NFL Mock Draft 2017: Updated Order and Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects

The New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons may be looking forward to Super Bowl LI, but everyone else in the NFL is focused on one thing: the offseason and, more specifically, the 2017 NFL draft. 

The final draft order will be determined after either the Patriots or the Falcons are declared world champions, but until then, we have a near-final draft order and an even better knowledge of teams' biggest position needs and the players they could target to satisfy them. 

As with any mock draft, this early in the process we seek mainly to establish the positions teams will look to target. The order of the specific prospects will fluctuate with factors such as the Senior Bowl, the NFL combine and off-field developments. 

Let's break down one possible scenario for the first round of the draft based on team needs ahead of free agency.  

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

First-Round Cornerback Prospects

One of the deepest positions in this year's draft class is the group of cornerbacks, and we could see five or six of them selected in the first round. 

The fun, and frustrating, thing about predicting where cornerback prospects will be taken is that depending on its defense and philosophy, every team wants something a little different from its corners.

While prospects who can make plays on the ball and have solid fundamentals will always be desirable to virtually any team, some teams like their defensive backs to fit a certain physical mold or possess a specific set of skills. 

Let's break down three of the top corners who could be taken come Day 1.

Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State

Joshua Gateley/Getty Images

While it's difficult to predict the order in which this year's top cornerback prospects will be drafted, it's easy to see Ohio State's Marshon Lattimore coming off the board first. 

NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter calls Lattimore "the draft's top corner" and predicted the Eagles would grab him at No. 14 in a mock draft dated Jan. 23.

However, in this mock, we see the Cleveland Browns beefing up their defense and selecting him two spots earlier. 

Lattimore took a while to develop in college, as hamstring injuries slowed progress during his first two seasons with the Buckeyes. In 2016, however, he started 13 games and led the team in passes defended, with 13, and nabbed four interceptions.

Teams will be attracted to Lattimore's speed and ability to adjust. CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler writes that he "attaches himself hip-to-hip in coverage and runs better routes than the receiver."

Because Lattimore has now had right and left hamstring injuries, there is a small chance that the first team in the draft order that decides to take a corner could look elsewhere. But Lattimore's upside is unparalleled in this class. 

Sidney Jones, Washington 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Huskies fell short of winning it all in the College Football Playoff this year, but that won't hurt Sidney Jones' chances of being scouted and drafted by a team early in Day 1. 

Like fellow Husky Marcus Peters, Jones is a ball hawk who could make an instant impact for the team that selects him. 

The interesting thing about Jones is how versatile he is, meaning that he could be at the top of multiple team's draft boards regardless of their scheme.

"He mixes in a variety of techniques (press, bail and off) in coverage yet is rarely out of position when the ball is thrown in his area," writes NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks. 

Add to that Jones' ball-hawking abilities and outstanding hands, with nine interceptions over three seasons, and he'll almost certainly be taken off the board within the top 20 selections. 

Quincy Wilson, Florida

David Goldman/Associated Press

Teams looking for a cornerback in the first round are going to have to make a choice about ranking Florida teammates Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor on their big boards.

Even though Wilson was perhaps less highly regarded at the beginning of the 2016 season, his name is quickly leapfrogging Tabor's in some NFL executives' views. 

"I think Wilson is the best corner in the country. Tabor gets all of the hype, but Wilson is better in every area," an NFL executive told NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah. 

Wilson, who had 3.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and six pass breakups in 2016, has excellent size at 6'1" and 213 pounds and plays as physically as you'd expect.

Many corners don't get above the 6-foot mark, so that alone will cause teams to consider Wilson highly. 

His footwork isn't perfect, and he can leave too much of a cushion in his coverage. However, Wilson's upside is undeniable.