2017 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Order and Latest Projections

We're inching ever closer to the next stage in the 2017 NFL draft process. At the end of this month, teams, scouts and 330 draft hopefuls will gather in Indianapolis for the annual scouting combine. By the end of combine week, we'll have a much better idea of how some of these draft prospects measure up.

For now, we're judging incoming prospects strictly on their collegiate resumes. Wins and losses are important, of course, but what these kids have put on tape is even more vital. Nevertheless, what we've seen so far is only part of the draft equation.

This doesn't mean it's too early, however, to try predicting what draft weekend is going to look like. We're going to take what we know here and try predicting the picks for Round 1. We'll run down the current draft order and make our own projections based on factors like projected player potential, team needs and team fit.

We'll also take a closer look at some of the top pairings in our mock. Since this is widely believed to be a defensive-heavy draft—and we've examined plenty of defenders in past mocks—we'll be focusing on the first three offensive players off the board in this mock.

2017 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	NFL Team	Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
3	Chicago Bears	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jamal Adams, S, LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (from LAR)	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
6	New York Jers	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)	Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
13	Arizona Cardinals	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
14*	Indianapolis Colts	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
15*	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
16	Baltimore Ravens	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
17	Washington Redskins	Chris Wormley, DL, Michigan
18	Tennessee Titans	Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Charles Harris, OLB, Missouri
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	Takkarist McKinley, DE, UCLA
32	New England Patriots	Tim Williams, LB, Alabama

3. Deshaun Watson to Chicago Bears

This pick obviously hinges on the Chicago Bears' decisions with their veteran quarterbacks. If the team decides to move on from Jay Cutler this offseason, it seems likely that they'll strongly consider a quarterback at No. 3 overall.

Back Brian Hoyer could be another option, as he played well before a broken arm took him out of the starting lineup last year. However, Hoyer only signed a one-year deal with the Bears, and he could draw attention on the open market.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee believes Hoyer could be targeted by the San Francisco 49ers.

Since we have the 49ers and the Cleveland Browns going defense in this mock, the Bears have their choice of quarterbacks. We're pairing them with Clemson's Deshaun Watson, who has both big-game experience and high-level NFL potential.

NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah recently compared Watson to Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

"That's not a bad comparison," NFL Media's Bucky Brooks said of Jeremiah's appraisal. "Quick release, and you have to think of the way you build the system around them. You have to think in the same terms, a movement-based system. You want to take advantage of the athleticism. You also want to feature a system that has a lot of quick, rhythm throws."

While Tannehill might not be the type of quarterback Bears fans are screaming for, he did prove that he can lead a playoff-caliber offense this past season. Adding a signal-caller like him—in this case, Watson—would at least bring stability to the position for Chicago.

5. Corey Davis to Tennessee Titans

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

The Tennessee Titans appear to be on the verge of being a playoff team. Assuming quarterback Marcus Mariota is able to return from injury to start the season, the Titans should be a contender in the AFC South at the very least in 2017.

Western Michigan wideout Corey Davis is the type of offensive talent that could help push Tennessee closer to being a postseason threat. He amassed an impressive 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns just last season.

Adding a player like Davis opposite Rishard Matthews would help add a deep-threat element to Tennessee's run-oriented offense. At least one current NFL star believes Davis' transition to the NFL will be a good one.

“Oh, yeah, he’s nice,” Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown said of Davis, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I like him. Big, physical. Can run. He’s going to be alright.”

Another option here would be Clemson wideout Mike Williams. However, I personally like the route running and playmaking drive of Davis more than the size and hands of Williams. I think Davis has more after-the-catch ability and therefore fits Tennessee's system better.

8. Leonard Fournette to Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers saw a major downswing in 2016 after reaching the Super Bowl the season prior. While defensive issues certainly hurt the team, an inconsistent offense was also a problem. One of the reasons why the offense lacked consistency was a lack of a strong ground attack.

Pro Football Focus rated the Panthers second in rushing for the 2015 season. Last year, Carolina was rated just 19th in rushing. That's a pretty big step back and a reason why taking a running back here makes sense.

LSU's Leonard Fournette has the makings of a true workhorse back in the NFL. He can punish defenses with his physical play and make things happen after he gets into the secondary. Fournette averaged 6.5 yards per carry in each of his last two seasons.

Two years ago, Fournette racked up 1,953 yards on the ground to go with 253 yards receiving and 23 total touchdowns. Injuries caused his production to drop last season, but that 6.5 yards-per-carry average remained.

Adding a runner of Fournette's caliber would help the Panthers move the ball on offense. It would also help protect quarterback Cam Newton, who was repeatedly hit by defenses that didn't respect the running game in 2016.