NFL Mock Draft 2017: Latest Projections for 1st-Round Prospects Entering Combine

NFL mock drafts are about to change in a hurry. 

The NFL Scouting Combine is a great opportunity for draft prospects and a fun time for fans who have helped morph the gathering into a must-see event, furthering the league's ambition to retain year-round interest.

This event, featuring more than 300 of the nation's best prospects, allows the media to catch up with how the NFL ranks and views the players at each position. Scouts have had oceans of film to wade through, though the actual stock market doesn't come to light until after the events in Indianapolis.

Before this dramatic overhaul occurs, let's take a look at a mock based on team needs and current prospect value.

2017 Draft Order and Projections

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
3	Chicago Bears	DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Solomon Thomas, DL, Stanford
5	Tennessee Titans (from Rams)	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
6	New York Jets	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
8	Carolina Panthers	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
10	Buffalo Bills	Jamal Adams, S, LSU
11	New Orleans Saints	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
12	Cleveland Browns (from Eagles)	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
13	Arizona Cardinals	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
14	Indianapolis Colts	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
15	Philadelphia Eagles (from Vikings)	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
16	Baltimore Ravens	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
17	Washington Redskins	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
18	Tennessee Titans	Jabrill Peppers, LB/S, Michigan
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
20	Denver Broncos	Garett Bolles , OT, Utah
21	Detroit Lions	Takkarist McKinley, OLB/DE, UCLA
22	Miami Dolphins	Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
23	New York Giants	Tim Williams, LB/DE, Alabama
24	Oakland Raiders	Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
25	Houston Texans	Patrick Mahomes II, QB, Texas Tech
26	Seattle Seahawks	Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Dan Feeney, OG, Indiana
28	Dallas Cowboys	Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
29	Green Bay Packers	Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	David Njoku, TE, Miami
31	Atlanta Falcons	Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida
32	New England Patriots	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford

Philadelphia and Indianapolis will flip a coin for Nos. 14 and 15 at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday at 12:30 p.m.

Prospects With Rising Stock

20. Denver Broncos: Garett Bolles, OT, Utah

Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

This is a weak offensive tackle class, which isn't meant to take anything away from Utah's Garett Bolles.

Far from it, in fact—teams will likely spar with one another and fire off a few trades right around where they think he's going to come off the board. And it won't be in the second round.

Bolles is 6'5" and 300 pounds with the athleticism to stick with quick rushers on the edge, making him a candidate to stay on the left side. His stock has done nothing short of skyrocket as more scouts have had time to break down his film. Case in point, the upside analysis from an NFC area scout, according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein:

"

Most athletic offensive lineman I've done since I took over this area of the country. He's also mean on the field, which you love. I'm projecting him to get stronger once he locks into an NFL strength-and-conditioning program. He's underdeveloped right now. What you see isn't what you are going to ultimately get, in my opinion.

"

Look for the Denver Broncos to do whatever it takes to nab Bolles. The team's unexpected falloff didn't have as much to do with Peyton Manning's departure as it did poor offensive line play, which can only get worse with Ryan Clady headed to free agency. Last year, the unit ranked 28th in pass-blocking at Pro Football Focus.

Throwing a rookie lineman on the field these days isn't as advisable as it used to be. But Bolles has the athleticism to learn on the fly and grow with Denver's core.

21. Detroit Lions: Takkarist McKinley, OLB/DE, UCLA

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

There is no such thing as a team having too many players who can get after opposing quarterbacks. Just look at the list of players who received the franchise tag this year—spoiler, four of the seven get after quarterbacks better than most.

This draft class doesn't lack for talent in this area; not with Myles Garrett looking like the best overall player and others such as Solomon Thomas, Malik McDowell and Jonathan Allen chasing him.

UCLA's Takkarist McKinley isn't too far behind after a recent stock surge, and it's not hard to see why considering he comes in at 6'2" and 265 pounds with proven versatility and production, as Pro Football Focus illustrated:

McKinley is a bit raw, but this isn't a discrediting factor anymore. Teams are picking up rushers left and right who boast traits and moldable skill sets that fit a scheme. Qualifying as a "starter" based on a snap count doesn't matter much.

Hence the Detroit Lions pulling the trigger here. The defense only got two sacks from Ziggy Ansah last year and 26 overall. The depth chart isn't completely devoid of talent capable of getting after quarterbacks, but another elite athlete who can move all over the field and confuse offenses provides a boost to the entire unit.

Detroit just has to hope McKinley doesn't boost his stock too much or he won't be around when the time comes.

25. Houston Texans: Patrick Mahomes II, QB, Texas Tech

Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes II is the guy trailing the field entering the combine.

The field being Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer and Deshaun Watson.

Mahomes classifies as more of a project for a variety of reasons. He's 6'3", 215 pounds with an ability to run around extending plays. His arm is a plus, and he bullies defenders when he takes off, but his mechanics are all over the place.

In other words, Mahomes is a classical debate—do consistent mechanics matter if he's producing big numbers? Maybe not, and experts like NFL.com's Mike Mayock continue to have a hard time keeping him out of the first round as of late:

It depends on the team, but some weigh upside more than anything else when it comes to quarterback. Mahomes has it in droves, which is what attracts the Houston Texans here at No. 25.

Houston head coach Bill O'Brien is something of a quarterback guru, and the Brock Osweiler experiment fell flat. Maybe the front office wants to give it another ago next year, which is fine, but it doesn't hurt to groom a potential franchise quarterback in the background at the same time.

A quarterback's success in the NFL often comes down to fit. O'Brien is one of the few guys who can perhaps maximize Mahomes' career, making the pick here near the end of the first round a smart fit.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.