The 10 Biggest Stories of the 2017 NFL Draft
The week after the draft is always a week of review. Fans and analysts debate over what team had the best draft. Grades get handed out to players who haven’t taken the field yet. Instead of handing out grades and analyzing every pick, let’s take a look at the 10 most interesting stories of the NFL Draft in 2017.
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Quarterback Trades On Day One
The quarterback interest heightened as days counted down towards the draft. The Browns considered Mitchell Trubisky with their number one overall pick, and many more teams showed interest. The Cardinals and Bills were two top-15 teams heavily involved in quarterback discussion, and the Texans and Chiefs had interest at the back end of round one.
Then draft night came. The Bears shocked everyone by moving up one spot to take Trubisky, giving up three mid round picks in the process. Fans though that would be the biggest shock of the evening, but they would be wrong. The Chiefs moved up 17 spots to snag Patrick Mahomes, giving Andy Reid a project behind Alex Smith. Then, the Texans, possibly in panic mode, moved up to get DeShaun Watson at 12. The viable starters in this draft were scooped up early, proving once again that quarterbacks will always be over drafted.
Teams Take Risks With Off Field Issues
Off the field issues are always prevalent in the NFL Draft. Many players who had off the field issues were among the most talented players in the draft. Joe Mixon was the most talked about because of a video three years ago of him punching a woman. Dalvin Cook has had multiple off the field issues at Florida State which drew concerns. Reuben Foster had an incident with a combine medical worker.
There were also two more incidents that occurred the week of the draft. A woman accused Ohio State corner Gareon Conley of sexual assault two days before the draft. Standout Florida defender Caleb Brantley was accused of battery not long before the Conley story came out. Even though these players have blemishes on their records, not every team turned their back. Conley was drafted by the Raiders in the first round, which surprised many. Most experts believed he would be on the board in round three.
Mixon and Cook went early on day two, with Mixon heading to the Bengals, a team whose players have gotten into trouble. The 49ers believed in Foster, and used the 31st pick on him. As for Brantley, his stock dropped the most. But, he was still drafted by the Cleveland Browns at the beginning of the sixth round. The moral of the story? Teams will overlook off the field issues if they see the talent.
Injury History Causes Top Defenders To Fall
Players with off the field issues weren’t the only ones to slide in the draft. Many top defensive prospects in the draft fell victim to medical reports. Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Allen has shoulder concerns. Defensive back, Malik Hooker, also had a shoulder issue during the draft process. Reuben Foster had reports come out on Thursday, which stated that his shoulder was worse than some thought.
Of course, who can forget the unfortunate torn achilles suffered by Washington corner Sidney Jones. All of these players were considered top-15 talents, and only one of them was drafted that high. Hooker went to the Colts at 15. Allen fell all the way to 17. Foster wasn’t taken until the end of round one. And Jones, who may redshirt this season, was taken 40th overall. Medical issues matter, and they played a factor for these guys.
Alabama’s Continued Prevalence
The University of Alabama continues to churn out NFL talent. There were 10 Alabama players picked in this draft, and four of them were taken in round one (Allen, Foster, OJ Howard, Marlon Humphrey). Also, all 10 prospects were taken in the fourth round or earlier, proving that Alabama churns out quality players, not just quantity. Even though Michigan had more players selected, Alabama continues to show that they are still the college football king.
Browns Don’t Panic After Trubisky Pick
Many analysts believed the Browns were surely going to end up taking Mitch Trubisky. When the plan failed, it would have been easy for the Browns to panic. After all, the plan was (reportedly) Myles Garrett and Trubisky. Instead of reverting back to the Browns from the past, they remained calm. The Browns ended up with three first round picks, and took three impact players. Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, and David Njoku are the future for Cleveland. On day two, the Browns found their possible quarterback of the future in DeShone Kizer. Kizer has the tools to be a good quarterback, but he needs to be coached up and refined. Hue Jackson might just be the man for the job. The Browns finally showed that they are committed to long term success. Who knows, maybe Sonny Weaver Jr. was involved.
Drew Pearson Steals The Show
This story was a guarantee. On day two of the draft, the league decided to have players and Walter Payton Man of the Year nominees to announce picks. This included former Cowboys’ wide receiver Drew Pearson. When the Cowboys’ pick went in for round two, who should show up to the podium but Pearson. He took the podium, and began by basically thanking the city of Philadelphia for passing on him. This was a huge dig at a franchise who has yet to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. Pearson shouted most of what he said, and got so excited that he pronounced Chidobe Awuzie last name wrong. The Eagles got him back on the start of day three, with Brian Dawkins taking the stage and leading the Eagles’ fight song. This was a nice little rivalry booster.
Who Is Actually DBU?
This debate has been prominent for a while now. Which college actually produces the best defensive backs. LSU and Ohio State have continually been at the top of the list. But, Florida and Washington have entered the conversation. Florida had all three of its defensive backs taken in round two. Washington had the same result. Can they call themselves challengers after that? Absolutely. Even though the Buckeyes had all three of their defensive backs go in round one (as did LSU’s two), the competition remains fierce for obtaining that title. All of the players’ careers will be followed closely.
Are the Packers/Seahawks the New Patriots?
The Patriots have often been praised for trading out of the first round to pick up extra picks to help fill out their roster. This has happened constantly, and you can even count this year as well. But, other teams have taken notice. Two teams who seem to like the idea are the Packers and Seahawks, who are led by great general managers. The Packers made a deal with the Browns to obtain picks 33 and 108, and used those picks on Kevin King and Vince Biegel. Those picks could prove their worth in time. Seattle traded back three times: first with Atlanta, then the 49ers, and finally, the Jags. They gained multiple late round picks from those trades to add depth to their roster. Now that two general managers have seen the reward for trading back, don’t be shocked to see more of that in the years to come.
Mr. Not So Irrelevant
This year, the Denver Broncos had the luxury of the last pick in the draft, forever dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant.” This time around, the pick may not be irrelevant. John Elway and company opted to draft Chad Kelly, a talented quarterback with off the field issues. With only Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch as viable starters, there was no risk involved with the pick. Kelly has some good tape (both games against Alabama) and if he can be straightened out, he has some real upside. Elway might have something here with Kelly.
The Debut Of John Lynch
While plenty of NFL fans wanted to see what Cleveland would do in this draft, others focused their attention on John Lynch. Lynch is a rookie general manager with the 49ers, and this would be his first draft. Many were intrigued to see how he would handle the three-day affair. When the dust settled on Saturday, many analysts praised the 49ers’ draft. Lynch snagged two of the top five players in the draft on night one (Solomon Thomas and Reuben Foster), and wheeled and dealt his way throughout. His draft added great talent to one of worst rosters in football. It will be hard for this draft to be the greatest 49ers’ draft ever, but if this group provides a good impact, John Lynch will be around for a while.
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