NFL Draft 2017: Updated 1st-Round Mock Draft with Combine on the Horizon

The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine is sitting on the proverbial doorstep. The combine is set to kick off on Tuesday and by its conclusion March 6, we should know a lot more about this year's crop of draft prospects than we do now.

This isn't to suggest that we don't already know plenty about this year's draft class. Some of these players have years of collegiate game film, and we can look at the tape and see which players truly stood out on the playing field.

However, teams' perceptions of players can change quickly based on factors like height, straight-line speed, strength or hand size. These are the measurables that the combine will help provide.

The combine—or more specifically a coin flip to take place this week in Indianapolis—will also determine whether the Indianapolis Colts or the Philadelphia Eagles will pick 14th overall in the first round. 

With the combine right around the corner, let's take a look at the current draft order and our pre-combine predictions for Round 1. We'll be basing our choices on factors like player potential, team fit and team needs.

We'll also examine some of the latest draft-related storylines heading into combine week.

2017 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	NFL Team	Proj. 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 Jets	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
8	Carolina Panthers	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
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)	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
16	Baltimore Ravens	Jabrill Peppers, LB, Michigan
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

Latest Buzz

McKinley to Work Out at Combine, Then Have Surgery

Former UCLA defensive end Takkarist McKinley is dealing with a torn labrum, but that isn't going to stop him from working out in Indianapolis.

According to Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole, McKinley will wait until after the combine to undergo surgery to correct the issue:

This means that teams eyeing McKinley will get a chance to see what he can do up close and in person. However, the team that drafts him likely won't have him on the field for quite some time. 

Missing training camp and possibly part of the 2017 season could be a real possibility for McKinley.

McKinley's stock could realistically hinge on his performance at the combine and how he medically checks out before the surgery. Missing the offseason shouldn't be a massive concern for teams that believe the potential for reinjury is low.

The San Diego Chargers were without rookie pass-rusher Joey Bosa for the offseason because of a contract holdout. While Bosa ended up missing four games, he still managed to notch 10.5 sacks and earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

McKinley managed to amass 61 tackles and 10 sacks during the 2016 season. If a team falls in love with his potential, a satisfactory combine outing and successful surgery should be enough to keep him high on the draft board.

Garoppolo Trade Chatter Could Intensify at Combine

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

One usually fun byproduct of the combine is the increased communication between teams about potential trade deals. All 32 teams will have representatives in Indianapolis, and most of them will have high-ranking executives, head coaches and owners. 

As Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com recently pointed out, this could this could ramp up the trade talk surrounding New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo:

"

The majority of front office personnel across the league will be in Indianapolis, so it would not be a surprise to learn of a team or two speaking with the Patriots on a potential trade for Garoppolo. Also, teams will get a chance to meet with the quarterbacks coming out in the draft and after meeting with them, some teams may come away realizing trading for Garoppolo may be the way to go instead of drafting one.

"

The new league year is scheduled to kick off on March 9, only three days away from the end of the combine. While it seems unlikely that a deal for Garoppolo would actually take place before it begins (at 4 p.m. ET that day), the Patriots might be able to start the unofficial bidding for Garoppolo in Indianapolis.

There are plenty of quarterback-needy teams selecting high in this year's draft, including the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Chicago Bears. If the quarterbacks at the combine fail to impress, one of these might even be prompted to part with a first-round pick for the Eastern Illinois product.

NFL Media draft analyst Mike Mayock recently told Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he doesn't believe there is a quarterback in this class that will be ready to lead a playoff run from Day 1.

"Not a great class, but it doesn't mean there isn't talent there," Mayock said. "The talent at the top end is not ready to contribute anytime soon. Two or three years down road, though, is your owner patient? Your fanbase patient?"

If teams look at the talent at the combine and decide there isn't a guy who will be a quality starter within the next two or three years, the price for Garoppolo will likely go up. Executives and coaches depend on results for job security, and many of these guys aren't going to want to wait for a quarterback to develop, even if there is high-end potential there.

My guess is that the Patriots start receiving significant offers before the team departs Indianapolis.

Could Combine Hurt Market For Free-Agent Backs?

While Mayock doesn't believe this class is filled with quarterbacks who are ready to shine out of the gate, he does seem to believe there are numerous running backs who can.

"There are five backs this year that you can give a first-round grade," he said, per King. "And the average number of backs to go in the first round in the last five years is 1.2."

With the amount of defensive talent in this draft—and with multiple teams searching for signal-callers—it feels quite unlikely that five running backs will actually be taken in the first round. This means some teams are likely to get themselves backfield steals on Day 2.

Theoretically, this could hurt the free-agent pool of running backs, which is set to include guys like Latavius Murray, LeGarrette Blount, DeAngelo Williams, Eddie Lacy and Le'Veon Bell. While Bell probably isn't going to hit the open market, these other guys could all be looking to land with new teams in 2017.

The problem for these pending free agents is this: If teams go to the combine and see a surplus of starting-caliber backs, they're going to be less likely to offer sizable contracts to backs on the open market.

This is bad news for any backs hoping to land a big payday this offseason.

*Update: NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Bell has been given the exclusive franchise tag: