NFL Mock Draft 2017: Pre-Regional Combine Projections for 1st-Round Prospects

With Super Bowl LI in the books, it's time to move into the 2017 NFL offseason. The biggest events of the offseason are free agency and the draft. The biggest event in the immediate future is the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, which begins February 28.

However, the scouting combine in Indianapolis isn't the first or only combine this year. Regional combines, which showcase draft prospects who haven't been invited to the national combine, kick off Saturday in Seattle.

Notable players who have begun their NFL journeys at a regional combine include Atlanta Falcons safety Kemal Ishmael, Washington Redskins cornerback Quinton Dunbar and Tennessee Titans defensive back Valentino Blake.

We're not expecting anyone from this year's regional combine to suddenly leap into first-round consideration. However, since the next stage in the predraft process is on our doorstep, it's a good time to take another look at Round 1 of the NFL draft.

We'll run down the current draft order here and make our projections for each team's selections. We'll base our picks on factors like projected player potential, team needs and team fit. We'll also examine some of the latest draft-related storylines heading into the weekend.

2017 NFL Mock Draft

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

Latest Buzz

49ers Looking to Add Veteran Quarterback?

In most of the previous mock drafts, the quarterback-needy San Francisco 49ers have selected a signal-caller. However, it's beginning to feel like the 49ers will instead target a quarterback in free agency.

New head coach Kyle Shanahan is familiar with quarterback Kirk Cousins, having coached him with the Redskins. Should Cousins become available, the 49ers appear likely to at least pursue a deal.

Shanahan also seems fond of New England Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo, who may become available this offseason as well.

During Super Bowl week, the then-Falcons offensive coordinator was asked if he liked Garoppolo when the quarterback was coming out of college and Shanahan held the OC position with the Cleveland Browns.

"Yes, I did," Shanahan said, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News). "He was a very good thrower. Tough guy, kept his eyes down the field, could get rid of the ball fast. Really liked the person."

This doesn't guarantee the 49ers are going to sell out to land Garoppolo, but we have to at least believe the team will be interested if he becomes available.

San Francisco could also pursue Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler if it can't land Cousins or Garoppolo. At least, this is the word from Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole (see video above).

For now, the 49ers probably go after a quarterback before the draft and try to land the best defensive player available at No. 2.

Experts Souring on Quarterback Class

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Another reason why we're not pairing the 49ers (or Browns, for that matter) with a quarterback is the fact draft experts seem to be falling even more out of love with this year's crop of passers.

Coming out of the college football season, the consensus was this wasn't a strong group of quarterbacks. However, last year's group wasn't all that impressive, either, and quarterbacks still went No. 1 (Jared Goff) and No. 2 (Carson Wentz) overall.

This led to the popular idea that up to three quarterbacks—North Carolina's Mitch Trubisky, Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer—could end up in the first round. The problem is that no one seems particularly high on any of them.

"All three of these quarterbacks, to me, I would be scared to death in the top 10," NFL Media's draft analyst Mike Mayock said recently on The College Draft podcast with Ross Tucker and Fran Duffy.

The biggest questions seem to surround Trubisky (inexperience) and Kizer (poor mechanics), which could end up making Watson the first quarterback off the board by default.

The questions surrounding Kizer are so varied that we've decided to drop him out of the first round entirely.

"I've been told scouts have cooled on Notre Dame's DeShone Kizer," Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com recently wrote. "The combination of poor progression and questionable film from 2016 as well as character questions has raised red flags."

Kizer could well end up being a good pro quarterback, but the team that selects him will have to exercise patience. With so much talent at other positions in this draft, it doesn't make sense to spend a first-round pick on such a prospect.

Bears to Have Their Pick of Quarterbacks?

It still feels like the Browns are going to use the first overall pick on Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett. If they do, and the 49ers get their quarterback in free agency, then the Chicago Bears will have their pick of signal-callers at No. 3.

Because analysts seem so down on Trubisky and Kizer, Watson could be the guy if the Bears pull the trigger.

"I couldn't find a scout or executive who was excited about DeShone Kizer or Mitch Trubisky," NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah recently wrote.

Of course, this all depends on the Bears actually parting ways with Cutler and not finding another QB in free agency. If Chicago brings back Brian Hoyer for a year or two, the team could also look at a developmental prospect on Day 2 and groom him slowly.

While Hoyer is obviously not a long-term answer, he has proved to be a capable spot-starter. Pro Football Focus rated him 17th overall among all quarterbacks in 2016.