2017 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Overlooked 1st-Round Prospects

The 2017 NFL draft is at the end of April, but we're beginning to get a better idea of which players could end up at the top of the draft.

The picture became clearer Saturday after a number of prospects wrapped up Senior Bowl week. Guys like wideouts Zay Jones of Eastern Carolina and Cooper Kupp of Eastern Washington raised their draft stock during the week and in the game.

Did they do enough to catapult into first-round consideration? Well, a lot is going to depend on the next stop toward the draft, next month's scouting combine. However,  some overlooked prospects are only now beginning to build adequate draft buzz.

We're going to examine some of these overlooked prospects and provide our updated projections for the first round of the draft. All choices here are based on factors like projected player potential, team fit and team needs.

2017 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	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
11	New Orleans Saints	Jabrill Peppers, LB, Michigan
12	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
13	Arizona Cardinals	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
14*	Indianapolis Colts	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
15*	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
16	Baltimore Ravens	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
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	Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
21	Detroit Lions	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
22	Miami Dolphins	Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
23	New York Giants	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
24	Oakland Raiders	Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida
25	Houston Texans	Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
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	Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
31	Atlanta Falcons	Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana
32	New England Patriots	David Njoku, TE, Miami

Don't Sleep On

David Njoku, TE, Miami

So far, Alabama's O.J. Howard has been touted as the draft's top overall tight end, and rightfully so. He finished the 2016 season rated first among collegiate tight ends by Pro Football Focus (PFF College) and did nothing to disappoint during Senior Bowl week.

However, Miami tight end David Njoku is quickly gaining ground as a pass-catching tight end and a potential first-round pick. He racked up 698 yards and eight touchdowns in 2016 and was rated eighth in receiving among all tight ends by Pro Football Focus.

Njoku hasn't garnered a ton of attention to this point because, as a redshirt sophomore, many folks didn't expect him to declare for the draft. Now that he has, however, he should start rising up draft boards quickly.

"Njoku has the highest upside of any tight end in the draft," NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah recently wrote.

Jeremiah paired Njoku with the Tennessee Titans at 18th overall in a recent mock draft. I don't have Njoku going quite that high yet, though it's possible depending on how he performs at the combine.

As things stand, though, I can't see Njoku falling out of the first round. If he's still there when the New England Patriots pick at No. 31 or No. 32, Bill Belichick could gobble him up.

If the Patriots love one thing, it's versatile, athletic pass-catching tight ends.

Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky offensive lineman Forrest Lamp is another prospect who has only recently begun to shine under the first-round spotlight. The 6'4", 300-pound lineman played tackle in college but is projected as a guard in the pros.

Lamp came into Senior Bowl week as a rising prospect. While he didn't get see a lot of national attention coming in, those who have watched him know he has impressive talent. According to NFL Network producer Ben Fennell, his game against Alabama early in the season was especially noteworthy.

For the year, Pro Football Focus rated Lamp fourth overall among all college tackles.

Unfortunately, Lamp suffered a minor ankle injury during Senior Bowl practices and was unable to show off for scouts and draft analysts. However, he did make a positive impression during his time on the field before the injury.

Expect Lamp's stock to continue rising through the scouting combine and in the weeks leading up to the draft.

Lamp should land near the bottom of the first round, and he's a fit for the Seattle Seahawks. They need to improve their line play, and Lamp could work for them inside or out. However, he may not last that long in the draft.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Lamp leapfrogs Alabama offensive lineman Cam Robinson by the time all is said and done. He and Wisconsin product Ryan Ramczyk could end up jockeying to be the first lineman off the board in April.

Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington

We mentioned Kupp earlier as one of the players who increased his stock at the Senior Bowl. The 6'2" wideout hasn't regularly been on the national stage—which is a shame seeing as how he racked up 6,464 yards and 73 touchdowns in four years at EWU—but that largely changed during the week of Senior Bowl practices.

"The most prolific receiver in the history of FCS or FBS football has generated as much buzz as any player at the Senior Bowl this week," Mike Triplett of ESPN.com recently wrote.

Kupp finished the Senior Bowl game with two receptions for 14 yards. While his performance wasn't as impressive as the one East Carolina's Jones produced (six catches, 68 yards, one touchdown), his strong week of practice had an impact.

Kupp may not be a first-round option just yet, but that could change with a strong combine performance. Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller even believes Kupp could end up as one of the top three receiver prospects in the draft:

At the very least, Kupp has forced NFL teams to dig up more game film from his stellar four-year career. He's no longer going to be an overlooked prospect, and he could work his way into Round 1 by April.