NFL Mock Draft 2017: Predictions & Rumors for 1st Round

We are days away from the 2017 NFL Draft. This is the time of year where information is flowing leaving fans to wonder what is true and what info teams are releasing as a smoke screen. A few weeks ago, we released an NFL mock draft with our predictions for the top 10 picks.

Click here for a detailed description of each pick. Here’s a recap of who we had going in the top ten picks: No. 1 Browns- Myles Garrett, No. 2 49ers- Solomon Thomas, No. 3 Bears-Jamal Adams, No. 4 Jaguars- Leonard Fournette, No. 5 Chargers- Malik Hooker, No. 6 Jets- Marshon Lattimore, No. 7 Chargers- Mike Williams, No. 8 Panthers- Jonathan Allen, No. 9 Bengals- Reuben Foster and No. 10 Buffalo Bills- O.J. Howard.

For our latest mock draft we are going to focus on the rest of the first round. Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @JonDAdams or leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Here’s Heavy’s latest NFL mock draft for the rest of the first round.


No. 11 New Orleans Saints: Ohio State CB Gareon Conley

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Gareon Conley is moving up draft boards. (Getty)

Conley is shooting up draft boards which means the media has been sleeping on his talent as NFL teams are likely to have had him graded higher than we originally thought. The Saints are expected to address their defense with this pick and could also look at an EDGE rusher. Ultimately, the strength of this draft class lies in the secondary, and the Saints are looking to address this area in the draft.


No. 12 Cleveland Browns: North Carolina QB Mitchell Trubisky

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The Browns get their man at number 12. (Getty)

How often do we hear an NFL quarterback that wants to go to the Cleveland Browns? The Browns get their man after months of rumors that Cleveland could look to trade up to acquire their preferred quarterback. The Ohio native wanted to land in Cleveland and has a lot to prove with only 13 starts under his belt.


No. 13 Arizona Cardinals: Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes

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Patrick Mahomes jumps above Deshaun Watson in our latest mock draft. (Getty)

Never thought we would see Mahomes jump above Deshaun Watson but the Cardinals appear to be targeting the Texas Tech gunslinger. MMQB’s Peter King reported the Cardinals “love” Mahomes and see him as a player that could sit behind Carson Palmer to get groomed to be their future quarterback. The great thing about Mahomes is his confidence and the downside to his game is the same confidence as he can force throws into impossible windows.


No. 14 Philadelphia Eagles: Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey

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Christian McCaffrey will be one of the first running backs off the board. (Getty)

The Eagles get their running back of the future with McCaffrey who is the best playmaker in the draft. Philadelphia might be tempted to pull the trigger on a cornerback but if McCaffrey falls this far he might be too tempting for the Eagles to pass on. McCaffrey has done it all in the pre-draft process to prove he can be an every down player as long as a team utilizes him correctly.


No. 15 Indianapolis Colts: Tennessee DE Derek Barnett

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Derek Barnett gives the Colts an elite pass rusher. (Getty)

While the Colts could look to bolster their offensive line, this pick seems steep for the caliber of offensive linemen in this draft class. Derek Barnett could easily slide inside the top 10 picks. He gives the Colts a player to get after the quarterback coming off the edge. Barnett finished last season with a whopping 13 sacks at Tennessee.


No. 16 Baltimore Ravens: Western Michigan WR Corey Davis

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Corey Davis outruns a defender. (Getty)

There has been speculation Davis could fall on draft night, but he has so much talent on film that it hard to see that happening. Yes, Davis’ ankle injury has prevented him from participating in many parts of the pre-draft process. He also played in the MAC where the competition is not as high as the conferences that many of the other top players played in. There will be a team willing to look past that in favor of his talent. Once he catches the ball, he turns into a running back and may be the best receiver in this draft class with what he can do after the reception.


No. 17 Washington Redskins: Temple LB Haason Reddick

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Haason Reddick is locked inside the first round. (Getty)

Reddick began his ascent during Senior Bowl week where he flashed during the week of practices in Mobile. Reddick could go higher than this, but is the best available defensive player where the Redskins pick. Reddick does a lot of things well, but one of his main strengths is his ability to get to the quarterback. Washington might be tempted to slide him over to middle linebacker but need to make sure they are giving him every opportunity to succeed.


No. 18 Tennessee Titans: Washington WR John Ross

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John Ross is the fastest player in NFL Combine history. (Getty)

The draft plays out exactly as the Titans hoped. While Tennessee will consider taking a wide receiver at No. 5, they opted to bolster their secondary. The Titans miss out on Corey Davis and Mike Williams but end up getting the fastest player in the draft. Ross comes with questions about his injury history and durability. He proved just what he was capable of this season at Washington both on offense and on special teams. He gives the Titans a weapon they can line up all over the field.


No. 19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Florida State RB Dalvin Cook

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Dalvin Cook is one of the most versatile running backs in the draft. (Getty)

If the Bucs add Cook, this off-season could be dubbed “Make Jameis Winston Happy”. Tampa Bay already picked up DeSean Jackson and could have an opportunity to draft Winston’s former Florida State teammate. There have been questions swirling around Cook. First about the health of his shoulders and most recently about his life off the field. Be leery of reports of “character concerns” this time of year from unnamed sources. Cook has plenty of talent to make the folks in Tampa Bay happy if he can stay healthy.


No. 20 Denver Broncos: Miami TE David Njoku

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David Njoku is part of a strong 2017 tight end class. (Getty)

Denver could address their offensive line like many people expect, but the Broncos have been missing an elite tight end since Julius Thomas signed with the Jaguars. This is a great year to look at tight ends with the amount of talent at the top of the board. Njoku is an athletic freak with great size at 6’4″ and 246 pounds.


No. 21 Detroit Lions: Missouri DE Charles Harris

The Lions bolster their pass rush with Charles Harris. (Getty)

The Lions defensive line was once one of the best in the league but free agency and natural attrition has it looking thin. Harris got progressively better at getting to the quarterback in his three years at Missouri. He finished last season with nine sacks and 61 tackles.


No. 22 Miami Dolphins: Florida LB Jarrad Davis

Jarrad Davis is one of the top linebackers in the draft. (Getty)

In the early 20’s, we could start to see teams looking to trade up to draft a quarterback if one of the top signal callers is still on the board. Assuming Miami opts to stay put, look for them to address their defense. The Dolphins could look at one of the top corners, but we have them leaning towards linebacker at this point.


No. 23 New York Giants: Ole Miss TE Evan Engram

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Evan Engram could sneak into the first round. (Getty)

I’ve been higher on Engram than a lot of other draft analysts. Engram is such a good receiver, and the Giants have a big need for a legit number one tight end. Some have the Giants grabbing a quarterback here but think it is more likely the Giants look to surround Eli Manning with more talent as he enters the final leg of his career. Engram is smaller than Howard and Njoku but has the best hands of any tight end in this draft class.


No. 24 Oakland Raiders: Vanderbilt LB Zach Cunningham

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The Raiders look to address their need at linebacker with Zach Cunningham. (Getty)

The Raiders need to add another linebacker and missed out on some of the other top linebackers. Oakland could look at corner but did address the need somewhat in free agency. Oakland could be tempted to take a chance on Cunningham if none of the other linebackers fall. Cunningham finished with 125 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss.


No. 25 Houston Texans: Clemson QB Deshaun Watson

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Deshaun Watson finally finds a home in Houston. (Getty)

Out with the old and in with the new. The Texans cut their losses by trading Brock Osweiler. If a quarterback like Watson falls, the Texans can select him and have him compete with Tom Savage to start day one. Texans fans are hoping the top quarterbacks slide on draft day.


No. 26 Seattle Seahawks: Washington CB Kevin King

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Kevin King has the shortest move of anyone in this mock draft as he stays in Seattle. (Getty)

The Seahawks biggest needs are at cornerback and offensive line. King gives Seattle a tall, rangy corner that fits the mold of guys Pete Carroll likes to play the position. King stays put in the Northwest and gives Seattle another corner to pair with Richard Sherman (assuming he is not traded) at a position that has been a rotating door since Brandon Browner was there in his prime.


No. 27 Kansas City Chiefs: Alabama CB Marlon Humphrey

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Marlon Humphrey heads to Kansas City to play at Arrowhead Stadium. (Getty)

Kansas City’s secondary is not bad, but they could add another corner to pair with Marcus Peters. This secondary class has too much talent still on the board to pass up. On another note, if Reuben Foster starts a free fall on draft night could the Chiefs be the team that stops it? They showed a willingness to take chances on a player with a checkered past last draft with Tyreke Hill.


No. 28 Dallas Cowboys: Wisconsin EDGE T.J. Watt

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T.J. Watt gives the Cowboys the help they need on defense. (Getty)

Cornerback or edge rusher are the most likely options for the Cowboys with their first pick. UCLA’s Tak McKinley has great speed coming off the edge but concerns about him starting the season on the PUP list could push him down. Whichever direction Dallas goes, they can follow up with the opposite position with their second round pick. In other words, if they go with Watt look for them to look at the best available corner with their next pick.


No. 29 Green Bay Packers: LSU CB Tre’Davious White

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Tre’Davious White heads to Green Bay where they are in desperate need of better corners. (Getty)

If you’re curious what direction the Packers should go here, put on the tape of their playoff loss to the Falcons where their secondary was torched. LSU’s Jamal Adams is getting most of the attention when it comes to LSU’s secondary, but White was making plays right with him all season long. White is another player that helped himself during Senior Bowl week.


No. 30 Pittsburgh Steelers: Michigan S/LB Jabrill Peppers

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Jabrill Peppers has been a perplexing player to evaluate for many NFL teams. (Getty)

Peppers’ projections are all over the map. At some point in his college career, Peppers played safety, linebacker and running back at Michigan. For a front office and coaching staff with an open mind, Peppers will be a player that will be sought after when the draft starts. He gives the Steelers a playmaker with position flexibility at two areas of needs.


No. 31 Atlanta Falcons: Western Kentucky G Forrest Lamp

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Forrest Lamp is one of the top offensive linemen in the draft. (Getty)

Atlanta would love to see Lamp fall to them. Lamp is what many consider to be the top linemen in the draft. If there is not an offensive linemen worthy of this pick left on the board, the Falcons could add another defensive end that can get to the quarterback as Dan Quinn continues to build his defense.


No. 32 New Orleans Saints: Washington S Budda Baker

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Budda Baker could end up being the best safety in the draft. (Getty)

Baker is one my favorite players in the draft. He reminds me a bit of Earl Thomas. He is not the biggest player, but he is all over the field. Baker can also be an enforcer with his hard-hitting style. If the Saints can grab a cornerback with their first pick and a safety at No. 32, New Orleans’ secondary immediately looks a lot better heading into next season.