2017 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Acquire No. 10 Pick From Bills

April 27th, 2017 at 8:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have acquired the No. 10 pick in the draft from the Bills. With the pick, the Chiefs have selected quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs gave up their first (No. 27) and a third round pick (No. 91) plus their first round pick in 2018 to move up to No. 10, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Mahomes completed 65.7-percent of his passes last season for 5,052 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Over the past three seasons, he’s also added another 22 rushing touchdowns.

Opinions on Mahomes and the rest of the quarterbacks this year have varied, but he was universally considered to be one of the five best QBs in the 2017 crop.

Panthers Take RB Christian McCaffrey

April 27th, 2017 at 8:06pm CST by Zachary Links

It wasn’t a smokescreen. The Panthers have selected Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey with the No. 8 overall pick.

Recently, one NFL GM told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that McCaffrey “had the best combine workout I’ve seen. Ever.” McCaffrey has been linked to the top-10 range for some time, and a number of clubs within that space made sense as a landing spot. The Eagles, sitting at No. 14, were reportedly “infatuated” with McCaffrey, but they’re one of many teams that will have to look elsewhere in the first round.

McCaffrey now figures to be the Panthers’ lead running back, ahead of Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker, and Cameron Artis-Payne.

This is the first time in a quarter-century that Stanford has had two players go in the top ten of the draft.

Jets Select Jamal Adams No. 6 Overall

April 27th, 2017 at 7:53pm CST by Zachary Links

With the No. 6 pick, the Jets have selected LSU safety Jamal Adams.

Adams was a three-year starter at LSU and he saved his best for the final act. As a junior, Adams had career highs in tackles (76) and tackles for a loss (7.5) as scouts gushed over his hard-charging style. The popular knock on Adams has been that he is a box safety and undeserving of being taken so early in the draft, but scouting experts like Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believe that he can also work well in coverage.

By taking Adams, the Jets are likely replacing Calvin Pryor. Pryor, a pick of the previous regime, has not panned out and the team has already declined his fifth-year option for 2018. Pryor is a one-dimensional hard hitter, but Adams is a much more well-rounded safety.

Jaguars Select Leonard Fournette

April 27th, 2017 at 7:35pm CST by Zachary Links

With the No. 4 overall pick, the Jaguars have selected running back Leonard Fournette. Fournette gives the Jaguars a big-time running back that might be able to keep defenses honest against quarterback Blake Bortles.

The Jaguars have been heavily connected to Fournette in recent weeks, but no one knew their plans for certain until tonight. There was some talk on Thursday that Jacksonville could consider Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson with the pick. Ultimately, it seems like their plan will be to give Bortles at least another season to turn things around, but we won’t really know for sure until the draft is through.

Fournette is widely regarded as the best running back in this year’s class and he impressed evaluators at the combine with his faster than expected 40-yard-dash time. If he stays healthy, the Jaguars could have a superstar on their hands.

49ers Select Solomon Thomas No. 3 Overall

April 27th, 2017 at 7:29pm CST by Zachary Links

With the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, the 49ers have selected Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. Thomas was regarded by most as the best defensive end available after Myles Garrett.

Thomas enters the NFL after two strong collegiate seasons. In 2016, Thomas had 61 total tackles – including 14 tackles for a loss – and 8.5 sacks. He’s a three-technique player with the ability to play on the inside when asked, though most evaluators would like to see him beef up in order to hold his ground on the interior. Depending on who you ask, Thomas is either labeled as versatile or as a “tweener”. Either way, no one denies that he is a high-level talent.

With the Niners, he projects to start at defensive end with 2015 first round pick Arik Armstead on the other side. The Niners will have free agent pickup Earl Mitchell and 2016 All-Rookie selection DeForest Bucker on the inside.

Moments ago, the Niners traded down from No. 2 to acquire Chicago’s No. 3 overall selection plus more. The 49ers also received picks No. 67 and No. 111 this year plus a 2018 a third-round pick next year. Ultimately, they got a king’s ransom to move back just one spot and land one of this year’s very best talents.

Bears Acquire No. 2 Pick, Take Mitch Trubisky

April 27th, 2017 at 7:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears have acquired the No. 2 overall pick from the 49ers. With the pick, the Bears have shocked the world by taking UNC quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

The selection comes as a massive surprise. There have been a number of players connected to the Bears over the last few months, but no one anticipated Chicago taking Trubisky. The Bears paid a fortune to sign Mike Glennon this offseason and they have now put major resources into landing Trubisky. Glennon was supposedly signed to be the Bears’ starter, but he might wind up holding the clipboard for a highly drafted QB yet again.

The Niners will be acquiring Chicago’s No. 3 overall selection plus more. The 49ers will receive picks No. 67 and No. 111 this year plus a 2018 a third-round pick next year to move back one spot, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.

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Browns Select Myles Garrett With No. 1 Pick

April 27th, 2017 at 7:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After what was reportedly ample internal debate, the Browns have officially selected Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett with the No. 1 overall pick.

Garrett had been the consensus top prospect in the 2017 draft for some time, as nearly every draft board listed the Aggie pass rusher atop the list. Both of PFR’s mock drafts projected Garrett to Cleveland, as did most of the draft community, but the Browns’ need for a franchise quarterback seemingly invaded the club’s recent thinking. Cleveland’s front office was reportedly also considering North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky with the first overall selection — perhaps at the behest of owner Jimmy Haslam — and may still trade up from pick No. 12 in order to secure the signal-caller.

Instead of opting for a passer, however, the Browns have selected Garrett, who’s viewed as an eminently safe pick with the upside of one of the NFL’s best defenders. Cleveland had placed an “astronomical grade” on Garrett during the 2016 collegiate football season, and was subsequently “blown away” by Garrett’s combine performance: he weighed in at 272 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds, and posted 33 bench press reps.

Garrett boasts the measurables of a No. 1 overall pick, and his statistical production at Texas A&M was also eye-popping. In three seasons in College Station, Garrett posted 31 sacks and 47 tackles for loss (even while dealing with injuries during his final year with the Aggies). He also graded as a top-three edge defender during all three of his collegiate campaigns, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Browns can use that type of performance, as they ranked just 30th in sacks and 23rd in adjusted sack percentage in 2016. Garrett immediately becomes the best pass-rusher on the Cleveland defense, which saw rookie Emmanuel Ogbah lead the club with six sacks last season. Garrett will now line up in a Browns front seven that also includes Jamie Collins, Demario Davis, Desmond Bryant, Danny Shelton, Carl Nassib, and Ogbah.

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Extra Points: Redskins, Allen, Steelers

April 27th, 2017 at 6:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are high on Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins currently own the No. 17 pick in the draft, so they’ll likely need to move up to get him. Then again, Allen might not make it out of the top five.

Here’s more news before the draft gets underway:

Washington defensive backs Kevin King and Budda Baker are on the Steelers‘ “radar”, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Pittsburgh has used early picks on secondary help over the past few seasons, as Artie Burns, Sean Davis, and Senquez Golson have all been added to the defensive backfield since 2015. Golson, however, hasn’t been able to get on the field due to injuries, and the Steelers could use more help in the back end. King would give the club a physical corner to play outside, while Baker can play deep safety and the slot.
Some folks in the Dolphins organization are really high on linebacker Haason Reddick, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears. His fans in Miami believe that he can be a great weakside linebacker right off of the bat and they like his explosive pass rush skills.
An official from one team tells Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that Gareon Conley will go in the first round.
Colts defensive lineman David Parry will avoid jail time after reaching a plea agreement this week, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. Originally, he was facing felony charges stemming from a February arrest in Arizona. It remains to be seen whether he’ll face team or league punishment.

Bears Mulling Trade Back From No. 3

April 27th, 2017 at 6:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears are considering trading back from No. 3, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears. It’s not immediately clear which teams have expressed interest in the pick.

We’ve been hearing reports that the Bears are eager to trade back, and we’ll find out soon whether they’re able to find a suitable deal. The Bears could stay pat and take a top cornerback like Marshon Lattimore, but it seems that they would prefer to add more picks to their arsenal by moving back.

Even if the Bears are thinking cornerback in round one, this year’s class is deep at the position and they’ll have plenty of opportunities to upgrade at CB. Other top corners include the embattled Gareon Conley, Marlon Humphrey, Kevin King, Tre’Davious White, and Adoree’ Jackson.

Bills Aiming To Trade Down

April 27th, 2017 at 6:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills are “pushing hard” to trade down from the No. 10 pick, according to Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). The club doesn’t see enough value where they’re currently sitting, and could look to pursue Temple linebaker Haason Reddick if they are able to trade back, per Carrucci.

Buffalo has been linked to a possible quarterback selection at 10th overall, but if the Browns are able to leap ahead of them to take UNC’s Mitch Trubisky, the Bills might lost their top target. The club has also been tied to Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, but as Carrucci notes, the 2017 class is viewed as exceptionally deep, meaning Buffalo may believe it can move back, acquire more draft assets, and still land a quality prospect.

Reddick has steadily risen up draft boards in recent weeks, and is now considered a lock to be drafted within the top-20 picks. He’d give the Bills and new head coach Sean McDermott a Luke Kuechly-esque option at linebacker, while Reddick is also versatile enough to rush the passer.

2017 NFL Draft News & Rumors