2017 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down Latest Projections for 1st-Round Prospects

It's a sad truth, but the NFL season is nearly over, folks. Only the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons are left standing, and in a few weeks, we'll be entering that dreaded time of the year known as the offseason.

There will be no NFL games of any sort for roughly six months.

This doesn't mean football fans will be left entirely without action, though. When the new league year begins in March, we'll get another edition of free agency. In April, we'll have the 2017 NFL draft.

The draft is what we're going to focus on here today, since even the Falcons and Patriots will be looking to strengthen their rosters through it. All teams will be able to improve in one way or another through the annual rookie-selection process.

We're going to examine the current draft order and make our projections for each pick in the first round. We'll also take an in-depth look at some of the best fits of the bunch. Our choices are based on factors like projected player potential, team need and fit, and the latest draft-related storylines.

NFL Mock Draft

Pick	NFL Team	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	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (from LAR)	Jabrill Peppers, LB, Michigan
6	New York Jets	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
8	Carolina Panthers	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Derek Barnett, DE,Tennessee
10	Buffalo Bills	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
11	New Orleans Saints	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
12	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
13	Arizona Cardinals	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
14*	Indianapolis Colts	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
15*	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
16	Baltimore Ravens	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
17	Washington Redskins	Chris Wormley, DL, Michigan
18	Tennessee Titans	John Ross, WR, Washington
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
20	Denver Broncos	Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
21	Detroit Lions	Charles Walker, DT, Oklahoma
22	Miami Dolphins	Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
23	New York Giants	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
24	Oakland Raiders	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
25	Houston Texans	Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida
26	Seattle Seahawks	Forrest Lamp, OG, Western Kentucky
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
28	Dallas Cowboys	Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
29	Green Bay Packers	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
31	Atlanta Falcons	Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana
32	New England Patriots	Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt

2. Mitch Trubisky to San Francisco 49ers

There are two scenarios that would render the San Francisco 49ers unlikely to draft a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick. The first is if the Cleveland Browns snag a signal-caller at the top of the draft. Then, the 49ers would likely pounce on their pass-rusher of choice, likely Myles Garrett of Texas A&M.

The second is if the 49ers decide to acquire a quarterback before the draft. This could hinge largely on whether or not San Francisco secures Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as its next head coach. 

If the 49ers land Shanahan, then the team may want to bring in one of the guys he has coached before, like Kirk Cousins of the Washington Redskins. Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole has reported that the Redskins are open to all options with Cousins, including dealing him to San Francisco.

It's uncertain whether the team would part with the No. 2 overall pick in order to land Cousins, but acquiring him would mean this pick isn't a quarterback regardless.

If the pick is a quarterback, North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky would fit well. But as a one-year starter, he is risky to be sure.

"Trubisky is the best QB in the draft, but he's only No. 16 on my big board," ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said in an early mock draft. "He has only one season of collegiate starting experience, completing 68.2 percent of his passes with 30 touchdown passes and six interceptions."

However, Trubisky has prototypical size (6'3", 220 pounds) and he appears to have the tools needed to be a successful pro. He could become a quarterback in the mold of Cousins or Andy Dalton, who once ran an offense similar to Shanahan's under Jay Gruden with the Cincinnati Bengals.

12.  Ryan Ramczyk to Cleveland Browns

There are three positions the Browns could address with their second pick in the first round—assuming they jump on Garrett at No. 1 overall. The first is quarterback, perhaps Clemson's Deshaun Watson. However, Watson is unavailable in this mock, and they could also consider a cornerback or an offensive lineman.

The Browns offensive line was a bit of a mess in 2016, with only Joe Thomas' left tackle spot even resembling year-long consistency. As a team, the Browns were rated 11th in pass blocking but just 19th in run blocking by Pro Football Focus.

I like an offensive tackle here if the Browns don't decide to move center Cam Erving to right tackle on a permanent basis. The Browns started him there in the season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If the Browns continue to try developing Erving at center or guard, I'd pair Thomas with fellow Badger Ryan Ramczyk here. The former Division III transfer is a slight risk because he only has one year of game tape from Wisconsin and he underwent surgery shortly after the end of the season.

"I won't be able to [physically] test at the combine, but I'll be there for all the interviews and test and measurements," Ramczyk told Andy Baggot of UWBadgers.com. "It's a big decision, but with this opportunity, it's pretty difficult to pass up."

It's worth noting that Ramczyk's one year at Wisconsin was impressive. Pro Football Focus (PFF College) rated him first overall among all offensive tackles in the country for the 2016 season.

Ramczyk would immediately upgrade the right tackle spot for Cleveland, and he could become the heir apparent to Thomas whenever the perennial Pro Bowler decides to call it a career or move on from Cleveland.

17. Chris Wormley to Washington Redskins

The Redskins were nearly a playoff team for a second consecutive season in 2016. Unfortunately, some breakdowns on the defensive side of the ball often made it difficult for the Redskins to win, even though their offense was usually productive.

Despite ranking third in offensive yardage—with an average of 403.4 per game—Washington only mustered eight wins. They needed a ninth to reach the postseason.

One big deficiency on the defensive side of the ball was the front's ability to slow the run. The Redskins allowed an average of 119.8 yards per game on the ground and were rated 21st in run defense by Pro Football Focus.

This is where a defensive lineman like Chris Wormley of Michigan could immediately help Washington. Wormley is a 6'6", 302-pound defensive end who can pressure the quarterback and help set the edge against the run. He finished the 2016 season with 40 total tackles, nine tackles for a loss and six sacks.

Fans and scouts alike will get another up-close look as Wormley this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.