Who is entering the 2017 nfl draft

Here, they can make things right by going with Watt. I know, you could make the joke that, given the recent trouble Myles Garrett got into on the field, he would have been a better member of the Bengals. But I would never stoop to make that joke. Watt would offer Cincinnati more versatility, thanks to his ability to play multiple positions on this defense.

Not that I have to justify this pick to you. Original pick: Traded to the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes. The Bills absolutely scored with this pick in the real draft, but they're going to have to pay a bigger price for White this time around.

Not that anybody with Buffalo would ever complain. He's allowed a passer rating of Original pick: Marshon Lattimore , CB. The Saints also did pretty well with this pick in the original draft, and New Orleans is exactly where the Defensive Rookie of the Year will land once again.

Lattimore was amazing during his rookie season, and you could have made the case to pick him ahead of White based on that first year. Though Lattimore sort of flattened out over the past two years, he's still one of the top picks in this draft. Original pick: Traded to the Texans Deshaun Watson. Hey, look: The Browns ended up with Garrett anyway, using a pick they acquired from the Eagles in in the swap that allowed Philly to draft Carson Wentz.

Now, I don't want to make it seem like Garrett is a bad player. Obviously, swinging Mason Rudolph 's own helmet at him last season brought Garrett some notoriety, along with some of the things he'd been fined for in the past most notably punching Delanie Walker.

However, Garrett is still a solid defender. And if the Browns have a chance to walk away with the best player of the draft and the guy they actually did take first overall, nobody in Cleveland will complain. Original pick: Haason Reddick , LB. This was such a weird pick to make, because the Cardinals were in the mix for a quarterback. But with Mahomes and Watson gone, there was no way they were going to use such a high selection on the next best QB, Nathan Peterman. Instead, Arizona addressed a seemingly endless need by snagging the best lineman in the draft, a bookend tackle who will be dominant at his position for years and honestly would have had a good case to be the No.

In this exercise, the Cardinals have landed quite a steal. Original pick: Derek Barnett , DE. Like the Cardinals and offensive-line help, the Eagles seemingly have a perennial need for a wide receiver. Which was kind of stupid. Because I would always lean toward the guys who actually played well on the field over someone who looked good running around in his underwear in Indianapolis. Original pick: Malik Hooker , S.

The Colts went into the draft with a huge need at cornerback, so it was a mild surprise when they actually went with Hooker.

The Colts can improve by going instead with Jackson, a player with whom they've become quite familiar over the past couple of years. Jackson struggled during the early part of his career, but he was instrumental in the Titans ' playoff run, and his presence would certainly be welcomed in Indianapolis.

Original pick: Marlon Humphrey , CB. The Ravens had a huge need at receiver headed into following the retirement of Steve Smith who is now my co-worker! So maybe one of the available receivers left on the board would make a lot of sense.

But then you remember that if you saw Cleveland : drafting quarterbacks as an SAT analogy question, Baltimore : drafting receivers could have been an acceptable answer. So, instead, the Ravens add a player they already know is going to fit in perfectly with this team. Original pick: Jonathan Allen , DE. Speaking of teams that have struggled to draft wide receivers, here come the Redskins. It might make sense for them to take one of the best remaining receivers at this point.

But to what end? Let's say they take Kenny Golladay. Well, was Kirk Cousins ' final season in Washington, and Golladay struggled during his rookie year with the Lions while playing with Detroit's version of Kirk Cousins.

So why not address the need at defensive back here? King has been a pretty solid player over the last two years. Original pick: Adoree' Jackson , CB.

The Titans would probably be in a good spot to move down, because cornerback would have been their biggest priority at this point.

But the team also had a need at safety -- and I would favor Johnson over Eddie Jackson , because Jackson is a better free safety, a position that is already occupied on Tennessee's roster by the great Kevin Byard. Johnson would be able to play his more natural strong safety position, where he really did well for two years before an abbreviated Original pick: O. Howard , TE. The Bucs went into this draft with a huge need at running back, and it's one they have still yet to address three years later notwithstanding the attempt to do so via Ronald Jones.

Selecting Cook takes care of this problem. I was in the NFL Network newsroom when this draft was going down, and the Bucs fans in attendance were going mad, hoping that the Florida State kid was going to end up in Tampa. He did not. Well, at least not until now. Original pick: Garett Bolles , OT. The Broncos ' actual selection of Bolles is obviously one that they would like to forget -- like the first season of Parks and Recreation.

A side note for those of you looking to stream that show: Just jump into Season 2, and you'll be just fine. The Broncos could just go with another lineman here because of the need. But looking at Denver's roster, Jackson and draftee Justin Simmons could form the best safety combo of I know Simmons is currently playing free safety, and I just explained that Jackson is a better free safety than strong safety -- but Simmons was at strong safety in , and the temptation to put these two together is great enough that we can just let the Broncos and current head coach Vic Fangio sort out who plays where.

They're bright people. Original pick: Jarrad Davis , LB. The Lions were able to snare Golladay in the third round in real life but will have no such luck here. After a slow rookie season those happen , he's become one of the better receivers when it comes to making contested catches, which no doubt brings back memories of Calvin Johnson.

Not that Golladay is at that level yet. But he's been a solid performer. Golladay set career highs with 11 touchdowns last season, to go along with Original pick: Charles Harris , DE. The Dolphins had a need on both lines, but while Dion Dawkins or Taylor Moton would make sense, Hooker has fallen way too far in this draft already.

Barnett is a bit boom-or-bust, but he has the natural skills to reach double-digit sacks. Malik Hooker. S Ohio St. Hooker was most associated with the Chargers in this draft, but the Colts catch a falling star who can give them a steady presence in the middle of their defense.

Marlon Humphrey. CB Alabama. Once Marshon Lattimore and the top three wide receivers were taken, the Ravens could lock into the second best corner in the class. Ozzie Newsome has an affinity for defenders from his alma mater, and Humphrey is an ideal cover man for the scheme. Jonathan Allen. DE Alabama. He will stop the run early in his career and develop well as a pass-rusher. Adoree' Jackson.

CB USC. The Titans needed to come out of the first round with a defensive back, and they go with an extremely fast and aggressive cover man who makes plays on the ball. Jackson will also boost their return game and maybe offense at times, too. TE Alabama. Howard sees an end to his hard fall by becoming a unique, athletic pass-catcher for Jameis Winston.

Garett Bolles. T Utah. Bolles overcame a lot of adversity to become the first offensive lineman taken in the draft. Jarrad Davis. LB Florida. The Lions needed to go defense no matter what with this pick, and getting a linebacker to fly upfield and stop the run was a priority.

Charles Harris. DE Missouri. This is an excellent pick for the Dolphins, as they needed a reliable pass-rushing end for their Harris is a little less freakish but less risky than Taco Charlton.

Evan Engram. TE Ole Miss. The Giants almost saw Howard fall to them and were attached to David Njoku pre-draft. They still get their quick, speedy, athletic tight end to help Eli Manning in the short-to-intermediate passing game to complement Odell Beckham Jr. Gareon Conley. This is the most disappointing pick in the first round. With Reuben Foster there to fill the Raiders' biggest need in the middle of the defense, they reach for a gambling cover man who is dealing with a serious sexual assault allegation.

Jabrill Peppers. S Michigan. In fact, despite his lack of a true NFL position, linebacker vs. The Browns trade down in order to double down on defense. Takkarist McKinley. Tre'Davious White. With 88 receptions for 1, yards and five touchdowns in , Kittle broke the record for most receiving yards in a season by a tight end in NFL history.

He did this with a hodgepodge of quarterbacks, too. Hell, I'm confident that I could be under center and he'd still figure out a way to dominate. Like my colleague LaDainian Tomlinson pointed out in his ranking of the NFL's top 10 running backs , Hunt's off-field actions have gotten him into trouble.

But when solely evaluating his on-field performance, it speaks for itself. The first-year Cleveland Brown has averaged If he hadn't been released by the Chiefs last season -- and was eligible to play in January's AFC title game -- Tom Brady would not have a sixth ring. This is not meant to be a slight of Garrett at all -- this draft class has just produced some spectacular players. Higher expectations come with being a No. He has helped turn the Browns franchise around through on-field production and leadership.

Garrett enters his third season with Among CBs since , Lattimore ranks in the top five with seven interceptions T-fourth , 30 passes defensed T-fourth and five forced fumbles T-first. He covers the top receiver every week and has turned the Saints ' secondary from a group you could throw against to one that should be feared. Without much protection, Watson was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league from Weeks last season, ranking first in completion percentage He's more than a year and a half removed from his major knee injury, so he should enter in full health and with a lot of confidence.

Expect Watson to lead this organization for a long time. The Pro Bowler has the ability to be the unit's traffic-control guy and is a big reason the back end of the Bears ' defense is as good as its front. With six interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles in his breakout campaign, Jackson looks like the next Earl Thomas.

Plus, one offensive trend, one defensive tactic and two intriguing quarterback prospects. Will the struggling 49ers get their season back on track by knocking off the loaded Rams? Can the Saints cool off the red-hot Titans? Will the Vikings earn a much-needed win against the Chargers?

Marc Sessler makes the case for five underdogs in Week Cam Newton's return to Carolina gives the Panthers a chance to set things right after their previous split with one of the most important players in franchise history, Jim Trotter writes.