Redrafting the 2017 NFL Draft Top 10 Picks
The 2017 NFL Draft was the one that gave us the “$500 million dollar man” in Patrick Mahomes, but it also gave us much more than that. Almost every round of this draft gave us some of today’s top stars. Looking back on it now, some first rounders should have been fifth rounders and vice versa. It’s never a bad thing to see what team’s got it right and which ones got it wrong.
Below is my personal redraft of the first 10 picks of the 2017 NFL Draft.
1. Cleveland Browns- Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M. My Pick: No Change
This pick was one of those no-brainer #1 picks at the time. Coming out of Texas A&M, in just 3 seasons, Garrett compiled 141 Total Tackles, 31 Sacks (over 10 per year), and 7 Forced Fumbles. While now, you could argue Patrick Mahomes at this spot. When a Defensive End is coming out with those numbers, you know he can be a game-changer for you. Fresh off of a 1-15 season, the Browns could have gone with any position to help them out. But a player like Garrett was too polarizing at the time, not to snag him.
The man sometimes known as “Big Foot”, has been all that the Cleveland faithful had hoped he would be. In 94 games, he has ran through opposing offensive lines for 87.5 Sacks, and 165 QB Hits. Having been rewarded for his dominance with 4 Pro-Bowl selections and 2 All-Pro selections. Not to mention a Top 5 finish in DPOY voting in 2022.
2. Chicago Bears- Mitch Trubisky, QB, UNC. My Pick: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
The Bears were in need of someone to put under center to lead their franchise. Jay Cutler was on his way out, being 33 and only playing 5 games the season before. And Matt Barkley wasn’t the answer to their problem. They originally had the #3 pick but felt the need to move up one spot to snag their guy. A trade with San Fran hopefully did just that. Sending the #3, #67 and #111 picks in this draft. Along with a 2018 3rd rounder to San Fran for the #2 pick. Unfortunately for them, Trubisky was the wrong guy to snag.
They missed out on Patrick Mahomes. Texas Tech is known for running an Air Raid offense, which Mahomes shined in. Throwing for over 5,000 yards, 41 TDs and only 10 INTs. Since being drafted by the Chiefs at #10 overall, “Magic Man” has become arguably the greatest QB of his generation already. Making 5 Pro-Bowl’s, and 2 All-Pro Teams. Not to mention, having won 2 Super Bowls and 2 NFL MVP awards. Recently he signed a $550 million contract extension to stay in KC for many years to come. To think, he could have been the “Magic Man of The Midway”, if Chicago had got it right.
3. SF 49ers- Solomon Thomas, DE, Stanford. My Pick: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford
Chip Kelly was trying trying to get his rhythm back in the NFL. After dominating the College Football world, while at Oregon.The legendary coach hopped over the NFL in 2013. A 2-14 season wasn’t what anyone had hoped for. But it gave them a chance to help them succeed, on one side of the ball, with a top pick. They probably realize now, they should have gone with someone on offense instead of defense. That someone being Christian Jackson McCaffrey.
The past 1.5 seasons, San Fran has got to know what it would have been like, had they picked the Stanford RB originally. Since coming over from Carolina, he has amassed 1,571 Rush Yds, and 15 Rushing TDs. As well as, 828 Rec Yds and 9 Rec TDs, all of that in just 21 games. He can do it all, and do it well. The 5-foot-11 Colorado native, held a 17-game TD streak up until earlier this season. Which tied the NFL Record, set by HOFer Lenny Moore back in 1963-64.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU. My Pick: Marshon Lattimore, DB, Ohio State
The Jags didn’t miss on this pick. Fournette has been a more than solid player throughout his career. But grabbing Lattimore to be a 1-2 punch in the secondary with Jalen Ramsey, could have done just as much to propel them to the 2017 playoffs. His career got off to a hot start, finishing his rookie year with some hardware. The 2017 DROY award, to be exact. Much deserved, as he was a huge part of bringing the Saints Defense from bottom two, to a top 10 ranking. 7 seasons, 90 games, 15 INTs and 4 Pro-Bowls later, the former Ohio State Buckeye still puts fear in opposing QBs eyes.
5. Tennessee Titans- Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan. My Pick: TJ Watt, DE/LB, Wisconsin
The Titans just barely were top 15 in offense and just barely missed top 15 in defense during the 2016 season. Meaning they could go either way with the #5 pick. Usually, in my opinion, that means the best player available is the way to go. TJ Watt, little brother of Houston Texans Legend JJ Watt, would have been no doubt that guy at #5.
TJ has a very similar style of play to his brother JJ. It’s kind of like a “Bull in A China Shop” style. You see it coming but can’t stop it. The difference that makes TJ an even more uncontrollable “bull”, is his size is built for speed. Which is why he has led the league in Sacks and TFL twice, won DPOY award and made 5 Pro-Bowl Teams. Best player available, would have been an understatement at this point in the draft.
6. New York Jets- Jamal Adams, DB, LSU. My Pick: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
This was another case of a toss-up. Both the offense and defense were bottom 5 ranked the prior season. But they needed consistency at QB. While they had Geno Smith on the roster, this was much before he revitalized his career. Having just led Clemson to a National Championship win over Alabama, Deshaun Watson could give them a constant under center.
While as of recently, Watson has been in hot water over certain controversies. He has made 3 Pro-Bowls, thrown for over 16,000 yards, and was given the biggest fully-guaranteed contract in NFL History. Better than any of the QBs on the Jets at this time can say.
7. LA Chargers- Mike Williams, WR, Clemson. My Pick: Marlon Humphrey, DB, Alabama
Having a bottom 5 defense, like this current season, is no stranger to the Chargers. Back in 2016, while still in San Diego, the team was ranked 29th out of 32 defensively. But had a top 10 scoring offense. The top 10 offense makes me wonder why they went receiver here instead of picking a defensive guy. Like Marlon Humphrey out of Alabama.
He would have given them a nice start to getting out of the bottom. Being able to build around a guy who has gone on to have 361 combined tackles, 12 INTs and 3 Pro-Bowl selections. That would have benefitted them nicely, to the point where the offense wouldn’t have to keep them in every game.
8. Carolina Panthers- Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford. My Pick: Jamal Adams, DB, LSU
The Panthers hit a home run on their original pick. But in this redraft, as you see, they would be five picks too late for McCaffrey. Still going through the grief of a Super Bowl loss to Peyton Manning and the Broncos, a season before. They needed something to lift their spirits. Picking Jamal Adams would hopefully do that. “President” (as he is sometimes referred to as), has racked up an insane amount of sacks as a Safety (21.5). Equal to that insanity is his 349 solo tackles. There’s no saying that this one addition could have helped boost them back to the Super Bowl.
9. Cincinatti Bengals- John Ross, WR, Washington. My Pick: George Kittle, TE, Iowa
A.J. Green needed someone to take some coverage off of him, the Bengals thought speedster John Ross was the answer. But his record breaking 4.22 second 40-yard dash was all he had going for him. Even though they had a full TE room with C.J. Uzomah, Tyler Kroft and Tyler Eifert. The best option to take the load off of Green was to take another TE in George Kittle.
In the past 15 years, Iowa has produced some very solid TEs. T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant, Sam Laporta, and of course Kittle himself. He is a guy that no one can seem to hate, his personality and his play on the field are just too good to not like him. 4 Pro-Bowls, 1 All-Pro selection and over 13 yards/catch in his career. If he can make the last pick of the 2022 Draft look good, he could probably make Andy Dalton look good too.
10. KC Chiefs- Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech. My Pick: Tre’Davious White, DB, LSU
Last but not least, the Chiefs. With this redraft, the last 6 years probably would have gone different for them. I’m not saying they wouldn’t have made/won any Super Bowls, but it would have been for different reasons other than Mahomes “Magic”. Their defense was actually very good the season prior to this draft. A #7 ranking to be exact. But they had enough pieces on offense to make it work. No WR or RB on the board has been worth a top 10 pick in the seasons since. Except maybe RB Dalvin Cook, but that was one position on the depth chart they had chock full.
Tre’Davious White has been the best player available at this spot. While he’s had to work through some injuries the past few years. He has still been hailed as one of the top DBs in the game, year after year. Just missing out on a DROY in 2017, garnering 2 Pro-Bowl selections and coming top 5 in DPOY voting once. All things that make him the right pick at #10 for Kansas City.