2017 NFL Mock Drafts & Top Prospects

[Blokestradamus]

Blokes doesn't like doing mock drafts but, with just a few days to go, I thought I'd give it a crack. There's a trade back that I think is accurate (at least according to this - http://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart.asp?RequestTeam=TB). I know that I missed a couple of key positions but I tried to keep it realistic.

 

The Buffalo Bills are on the clock:

 

"There's been a trade! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are enamoured with Washington WR John Ross and have traded up for him." Bucs get the 10th overall pick (1300 points), the Bills get the 19th (875), 50th (400) & 125th (47) picks.

 

#19 - Michigan State DT Malik McDowell

 

Sean McDermott's defense is built on pressure and no interior lineman is better suited for pressure than McDowell. As a rookie, McDowell can play sub package 3-tech and can rotate on the edge primarily on run downs to get him some exposure. The heir to Kyle Williams hath arrived (Adolphus can go !@#$ himself)

 

#44 - Clemson cornerback Cordrea Tankersley

 

The Bills need secondary help and they get it in Tankersley. Tankersley is the prototype "Seahawky" CB at 6'1", 200 pounds with length and vertical speed. He'll provide an upgrade in run defense and has the natural ball skills when he can locate the football early enough to make a play.

 

#50 - Penn State receiver Chris Godwin

 

The Bills offense needs a more viable outside threat than Andre Holmes and Godwin's the man to do it. Godwin's biggest selling point is his route running, creating easy separation at the intermediate level through a combination of agility and savvy. Godwin is reliable in contested catch situations and will continue to be the asset that Robert Woods was in the run game.

 

#75 - Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia

 

Finding a solution to the right tackle problem is a must at some point for the Bills, especially with Eric Wood and Richie Incognito both potentially on their last year in Buffalo in 2017. Garcia represents the right mix of talent, need and value in this class. Weight concerns diminish his value but the talent exists. Garcia will need time to add some weight & functional strength but his physical profile is a good fit for the Bills' zone run scheme. Compares athletically to former Juan Castillo project Ricky Wagner.

 

#125 - Wisconsin linebacker Vince Biegel

 

Biegel's true fit might be in a 3-4 scheme but his athletic traits and experience with coverage drops make him a long-term candidate for the SLB spot. His instincts for the run are well suited to SLB. Biegel can play special teams early and has a great potential mentor in Lorenzo Alexander to guide his transition to an off-ball role. Also has the chance to see some pass rush opportunities in certain down/distance packages.

 

#156 - Colorado free safety Tedric Thompson

 

The combination of some average testing in a great class and some concerns about his tackling and run support have kept Thompson's stock low but we don't care about that, do we? Behind Malik Hooker, I believe Tedric is the most natural ball-hawking free safety in the 2017 class. His play speed is better than his timed speed and his instincts and aggressive intent in coverage really set him apart. Could be a day 1 starter at FS and would be a huge steal (2nd round grade for me).

 

#163 (from Mike Gillislee offer sheet) - Georgia wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie

 

Doug Whaley likes his gadget players, it seems. He's signed Percy Harvin twice and brought in Reggie Bush so he obviously values high variance potential for big plays. In the tiny Isaiah McKenzie, he gets it. McKenzie isn't really much of a receiver at this point but his 6.64 3-cone time shows that there's potential to work with from that standpoint. Where McKenzie makes the roster is his special teams prowess and sheer versatility; having scored 4 times as a runner, 7 as a receiver, once as a kick returner and 5 times as a punt returner.

 

#171 - Utah running back Joe Williams

 

With "Touchdown Mike" joining the Sith overlords in Boston, a hole has opened up in the backfield. Joe Williams is a fantastic scheme fit for the Dennison offense with great vision, burst and long speed. With LeSean McCoy getting older and likely to feel the effects of wear and tear over a season, Williams is a closer like-for-like back than Jonathan Williams. The only concern with Williams is his mid-season retirement as a senior, which resulted from a drop in confidence after successive games with costly fumbles.

 

#195 - Boston College linebacker Matt Milano

 

At this point in the draft, you either accept that you're only getting role players or you swing at what's likely a moron with more talent than common sense. In Matt Milano, we take the former. The do-it-all Milano can make a fairly weak LB group as a rookie due to his penchant for making plays on special teams. As the draft has shaken out, he may have a chance to openly compete for time at WLB with Ramon Humber.

[poblano]

Blokes doesn't like doing mock drafts but, with just a few days to go, I thought I'd give it a crack. There's a trade back that I think is accurate (at least according to this - http://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart.asp?RequestTeam=TB). I know that I missed a couple of key positions but I tried to keep it realistic.

 

The Buffalo Bills are on the clock:

 

"There's been a trade! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are enamoured with Washington WR John Ross and have traded up for him." Bucs get the 10th overall pick (1300 points), the Bills get the 19th (875), 50th (400) & 125th (47) picks.

 

#19 - Michigan State DT Malik McDowell

 

Sean McDermott's defense is built on pressure and no interior lineman is better suited for pressure than McDowell. As a rookie, McDowell can play sub package 3-tech and can rotate on the edge primarily on run downs to get him some exposure. The heir to Kyle Williams hath arrived (Adolphus can go !@#$ himself)

 

#44 - Clemson cornerback Cordrea Tankersley

 

The Bills need secondary help and they get it in Tankersley. Tankersley is the prototype "Seahawky" CB at 6'1", 200 pounds with length and vertical speed. He'll provide an upgrade in run defense and has the natural ball skills when he can locate the football early enough to make a play.

 

#50 - Penn State receiver Chris Godwin

 

The Bills offense needs a more viable outside threat than Andre Holmes and Godwin's the man to do it. Godwin's biggest selling point is his route running, creating easy separation at the intermediate level through a combination of agility and savvy. Godwin is reliable in contested catch situations and will continue to be the asset that Robert Woods was in the run game.

 

#75 - Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia

 

Finding a solution to the right tackle problem is a must at some point for the Bills, especially with Eric Wood and Richie Incognito both potentially on their last year in Buffalo in 2017. Garcia represents the right mix of talent, need and value in this class. Weight concerns diminish his value but the talent exists. Garcia will need time to add some weight & functional strength but his physical profile is a good fit for the Bills' zone run scheme. Compares athletically to former Juan Castillo project Ricky Wagner.

 

#125 - Wisconsin linebacker Vince Biegel

 

Biegel's true fit might be in a 3-4 scheme but his athletic traits and experience with coverage drops make him a long-term candidate for the SLB spot. His instincts for the run are well suited to SLB. Biegel can play special teams early and has a great potential mentor in Lorenzo Alexander to guide his transition to an off-ball role. Also has the chance to see some pass rush opportunities in certain down/distance packages.

 

#156 - Colorado free safety Tedric Thompson

 

The combination of some average testing in a great class and some concerns about his tackling and run support have kept Thompson's stock low but we don't care about that, do we? Behind Malik Hooker, I believe Tedric is the most natural ball-hawking free safety in the 2017 class. His play speed is better than his timed speed and his instincts and aggressive intent in coverage really set him apart. Could be a day 1 starter at FS and would be a huge steal (2nd round grade for me).

 

#163 (from Mike Gillislee offer sheet) - Georgia wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie

 

Doug Whaley likes his gadget players, it seems. He's signed Percy Harvin twice and brought in Reggie Bush so he obviously values high variance potential for big plays. In the tiny Isaiah McKenzie, he gets it. McKenzie isn't really much of a receiver at this point but his 6.64 3-cone time shows that there's potential to work with from that standpoint. Where McKenzie makes the roster is his special teams prowess and sheer versatility; having scored 4 times as a runner, 7 as a receiver, once as a kick returner and 5 times as a punt returner.

 

#171 - Utah running back Joe Williams

 

With "Touchdown Mike" joining the Sith overlords in Boston, a hole has opened up in the backfield. Joe Williams is a fantastic scheme fit for the Dennison offense with great vision, burst and long speed. With LeSean McCoy getting older and likely to feel the effects of wear and tear over a season, Williams is a closer like-for-like back than Jonathan Williams. The only concern with Williams is his mid-season retirement as a senior, which resulted from a drop in confidence after successive games with costly fumbles.

 

#195 - Boston College linebacker Matt Milano

 

At this point in the draft, you either accept that you're only getting role players or you swing at what's likely a moron with more talent than common sense. In Matt Milano, we take the former. The do-it-all Milano can make a fairly weak LB group as a rookie due to his penchant for making plays on special teams. As the draft has shaken out, he may have a chance to openly compete for time at WLB with Ramon Humber.

 

Where is the QB, we need camp competition

[Blokestradamus]

Where is the QB, we need camp competition

 

Starter - Taylor

Backup - Yates

Developmental - Jones

Camp arm - Woodrum

 

The QB group is already set.

[jeffismagic]

 

Starter - Taylor

Backup - Yates

Developmental - Jones

Camp arm - Woodrum

 

The QB group is already set.

 

I don't know if Cardale makes the team this year. Should be interesting.

[Blokestradamus]

I don't know if Cardale makes the team this year. Should be interesting.

 

He's the likely expendable one if they want to add another QB. Nominal amount of dead money on his deal.

 

From my mock draft, I'll add one at 19 and drop McDowell if you let me pick Kizer

[Reed83HOF]

Greg Gabriel‏ @greggabe 2m2 minutes ago

Told yesterday that McCaffrey doesn't get past Carolina

[jeffismagic]

 

He's the likely expendable one if they want to add another QB. Nominal amount of dead money on his deal.

 

From my mock draft, I'll add one at 19 and drop McDowell if you let me pick Kizer

 

I think Kizer goes beginning of 2nd round to a team that passed on QB's round 1.

 

 

Yates is the perfect guy in the locker room if you draft a QB high. Yates is like another coach on the field and it makes sense the Bills picked him up.

Edited April 23, 2017 by jeffismagic

[Reed83HOF]

Greg Gabriel‏ @greggabe 5m5 minutes ago

If Browns take Garrett and SF selects Watson, Bears will probably pick Thomas

[Kirby Jackson]

 

Greg Gabriel‏ @greggabe 2m2 minutes ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

Told yesterday that McCaffrey doesn't get past Carolina

I am not buying it. In my head it just feels like Fournette has to be their guy. If he goes sooner I can see CM. 8 feels like a possible landing spot but not his floor.

[Reed83HOF]

I am not buying it. In my head it just feels like Fournette has to be their guy. If he goes sooner I can see CM. 8 feels like a possible landing spot but not his floor.

 

I agree!

[Blokestradamus]

I think Kizer goes beginning of 2nd round to a team that passed on QB's round 1.

Yates is the perfect guy in the locker room if you draft a QB high. Yates is like another coach on the field and it makes sense the Bills picked him up.

 

Kizer is my pick for the 'Teddy spot'. Team trades up to 32 with the Saints or NO stick and take QB of the future, make the most of the 5th year option.

[LEBills]

Blokes doesn't like doing mock drafts but, with just a few days to go, I thought I'd give it a crack. There's a trade back that I think is accurate (at least according to this - http://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart.asp?RequestTeam=TB). I know that I missed a couple of key positions but I tried to keep it realistic.

 

The Buffalo Bills are on the clock:

 

"There's been a trade! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are enamoured with Washington WR John Ross and have traded up for him." Bucs get the 10th overall pick (1300 points), the Bills get the 19th (875), 50th (400) & 125th (47) picks.

 

#19 - Michigan State DT Malik McDowell

 

Sean McDermott's defense is built on pressure and no interior lineman is better suited for pressure than McDowell. As a rookie, McDowell can play sub package 3-tech and can rotate on the edge primarily on run downs to get him some exposure. The heir to Kyle Williams hath arrived (Adolphus can go !@#$ himself)

 

#44 - Clemson cornerback Cordrea Tankersley

 

The Bills need secondary help and they get it in Tankersley. Tankersley is the prototype "Seahawky" CB at 6'1", 200 pounds with length and vertical speed. He'll provide an upgrade in run defense and has the natural ball skills when he can locate the football early enough to make a play.

 

#50 - Penn State receiver Chris Godwin

 

The Bills offense needs a more viable outside threat than Andre Holmes and Godwin's the man to do it. Godwin's biggest selling point is his route running, creating easy separation at the intermediate level through a combination of agility and savvy. Godwin is reliable in contested catch situations and will continue to be the asset that Robert Woods was in the run game.

 

#75 - Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia

 

Finding a solution to the right tackle problem is a must at some point for the Bills, especially with Eric Wood and Richie Incognito both potentially on their last year in Buffalo in 2017. Garcia represents the right mix of talent, need and value in this class. Weight concerns diminish his value but the talent exists. Garcia will need time to add some weight & functional strength but his physical profile is a good fit for the Bills' zone run scheme. Compares athletically to former Juan Castillo project Ricky Wagner.

 

#125 - Wisconsin linebacker Vince Biegel

 

Biegel's true fit might be in a 3-4 scheme but his athletic traits and experience with coverage drops make him a long-term candidate for the SLB spot. His instincts for the run are well suited to SLB. Biegel can play special teams early and has a great potential mentor in Lorenzo Alexander to guide his transition to an off-ball role. Also has the chance to see some pass rush opportunities in certain down/distance packages.

 

#156 - Colorado free safety Tedric Thompson

 

The combination of some average testing in a great class and some concerns about his tackling and run support have kept Thompson's stock low but we don't care about that, do we? Behind Malik Hooker, I believe Tedric is the most natural ball-hawking free safety in the 2017 class. His play speed is better than his timed speed and his instincts and aggressive intent in coverage really set him apart. Could be a day 1 starter at FS and would be a huge steal (2nd round grade for me).

 

#163 (from Mike Gillislee offer sheet) - Georgia wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie

 

Doug Whaley likes his gadget players, it seems. He's signed Percy Harvin twice and brought in Reggie Bush so he obviously values high variance potential for big plays. In the tiny Isaiah McKenzie, he gets it. McKenzie isn't really much of a receiver at this point but his 6.64 3-cone time shows that there's potential to work with from that standpoint. Where McKenzie makes the roster is his special teams prowess and sheer versatility; having scored 4 times as a runner, 7 as a receiver, once as a kick returner and 5 times as a punt returner.

 

#171 - Utah running back Joe Williams

 

With "Touchdown Mike" joining the Sith overlords in Boston, a hole has opened up in the backfield. Joe Williams is a fantastic scheme fit for the Dennison offense with great vision, burst and long speed. With LeSean McCoy getting older and likely to feel the effects of wear and tear over a season, Williams is a closer like-for-like back than Jonathan Williams. The only concern with Williams is his mid-season retirement as a senior, which resulted from a drop in confidence after successive games with costly fumbles.

 

#195 - Boston College linebacker Matt Milano

 

At this point in the draft, you either accept that you're only getting role players or you swing at what's likely a moron with more talent than common sense. In Matt Milano, we take the former. The do-it-all Milano can make a fairly weak LB group as a rookie due to his penchant for making plays on special teams. As the draft has shaken out, he may have a chance to openly compete for time at WLB with Ramon Humber.

Really like the draft. Malik is gonna be a monster in the league and I'm of the opinion that our DLine needs new players ASAP. We went 4 years without drafting a DLineman between 2012 and 2015, gotta fix that and so I would love this move. However, I've bought into the Bills taking Trubisky. I think a trade down only happens if he is not there at 10 and I think if we trade down, it'll be for a LB. I just can't see Huber starting.

 

I think we are gonna go CB early based off of some of what McDermott said with how important corners are in his system. I'd rather wait, but I think this is a pretty good guess as to who the pick may actually be.bonus points in Whaleys eye for him being from clemson.

 

I like Godwin the player a lot and I think the Bills value the WR position. Plus, Pegs will love a PSU guy. If I was GM'ing. I don't draft a WR before day 3, just due to the sheer volume of players leaving college, I think you can get a good player later on.

 

The rest of your draft is solid. We need to start drafting some OL players. Cyrus is weird and his contract is almost up, Wood is old, Ritchie is older and Mills sucks. We are in for a world of hurt if we don't start adding assets to the line soon.

 

I think we may spend a couple more back end picks on CB/S/LB like you did. Overall, good job!

Edited April 23, 2017 by LEBills

[jeffismagic]

Really like the draft. Malik is gonna be a monster in the league and I'm of the opinion that our DLine needs new players ASAP. We went 4 years without drafting a DLineman between 2012 and 2015, gotta fix that and so I would love this move. However, I've bought into the Bills taking Trubisky. I think a trade down only happens if he is not there at 10 and I think if we trade down, it'll be for a LB. I just can't see Huber starting.

 

I think we are gonna go CB early based off of some of what McDermott said with how important corners are in his system. I'd rather wait, but I think this is a pretty good guess as to who the pick may actually be.bonus points in Whaleys eye for him being from clemson.

 

I like Godwin the player a lot and I think the Bills value the WR position. Plus, Pegs will love a PSU guy. If I was GM'ing. I don't draft a WR before day 3, just due to the sheer volume of players leaving college, I think you can get a good player later on.

 

The rest of your draft is solid. We need to start drafting some OL players. Cyrus is weird and his contract is almost up, Wood is old, Ritchie is older and Mills sucks. We are in for a world of hurt if we don't start adding assets to the line soon.

 

I think we may spend a couple more back end picks on CB/S/LB like you did. Overall, good job!

 

Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated was on Buffalo radio Friday and he is convinced that the Bills would only take a CB in rounds 1 or 2 if they absolutely loved them. Thinks Bills will look to get a guy later in the draft and that was what Carolina was doing under Mcdermott, looking for zone cover guys later as the scheme doesn't prioritize it as much.

[LEBills]

 

Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated was on Buffalo radio Friday and he is convinced that the Bills would only take a CB in rounds 1 or 2 if they absolutely loved them. Thinks Bills will look to get a guy later in the draft and that was what Carolina was doing under Mcdermott, looking for zone cover guys later as the scheme doesn't prioritize it as much.

I certainly hope that is the route that we go, like what Carolina did last year. We have to be able to devalue some positions thanks to our offense and defensive schemes if we are ever going to catch good teams. But I'm just going off what McDermott said lately about cornerbacks: http://m.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Cornerback-important-in-McDermotts-defensive-scheme/9f3a5265-faf9-43c8-836b-d830d61db9d2

 

Now that doesn't mean that we are def drafting one high, but it makes me think we are going to put more resources in it than I thought at first.

[jeffismagic]

I certainly hope that is the route that we go, like what Carolina did last year. We have to be able to devalue some positions thanks to our offense and defensive schemes if we are ever going to catch good teams. But I'm just going off what McDermott said lately about cornerbacks: http://m.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Cornerback-important-in-McDermotts-defensive-scheme/9f3a5265-faf9-43c8-836b-d830d61db9d2

 

Now that doesn't mean that we are def drafting one high, but it makes me think we are going to put more resources in it than I thought at first.

 

Benoit was completely convinced and he is a film nerd. He said if Bills take a CB it's because the value was too high to pass up. So if they have Lattimore at 4th overall and he drops to 10 they could still take him. It seems to me that the high draft picks and money will be spent on defensive line and the mike linebacker. I don't think Ragland is going to be the mike.

[LEBills]

 

Benoit was completely convinced and he is a film nerd. He said if Bills take a CB it's because the value was too high to pass up. So if they have Lattimore at 4th overall and he drops to 10 they could still take him. It seems to me that the high draft picks and money will be spent on defensive line and the mike linebacker. I don't think Ragland is going to be the mike.

That would make me happy! Especially if it is McDowell like the original mock has. Guess we will have to wait until Thursday.

[YoloinOhio]

More and more McCaffrey to Carolina rumors. Would be great for Bills if true.

[Blokestradamus]

I love McGinn's anonymous scout stuff.

 

@evansilva

Classic scout quote on Bucky Hodges via McGinn: "Complete figment of someone's imagination. Might be the most overrated player in the draft"

[YoloinOhio]

I love McGinn's anonymous scout stuff.

 

@evansilva

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Classic scout quote on Bucky Hodges via McGinn: "Complete figment of someone's imagination. Might be the most overrated player in the draft"

oh no - Hokie? Your thoughts? I just don't like him because he makes me think of Bucky Gleason and also he killed tOSU 3 yrs ago. Edited April 23, 2017 by YoloinOhio

[Blokestradamus]

oh no - Hokie? Your thoughts? I just don't like him because he makes me think of Bucky Gleason and also he killed tOSU 3 yrs ago.

 

He tested way faster than he plays and his shuttle times were kinda garbage (no 3-cone but I guess that was because it would've been bad). Entirely too big to be a WR and just has zero interest in playing TE. At the very best, he's a red zone weapon but I don't think he's all that reliable. Also the owner of a terrible tattoo.

 

On the plus side, he's by far my favourite Temuchin.

Edited April 23, 2017 by Blokestradamus