NFL Mock Draft 2017: Complete 1st-Round Predictions for Most Hyped Prospects

March functions as the calm eye of the storm for the NFL draft process.

With the NFL Scouting Combine over, prospects attempt to put up better numbers at pro days and otherwise play the waiting game—meanwhile, the country centers its attention on a tournament featuring a bracket.

Before long, though, the draft process will muscle its way back into the process, where headline acts from a defensive-heavy class will command the conversation in the weeks leading to the event.

While a break in the hype marching might be welcome for some, let's take a look at a mock draft to at least keep prospect standing and team needs fresh on the mind and available in a handy resource.

2017 Draft Order and Projections

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
3	Chicago Bears	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (from Rams)	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
6	New York Jets	Solomon Thomas, DL, Stanford
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Jamal Adams, S, LSU
8	Carolina Panthers	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
10	Buffalo Bills	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
11	New Orleans Saints	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
12	Cleveland Browns (from Eagles)	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
13	Arizona Cardinals	DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
14	Philadelphia Eagles (from Vikings)	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
15	Indianapolis Colts	John Ross, WR, Washington
16	Baltimore Ravens	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
17	Washington Redskins	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
18	Tennessee Titans	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
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	Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
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	Kevin King, CB, Washington
29	Green Bay Packers	Forrest Lamp, G, Western Kentucky
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	David Njoku, TE, Miami
31	Atlanta Falcons	Caleb Brantley, DT, Florida
32	New England Patriots	Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut

Most Hyped Prospects

Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

This isn't a draft class where a surprise candidate swoops in and steals the first slot.

Thank Myles Garrett.

Players like Garrett simply don't come around often. Throwing out the "generational" tag is trite these days, but the former Texas A&M star comes close. He's 6'4" and 272 pounds with elite athleticism, something reinforced by top-tier numbers in Indianapolis in the 40-yard dash (4.64 seconds), bench press (33 reps), vertical jump (41 inches) and broad jump (128).

Impressive, though Garrett is the furthest thing from a workout warrior.

Garrett uses this explosive athleticism to shoot gaps or slip around the edge on every single snap, then using flexibility and bend to get to quarterbacks or at least ruin the intentions of a play. His technique could use some refinement, but again, the above is athleticism many NFL players might struggle to match.

High praise from NFL Network's Greg Cosell, per Keith Britton of 923 The Fan, says it all: 

In the above mock, Garrett predictably comes off the board first. The Cleveland Browns can't afford to do anything but take the best player available, and Garrett is far and away the best. 

Cleveland almost makes this a bit boring thanks to also clutching the No. 12 pick, meaning selecting the best player available in a class then taking a specific need seems like the smart route. The pick is a surefire franchise building block on the defensive side of the ball.

Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Leonard Fournette remains the top name at running back in the 2017 class despite a rough day at the office in Indianapolis.

Fournette, 6'0" and 240 pounds, rumbled his way to a 4.51 40-yard dash, and his stock remains as high as usual.

For good reason—when healthy, Fournette is a bully, hence 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground in 2015. Fournette gets right to the point, attacking defenses and smaller defenders, and wins in almost any situation while also displaying three-down back capabilities thanks to sure hands.

A conclusion by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, after a comparison to Bo Jackson, explains the pros and negatives:

"

High-end talent with rare blend of size, speed and power. Comparisons to Adrian Peterson feel lofty, but from a physical standpoint, he's there. Fournette doesn't have the wiggle to make defenders miss and his vision can be iffy. However, if your run fits and tackling aren't sound, he can take it the distance in an instant. May have durability concerns due to physical running style, but has All-Pro potential.

"

The Jacksonville Jaguars won't want to pass on a player like this.

Jacksonville has been busy on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, signing guys like Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye and Barry Church. Adding a rookie who can function as an every-down back and take pressure off quarterback Blake Bortles is a smooth move, provided the team builds around the pick well in the coming years. 

Solomon Thomas, EDGE, Stanford

After Garrett, Stanford's Solomon Thomas is the guy receiving the most hype.

Thomas turned buzz about him into a whirlwind at the combine, coming in at 6'3" and 273 pounds with 30 reps on the bench press and other strong numbers, like a blazing 6.95 seconds on the three-cone drill.

Formerly viewed as an edge player for certain schemes and maybe a guy who can rush standing up, Thomas had the weight and strength to assure teams he can even kick inside on passing downs—if not at any time in schemes with hybrid fronts.

Thomas is a disruptive presence no matter where he plays, though his arrival gives coordinators a chance to vary the looks. A scouting report by Pro Football Focus summed up his strengths:

"

Thomas was dominant this season as shown by his No. 1 run-defense grade (92.0) and No. 6 pass-rushing grade (86.9) among FBS interior defensive linemen. Thomas has been highly productive the last two seasons but has followed a natural skill development progression as he was first a solid run defender and then made an ever-increasing contribution as a pass-rusher. Thomas’s pass-rushing productivity rating of 8.7 ranked No. 5 among Power-5 defensive tackles.

"

The New York Jets are the obvious fit for Thomas in the above scenario. A once-proud defensive team, the Jets gunned hard for free-agent linebacker Dont'a Hightower, according to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, a sign the front office will do whatever it takes to regain its defensive-minded status.

Thomas is one of the best ways to do so. The Jets know how to deploy versatile players along their front to great success and get a steal here in Thomas, who could wind up being the best player from the class.

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