Quick 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Updating The Top 5 Picks
By Erik Lambert
Sometimes a 2017 NFL mock draft is preferred, but in this instances it’s merely more of an update of what the top five could look like next year.
Week two of the 2016 season featured a ton of surprises. The Patriots somehow reaching 0-2 without Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski. Sam Bradford beating the Packers without Adrian Peterson. Los Angeles beating Seattle despite not scoring a touchdown for the second-straight week. Some crazy stuff, but the focus for draft enthusiasts is centered on the teams that remain winless and what they might do in the coming months.
Here is a quick rundown of the updated top five slots, which teams will hold them and the players they will likely pick.
QB. Notre Dame. DeShone Kizer . 1. player. 53. As if this is any surprise. Robert Griffin III is out with a bad injury after just one game and now Josh McCown follows him quickly in week two. It’s clearer than ever that the plans Cleveland had for the quarterback position were sound but not plausible for their future. A fresh start is absolutely needed. DeShone Kizer is the kind of rare talent with pro coaching they are looking for. A dual threat who understands how to win games from the pocket with arm strength, accuracy and poise.
16. Greg Roman may have been the one fired, but its been the vaunted Rex Ryan defense that hasn’t performed up to standards. A big issue has been the pass rush. It’s not getting home with enough regularity, forcing the Bills to blitz more than they’d like. Getting Shaq Lawson back should be a big help, but it would be even better were they to secure Myles Garrett. Lawson is good but he’s special. One of those rare talent who can sack a quarterback regardless of the defense he’s playing in.. OLB. Texas A&M. Myles Garrett . 2. player
DT. Michigan State. Malik McDowell . 3. player. 52. Malik Jackson and Dante Fowler were supposed to solve the pass rush problems the Jacksonville Jaguars continue to have on defense. So far they’ve done next to nothing. Teams are still able to cut up the Jaguars at will. Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers hunt 65 points on them in two weeks. So if the rush isn’t working, the best thing to do is keep feeding it. Malik McDowell is another Jackson-type. He’s big like a defensive tackle with long arms but has the quickness and burst of an end.
Just watch the Miami Dolphins try to run the football for a couple offensive series and it will be easy to understand their pain. They haven’t had a legitimate rushing attack since the tandem of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Keep in mind that was eight years ago. Since then Lamar Miller was their best option but they refused to feed him. Too late to ruminate over that blunder. Picking Leonard Founette wipes the slate clean. He is an absolute horse who can grind out 25-30 carries without breaking a sweat. At the same time he will break the spirit of a defense.. RB. LSU. Leonard Fournette . 4. player. 59