Draft Rewind: New 2017 first-round features many of the NFL’s top offensive stars
Draft Rewind: New 2017 first-round features many of the NFL’s top offensive stars
The Sunday night football game on December 22 between the Bears and Chiefs highlighted one of the biggest questions that stemmed from the 2017 NFL Draft, what would have happened had Chicago (or another team) taken Patrick Mahomes before he was selected by Kansas City? Well, this redraft can’t answer the Chicago question, but another team did take Mahomes, one who had an even more questionable quarterback situation than the Bears.
No. 1 (Browns) Actual pick – Myles Garrett, DE Redraft – Patrick Mahomes, QB
Cleveland is happy with their selection here, but they also started second-round pick DeShone Kizer at quarterback in 2017, just another in the long line of duds at the position. Chicago takes grief for not drafting Mahomes, but he would have done just as much for Cleveland. After backup up Alex Smith as a rookie, Mahomes earned MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2018, throwing for 5,097 yards and a league-high 50 touchdowns. He missed only two games with a dislocated right kneecap earlier this year and still has nearly 4,000 yards passing. In addition, Cleveland drafted current Mahomes teammate Tyreek Hill in last year’s redraft.
No. 2 (Bears) Actual pick – Mitchell Trubisky, QB Redraft – Deshaun Watson, QB
The Bears gave up picks 3, 67 and 111, along with a 2018 third-round pick to move up one spot. Trubisky made the Pro Bowl in 2018, but he is considered by many to be a disappointment. Instead, Chicago gets the more versatile player in Watson, who has the most passing yards from this draft (9,716 yards), as well as the most rushing yards (1,233) and touchdowns (14) among quarterbacks. The two-time Pro Bowler can set career highs with a solid final game in 2019.
No. 3 (49ers) Actual pick – Solomon Thomas, DE Redraft – Myles Garrett, DE
Another player who did not live up expectations, Thomas has started 28 games and registered just six sacks for the 49ers. Garrett was the clear top pick in the original Draft and a no-brainer at this spot. Despite a suspension for his part in a brawl in a game against the Steelers in November, Garrett has 30½ career sacks, including 13½ in his Pro Bowl 2018 season.
No. 4 (Jaguars) Actual pick – Leonard Fournette, RB Redraft – Christian McCaffrey, RB
Fournette is having a career year and ranks third in rushing yards among drafted players, but he missed half of 2018 after having a hamstring injury. Instead, the Jaguars draft McCaffrey, a dual-threat dynamo. CMC has 1,361 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing and a running back-record 109 receptions and 933 yards to earn his first Pro Bowl selection in 2019.
No. 5 (Titans) Actual pick – Corey Davis, WR Redraft – JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
The pick was first owned by the Rams, who sent it to the Titans as part of the deal for the first overall pick in 2016. Originally a late second-round selection by the Steelers, Smith-Schuster tops all wide receivers with 209 catches and 2,889 yards to go with 17 touchdowns. After a career year (111 receptions and 1,426 yards) in 2018 that earned him a Pro Bowl nod, he missed four games this season due to a concussion. He gives the Titans a big-time receiving threat.
No. 6 (Jets) Actual pick – Jamal Adams, S Redraft – Adams
Adams only has two interceptions, but he ranks third with 207 solo tackles. The two-time Pro Bowler also has 12 sacks from the strong safety spot.
No. 7 (Chargers) Actual pick – Mike Williams, WR Redraft – Chris Godwin, WR
Williams has a career-high 963 yards this season, but Godwin has 17 touchdowns and ranks second among wideouts with 2,700 yards. He made his first Pro Bowl this season with career highs in receptions (86), yards (1,333) and touchdowns (nine).
No. 8 (Panthers) Actual pick – Christian McCaffrey, RB Redraft – Alvin Kamara, RB
McCaffrey is off the board, but the Panthers grab another dual-threat back in Kamara, the Offensive Rookie of the Year the Saints originally drafted early in the third round. The two-time Pro Bowler not only has the most rushing touchdowns (25) and ranks fifth in rushing yards (2,369), but he also ranks second among backs with 241 catches and 2,050 receiving yards.
No. 9 (Bengals) Actual pick – John Ross, WR Redraft – Cooper Kupp, WR
Ross has missed time due to knee (2017) and shoulder (2019) injuries and has been a bit of a disappointment. Kupp, an early third-round pick by the Rams, is having a career year with 87 catches, 1,062 yards, and nine touchdowns. He tops the list of drafted receivers with 20 scores and ranks fifth with 2,497 receiving yards.
No. 10 (Chiefs) Actual pick – Patrick Mahomes, QB Redraft – Mitchell Trubisky, QB
Buffalo traded this pick to Kansas City for selections 27 and 91 along with a first-rounder in 2018. While the Bears don’t get Mahomes, we will get to see what Trubisky does for the Chiefs. He was a Pro Bowler in 2018 after registering career highs with 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns.
No. 11 (Saints) Actual pick – Marshon Lattimore, CB Redraft – Lattimore
Lattimore ranks third among cornerbacks with eight interceptions, including five in 2017, earning him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The two-time Pro Bowler has also forced five fumbles and recovered four.
No. 12 (Texans) Actual pick – Deshaun Watson, QB Redraft – Zach Cunningham, LB
This pick was involved in the Eagles-Browns trade that gave Philadelphia the second pick in 2016. Cleveland sent the selection to Houston for pick 25 and a first-round choice in 2018. Cunningham ranks second with 213 solo tackles to go along with 3½ sacks, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. He has 323 tackles overall, including 100 or more in a season twice.
No. 13 (Cardinals) Actual pick – Haason Reddick, LB Redraft – T. J. Watt, LB
Reddick has started 20 games with the Cardinals, and he amassed 7½ sacks and 186 tackles. Meanwhile, Watt is a two-time Pro Bowler who has a Draft-high 34½ sacks. He set a career-high with 13 sacks in 2018, then bested the total with 14 so far this season.
No. 14 (Eagles) Actual pick – Derek Barnett, DE Redraft – Tre’Davious White, CB
Minnesota traded this pick, plus a conditional fourth-rounder in 2018, to Philadelphia for quarterback Sam Bradford. Barnett had five sacks and helped the Eagles win Super Bowl LII as a rookie, but he has totaled just 19 starts and 12 sacks in three years. Instead of Philadelphia using its second- and third-round picks on cornerbacks, White would provide the team with ball-hawking skills, and his 12 interceptions are the most among drafted players. White made the Pro Bowl with Buffalo for the first time this season, thanks to a league-leading six picks.
No. 15 (Colts) Actual pick – Malik Hooker, S Redraft – Eddie Jackson, S
Hooker has seven interceptions and 116 tackles with Indianapolis. Jackson was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2018 after registering six picks, including two returned for touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl for a second time this season.
No. 16 (Ravens) Actual pick – Marlon Humphrey, CB Redraft – Humphrey
Humphrey has totaled seven interceptions and 133 tackles. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019 as one of 12 Ravens selections after returning two fumbles for touchdowns.
No. 17 (Redskins) Actual pick – Jonathan Allen, DE Redraft – Kareem Hunt, RB
Allen’s rookie season was ended early due to surgery on a Lisfranc injury in his foot. He has amassed 14 sacks, with eight in 2018. Hunt is a better option than Samaje Perine, who the Redskins took in the fourth round. Hunt was dominant, making the Pro Bowl after rushing for a league-leading 1,327 yards as a rookie with the Chiefs. The third-round pick saw his career spiral after a video surfaced of him attacking a woman, resulting in Kansas City releasing him in 2018. He started this season on an eight-game league-sanctioned suspension, but is looking to get his career back on track with the Browns.
No. 18 (Titans) Actual pick – Adoree’ Jackson, CB Redraft – Kenny Golladay, WR
Jackson has two interceptions and 188 tackles, and he also found some work as a kick returner. Instead, the Titans can pair Golladay with Smith-Schuster to create a formidable receiving tandem. Golladay ranks second among wide receivers with 19 scores, including an NFL-high 11 this season. He is third with 2,658 receiving yards thanks to back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
No. 19 (Buccaneers) Actual pick – O. J. Howard, TE Redraft – George Kittle, TE
Howard functions as Jameis Winston’s safety valve receiver, but he has only one touchdown in 2019. Kittle, originally an early fifth-round pick, is by far the best tight end in the Draft and might be the best in the league at the position. The two-time Pro Bowler ranks second among all drafted players with 2,859 yards and is tied for third with 209 receptions.
No. 20 (Broncos) Actual pick – Garrett Bolles, T Redraft – Bolles
Bolles is one of 11 players from this Draft who has appeared in every game. He has played in almost all of Denver’s offensive snaps over the course of his career, but he is also one of the most penalized offensive linemen (31 overall).
No. 21 (Lions) Actual pick – Jarrad Davis, LB Redraft - Davis
Davis made 96 tackles as a rookie, then increased his total to 100 and added six sacks in 2018. His 2019 season ended with a trip to injured reserve due to an ankle injury.
No. 22 (Dolphins) Actual pick – Charles Harris, DE Redraft – Dalvin Cook, RB
Harris has not lived up to his first-round billing. He has made just eight starts and amassed 3½ sacks. The Dolphins are at a loss with running backs, having traded Jay Ajayi in 2017 and Kenyan Drake this season. Several backs have more yards than Cook, but he was named to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns with the Vikings in 2019.
No. 23 (Giants) Actual pick – Evan Engram, TE Redraft – Engram
Engram has plenty of talent after totaling 64 receptions, 722 yards, and six touchdowns, but has been beset by injuries the past two years. He missed half of the 2019 season due to a Lisfranc injury in his left foot.
No. 24 (Raiders) Actual pick – Gareon Conley, CB Redraft – Aaron Jones, RB
Conley almost fell out of the first round of the actual Draft when a woman accused him of sexual assault just days before the event. He was never charged, but a shin injury ruined his rookie year and he was traded from Oakland to Houston in the middle of the 2019 season. Marshawn Lynch’s career was winding down at this point, so the Raiders could draft his replacement in Jones. The downhill runner has the most touchdowns among drafted players with 28, including a league-high 16 to go with 984 yards in 2019.
No. 25 (Browns) Actual pick – Jabrill Peppers, S Redraft – Budda Baker, S
After trading down, the Browns selected Peppers, who started on defense and was the team’s top kick and punt returner before being traded to the Giants before the 2019 season. Baker has 294 tackles, including a Draft-high 219 solo. He was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler on special teams as a rookie, and he also made the Pro Bowl in 2019 after amassing 134 tackles, with a league-high 96 solo stops.
No. 26 (Falcons) Actual pick – Takkarist McKinley, DE Redraft – McKinley
Seattle traded this pick to Atlanta for selections 31, 95 and 249. McKinley ranks third among drafted players with 16½ sacks, including six as a rookie and seven more in 2018. He is currently on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
No. 27 (Bills) Actual pick – Tre’Davious White, CB Redraft – Damontae Kazee, CB
After trading down, and with White off the board, the Bills select Kazee, who totaled 164 tackles and 10 interceptions, including a league-high seven in 2018.
No. 28 (Cowboys) Actual pick – Taco Charlton, DE Redraft – John Johnson, S
Charlton has a career-high five sacks in his first season with the Dolphins, but he has made just 12 starts for Dallas and Miami. The Cowboys drafted future safety starter Xavier Woods early in the sixth round. However, they could have taken Johnson, who has seven interceptions and 241 tackles, while also reaching Super Bowl LIII with the Rams.
No. 29 (Browns) Actual pick – David Njoku, TE Redraft – O. J. Howard, TE
Cleveland sent picks 33 and 108 to Green Bay to move into this spot. Njoku has upside as the top tight end for Baker Mayfield and the Browns, but he spent most of the 2019 season on injured reserve due to a concussion and a broken wrist. Howard ranks third among drafted tight ends with 94 catches and 1,456 yards and is tied for second with 12 scores.
No. 30 (Steelers) Actual pick – T. J. Watt, LB Redraft – James Conner, RB
With Watt no longer available, the Steelers take Conner, who was originally Pittsburgh’s pick late in the third round. After one year as LeVeon Bell’s backup, Conner took over while Bell was holding out. He made the Pro Bowl after rushing for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2018. He is having a down year this season while also dealing with a shoulder injury.
No. 31 (49ers) Actual pick – Reuben Foster, LB Redraft – Mike Williams, WR
After trading with the Falcons, the Seahawks moved down again, sending this newly acquired selection to the 49ers for picks 34 and 111. Foster’s career was derailed by multiple arrests for domestic violence, threats, and assault weapon possession. The Redskins signed him after he was waived by the 49ers, but he tore his ACL and LCL during his first practice in 2019. Williams is proving to be a valuable asset for the Chargers, and he is leading the league with 20.5 yards per catch this season. He replaces Trent Taylor, who San Francisco drafted late in the fifth round.
No. 32 (Saints) Actual pick – Ryan Ramczyk, T Redraft – Tarik Cohen, RB
New England was at this spot before trading picks 32 and 103 for 118 and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. The Saints originally drafted the current starter, Alvin Kamara, early in the third round. Despite Ramczyk playing in all but one game in three seasons, New Orleans could take this opportunity to draft Kamara’s replacement. The dual-threat Cohen ranks third among running backs with 194 receptions and 1,490 receiving yards. He was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2018 after totaling 444 yards rushing, 725 receiving and a league-high 411 on punt returns.
Other draft picks to make Pro Bowl that weren’t in the redraft: Patrick Ricard, FB/DT (undrafted, signed by the Ravens, Pro Bowler in 2019).
Next: Jackson works his way to the top of the 2018 first round.
-By: Kevin Rakas
Writer