2017 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Florida CB Jalen Tabor To Enter Draft

January 5th, 2017 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Florida cornerback Jalen Tabor is going pro. In an essay for The Players’ Tribune, the player known as “Teez” explained why he’s leaving Coral Gables for the NFL.

“It’s an exciting time for me,” Tabor wrote. “I’ve decided to do what’s best for me and my family by continuing to pursue my dreams. But I’m not saying goodbye. I’m saying see you later. Hopefully I’ll make y’all proud and show how my passion for this game continues to shine through.”

Tabor now figures to be one of the best cornerbacks in this year’s class. Many have Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore ranked as the top CB, but Tabor could be the next one to come off the board and he could hear his name called in the first round. If that’s the case, that will give Florida two cornerbacks go in the first round in back-to-back years after Vernon Hargreaves was selected No. 11 overall in 2016. Fellow Florida corner Quincy Wilson also figures to go early on in the process, though he might be more of a second or third round prospect.

Draft Rumors: Kaaya, Watt, Conley, Thomas

January 4th, 2017 at 1:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest NFL Draft news:

Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya will enter the NFL Draft, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Kaaya has long been expected to go pro this year and take advantage of a weak QB crop. Reportedly, the Bears are among the teams that are fond of him and some say he has the highest football IQ of any QB in this year’s class.
Wisconsin standout T.J. Watt announced that he is NFL-bound. After tallying 63 tackles and 11.5 sacks in 14 games, Watt stands as one of the very best outside linebackers in this year’s class. The younger brother of Texans superstar J.J. Watt is expected to go within the first two rounds.
Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley declared for the draft this week. It has been long expected that the fourth-year junior would forego his final year on campus to go pro. Conley is one of the best cornerbacks available this year and projects as a late first-round or early second-round pick.
Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas announced that he is declaring for the NFL Draft. Thomas could potentially be a first round pick, but he is in competition with an uncommonly stacked defensive end class.

NFL Draft Rumors: Hooker, Ross, Mahomes

January 3rd, 2017 at 10:58am CST by Zachary Links

Here’s the latest draft news:

Ohio State safety Malik Hooker announced that he is leaving school to enter the 2017 draft. Hooker, a redshirt sophomore, had seven interceptions and returned three of those picks for touchdowns. Scouts are high on him, but he has only one year of starting under his belt. Hooker is widely projected to be a first-round pick.
Washington wide receiver John Ross III is skipping his senior year and entering the draft, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Despite two knee surgeries which cost him the 2015 season, Ross has maintained his blazing speed and figures to be one of the first receivers to come off the board this spring. This year, he hauled in 81 receptions for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II is going pro and he has signed with an agent, Alex Marvez of The Sporting News tweets. Mahomes has gaudy numbers, but he comes with a few asterisks. For starters, the Texas Tech offense tends to lend itself to inflated totals. Secondly, Mahomes has been battling shoulder issues for the last year and he recently had wrist surgery. Right now, the consensus seems to be that Mahomes’ draft stock is a tier below fellow QBs like Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, and Deshaun Watson.
The 2017 draft order has been set for about two-thirds of the NFL.

2017 NFL Draft Order

January 2nd, 2017 at 8:04am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns almost blew it yesterday. In the regular season finale, the Browns took the Steelers to overtime before ultimately losing 27-24. Had they won, the Browns would have been picking at No. 2 instead of the top position. Meanwhile, the Jaguars nearly slipped to No. 5, but they held their ground in the draft order when they lost 24-20 to the Colts. Phew.

The playoffs will help determine the bottom 12 picks, but the draft order has now been set for most of the NFL. Here is the list, with ties being broken by strength of schedule:

1. Browns (1-15)

2. 49ers (2-14)

3. Bears (3-13)

4. Jaguars (3-13)

5. Titans (via the 4-12 Rams)

6. Jets (5-11)

7. Chargers (5-11)

8. Panthers (6-10)

9. Bengals (6-9-1)

10. Bills (7-9)

11. Saints (7-9)

12. Browns (via the 7-9 Eagles)

13. Cardinals (7-8-1)

T-14. Eagles (via the 8-8 Minnesota Vikings)

T-14. Colts (8-8) (Note: The Vikings and Colts have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broke by coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 14 and the other team getting the No. 15 pick.)

16. Ravens (8-8)

17. Redskins (8-7-1)

18. Titans (9-7)

19. Buccaneers (9-7)

20. Broncos (9-7)

Browns Clinch 2017 No. 1 Overall Pick

January 1st, 2017 at 3:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

By losing to the Steelers today, the Browns have officially secured the first overall selection in the 2017 NFL draft.

Squarely in the midst of a massive rebuild, the Browns will now get their choice of collegiate players next spring, and will have the option of selecting a quarterback if they so choose. The club has been linked to both Mitch Trubisky and DeShone Kizer, but it’s unclear if Cleveland would feel comfortable using the first overall pick on either signal-caller. Meanwhile, the Browns reportedly have placed an “astronomical” grade on Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett, who is fully expected to declare for the draft.

Thanks to a series of trades, Cleveland is well-armed in the 2017 draft, and the club will have an additional first-rounder (via Philadelphia) to pair with the first overall pick. All told, the Browns currently have eight picks secured, including two in each of the first two rounds. A new voice could assist in selecting players at those spots, as a report earlier today indicated that Cleveland may look to hire another executive to its front office.

Bucky Hodges To Enter NFL Draft

January 1st, 2017 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Virginia Tech tight end Bucky Hodges has chosen to forego his final season of collegiate eligibility and enter the NFL draft, according to Jared Shanker of ESPN.com. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. ranks Hodges as the best tight end in this year’s class, just ahead of Alabama’s O.J. Howard (Insider subscription required).

At 6-7, 245 pounds, Hodges is a physical freak. He is also extremely fast for a player his size, and he has enjoyed a prolific career for the Hokies, notching 127 catches and 20 touchdowns during his time in Blacksburg, including 48 catches for 691 yards and seven touchdowns this past season.

The former high school quarterback was frequently lined up as a wide receiver for Virginia Tech, and he was rarely used as an in-line blocker. Blocking, therefore, will be something that he needs to work on when he turns pro, but given that most collegiate tight ends are essentially overgrown wideouts these days, that will not hamper his draft stock too much in the pass-happy NFL.

A more pressing concern about his game could be his route-running, as he is still somewhat unpolished in that regard and often relies on his size and athleticism to win his matchups, which will be more difficult for him to do at the next level. But that, too, is something that is becoming more common in today’s college game, which has seen the proliferation of spread offenses and other offensive schemes designed to exploit athletic mismatches.

But all of Hodges’ positive attributes certainly overshadow his weaknesses, which can be addressed by an NFL coaching staff. He will be a first-round selection this spring.

Myles Garrett Declares For Draft

December 31st, 2016 at 9:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Viewed as a strong candidate for the No. 1 overall pick in April, Texas A&M edge defender Myles Garrett will declare for the upcoming draft, according to ESPN.com (Twitter link).

This does not come as a surprise, with the Aggies top prospect already making comments about the kind of NFL city in which he’d like to play. The Browns would not be one of the junior pass-rusher’s preferred destinations, Cleveland being quite cold in certain months, but Garrett has been on the 1-14 team’s radar for a while. The Browns placed an “astronomical” grade on Garrett. A Cleveland loss or 49ers win Sunday gives the Browns the No. 1 selection.

Garrett finished his third season in College Station, Texas, with 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss. The 8.5 sacks represent Garrett’s lowest single-season total, although he struggled with an ankle injury this season, but give him 31 for his career. The 6-foot-5, 262-pound performer profiles as a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker. He finishes his college run with 47.5 tackles for loss.

He will be entering as one of the youngest players in the draft, turning 21 just two days ago. Garrett rates behind only Leonard Fournette on ESPN.com draft analyst Todd McShay’s big board (Insider link).

Florida State’s Dalvin Cook To Enter Draft

December 31st, 2016 at 2:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Forgoing his senior season with Florida State, Dalvin Cook will join Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey in the 2017 NFL draft, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).

The move is not exactly unexpected given Cook’s production with the Seminoles since 2014, and it officially introduces another top-flight skill-position talent into the prospect pool.

ESPN.com’s Todd McShay has the 5-foot-11, 213-pound Cook ranked as the No. 7 overall prospect (Insider link) among draft-eligible players — six slots behind Fournette and 22 ahead of McCaffrey. CBSSports.com also has Cook slotted seventh in the 2017 pool, but in placing Fournette ninth, the site has Cook as its top running back.

Cook posted his second straight 20-touchdown season in 2016, rushing for 19 scores in both his sophomore and junior slates. He totaled 2,253 yards from scrimmage this season and will enter the league in time for his age-22 season. The three-year Florida State contributor will turn 22 in August.

AFC Notes: Jags, Pats, Browns, Jets, Chiefs

December 30th, 2016 at 5:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Thanks to the now-fired Gus Bradley‘s disastrous stint as a first-time head coach, the Jaguars are unlikely to hire a replacement who doesn’t bring prior experience, league sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. That makes it all the more probable the team will tab a previously reported candidate like Tom Coughlin, who interviewed Wednesday, interim head coach Doug Marrone or ex-Falcons head coach and current Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Steelers O-coordinator Todd Haley have also been head coaches, but it’s unlikely either will end up a match for Jacksonville, per Mortensen.

AFC Notes: Bills, Browns, Jags, Bengals, Colts

December 29th, 2016 at 9:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Rex Ryan was a beloved players’ coach with the Jets from 2009-14, but it doesn’t seem that was fully the case during his nearly two-year run in Buffalo. Reacting to the Bills’ Tuesday decision to fire Ryan, one defensive player informed Bleacher Report’s Tyler Dunne, “That was music to my ears.” Similarly, some other Bills never bought into Ryan and felt he tore down the elite defense he inherited in 2015, according to Dunne (Twitter links). On the other side of the ball, wide receiver Sammy Watkins told the team’s official website that a “culture change” will be in order with Ryan’s successor. “Change the culture, change the mindset and get players on board,” he said. “If they’re not listening, cut them, kick them out, whatever. Sit them on the bench. I think that will help us move forward.”

2017 NFL Draft News & Rumors