2017 NFL Draft: Live Fantasy Analysis (Round 1)

2017 NFL Draft: Live Fantasy Analysis (Round 1)

After months of mock drafts and analysis, the 2017 NFL Draft has finally arrived. So, what does it mean for your favorite team and your fantasy football club? Read below, as this rollup will include our fantasy football expert Mike Tagliere’s (@MikeTagliereNFL) take on each draft pick over the evening.

Start your early draft prep with our Mock Draft Simulator partner-arrow

No. 1 – Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett (DE)

Despite all of the drama leading up to the pick, the Browns have had this picak locked in for a few weeks now. The only question now is whether or not they move up from their No. 12 pick to take Mitch Trubisky. Garrett is a once in a decade type talent at defensive end and one they’ll build their frawanchise around. The Browns got this one right, doubters.ad

No. 2 – Chicago Bears (via SF) – Mitch Trubisky (QB)

This was a massive shock to everyone’s mock draft, but one that Mike Tagliere called on the FantasyPros podcast last week. With the way Mike Glennon’s contract was structured, it was always a strong possibility that the Bears took a quarterback. Trubisky isn’t going to contribute in fantasy leagues this year, but he’s a name to watch in dynasty with the ceiling that he has.

No. 3 – San Francisco 49ers (via CHI) – Solomon Thomas (DE)

Thomas provides immediate value for a 49ers defense that allowed a never-ending string of 100-yard rushers last year. The 49ers acquired plenty of picks in order to move back a spot, though it seems they may have wanted Thomas all along. It was a savvy move by first-time GM John Lynch.

h

No. 4 – Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Fournette (RB)

Fournette will come in and make an immediate impact in fantasy. He’s a bruising running back who can create something special anytime he touches the ball. There hasn’t been a running back as physically taxing on a defense since Adrian Peterson, so buckle up, it’s going to be fun watching him get 20 touches per game.

No. 5 – Tennessee Titans (via LAR) – Corey Davis (WR)

Davis was the best wide receiver in the draft, and the Titans were willing to pay the price to get him. They said that they would spend equity in order to get Marcus Mariota a wide receiver and they did. Davis will come right in and produce WR3 numbers out of the gate. The Titans were lacking a possession-style receiver, but Davis immediately fixes that issue. He is similar to a young Brandon Marshall, in that once he catches the ball, it’s just the beginning. He’s a monster after the catch.

No. 6 – New York Jets – Jamal Adams (S)

Outside of Myles Garrett, it’s a fair argument that Adams is the most talented player in this draft. He’s a game-changing safety that isn’t afraid to come up in the box and drop a devastating blow. The Jets landed a top notch player at No. 6.

No. 7 – Los Angeles Chargers – Mike Williams (WR)

RIP, Keenan Allen. Ok, that’s overexaggerating, but the Chargers have an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver already. Between Allen, Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, and Dontrelle Inman, it’s going to be tough for any of them to produce anything more than low-end WR2 numbers. And keep in mind that we haven’t even mentioned Hunter Henry, Antonio Gates, or Melvin Gordon. Williams is one of the best wide receivers in the draft, but this pick doesn’t do him any favors in fantasy football.

No. 8 – Carolina Panthers – Christian McCaffrey (RB)

This is one of the picks that most mock-drafters got right. It’s going to be interesting to see how Cam Newton changes his game with McCaffrey on the field, because he’s targeted his running backs the least of any starting quarterback over the last two years. Whatever the case, McCaffrey will walk on and split time with Jonathan Stewart who just signed an extension last month. McCaffrey should enter the fantasy scene as a low-end RB2/high-end RB3 in standard leagues, with upside for more in PPR formats.

No. 9 – Cincinnati Bengals – John Ross (WR)

The combination of Ross and A.J. Green is going to be a nightmare for opposing defenses, as they’ll need to pick their poison. Considering Green is a bonafide stud, Ross is going to see a lot of single man coverage. He’s going to be a boom-or-bust option most weeks, but he’ll be worth a spot in your starting lineup for when he goes “boom.” Fantasy football players, get excited for this one.

No. 10 – Kansas City Chiefs (via BUF) – Patrick Mahomes (QB)

In a shocking move, the Chiefs traded up with the Buffalo Bills in order to snag Mahomes before the Browns, Cardinals, or Texans could take him. He’s another quarterback who won’t be starting right away, but Mahomes landed in the perfect situation with Andy Reid. He’s going to be around for a long time in order to develop Mahomes, who likely has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the class.

No. 11 – New Orleans Saints – Marshon Lattimore (CB)

Lattimore falling this far was something that nobody saw coming, as most mock drafts had him going inside the top five picks. The best cornerback in the draft will be tasked with stopping Julio Jones, Mike Evans, and Kelvin Benjamin immediately, as the Saints didn’t have that shutdown corner in year’s past. Saints fans should be extremely happy with this selection.

No. 12 – Houston Texans (via CLE) – Deshaun Watson (QB)

Despite being the third quarterback off the board, Watson is likely the first rookie quarterback to start in 2017. He was a winner in college and he’ll be walking onto a team that already has a top-five defense intact. This draft pick does nothing but good things for DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. In terms of Watson’s fantasy value himself, he’s on the QB2 radar due to his rushing ability.

No. 13 – Arizona Cardinals – Haason Reddick (LB)

The Cardinals couldn’t have predicted how the 12 picks in front of them would go, as it was an onslaught of offensive players. Reddick, however, was slated to go in this range of the draft. He does provide immediate value on a defense that just lost Calais Campbell, one of their leaders, in free agency. The Cardinals look to be going all-in for a Super Bowl run in the final years of Larry Fitzgerald’s career.

No. 14 – Philadelphia Eagles (via MIN) – Derek Barnett (DE)

Someone who we loved going into the draft, Barnett is going to provide immediate help to the Eagles pass rush. The pick was somewhat of a necessity with a secondary that has plenty of holes. The real shock is that he came off the board before Jonathan Allen, who continues his free-fall in the draft.

No. 15 – Indianapolis Colts – Malik Hooker (S)

Hooker is the best safety in this class and he doesn’t even have much experience. He’s only played the position for one year, but he’s shown excellent ball tracking skills and takes good angles to balls, while playing against solid competition. This is the first step to the Colts building a defense that can take some pressure off their offense.

No. 16 – Baltimore Ravens – Marlon Humphrey (CB)

Mocked as the second cornerback off the board in most drafts, Humphery projects to come in and battle Brandon Carr to start opposite Jimmy Smith right away. The Ravens needed to add depth to the position, as Smith has been oft-injured in his short career. Playing in a division against the Steelers with Antonio Brown/Martavis Bryant, and now the Bengals with A.J. Green/John Ross, they need to have an answer. It’s a tall task for the No. 16 overall pick.

No. 17 – Washington Redskins – Jonathan Allen (DE)

Quite the shock to many analysts, Allen fell into the lap of the Redskins. Allen was someone who was projected to go as high as No. 2 in some mock drafts, but NFL teams obviously thought otherwise. The athleticism is definitely there, but Allen falls in between the size of a defensive end and a defensive tackle. Regardless, the Redskins can’t be upset taking a player who was projected to go so high.

No. 18 – Tennessee Titans – Adoree’ Jackson (CB)

Who would’ve thought that the Titans would land a top-tier cornerback and the No. 1 wide receiver on their board without trading up? Jackson is a playmaker, plain and simple. The Titans will use him as a starter at cornerback immediately, and he’ll also contribute on special teams. A jack of all trades, Jackson is a great pick for a Titans team whose secondary was among the worst in the league last year.

No. 19 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – O.J. Howard (TE)

This one is a doozy, in a good way. Just imagine being a defensive coordinator and trying to gameplan against Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and O.J. Howard. Every single one of them can beat you downfield and underneath. Howard will have to overtake last year’s breakout tight end Cameron Brate to play in 1TE sets, but considering he’s the most pro-ready tight end we’ve seen in a long time, it shouldn’t take long. Howard is going to be a borderline TE1 in fantasy right away, as long as he can overtake Brate.

No. 20 – Denver Broncos – Garett Bolles (OL)

The Broncos just continue to solidify their offensive line this offseason. While most have been expecting them to draft a running back, you can expect C.J. Anderson to come back with a vengeance. The addition of Bolles should move Anderson into the RB1 conversation once again, so take advantage of his RB2 price in MFL10s right now.

No. 21 – Detroit Lions – Jarrad Davis (LB)

In a bit of a surprise, Davis was taken in front of Alabama’s Rueben Foster. Davis will provide a three-down linebacker for the Lions who have been extremely thin on defense over the last few years. He plays quick, takes good angles, and has excellent closing speed. His presence should help provide some additional pressure when they play Aaron Rodgers twice per year.

No. 22 – Miami Dolphins Charles Harris (DE)

A puzzling pick, without a doubt. The Dolphins have major holes at linebacker and Rueben Foster was still available. They add Harris to a pass rush that includes Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh. While Harris may have been a bit overvalued in the draft process, those two will make him look better than he is.

No. 23 – New York Giants – Evan Engram (TE)

While the Giants tight end position was a mess last year, it’s not very clear that Engram fixes that problem. He’s much more of a wide receiver who lined up in-line at times for Ole Miss. He’s going to be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, but likely won’t be anything more than a streaming option at tight end due to all the targets that need to be distributed between him, Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall, and Sterling Shepard. This is a better real-life signing than fantasy signing.

No. 24 – Oakland Raiders – Gareon Conley (CB)

Conley fell down the board due to recent allegations that he has not been charged for. Apparently, there was a team that put him through a lie detector test, and one that he passed with flying colors. That team was not the Raiders, so Conley was slated to go in the first round, regardless. It’s a great addition to a Raiders defense that could be fit to make a deep playoff run, provided Derek Carr stays healthy this time around.

No. 25 – Cleveland Browns (via HOU) – Jabrill Peppers (S)

After missing out of one of their top quarterbacks, the Browns wound up getting another first round pick next season from the Texans, as well as this pick, and a second round pick. It was a great haul for a team who is in no position to compete in 2017, adding the versatile Peppers to their rebuilt defense. Unfortunately, we may lose the automatic two passing touchdowns against the Browns every week. This is a bad move for DFS players, but a solid move for the Browns.

No. 26 – Atlanta Falcons (via SEA) – Takkarish McKinley (OLB)

Standing at 6’2″ and 250 pounds, McKinley is a big man in college football. Coming to the NFL, he’ll likely have to transition to an outside linebacker because his size won’t get him far on the edge. A player that’ll be fined before he plays an NFL down, McKinley isn’t going to drastically change the Falcons defense.

No. 27 – Buffalo Bills (via KC) – Tre’Davious White (CB)

White lacks the height on paper that you’d want, but he plays bigger than 5-10. First instinct is to open hips, but he does a solid job in coverage. He won’t help much versus the run, but he should help replace the loss of Stephon Gilmore.

No. 28 – Dallas Cowboys – Taco Charlton (DE)

While it was expected that the Cowboys add a pass rusher in order to hide their holes in the secondary, there seem to have been better players on the board. His play recognition didn’t appear to be first-round worthy, but the Cowboys obviously felt differently. Unfortunately, none of the big highlight-reel names were left for Jerry Jones to choose with the No. 28 pick.

No. 29 – Cleveland Browns (via GB) – David Njoku (TE)

Njoku was likely the last skill-position player to be drafted tonight, and he’s a big one. While most have said that O.J. Howard is the top tight end in this class, it can be argued that Njoku has the highest ceiling. He’s a work in progress, but the Browns have the ability to wait on his talent to develop. Njoku averaged over 11 yards AFTER the catch in his final year at Miami. He’s going to be a streaming option due to touchdown upside, but he doesn’t project to be a full-time player right away.

No. 30 – Pittsburgh Steelers – T.J. Watt (LB)

Watt will contribute right away to a linebacking crew that is going to have to make up for James Harrison’s pressure at some point. Steelers fans will learn to love Watt’s heart and enthusiasm that he plays with, similar to his brother J.J. Watt.

No. 31 – San Francisco 49ers (via SEA) – Reuben Foster (LB)

Somehow, someway, Foster fell all the way down to the end of the first round. It’s a clear health concern, because Foster is a monster on the field. He’s a playmaker that plays aggressively, which is what you want out of your middle linebacker. He’s going to set the tempo for the entire defense, and if you’re an opponent, you’re not happy about that. This was the steal of the draft.

No. 32 – New Orleans Saints (via NE) – Ryan Ramczyk (OL)

It’s clear that the Saints wanted to run the ball, acquiring Adrian Peterson earlier this week. The addition of Ramczyk further cements that idea, as he’ll likely slide in at left guard immediately. He was the No. 1 tackle on some analyst’s boards, but no lower than No. 3 on any of them. He not only helps Peterson and Mark Ingram, but he’ll also provide additional support for Drew Brees.

NFL NFL Draft

More Articles

Dynasty Trade Advice: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts (Fantasy Football)

Dynasty Trade Advice: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts (Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by FantasyPros Staff | 1 min read
Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Ladd McConkey, Xavier Legette, Michael Penix Jr (2024 Fantasy Football)

Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: Ladd McConkey, Xavier Legette, Michael Penix Jr (2024 Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by FantasyPros Staff | 2 min read
Dynasty Trade Advice: James Cook, Rachaad White, Joe Mixon (Fantasy Football)

Dynasty Trade Advice: James Cook, Rachaad White, Joe Mixon (Fantasy Football)

fp-headshot by FantasyPros Staff | 2 min read
2024 NFL Draft Comps: Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, Blake Corum, MarShawn Lloyd

2024 NFL Draft Comps: Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, Blake Corum, MarShawn Lloyd

fp-headshot by Blaine Blontz | 4 min read

About Author

fp-headshot

Blaine Blontz

|

Blaine Blontz is a featured writer at FantasyPros, providing unique insights and in-depth analysis.

Hide

Current Article

|

11 min read

Dynasty Trade Advice: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts (Fantasy Football)

Next Up - Dynasty Trade Advice: Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts (Fantasy Football)

Next Article