2017 NFL Mock Draft – With Trades!
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Yesterday here on Redskins Capital Connection we released our round one Mock Draft that didn’t include any trades – it was straight up and down, with every team picking at their normal spot.
However, as recent years have shown time and time again it is almost guaranteed that there will be a handful of teams trading up and trading down inside the first round, as General Managers maneuver their way around their own draft boards and the picks they anticipate other teams to make as well.
With that in mind, here is our round one Mock Draft with Trades, and hoo boy was it fun to try and get inside the minds of various team executives to try and guess what moves they’d make.
In the end, a total of five trades occured, involving ten different teams moving up or down the first round, including the Washington Redskins.
Do you agree or disagree with any of the trades or selections we’ve made here? Are you pleased or displeased with who we’ve mocked to be the latest rookie to don the burgundy and gold? Well, don’t hesitate to let us know on Twitter, on Facebook, or in the comments below! We’d love to hear your feedback!
| Pick # | Selection | |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M The unanimous best player in the 2017 draft class, not even the Browns could stuff this pick up... right? The rumors that Cleveland is considering taking a Quarterback at number one overall seem to be little more than an effort to increase the trade value of pick 12, which they may try and trade down from. Regardless, it would be a stunner if Garrett, the prodigiously talented pass rusher that he is, didn't have his name called first on Thursday evening. |
| #2 |   | TRADE between San Francisco and Buffalo QB Mitchell Trubisky, North Carolina The Bills ownership together with new coach Sean McDermott have spent a lot of time scouting Trubisky, including a personal visit down to North Carolina to meet with him in person. That's a lot of time invested in a player that likely won't be available at their pick. The San Francisco 49ers have been telegraphing to the entire world that they were keen to trade down here, and that's exactly what they've been able to do. |
| #3 |  | DE Solomon Thomas, Stanford Every year there's a handful of players who continue to rise up draft boards after the college season is long over, thanks to impressive combines, pro days, and team meetings. Solomon Thomas hasn't put a foot wrong in 2017, and his stock has risen from a mid-to-late first round prospect to a nearly unanimous top five pick. For the Bears, they can shore up a pass rush that was middle-of-the-road last year. Thomas will also help to alleviate pressure on the secondary. |
| #4 |  | RB Leonard Fournette, LSU The Jaguars were equal 2nd last in the NFL for rushing touchdowns in 2016, and their ground yards per game and yards per attempt were both in the bottom ten of the league as well. This is an offense that will benefit enormously from forcing oppositions to pay respect to the rushing attack. Dallas famously selected Ezekial Elliot with the 4th overall pick last year, and there are many scouts whom have placed even higher grades on Fournette, so this is a pick that could shake up the AFC South for years to come if Fournette plays like the stud he was in college. |
| #5 |  | S Jamal Adams, LSU The Titans secondary was already piecemeal at best thanks to the departure of Jason McCourty, so adding the best prospect of the 2017 draft class is a slam-dunk mood for Tennessee. Jamal Adams is a blue-chip player who will become a tone setter for the Titans as they continue to improve and build. |
| #6 |  | S Malik Hooker, Ohio State The New York Jets know more than most teams how significantly a top-tier Safety can improve the overall level of your defense, and that's what they are hoping to get out of Malik Hooker. Hooker will be the presumptive day one starter at Free Safety for the Jets, responsible for patrolling the middle of the field, and helping to alleviate some of the pressure on the Corners and defensive front. |
| #7 |  | CB Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State This is one of those cases where the best player available on the board also fits a clear need for the team on the clock, and the Los Angeles Chargers get an absolute talent with Marshon Lattiemore. It's possible that the Chargers will be tempted to pick another defensive player such as Jonathan Allen or Derek Barnett, but Lattimore's ceiling is enormous. |
| #8 |  | RB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford Cam Newton and the Panthers suffered a fairly remarkable slump in 2016 after making the Super Bowl the previous year, and will be looking to add the best available weapon to their offense with this pick. Christian McCaffrey fits that bill. McCaffrey is an exciting prospect who has the potential to be a versatile and explosive player in the NFL, and when you pair him with the dual-threat that is Cam Newton, the sky is the limit. The Redskins have been linked to McCaffrey quite a bit in recent weeks, but it seems unlikely that he'll still be available at pick 17, and it seems equally (if not more) unlikely that Bruce Allen would trade up for him. |
| #9 |  | DE Derek Barnett, Tennessee This would be a genuinely tough decision for the Bengals, if the board broke like we have mocked here thus far. Coach Marvin Lewis would likely be torn between three fantastic defensive prospects, but two of them have health red flags. The third prospect has no such issues, and his name is Derek Barnett. In 2016 the Bengals pass rush was entirely pedestrian, and their numbers tend to flatter them a bit more than they should. Barnett can step into the defensive front and be a disruptive force as a starter from day one. |
| #10 |   | TRADE between San Francisco and Buffalo CB Gareon Conley, Ohio State Moving down from #2 to #10 frees the new 49ers brass up a little bit, and allows them to make their pick from a handful of exciting and (roughly) equally graded prospects. At the end of the day, while an Offensive prospect like Mike Williams or O.J Howard will be tempting, especially to new coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers know that they'll need to capitalize on some nice pieces they already have on defense and continue to build it up by selecting Gareon Conley here. |
| #11 | 
| TRADE between New Orleans and Detroit WR Mike Williams, Clemson The second trade of the draft takes place here as the Saints move down from 11, thanks to Detroit being eager to move up and take the best Wide Receiver in the draft before teams such as the Browns, Eagles, and Cardinals can nab him. And yes; Mike Williams is the best receiver in this class. He doesn't have John Ross's speed or the clean routes of Corey Davis, but Williams is as reliable as they come and can be a dominant redzone threat for Matt Stafford. |
| #12 | 
| TRADE between Cleveland and Denver TE O.J Howard, Alabama In yesterday's version of the mock draft without trades, we said it was likely the Browns would trade down from 12, and that's exactly what they've done here. The Broncos are reportedly in love with O.J Howard, and for good reason; he is elite and looks ready to produce at a high level. |
| #13 |  | WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan Larry Fitzgerald strongly considered retiring after the end of 2016, and Malcolm Floyd is already gone, so suddenly the Cardinals look thin at Wide Receiver. Corey Davis fixes that problem nicely, and would benefit enormously from the chance to study alongside and play across from Fitzgerald. |
| #14 |  | WR John Ross, Washington Philadelphia enjoyed enormous success for six seasons after drafting the speedy DeSean Jackson, and know that the age-old adage 'speed kills' is true in the NFL. And John Ross will be officially the fastest man in the NFL once he is drafted. Carson Wentz needs weapons, and importantly those weapons need to be able to reliably catch the ball, instead of registering frustrating drops. John Ross will satisfy those requirements for Philadelphia. For the Redskins, seeing John Ross go to a division rival won't be ideal, because he's a nightmare matchup. That said, the Redskins defense has plenty of experience going up against speedy receivers who stretch the field. |
| #15 |  | ILB Reuben Foster, Alabama New Colts GM Chris Ballard probably would have preferred one of the top pass rushing prospects to fall to him here at fifteen, but blue-chip Inside Linebacker Reuben Foster is a fantastic consolation prize. Were it not for some question marks regarding his health, Foster likely would have gone earlier in the draft. Pick 15 is a great spot for him, and Indianapolis a team that will allow him to thrive from day one. |
| #16 |  | DE Jonathan Allen, Alabama Another player who likely would have gone higher in the draft were it not for lingering concerns about his health and longevity, Jonathan Allen still has enormous upside. For the Ravens, Allen can step in and become a dominant force on their Defensive Line, resulting in defenders behind him like C.J Mosley, Tony Jefferson and Eric Weddle being put under less pressure. |
| #17 |  | TRADE between Washington and Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech The Redskins trade down ten spots from #17 to #27 with Kansas City, who are wary of the Browns at pick #20 and the Texans at #25, both of whom need a Quarterback. While Alex Smith is still serviceable, Andy Reid knows that he needs to start grooming his Quarterback of the future now, especially considering early grades for the 2018 Quarterback class to be no more enticing than the 2017 class. Mahomes can sit under Alex Smith until he's ready to start. For the Redskins, they pick up the #59 and #104 picks to move down 10 spots. |
| #18 | | ILB Haason Reddick, Temple After earlier selecting Jamal Adams, I'm sure the Titans would have hoped that one of the top four offensive weapons would slide to #18. Alas, that hasn't occured. Instead the Titans go with Best Pick Available, which is Reddick out of Temple. |
| #19 |  | TRADE between Tampa Bay and Atlanta OG Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky The Falcons move up from #31 to #19 to snag the draft's best Offensive Line prospect. Forrest Lamp can slot in at Guard and help in both the ground and air games for the Falcons. |
| #20 | | TRADE between Cleveland and Denver QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson The Browns get their QB and walk out of the first round with Myles Garrett, Deshaun Watson, and extra draft picks - a fantastic haul. Knowing that the Browns are all in on 'moneyball analytics', Watson makes sense for them; he misses throws and struggles with interceptions, but he also just wins. And at the end of the day, that's the only statistic that matters. |
| #21 |  | TRADE between New Orleans and Detroit TE David Njoku, Miami Coby Fleener and Michael Hoomanawanui aren't really the future at the Tight End spot for the Saints, who are desperate to get the most out of Drew Brees in his last years in the NFL. |
| #22 |  | CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama The Dolphins have a lot of holes to fill, mostly on their defense. They could take along hard look at an ILB like Jarrad Davis here, but at the end of the day, Marlon Humphrey represents the Best Pick Available. |
| #23 |  | RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State Who was the last good Running Back the Giants had? Tiki Barber last played for the G-men over a decade ago, and since then it's been a cavalcade of journeymen at the position for the Giants. That ends now with the selection of Dalvin Cook at pick 23. For the Giants it makes an enormous amount of sense to try and surround Eli Manning with as much talent as possible, and with all eyes on Odell Beckham Jr, adding a potential stud at Running Back could open up the entire field for the Giants. That wouldn't be ideal for the Redskins, who obviously want to see their division rival remain one dimensional on offense. |
| #24 |  | ILB Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt When you have one of the best young Defensive End's in the league in Khalil Mack, how do you get even more out of him? Put a solid Inside Linebacker behind him. Zach Cunningham is athletic and talented, and will be a presumptive starter for the Raiders as they seek to step up to the next level in 2017 under Derek Carr. |
| #25 |  | OLB Charles Harris, Missouri A nightmare first round for the Texans which has seen the top three Quarterbacks go before Houston is on the clock. Rather than panicking in the first round, instead Houston will look to move up into the early second round and take one of Davis Webb or Deshone Kizer. That means at this pick, they are free to take the best available player that fits a need for them, and that's the OLB Charles Harris, who can help to reaffirm Houston's front seven as one to be feared. |
| #26 |  | OT Garett Bolles, Utah Far too often, Quarterback Russell Wilson has had to escape a collapsing pocket and try and extend plays on his feet. This is something that he's had success doing, but surely the Seattle coaches would rather see Wilson stay upright and safe behind a strong Offensive Line. Bolles helps them achieve this goal. |
| #27 |  | TRADE between Washington and Kansas City DE Malik McDowell, Michigan State Since the end of the college football season, Malik McDowell‘s apparent draft stock has fluctuated consistently. He’s been touted as a top 15 draft pick at times, and other times he’s fallen outside of the first round in mocks entirely. Some of this has been as a result of other players rising up draft boards, and some of it has been seen as perceived corrections on McDowell’s valuation. Regardless, McDowell remains an exciting Defensive Tackle prospect for teams looking for young talent, and at age 20, they don’t come much younger. McDowell is an example of a young player who continues to improve, and at 6’6 and close to 300 pounds he has the prototypical size that teams covet up front on the defense. Even though the Redskins signed free agent Defensive End's Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain, that won't stop Bruce Allen and Scott Campbell identifying McDowell as someone that can step in and supplant them on the depth chart almost immediately. Playing on a defensive front surrounded by Ryan Kerrigan, Junior Galette, and Preston Smith on the edges, McDowell can be moved around the line and used creatively, such is his talent and versatility. At pick #27, this seems to be about spot on for McDowell's valuation, and he'll be a strong fit for the Redskins. As mentioned earlier, the Redskins pick up the #59 and #104 picks to move down 10 spots here to #27, which gives them flexibility to move back up into the high second round if there are prospects they fall in love with. |
| #28 |  | CB Kevin King, Washington Odell Beckham Jr. Terrelle Pryor. Alshon Jeffery. The NFC East is stacked with talented Wide Receivers who can high-point the ball in the endzone, and Dallas has absolutely no one on their roster at present who can defend them. Kevin King is 6'3 and would (annoyingly) be a great pick for the Cowboys to help them in this area. |
| #29 |  | OLB T.J Watt, Wisconsin The Packers defense could benefit from an improved pass rush, and the family pedigree that comes with the name 'Watt' is attractive too. It's not just nepotism that will see T.J Watt likely taken in the first round of the draft though; he's a hard working edge rusher with a lot of talent. |
| #30 |  | ILB Jarrad Davis Ryan Shazier is a good young prospect at this position, but he's also a bit undersized and not a true 'Mike' Linebacker. Jarrad Davis can be that player, and together with Shazier can really control the middle of the field for the Steelers defense. |
| #31 |
 | TRADE between Tampa Bay and Atlanta RB Joe Mixon, Oklahoma After trading down from #19 to #31, the Buccs brass feels it gives them a bit more clearance to do what many will consider a surprise pickand take the risk on Joe Mixon. By now, everyone knows about Mixon's off-field issues and red flags, but there are pundits and scouts who believe that he has been able to successfully convince teams he has met with (including Tampa Bay) that those days are behind him and that he's not going to blow this opportunity. On the field, there is no denying Mixon's ability to be an exciting and productive Running Back, and his versatility in terms of being able to be a weapon in the receiving game draws comparisons to players such as Le'Veon Bell. |
| #32 | | DE Taco Charlton, Michigan Closing out what has been a nice first round for the Saints, they add Taco Charlton to their front seven after previously adding the exciting Tight End David Njoku. Charlton should help to keep the pressure on Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Matt Ryan inside the NFC South for the foreseeable future. |
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