Mel Kiper Mock Draft 2017: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru's 2nd Mock

Longtime ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his second mock draft Wednesday morning with just over 10 weeks until the 2017 NFL draft. He currently projects the Cleveland Browns will select Texas A&M defensive lineman Myles Garrett with the first overall selection. 

Kiper believes how teams view the backfield options will have a significant impact on how Round 1 plays out as a whole, writing: "Do they stick to the board and say, 'We're simply going to take the best player, period,' or do they set a different rule for running backs? All I know is this: Some of the best pure football players in this draft are running backs."

With that in mind, here's a look at how the guru predicts the entire first round will play out based on the current information:

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
3	Chicago Bears	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jamal Adams, S, LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (from LAR)	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
6	New York Jets	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
8	Carolina Panthers	Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
10	Buffalo Bills	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
11	New Orleans Saints	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
12	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
13	Arizona Cardinals	Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
14	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
15	Indianapolis Colts	Takkarist McKinley, DE/OLB, UCLA
16	Baltimore Ravens	Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
17	Washington Redskins	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
18	Tennessee Titans	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
20	Denver Broncos	Garett Bolles, OT, Utah
21	Detroit Lions	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
22	Miami Dolphins	David Njoku, TE, Miami (Fla.)
23	New York Giants	Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
24	Oakland Raiders	Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
25	Houston Texans	Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
26	Seattle Seahawks	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina
28	Dallas Cowboys	Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
29	Green Bay Packers	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	Haason Reddick, OLB, Temple
31	Atlanta Falcons	Charles Harris, DE/OLB, Missouri
32	New England Patriots	Jabrill Peppers, LB/S, Michigan

Notable Selections

1. Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

The outlook has remained consistent for the Browns since early in the 2016 season. They desperately need a quarterback, but without a guaranteed franchise signal-caller available in this class, trying to land a superstar defender could represent the safer route for a team still years from contending.

Garrett has all the tools—mainly size, strength and explosiveness off the edge—to become a premier pass-rushing option in the NFL. He racked up 31 sacks across 34 career games with the Aggies and should become more dangerous as he adds more moves to his arsenal.

The 21-year-old Texas native ruffled a few feathers last week when an ESPN video was released that showed him making a plea for the Dallas Cowboys to trade up to get him. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com passed along comments he made to Houston's Fox affiliate about it being a joke.

"I kind of forgot I had done it because I really didn't think it would go anywhere," Garrett said. "It was just supposed to be a funny video, but it kind of gained some traction the last couple of days, but it is what it is."

He added: "I mean, it matters if you're the first pick or not. That's where I want to go. I want to hold myself to the highest standard and so that's No. 1. So whomever's No. 1, I gotta play for them."

Ultimately, if the Browns fall in love with any of the available quarterbacks during the NFL Scouting Combine, that player will likely slide into the No. 1 spot. Otherwise they are best off selecting Garrett and looking for a QB via free agency, trade or next year's draft.

10. Buffalo Bills: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

If you want to know why the Bills haven't made the playoffs in 17 years, this pick exemplifies the decision-making flaws that have plagued the franchise for nearly two decades. That's not a dig against Watson, who could develop into a rock-solid NFL quarterback, but rather the team's front office.

Buffalo needs to make a decision about current starter Tyrod Taylor soon. Spotrac notes he'll be guaranteed an additional $30.75 million if he's still on the roster March 11. If he's released, the team's seemingly endless QB carousel will start spinning again.

Taking Watson would be a quick, easy way to fill the void. As YardsPerPass.com pointed out, however, he wouldn't represent an upgrade in the short term:

Too often the Bills have watched an impact player leave the organization and then drafted a cheaper option to take his spot. By doing so, they never seem to make any real progress toward a return to the postseason, instead creating a long cycle of seasons around .500.

Watson is coming off a terrific season while helping lead Clemson to the national title. But Taylor ranked ninth in ESPN's Total QBR metric in 2016 and seventh in 2015. It's hard to imagine the Heisman Trophy finalist doing much better than that during his early years in the league.

18. Tennessee Titans: O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama

Perhaps no player improved their draft stock more during the Senior Bowl than Howard. That's a testament to his work ethic, both in terms of developing his all-around skill set and showing up to the event when he could have stood on his reputation as the top tight end available.

Now, rather than being a fringe first-round pick, he's set himself up to go in the middle of Round 1. His time with the Crimson Tide didn't really showcase his playmaking ability because of the SEC powerhouse's run-oriented approach. He'll be more involved at the next level.

Austin P. Baumer of Optimum Scouting provided his assessment of Howard's Senior Bowl:

The Titans are a nice fit on multiple levels. They have a pick inside the top five in order to fill what the front office feels is the team's biggest need. That opens the franchise up to use this pick on the best player available, which could very well be Howard.

He'd slot in opposite 32-year-old Delanie Walker at tight end. It'd give Tennessee a one-two punch at the position similar to what the New England Patriots have when Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett are healthy. He'll be ready to take over as a clear No. 1 once Walker's contract ends in a few years.