chance that Ramczyk will be available near the middle of Round 1.

This would be a major boon for the Broncos, who would then have themselves a true building block for the offensive line for years to come.

24. David Njoku to Oakland Raiders

By the time the draft gets here, Miami (Fla.) tight end David Njoku might not be around past the middle of the first round. His stock is rising at an incredible rate thanks in large part to the physical gifts and upside he possesses.

Njoku was good in 2016—he caught 43 passes for 698 yards and eight touchdowns—but the consensus seems to be that he can develop into an even better pro player.

This is why Njoku would make sense for the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders have their quarterback in Derek Carr. They have their top two receivers in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. They have running back Latavius Murray, who has been to a Pro Bowl, and an offensive line that is rated fifth in pass blocking by Pro Football Focus.

What the Raiders could use is a true game-breaking tight end, which it appears Njoku could be. He might not be the all-around tight end that Alabama's O.J. Howard is believed to be, but he has the potential to be a legitimate threat as a pass-catcher.

While Raiders tight end and fellow former Miami standout Clive Walford has shown some potential in this role, Njoku could take Oakland's already impressive offense to the next level.