2017 NFL Draft: Round 1 Draft Grades (Picks 21–32)
We are now reaching the end of the First Round. Some names to be had are still on the board as we get closer to day two. Can teams find the right fit and value down here? Only time will tell.
21. Detroit Lions: Jaraad Davis, LB, Florida
I am shocked Detroit did not go with Reuben Foster here. Defense is clearly a need for the Lions and linebacker is an obvious choice. However, Foster was definitely the bigger name. Jarrad Davis moved up draft boards after a solid combine, but injuries have always been Davis’ negative knock. He missed time in all three seasons at Florida. He suffered a leg injury in 2016 and a meniscus tear in 2014. Can this solid linebacker hold up in the NFL?
When not injured, Davis is a consistent player and will fill a void for the lions. Davis has decent coverage skills and will be a three-down player. He can shoot the gap with great instinct and hits the holes hard. Although not a rusher, he makes for a solid blitzing linebacker too. The one problem with how he plays is over-pursuing the play and whiffing on tackles. He is also susceptible to play-action. Overall, this was not a bad pick, but I do not see it making a big impact.
Strengths: Physical, hits hard, gap rush
Weaknesses: Injuries, play action, overruns plays, missed tackles
Draft Grade: B-
22. Miami Dolphins: Charles Harris, DE, Missouri
Like Detroit, Miami lacked defensive playmakers last season. Cameron Wake did not live up to expectations and this team needs some new defensive firepower. In steps, Harris. Harris is a bit undersized as a 4–3 defensive end, but that did not stop him in college.
Harris has great speed off the ball. That initial burst might be the best in the draft. He struggled to perform at the combine, but his tape was phenomenal. He should be a sack specialist for Miami and should see himself in on passing situations early in 2017. He has average rush moves and hands, and can even play the run well too. This was a great move by Miami who did not want to take some of the more coveted talent that came with more question marks than Harris.
Strengths: Burst off the ball, sack specialist
Weaknesses: One dimensional, focus
Draft Grade: A-
23. New York Giants: Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss
I honestly thought the Giants would have drafted an offensive lineman or linebacker. I understand this pick though. The Giants have not had a top-tier TE since Jeremy Shockey. How many of you fantasy players though Larry Donnell or Will Tye were sneaky late round picks? How did they pan out? Engram has the skill set to actually be worth one of those picks.
Engram was arguably the second best TE behind O.J. Howard. He is athletic and has good speed. He will be another weapon for Eli Manning to throw to this season. The problem is, will Eli have time to throw the ball. Engram cannot be counted on in the blocking game, which may limit his playing time. If the Giants can find a way to keep Manning off his back, this offense added even more firepower to their arsenal of weapons. Maybe not the right pick, but not the wrong pick either.
Strengths: Athleticism, speed, hands
Weaknesses: Inside blocking, route running
Draft Grade: B-
24. Oakland Raiders: Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
People were shocked by what the Bears did this round, but I am more surprised by the Raiders. Conley is the third defensive back to be drafted out of Ohio State in the first round. However, with his rape allegations, I thought for sure he’d fall. Conley has good size and speed, but I question his first round talent to go along with the off-the-field issues.
If we go on talent alone (it seems that now the rape allegations are either fake or going away anyway), this was a great pick for the Raiders. The Raiders secondary struggled too often in 2016. Giving up too many big plays happened on a regular basis and the offense constantly had to play with a shootout-type mentality. Conley has great ball skills. He had four interceptions for the Buckeyes last season and only allowed 14 receptions. He could develop into a solid shutdown corner.
Strengths: Size, man coverage, ball skills
Weaknesses: Off the field concerns, run support
Draft Grade: B+
25. Cleveland Browns: Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
Is he a sports car or a Hummer? That is about the comparison I heard for months leading up to the draft. Peppers was talked about atop the draft and also falling down the draft. Many said he has no position. Well, although he played linebacker in Michigan, Peppers will clearly be a safety in the NFL.
Now, my only concern here is Peppers playing in Cleveland. I am not sure I trust the organization to do right by him. They have started to turn things around, but it is still the Browns we are talking about here. Peppers is an extremely talented athlete who should see playing time in nickel packages as a rookie. Expect to see him in the return game too. He has the talent to become a household name if given the opportunity and used properly.
Strengths: Freak athlete, versatility, return game
Weaknesses: Can Cleveland put him in the right spots to shine?
Draft Grade: A
26. Atlanta Falcons: Takkarist McKinnley, DE, UCLA
Just Google search 28–3 and after the Google calculator tells you the answer is 25, you will see a plethora of articles discussing the Falcons blowing a 28–3 lead in Super Bowl 51 (I refuse to use roman numerals). Obviously this team needed more help on defense. I would not have been surprised if they took Peppers here if available. Unfortunately, the Browns swiped him. Instead, the Falcons looked to grab a pass rusher.
I am not sure why they took McKinnley though. The end has almost as many injury concerns as Reuben Foster, but a lower ceiling. That said, the pick was not awful. McKinnley does grade out with low, First Round talent. He is a speedy edge rusher who has a relentless aggressive nature. Think of him as the Falcons new seek and destroy missile.
Strengths: Speed rush, aggressiveness, power, relentlessness
Weaknesses: Injuries, limited technique
Draft Grade: B
27. Buffalo Bills: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU
The Bills traded down and still grabbed a solid corner. It helps that the CB class was so deep this season, but Buffalo should feel happy about getting White here. White has decent size and athleticism. He is not going to jump in as the next Stephen Gilmore, but he will help soften the blow of losing him to New England.
White has good man-coverage skills and great ball hawking skills. Even against taller receivers, he has the ability to track the ball in the air. He has four years experience as a starter in the SEC, which could make the transition into the NFL a little easier. If this was a normal draft class, White would have been one of the first corners selected this year.
Strengths: Coverage skills, experience
Weaknesses: Avoids contact
Draft Grade: B-
28. Dallas Cowboys: Taco Charlton, DE, Michigan
I have one word to describe how I feel about Taco Charlton — potential. Charlton could end up as a steal in this draft. The problem is, he could easily bust. Charlton has great size and length. He has seen improvement every year he joined Michigan. His final year was easily his best as he finished with 9.5 sacks.
The problem with Taco is that he is somewhat of a project player. He lacks technique and rush moves. He struggles against elite blockers with power. 29Charlton is also not the greatest against the run. All of that aside, size cannot be taught. If anyone can harness Charlton’s ability into production, it is Rod Marinelli. On upside alone this grade deserves an A, but I cannot grade it on upside alone. Although the Cowboys needed to add a pass rusher, I think their secondary needs help more. I could even have seen them take David Njoku here as a successor to Jason Witten — who is getting a little long in the tooth.
Strengths: Length, ability to maintain momentum downhill
Weaknesses: Inconsistent, lack of technique, run defense
Draft Grade: C+
29. Cleveland Browns: David Njoku, TE, Miami
Speaking of David Njoku, here he is at the very next pick. The Browns traded back up into the First Round and many though this would be for a quarterback. Boy were we wrong. Instead, they took a project tight end with unlimited potential. (We know now that Gary Barnidge is out and Njoku is THE guy)
Njoku is a freaky athletic guy who has a very muscular frame. He is an average blocker who has improved in that area every year. He has good speed and will be a mismatch for the Browns to exploit. He has big play ability as 17.2 percent of his plays at Miami were for 30-plus yards. He has great hands and highpoints the ball with his leaping ability. His biggest knock is focus drops and lack of experience.
Strengths: Leaping ability, hands, athleticism, game speed
Weaknesses: Experience, inconsistent, focus drops
Draft Grade: B
30. Pittsburgh Steelers: T.J. Watt, LB, Wisconsin
First of all, do not think the Steelers believe they are getting another version of T.J.’s older brother, J.J. Watt. T.J. and J.J. are two different type of players and play two different positions. T.J. had some health issues in both 2014 and 2015. He then moved from offense to defense and did well for the Badgers in 2016.
Watt has decent size, but could benefit from bulking up a bit more. Said to have a similar work ethic as his brother, but again there should be little comparison between the two. Watt has great technique and is able to battle off blockers with his hands. He is decent enough against the run too. The issue with Watt will be his athleticism and experience. I believe he fits in well though with Pittsburgh, and hopefully the Steelers finally found the edge rusher they need.
Strengths: Technique, hand battling, high motor
Weaknesses: Experience, injury history, strength
Draft Grade: B-
31. San Francisco 49ers: Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama (From SEA)
Foster was originally considered a top-five pick. However, after his failed drug test and being kicked out of the combine medical exams, Foster started falling down draft boards. Teams wanted to get a look at how well Foster was recovering from rotator cuff surgery (something now rumored could keep him from playing at all in 2017).
Now, if we can take the injury concerns away and the off the field issues, this could (I emphasize could) end up being a fantastic pick. If I were grading the selection purely based on talent then this is easily an A. However, more factors must come into play here. Foster and Solomon Thomas were great additions and could help rebuild a struggling defense. The key however being Foster’s ability to stay on the field.
Foster has good speed and pass coverage skills. He also hits with aggressiveness and power. He has a hard-hitting, alpha-type mentality. His footwork is decent too. The only problem is he gets too reliant on his speed that he finds himself too slow to react at times. He also takes on too many hits with poor tackling technique (part of the problem with his rotator cuff). All-in-all this is a risky pick that could pay off big time for the 49ers.
Strengths: Speed, toughness, burst
Weaknesses: Injuries, off-the-field concerns
Draft Grade: B+
32. New Orleans Saints: Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin
Wisconsin always seems to have offensive lineman being drafted into the NFL. Unfortunately, for every Joe Thomas there have been a few more Gabe Carimi type players. The Saints are hoping they see more out of Ryan Ramczyk than what Carimi offered the NFL.
Ramczyk has good size and power. He fires off the ball with a solid burst and assertiveness, but edge rushers who have a good inside move tend to take advantage of him. Some say his arms are too short to play left tackle too. I think the Saints would have been better off taking a defensive player here as Ramczyk should only start in 2017 if an injury occurs.
Strengths: Size, power, ability to use his hands
Weaknesses: Blocking inside moves, inconsistent, plays to upright at times
Draft Grade: C
That wraps up the first round. Check out picks 1–10 here and 11–20 here. How did you grade your team’s pick(s)? Feel free to leave some comments or come on the Fantasy Life App to discuss it further!
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