NFL Mock Draft 2017: 1st-Round Projections for Top Prospects After Combine Day 3

Friday’s NFL Scouting Combine workouts provided a glimpse at high-profile prospects as well as small-school players who impressed the masses.

In particular, running back Christian McCaffrey improved his draft stock with an impressive showing through receiving and agility drills. He caught the ball like a natural wideout, which boosts his appeal as an all-purpose back. The Stanford product also weaved around cones with smooth body transition. Among the players at the position, McCaffrey stood out as the most comfortable on the field.

As for the offensive linemen, Utah’s Garett Bolles added buzz to his name as a top-notch athlete. He logged the second-best 40-yard dash time (4.95) and the longest broad jump (9’7”) among prospects at his position, per NFL.com. Initially, CBS Sports rankings projected the 6’5”, 297-pounder as a late first-round choice at best. Due to his performance on Friday, he could be targeted earlier than that.

Aside from the standouts, running back Leonard Fournette’s placement becomes the X-factor. Did personnel executives raise their eyebrows at his 240-pound weigh-in measurement? Did his underwhelming 28.5” vertical turn scouts off? He may have redeemed himself with an impressive 4.51 40-time at his size and a decent showing during the receiving drills.

Where do the three prospects mentioned above land in the draft?

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
2	San Francisco 49ers	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
3	Chicago Bears	DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jamal Adams, S, LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (via Rams)	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
6	New York Jets	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
8	Carolina Panthers	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
10	Buffalo Bills	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
11	New Orleans Saints	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
12	Cleveland Browns (via Eagles)	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
13	Arizona Cardinals	Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
14	Philadelphia Eagles (via Vikings)	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
15	Indianapolis Colts	Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
16	Baltimore Ravens	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
17	Washington Redskins	Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State
18	Tennessee Titans	Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
20	Denver Broncos	Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
21	Detroit Lions	Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
22	Miami Dolphins	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
23	New York Giants	Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
24	Oakland Raiders	Caleb Brantley, DL, Florida
25	Houston Texans	Carlos Watkins, DT, Clemson
26	Seattle Seahawks	Garett Bolles, OT, Utah
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
28	Dallas Cowboys	Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
29	Green Bay Packers	Tim Williams, LB/DE, Alabama
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	Takkarist McKinley, LB, UCLA
31	Atlanta Falcons	Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
32	New England Patriots	Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida

Philadelphia Eagles Draft Lead Running Back

During the telecast, NFL Network’s Mike Mayock expressed disappointment in Fournette’s conditioning at 240 pounds. He also chided the LSU prospect for a poor vertical jump. Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman provided a sobering news flash about what team representatives think about the vertical drill: 

Apparently, explosive leaping ability doesn’t make or break Fournette as a player in the league. Since he’s known for running through defenders as opposed to hopping over them, it’s not a surprise that personnel executives simply swept the lackluster results under the rug.

The Philadelphia Eagles won the coin flip at the combine for the No. 14 pick: 

As a result, they’ll address the backfield with a ball-carrier who’s going to command approximately 20 carries per game. Running back Ryan Mathews struggles to avoid injuries year to year, and Darren Sproles will turn 34 in June. 

In Philadelphia, Fournette will take over as the workhorse while Wendell Smallwood develops into a quality receiving back with the ability to handle a handful of carries to spell the starting runner. The Eagles can go with a wide receiver in this spot, but there’s no reason to pass on a potential generational talent for possibly the third-best receiver in the draft.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Move on from Doug Martin 

Running back Doug Martin tested positive for Adderall, which violates the league’s drug policy. In effect, he lost the guaranteed money on his five-year, $35.7 million deal, per Spotrac.com. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can release the 28-year-old ball-carrier at any time and avoid paying dead cash over the length of his current contract.

The Buccaneers have not openly discussed their plans at running back, but their intentions will become clear in April. With the No. 19 overall pick, McCaffrey should be available. This seems like a slight reach, but beat writers and pundits saw the Stanford running back rise above the rest during workouts at the combine:

Through five seasons, Martin has shown inconsistency. He’s logged two 1,400-plus yard seasons but failed to reach 500 yards in three years due to injuries. Tampa Bay can start a clean slate without any strings attached to the veteran. Furthermore, McCaffrey’s receiving skills should elevate the passing attack, which features one prominent target in wideout Mike Evans.

General manager Jason Licht could add a wide receiver, safety or defensive tackle, but McCaffrey seems like a can’t-miss pick to bolster the rushing offense for the long term.

Garett Bolles Lands with Seattle Seahawks 

Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

Western Kentucky’s Forrest Lamp and Bolles put their names on the draft map with impressive performances during Friday’s workouts. 

Nonetheless, the Utah prospect, who only started one year against FBS competition will see the biggest boost considering his low profile. As mentioned, he displayed more than enough athleticism needed to excel in the league. 

The Seattle Seahawks should be focused on revamping the offensive line to protect their franchise quarterback, Russell Wilson. Bolles will enter the league with an edge and desire to build upon a life-changing turnaround in his life, per CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang:

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A one-time juvenile delinquent who spent two years after high school and away from football working as a garage door repairman, Bolles opted to re-dedicate himself to his faith, academics and the sport by enrolling at Snow College, a highly regarded JUCO program. There he evolved into a five-star recruit pursued by every program in the country, including powerhouses like Alabama, Ohio State and Florida State.

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The Utah prospect has the type of mindset needed to thrive in a feisty, competitive environment under head coach Pete Carroll. Due to raw ability, Bolles must remain receptive to coaching. In Seattle, he’ll have offensive line coach Tom Cable in his ear, which bodes well for the prospect’s long-term development.

NFL Combine statistics provide by: NFL.com.

Stats provided by Sports-Reference.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.