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2017 NFL Draft: The biggest steal in each round

By Sayre Bedinger

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Jonathan Allen (Alabama) is selected as the number 17 overall pick to the Washington Redskins in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Jonathan Allen (Alabama) is selected as the number 17 overall pick to the Washington Redskins in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Jonathan Allen (Alabama) is selected as the number 17 overall pick to the Washington Redskins in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Jonathan Allen (Alabama) is selected as the number 17 overall pick to the Washington Redskins in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

2017 NFL Draft: Taking a look at each round of the draft and the best value picks for each round. Who did your team steal?

The 2017 NFL Draft is now in the books, and it’s time to take a look back and start critiquing which teams did the ‘best’. Of course, all of that is subjective based on personal preference and thoughts toward a certain player, but there are definitely players in each round of the draft that could be considered a ‘steal’ by almost universal standards.

So who were this year’s top draft steals? Let’s start out east…

The Washington Redskins stole Allen in the first round, making one of the best value picks of the draft here getting him at pick no. 17 overall. Here’s an excerpt from my 2017 scouting report on the talented defensive lineman from ‘Bama:

"Allen plays with violent hands and excellent speed, which hasn’t suffered a whole heck of a lot from his weight gain. He’s maintained his elite athleticism while also uncovering an ability to be an anchor in the run game and a disruptive force as a pass rusher. And that leads me to his best quality, which is as a rusher from any spot on the front line. Allen has the speed and quickness of a 270 pound defensive end, and the ability to convert speed to power like Ndamukong Suh. He’s simply too much for most offensive linemen to handle on a consistent basis, and he’s one of the best finishers we’ve seen in college football along the defensive line."

The Redskins don’t seem to have any true ‘edge benders’ as pass rushers, save for perhaps Ryan Kerrigan. What they do have is a ton of big men with speed, quickness, and power. Allen is obviously a strong guy, but he also plays fast. He didn’t time well at the Scouting Combine and didn’t show elite athletic traits, which is why he fell out of the top five where he was projected to land for months.

I think at 17 overall, Washington got someone that can help their pass rush and run defense right away, and be a consistent factor making plays in the offensive backfield.

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