2017 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Under-the-Radar Prospects in Round 1

As we move past Super Bowl LI and prepare for the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, mock-draft season is officially in full swing. 

Whether they finished their seasons above .500 or below .500, made the playoffs or watched from home, all NFL teams are now back on common ground and underway with their offseason programs.

As players spend well-earned time off with their families and friends, NFL general managers, scouts and their teams dive headfirst into shaping their big boards ahead of the 2017 NFL draft. 

Let's break down a mock draft given what we know now about team needs and general player rankings and then take a look at some under-the-radar prospects who could make a splash in the latter half of Round 1. 

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	Reuben Foster	ILB	Alabama
12	Cleveland Browns (via PHI)	Marshon Lattimore	CB	Ohio State
13	Arizona Cardinals	Mike Williams	WR	Clemson
14	Indianapolis Colts	Dalvin Cook	RB	FSU
15	Philadelphia Eagles (via MIN)	Corey Davis	WR	Western Michigan
16	Baltimore Ravens	Solomon Thomas	DE	Stanford
17	Washington	Malik McDowell	DT	Michigan State
18	Tennessee Titans	John Ross	WR	Washington
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	Tim Williams	OLB	Alabama

Under-the-Radar Prospects

Charles Harris, DE, Missouri

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

You've heard Charles Harris' name; the pass-rusher from Missouri finished his career with 18 sacks, and 34.5 tackles for loss, establishing a reputation for himself as he declared for the draft. 

So it's not that Harris is flying under the radar in the sense that he's an unknown, but rather that at least right now, he's projected to slot in at the tail end of the first round on Day 1 of the draft.

In fact, the analysts at CBS Sports rank Harris as their No. 32 overall prospect, fifth among projected outside linebackers, noting that he could also fall to the top of the second round. Analysts Rob Rang and Dane Brugler both have him going to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 31 overall in mock drafts dated Feb. 13. 

However, in mock drafts from late January, NFL.com experts Bucky Brooks and Lance Zierlein had Harris falling out of the first round. 

The truth about mock drafts is that no one knows exactly what NFL GMs are thinking until the draft gets underway. But there's no denying that whichever team ends up with Harris will be getting a player whom Daniel Jeremiah describes as "a gifted pass-rusher with outstanding instincts, technique and power" who projects as a 3-4 OLB at the NFL level. 

Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Speaking of pass-rushers who are toeing the line between the first and second rounds, Auburn's Carl Lawson is another player who is flying under the radar. 

CBS Sports ranks Lawson as its No. 39 overall prospect, putting him just out of reach of Round 1. But depending on teams' rankings and preferences, Lawson could hear his name called on Day 1. 

Lawson has the talent to be a first-round lock, but teams may be concerned about the torn ACL he suffered that caused him to miss the Tigers' entire 2014 season. However, Lawson started to get his footing back in 2015, playing seven games with three tackles for loss, a sack and 11 quarterback hurries, and really got things going in 2016. 

Last season, Lawson played 13 games and amassed 13.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, 24 hurries and a forced fumble, terrorizing SEC quarterbacks the whole way. His flexibility could make him attractive to a number of teams looking to beef up their pass rush in the first round. 

Desmond King, CB, Iowa

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

Cornerback looks like it could be the hot position come Day 1 of the draft, with multiple NFL teams having lost starting corners to injuries in the 2016 season and a stacked class at the position to boot. 

We have five corners projected to come off the board in Round 1, and Iowa's Desmond King could be the sixth if one of the teams above decides to address its secondary instead of a currently slated position. 

King has been building a flashy career as a defender at Iowa since he was a true freshman. In 2013, he led the Big Ten in tackles, with 69, and in 2014 he led the Hawkeyes with three picks, per CBSSports.com. 

The thing that may keep King out of the first round is his size; at 5'11" and 200 pounds, some teams may view him as a slot corner only. However, his return ability and versatility to convert to safety could intrigue a team looking to improve its playmaking prowess.