2017 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Top Prospects on the Rise

The 2017 NFL draft is right around corner, and yet there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the first round. 

Thursday's first round is sure to be filled with surprises, including a few slightly under-the-radar prospects coming off the board earlier than expected. 

It's tough to predict who these prospects will be, but there are a number of candidates who have been generating some serious buzz over the past few weeks. Following this updated mock draft, here's a look at three hot names who are likely to come off the board much higher than they were projected to go just a few weeks ago. 

1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett	DE	Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Solomon Thomas	DL	Stanford
3	Chicago Bears	Jamal Adams	S	LSU
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Fournette	RB	LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (via LAR)	Marshon Lattimore	CB	Ohio State
6	New York Jets	Mitchell Trubisky	QB	North Carolina
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Jonathan Allen	DL	Alabama
8	Carolina Panthers	Christian McCaffrey	RB	Stanford
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Derek Barnett	DE	Tennessee
10	Buffalo Bills	O.J. Howard	TE	Alabama
11	New Orleans Saints	Reuben Foster	LB	Alabama
12	Cleveland Browns (via PHI)	Malik Hooker	FS	Ohio State
13	Arizona Cardinals	Patrick Mahomes	QB	Texas Tech
14	Philadelphia Eagles (via MIN)	Marlon Humphrey	CB	Alabama
15	Indianapolis Colts	Charles Harris	DE	Missouri
16	Baltimore Ravens	Mike Williams	WR	Clemson
17	Washington Redskins	Haason Reddick	LB	Temple
18	Tennessee Titans	Corey Davis	WR	W. Michigan
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Dalvin Cook	RB	Florida State
20	Denver Broncos	Ryan Ramczyk	OT	Wisconsin
21	Detroit Lions	Jarrad Davis	LB	Florida
22	Miami Dolphins	Taco Charlton	DE	Michigan
23	New York Giants	Forrest Lamp	OL	W. Kentucky
24	Oakland Raiders	Tyus Bowser	LB	Houston
25	Houston Texans	Deshaun Watson	QB	Clemson
26	Seattle Seahawks	Cam Robinson	OT	Alabama
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Tre'Davious White	CB	LSU
28	Dallas Cowboys	Takkarist McKinley	LB	UCLA
29	Green Bay Packers	Kevin King	CB	Washington
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	Jabrill Peppers	SS	Michigan
31	Atlanta Falcons	Jordan Willis	DE	Kansas State
32	New Orleans Saints	John Ross	WR	Washington

Charles Harris, DE, Missouri

Ed Zurga/Getty Images

NFL teams are always looking to improve their pass rush, which often pushes one-dimensional players up the board. If you can get to the quarterback, the NFL wants you—even if you're lacking in other areas. 

Charles Harris is latest prospect who could benefit from that philosophy and is a candidate to rise into the top half of the first round based on his pass-rush ability alone. 

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein summed up Harris' weaknesses: "Found himself too easily engulfed by size this season. Gives ground on the edge and can be widened out of his run fit...Lacks desired glass-chewing mentality against the run."

Despite those concerns, Harris gets after the quarterback with impressive consistency. According to Pro Football Focus, he generated a sack, hit or hurry once every six pass-rush snaps in 2016. 

The Indianapolis Colts are another team who could be interested in Harris. In his latest mock draft, MMQB's Peter King described Colts general manager Chris Ballard as "desperate" for a pass-rusher with the 15th pick. If Harris is still on the board, he could fill that need. 

Tyus Bowser, LB, Houston

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

Another pass-rusher on the rise is Houston's Tyus Bowser. While he's even more raw than Harris in terms of his fundamentals, Bowser's elite performance at the combine helped generate some buzz. 

While Bowser isn't rising due to his combine performance alone, his numbers caused many evaluators to go back to the tape and take a closer look. Due to limited reps in college, Bowser's production didn't generate much hype during the 2016 season, but his potential is obvious based on the splash plays he made at Houston. 

Pro Football Focus called Bowser "as raw as one could possibly be with four years of major college football under his belt," but they also praised his sack production despite limited pass-rush snaps. 

Bowser might not interest a team in the market for an immediate starter, but a team with a proven pass-rush such as the Oakland Raiders could target him for his value. Bowser could offer immediate production as a situational pass-rusher in Oakland while growing into a more prominent role down the road. 

Kevin King, CB, Washington

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In recent years, we've seen teams target taller cornerbacks in an effort to mimic the Seattle Seahawks secondary. And 6'3" Kevin King could be the latest cornerback to benefit from this interest in developing corners with size. 

Early in the draft process, King was viewed as a first-round longshot, but he has steadily risen throughout the spring. A strong combine performance helped answer some concerns about his all-around athleticism, but King has also benefited from circumstances out of his control. 

Prospects who were solidly ahead of King on draft boards two months ago have been dropping like flies. Serious injuries caused King's college teammate Sidney Jones and UCLA's Fabian Moreau to drop out of first-round consideration. And now, according to TMZ Sports, Ohio State's Gareon Conley has been accused of rape and could fall on draft day if the situation isn't quickly resolved. 

With so many cornerbacks falling out of the first-round conversation, the next tier of prospects, including King, are entering the picture in the late first round. 

A contender desperate for help in the secondary, such as the Green Bay Packers, could take a chance on King late on Day 1. 

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