There’s no time like the present and in NFL draft circles as big boards have been finalized and there’s last second scrambling to figure out the most recent off-field red flags teams are begging to prepare their plans of action for the 2017 NFL Draft.
That means constructing mock drafts and figuring out what scenarios may unfold come Thursday night. Part of that also lies in figuring out possible trades and in turn putting feelers out for possible trade partners.
It’s, of course, impossible to predict trades as the draft is bound to offer us some surprises and it only takes one selection to ruin everything, trade plans included. But that’s also part of the fun in mock drafts, isn’t it? trying to conjure up what craziness might unfold on draft night. So here’s our best guess.
Note, this is not our big board or how we would rank the prospects in the class, rather an exercise in trying to predict how everything will unfold in the actual draft based on team needs and past tendencies.
It’s also worth noting that all our trades were done using the trade value chart which is what the NFL has used for decades now since Jimmy Johnson made it common practice back in the 90s.
1. Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M
The Browns are certain to be torn. But they’ve been in this position before and passed on a quarterback, Garrett gives them good reason to do so and they’ll have plenty of options to trade back up for their signal caller.
2. San Fransisco 49ers – Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
The 9ers need just about everything, but their best positional value lies in taking the best quarterback available. That is said to be Trubisky, who’s got the package and upside the NFL covets. As a dark horse pick keep Fournette in mind here.
3. Chicago Bears – Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford
Chicago could go quarterback here too. Or they might snatch up one of the two talented safeties if they feel confident in their abilities to be franchises building blocks. Unless you’re going quarterback your best option is to build in the trenches and while Thomas isn’t a perfect fit in the Bears defense, good teams will find a way to make it work. Thomas’ athleticism shouldn’t make him last long come draft day.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Fournette, RB, Louisiana State
At this point the selection of Fournette to Jacksonville makes so much sense that it probably won’t happen. If it does it’s a slam dunk pick. Watch out for DeShaun Watson as a surprise selection here.
5. Tennessee Titans (from Rams) – Traded to the Browns for picks 12 and 33, the Titans also give up pick No. 124 in the fourth round DeShaun Watson, QB, Clemson
With this trade the Browns are able to move up and while they do give up a high second rounder, they’re also able to recoup a pick in the process. Both teams would remain with two first rounders, the Browns would still have a second round pick and Tennessee would get back a second rounder and still have two in the third round. Who says no? Cleveland is rumored to want Trubisky but what if their man was really Watson. He could be the more NFL ready of the two and I don’t expect the top two quarterbacks to last for long.
6. New York Jets – Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
With the top two guys gone it’s too early for the Jets to pull the trigger on another gunslinger here. So they go with Lattimore who’s a potential shutdown cornerback and fits the mold of what they like in their DBs. It won’t fix their offense but it’ll be a big step forward in making their defense great again.
7. Los Angeles Chargers – Malik Hooker, FS, Ohio State
Hooker could fall as he hasn’t been able to put testing numbers on record with an injury that’s sidelined him during the draft process. But he’s an elite talent and the Bolts should be happy to snatch him up. Jamal Adams would also fit but as a player who does his best work in the box, I won’t be surprised if he falls a tad.
8. Carolina Panthers – Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
No Fournette and no Thomas here for Carolina so the fall back plan becomes McCaffrey. C-Mac gives the Panthers easy completions in the passing game helping both their franchise quarterback and struggling o-line. For a team that dominated a year ago running against nickel defenses McCaffrey would allow them to do so again.
9. Cincinnati Bengals – Jamal Adams, SS, LSU
This isn’t a pick that’s been talked about much but the need is there for the Bengals at safety and this is a great value pick. They’ve also prioritized the secondary the last few drafts and I won’t be surprised if they do so again. O.J. Howard and Jonathan Allen could be surprise selections here.
10. Buffalo Bills – O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
The Bills have a tight end in Charles Clay but he’s had injury problems and isn’t a true in-line guy. With Howard they’d add a miss match problem and short area option fro their quarterback plus a great blocker for their run game. A potentially great pick that fits their philosophical mold.
11. New Orleans Saints – Derek Barnett, DE/OLB, Tennessee
Barnett’s stock seems to be pretty high even if he’s not an athletic freak as most in the NFL seem to like his production and well rounded pass rushing arsenal. With the Saints still searching for a truly dominant edge rusher he could be just what the doctor ordered.
12. Cleveland Browns (from Eagles) – Traded to Titans (see above) Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama
This would be a steal for the Titans and a great trade down. Getting Allen despite having traded out of the top five would really be a coup. Allen could drop a bit but he should go in this range and would be a great building block for the Titans defense. They could also go receiver or cornerback here.
13. Arizona Cardinals – Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
Another pick that seems so obvious at this point that it probably won’t happen. But Mahomes is the type of big armed gunslinger that the Cards love. It would also makes sense for the top tier of quarterbacks to go high as the supply never meets the demand.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Vikings) – Traded to the Detroit Lions for pick 21 and 53 the Eagles also give up pick 118 to make this work Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
We have another trade! Watch out for the Eagles who are one of the most active organizations when it comes to trading in the entire league. The Lions are a logical trade partner because they should be targeting a top pass rusher here and they’re starting to go quickly. Charlton’s a local product, with length and a nasty spin move. Charles Harris could also make sense for them as a surprise selection.
15. Indianapolis Colts – Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA
McKinley’s a great fit for the the Colts 3-4 defense and while they’ve added depth they need a star at the position. If McKinley’s developed he could in time fix lots of Indy’s deficiencies by just getting after the passer on a regular basis. The Colts need a quick fix like that.
16. Baltimore Ravens – Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
The Ravens have lost important pieces to their line the last two offseasons and the offense has struggled as a result. Robinson would make sense both at right tackle or guard for them. He’s a risky pick but his upside could see him going higher than many are predicting. In general offensive lineman always go high – particularly tackles with length – I doubt that trend doesn’t continue even on a down year.
17. Washington Redskins – Haason Reddick, OLB, Temple
Washington needs help all over the middle of their defense and Reddick would be a great pick up at this point. Giving them a leader on defense with a versatile package and athleticism that the unit’s lacking right now. Malik McDowell could be a dark horse pick here as his potential’s extremely enticing and could push him to go in the first round though he’s very inconsistent.
18. Tennessee Titans- Traded to the Giants for picks 23 and 87 in the third round Ryan Ramczyk, LT, Wisconsin
Another trade involving Tennessee, who seem like a good bet to trade down at least once, here they do so twice with both their picks. The Giants are an old school team and they need to upgrade their line that’s lacking a stud left tackle. So they move up to get Ramczyk here who’s got what you look for to project at the postion. David Njoku or Evan Engram’s skill set at tight end would make them very appealing here too.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – David Njoku, TE, Miami
The Bucs are without a tight end right now and they seem bound to stay in state with this pick as Njoku or Dalvin Cook make the most sense here. The Bucs could use both and with the FSU connection that Cook has with Jameis Winston he could make sense here. But this is a deep running back group and Njoku’s upside plus his ability in the red zone are too appealing to pass up.
20. Denver Broncos – Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
With the top two tackles off the board the Broncos have some interesting options here; stick to the offensive line or take one of the top talents that are falling? Considering how the Broncos have drafted in the past they’re likely to go best player available and it could be a toss up between Foster and Cook here. They stick with the defense as someone comparable to Cook can be found in the following rounds – Joe Mixon, D’Onta Foreman, and Curtis Samuel would be great additions in round two – Foster is hard to replicate.
On this defense, he’d instantly be an upgrade against the run with some superb tackling skills and instincts. He’d add an intimidator’s mentality to the middle of the defense and would also be a nice chess piece in coverage against tight ends and running backs – areas in which Denver’s struggled in the recent past. This would be a great pick football wise if the organization is confident they can help him get his act together off the field.
21. Detroit Lions – Traded to the Eagles Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
The Eagles drop back seven spots and still have their pick of the litter at the cornerback and wide receiver positions while also having Cook available to them. Which makes it seem like a worth while trade. They stick to the conventional route and go corner selecting Humphrey whose upside is special. Gareon Conley would have been in consideration here but given his recent allegations and him deciding not to attend the draft he could fall.
22. Miami Dolphins – Forrest Lamp, OG, Western Kentucky
The Dolphins seem to be building their team through the trenches and with Branden Albert gone they need to add a guard to allow their young backfield talent to keep developing. Lamp could go even higher than this as he’s a safe pick with Pro Bowl upside if used inside. Miami could be building a Cowboys type line by adding him to 2016 first round pick Laremy Tunsil.
23. New York Giants – Traded to the Titans Evan Engram, TE/WR, Ole Miss
The Titans pick again here after their second trade down and they have their choice of the receivers. I’m going with a surprise pick here though Engram fits, as he’s not a true tight end rather more of a big slot. He’s as good if not better than any of the top wideouts in the class with great size, speed, and hands. He’d be a great safety blanket for their young QB and would add size to their receiving core immediately. Engram’s talents merit a first round selection.
24. Oakland Raiders – Jarrad Davis, OLB, Florida
This is another possible landing spot for Cook as Oakland should go running back or linebacker here. With more options among the running backs than at linebacker, they pass on Cook who could fall some due to injury and off-field concerns, instead going with Davis whose stock is going the other way. He’s an athletic backer with great instincts and tape; similar to 2016 first rounder Karl Joseph.
25. Houston Texans – DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
The Texans are another trade up candidate as they need to get their quarterback situation figured out. They also need a starting cornerback as A.J. Bouye isn’t there anymore. They go with Kizer here who might be in an ideal situation with a good quarterbacks coach in Bill O’Brien to tutor him.
26. Seattle Seahawks – Trade to the Falcons for picks 31 and 95 in the third round Charles Harris, EDGE, Missouri
Our last trade is all about the pass rushers as the Falcons are building their young defense and trying to turn it into Seattle east. To do that they need more pass rushing talent and Harris is a fit in that role as he could complement Vic Beasly nicely. Harris could play as a hybrid linebacker and end much like Bruce Irvin did in Dan Quinn’s scheme back in Seattle. He’s a bit one-dimensional (like Irvin) but his first step and bendiness shouldn’t allow him to last for long on draft night.
27. Kansas City Chiefs – T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin
The Chiefs are another potential quarterback suitor and could even be a trade up candidate because of it. They should also be in the market for an interior linebacker if one of the top three where to drop here. Cornerback is another logical option. But don’t be surprised if they address their pass rush as their old stars are (well, old) and have missed too much time due to injuries recently. Watt would make lots of sense as the heir apparent keeping the Chiefs defense at a high level. He’s also a nice fit in that he could play inside some as well, similar to what Clay Matthews has done in Green Bay.
28. Dallas Cowboys – Kevin King, CB, Washington
A receiver or tight end could be a dark horse pick here as Dallas has drafted an offensive player in five of their last seven drafts. But their defense needs too much help particularly at cornerback and pass rusher to ignore. With the top edge guys gone already they focus on corner snatching up King who’s got great upside, size, and speed.
29. Green Bay Packers – Chidobe Awuzie, DB, Colorado
The Packers love players from out west and they also love versatile guys. Not to mention that they’ve prioritized players who can be impactful in the slot. These are all boxes Awuzie checks off in spades and given his stock’s rise since he blew up at the combine don’t be surprised to see him go this high. This could be a potential surprise landing spot for Joe Mixon as well and Lamp should be the pick if he’s still around.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers – JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, USC
Listen to our latest draft podcast for more details on this one but in general it makes sense. With Martavis Bryant’s status uncertain the Steelers do need a big receiver. Smith-Schuster has lots of upside, is one of the youngest players in the draft, and he fits Pittsburgh’s affinity for drafting developmental wideouts. Corey Davis, Mike Williams, and John Ross are all still available and could be selected here but the all have injury concerns that Ju-Ju doesn’t. Pittsburgh could also go with an edge rusher here though their selection’s become a bit limited.
31. Atlanta Falcons – Trade to the Seahawks Garett Bolles, OT, Utah
If you believe recent rumors – at this time of year the more recent the rumor is the more likely it is to be false – the Hawks seem to have cooled on trading Richard Sherman. If that’s just a smokescreen his replacement could be found here as King and Ahkello Witherspoon would be perfect replacements. But they also need to focus on fixing the offensive line, which they address here with Bolles who’s extremely athletic but will require some grooming. At pick 31 after trading down he’s pretty good value.
32. New Orleans Saints (from Patriots) – Ahkello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado
The Saints already addressed their need on the pass rushing side and now have to add more corners as their roster was depleted last season. They still have plenty of choices in this loaded class and Conley at this point – who would have been in consideration for them at 11 – would be a great value pick. The Saints like long athletes on the outside – which they need considering the size of opposing receivers in their division – and they should be a prime candidate for someone like King or Witherspoon. Don’t sleep on Spoon who’s got high level upside and should go within the first 30 to 45 picks.
