NFL Mock Draft 2017: Early Predictions for Nation's Top Prospects

The modest number of high-end prospects in the 2017 NFL draft means more teams will likely draft based on need and fit rather than taking the best player available this year. That's especially true outside of the top five or 10 picks when those most coveted options will be off the board.

It's a situation that should make the races for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year intense because more first-year players will be asked to take on important roles. Of course, the key question is which ones are most prepared to handle the significant workload at this early stage of their career.

With that in mind, let's check out a complete mock draft for the opening round, which is scheduled for Thursday night in Philadelphia. That's followed by a closer look at an early forecast focused on which prospects will capture the ROY awards next season.

First-Round Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
3	Chicago Bears	Jamal Adams, SS, LSU
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jonathan Allen, DT, Alabama
5	Tennessee Titans (from LAR)	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
6	New York Jets	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Malik Hooker, FS, Ohio State
8	Carolina Panthers	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
10	Buffalo Bills	Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
11	New Orleans Saints	Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
12	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
13	Arizona Cardinals	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
14	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
15	Indianapolis Colts	Haason Reddick, OLB, Temple
16	Baltimore Ravens	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
17	Washington Redskins	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
18	Tennessee Titans	John Ross, WR, Washington
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Malik McDowell, DT, Michigan State
20	Denver Broncos	Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
21	Detroit Lions	Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
22	Miami Dolphins	Kevin King, CB, Washington
23	New York Giants	Jabrill Peppers, SS, Michigan
24	Oakland Raiders	Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
25	Houston Texans	DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
26	Seattle Seahawks	Garett Bolles, OT, Utah
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Zach Cunningham, OLB, Vanderbilt
28	Dallas Cowboys	Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
29	Green Bay Packers	Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	David Njoku, TE, Miami (Fla.)
31	Atlanta Falcons	Forrest Lamp, OG, Western Kentucky
32	New Orleans Saints (from NE)	Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado

Early Rookie of the Year Predictions

Offensive: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU (Carolina Panthers)

Fournette possesses the potential to make an impact equal to or greater than the one Ezekiel Elliott did with the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie last year. The LSU standout brings an incredible combination of size, power, vision and athleticism with him to the NFL level.

Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel spoke with multiple scouts about the dynamic rusher. One said he was "head and shoulders above everybody else." Another compared him to Bo Jackson, a two-sport star and one of the greatest pure athletes ever.

"There's similar things to Bo: size, twitch, explosion, burst, power," the scout said. "I could have written his report as a freshman. It didn't take long to see he was a different bird. He's not normal. Last year he had some of the most dynamic two-yard gains you will ever see."

Fournette averaged 6.2 yards per carry across 616 attempts with the Tigers. He also registered 42 total touchdowns, including one on a kick return, in 32 games at the collegiate level.

Putting him on a Panthers offense with Cam Newton would create a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses. Teams would be forced to commit extra assets to the box to protect against the power-rushing attack, which would go a long way to help Newton rebound from a bad passing season in 2016.

Only one thing could hold Fournette back: injury issues. Will Carroll of SEC Country reported last season the rusher's ankle had developed into a "chronic problem" that needed "constant maintenance." That was surely a red flag as teams went through the medical checks.

If healthy for all 16 games, Fournette should be a top contender for Rookie of the Year, regardless of where he lands. Playing for the Panthers is the most intriguing option on paper, though.

Defensive: Jamal Adams, SS, LSU (Chicago Bears)

Rookie of the Year triumphs by Adams and Fournette would be a nice statement for LSU football. It's completely within the realm of possibility because both players are among the most NFL-ready prospects in the entire class.

The Tigers asked Adams to play more in the box last season, and he responded by racking up 76 total tackles, a sack and an interception. One year earlier, he filled a more standard safety role en route to 67 total tackles and four interceptions.

His ability to do a variety of different things from the safety spot should ease his transition to the professional game. Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post noted the defensive back is placing high expectations on himself, too.

"Hopefully I can make history," Adams said. "Sean Taylor and Eric Berry are [two of the] highest safeties to be drafted when they went at No. 5. So hopefully I can go in the top four. I plan on being in the Hall of Fame one day. Now that I've moved on from high school and college, that's my goal: to be a Hall of Famer and put on the yellow jacket."

Adams' well-rounded playmaking ability is a perfect match for the Bears. Chicago finished last in the NFL in 2016 with just 11 takeaways, two fewer than any other team and three times fewer than the league-leading Kansas City Chiefs.

He'd step right into a massive role in the Bears secondary. While that type of responsibility is sure to come with growing pains, it would also put him in position to put up the type of big numbers necessary to take home the top rookie honor.