NFL Draft 2017: Latest Rumors, Potential Landing Spots Surrounding Top Prospects

The 2017 NFL draft is almost upon us. On Thursday night, the first 32 draft prospects will ceremoniously become members of the NFL.

While we have a good idea what that group of 32 is going to look like, there's no way we can be certain. This is because teams rarely give out accurate information in the weeks leading up to the draft and because the draft landscape is still changing.

In fact, the flow of news and rumors actually seems to pick up right before the draft. In the last week, for example, we've learned that potential first-rounders Jabrill Peppers and Reuben Foster were each flagged for having a diluted urine sample at the scouting combine. How will this affect their draft stock? We don't know for certain, but we can still make some predictions.

Digging through the latest news and rumors is exactly what we're going to do here. We'll run down the current draft order and make projections for each pick based on factors like player potential, prospect stock and team needs. We'll also examine the latest draft buzz and examine some potential outcomes for each.

2017 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	NFL Team	Proj. Selection
1	Cleveland Browns	Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
2	San Francisco 49ers	Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
3	Chicago Bears	Jamal Adams, S, LSU
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU
5	Tennessee Titans (from LAR)	Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
6	New York Jets	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
7	Los Angeles Chargers	Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
8	Carolina Panthers	Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Haason Reddick, LB, Temple
10	Buffalo Billa	Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
11	New Orleans Saints	Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee
12	Cleveland Browns (from PHI)	Mitchell Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
13	Arizona Cardinals	Mike Williams, WR, Clemson
14	Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN)	Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
15	Indianapolis Colts	Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
16	Baltimore Ravens	John Ross, WR, Washington
17	Washington Redskins	Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
18	Tennessee Titans	Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU
19	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
20	Denver Broncos	Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky
21	Detroit Lions	Adoree' Jackson, CB, USC
22	Miami Dolphins	Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida
23	New York Giants	David Njoku, TE, Miami
24	Oakland Raiders	Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut
25	Houston Texans	Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
26	Seattle Seahawks	Garett Bolles, OT, Utah
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
28	Dallas Cowboys	T.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin
29	Green Bay Packers	Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
30	Pittsburgh Steelers	Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
31	Atlanta Falcons	Dan Feeney, G, Indiana
32	New Orleans Saints (from NE)	Budda Baker, S, Washington

Latest Buzz

Reddick on the Rise

Former Temple linebacker Haason Reddick has been one of the biggest risers in over the past few weeks. This is likely due to the fact that he brings some pass-rush potential in addition to being one of the draft's better linebacker prospects.

Of course, it helps that Reddick tested extremely well at the scouting combine. He ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds and produced an impressive 133.0-inch broad jump.

"He's a great athlete. He's a speed rusher. He's definitely going to be good," former NFL lineman Tra Thomas said of Reddick, per Jeff Skversky of WPVI-TV.

Bleacher Report draft analyst Matt Miller believes Reddick will end up going in the top 10 of the draft. He isn't the only one.

"Haason Reddick from Temple is somebody that I wouldn't be shocked if he ended up sneaking into the top 10," NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah said during a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. "Which I think would shock a lot of people.

I've had Reddick in the top 10 for some time now, so I won't exactly be shocked if he ends up there. I think the Cincinnati Bengals are a perfect destination for him as they look for a replacement for the departed Rey Maualuga in the middle.

Gareon Conley Accused of Sexual Assault

Another player Matt Miller believes was trending toward the top of the first round is former Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley. However, recent developments may keep him off some draft boards entirely.

Dan DeRoos of Cleveland19.com recently reported that an unidentified NFL draft prospect had been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a downtown Cleveland hotel.

TMZ later identified the prospect as Conley.

Conley's lawyer, Kevin Spellacy, immediately denied the allegations.

"In my opinion, this young lady is an opportunist, and it's actually despicable," said Spellacy, per DeRoos.

What's important to note here is that Conley has not been formally charged or arrested in connection with the allegations, per DeRoos. However, this likely isn't going to stop the story from seriously affecting Conley's stock on draft weekend. Even if Conley is completely innocent, the matter isn't likely to be resolved before Thursday night.

Teams aren't likely to make an early-draft gamble on Conley with the allegations still on the table. La'el Collins went completely undrafted a couple years ago after it was learned police wanted to question him about the shooting death of an ex-girlfriend. Collins wasn't even considered a suspect at the time.

Unsurprisingly, Conley has now decided not to attend the draft in Philadelphia:

My guess is that Conley now falls out of the first round of the draft, unless a team digs up enough evidence to convince it that the former Buckeye is completely innocent. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if a contending team like the New England Patriots or the Dallas Cowboys took a chance on him in the middle rounds of the draft.

Mahomes and Watson Both QBs of the Future?

The consensus seems to now be that quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes II and Deshaun Watson will both end up going in the first round. However, there's no clear indication when the two quarterbacks might actually go. If they last until the back end of the draft, however, it seems both will be tapped to become future starters for playoff teams.

Here's an interesting tidbit from Peter King of theMMQB.com:

"

Got a call Tuesday from a team official who told me he thought Pat Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were good bets for Kansas City and Houston—only he didn't know which team would get which player. 'Andy like these quarterbacks, and he likes them where he's picking,' the team official said of Kansas City coach Andy Reid, who picks 27th Thursday night.

"

I've had Mahomes paired with the Texans for a while now, based on reports that Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien seems to really like him.

"File this away: One NFL coach who's done homework on all the top QBs told me the word is O'Brien absolutely loves the cannon-armed Mahomes," Tom Pelissero of USA Today wrote.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Texans trade up to secure Mahomes, either. I think the question then revolves around whether Watson makes it to the Kansas City Chiefs. I think Kansas City would be a perfect landing spot for Watson. He could sit for a year or two and learn from a true professional in Alex Smith before being thrown to the proverbial wolves on the field.

Follow your favorite teams and leagues in the new B/R app. Get the app and get the game.