2017 NFL mock draft: SB Nation bloggers make their picks

Here we are at the conclusion of the 11th annual SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft. Before we get to the pick, thanks for following along as we’ve worked through two rounds of the 2017 NFL draft. And big thanks to not only the writers and editors of SB Nation’s NFL team sites that make this whole thing possible, but also the copy editors who have to edit all these posts.

Bringing us home with the final pick is the Carolina Panthers and Cat Scratch Reader. This is the third pick in the first two rounds for Carolina. In this mock they’ve gotten tight end O.J. Howard and cornerback Tre’Davious White. If it were me, I’d be choosing between a running back and a wide receiver with speed.

The Atlanta Falcons might have the most talented starting lineup in the entire NFL. That makes the hole in the team’s starting lineup a glaring one. That hole is at right guard. The team signed Hugh Thornton in free agency, but it’s hard to rely on a player who missed the entire 2016 season because of injury.

That leaves the Falcons to find a fit early in the 2017 NFL draft. In the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, Dave Choate of the Falcoholic is back to make the pick for Atlanta.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, Behind the Steel Curtain executed one of the best picks in taking Ohio State cornerback Gareon Conley at No. 30. He’s a player who could leapfrog average performers like William Gay and Ross Cockrell on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster.

That’s one of two big needs for Pittsburgh checked. The other is pass rusher, where opposite Bud Dupree the Steelers only have James Harrison. While Harrison thus far has shown himself to be immortal, his football days are winding down.

Arguably the biggest need for the Green Bay Packers in this year’s draft — cornerback — aligns with one of the deepest positions this year. Unfortunately for Green Bay, it might be in a tough spot to get one if it passes on the position in the first round.

That’s the situation Evan “Tex” Western of Acme Packing Company finds himself in with the 61st pick in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, the Dallas Cowboys and Blogging the Boys dropped a bombshell by picking Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers.

Back up in the second round, the pick isn’t as splashy but Dave Halprin is making as important of a selection.

To take a quarterback or not take a quarterback? At some point in the 2017 NFL draft the Kansas City Chiefs will take a quarterback. But every time they’re on the clock they’ll be asking that question until they get one.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, four quarterbacks were taken before Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride was even able to get a pick in. Now in the second round he’s targeting a quarterback who has built some first-round momentum in the weeks leading up to day one of the draft.

As we hurtle toward the conclusion of the 11th annual SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, we finish off the week with the Seattle Seahawks.

Much of the conversation about the Seahawks this offseason has centered on the uncertain Seattle future of ace cornerback Richard Sherman. Even if a breakup is unlikely this offseason, he’s signed only through the 2018 season.

The Houston Texans have been back into a corner following Tony Romo’s decision to go into broadcasting. That leaves Houston with Tom Savage at quarterback, practically forcing the franchise to take a quarterback in the first round. In doing so, it has a ripple effect on the draft for the Texans.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, the Texans scooped up Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer. It was a little early for him to get picked, but it was necessary. However, in doing so the Texans missed out on high-end cornerbacks like Gareon Conley of Ohio State and Kevin King of Washington.

In the first round of SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft the Oakland Raiders and Silver and Black Pride had their choice of defenders with players like cornerbacks Tre’Davious White and Gareon Conley and safeties Jabrill Peppers and Obi Melifonwu all available.

Instead of choosing a player for the secondary, the Raiders got linebacker Zach Cunningham courtesy of Silver and Black Pride’s Levi Damien. Now in the second round he gets the secondary piece Oakland needs.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft the New York Giants got offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk courtesy of Big Blue View. Going after an offensive lineman in the first round is an obvious and needed selection.

But moving into the second round, it’s difficult to pinpoint where the Giants could go. They need a linebacker, edge rusher and a playmaker on offense. Chris Pflum of BBV is back up to make the choice for New York.

Between 2009 and 2015 the Miami Dolphins had between six and eight wins every season. In 2016 they finally started to push through by going 10-6. With key players like quarterback Ryan Tannehill, defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, safety Reshad Jones, and others all locked up for multiple years, it’s time for Miami to really make a push.

To do that, they really need to hit on a two or three picks in the 2017 NFL draft to push them over the top to contend with the New England Patriots in the AFC East. Kevin Nogle of The Phinsider is up in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft to find a player who can help Miami take a step.

If the Detroit Lions can find a good defensive lineman in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, that opens them up to a number of possibilities in later rounds. In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit went defensive line with Michigan’s Taco Charlton.

That leaves him at pick No. 53 with options. He could take a wide receiver, running back, or a cornerback. Or, he could double down at pass rusher.

Oh look, it’s the Cleveland Browns back up in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft. In their first three picks from Dawgs by Nature, the Browns got defensive end Myles Garrett, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, and safety Budda Baker.

That’s at least two starters, and potentially three whenever Trubisky would get on the field in Cleveland. Can Cleveland get a fourth starter with the 52nd pick? It looks likes Chris Pokorny of DBN found one.

The Denver Broncos don’t necessarily have a starting quarterback between Trevor Siemian an Paxton Lynch. Nor do they know which one can lead the team in the years to come.

The only way Denver can truly figure out if Siemian or Lynch are the future of the franchise, they need a good offensive line in front of them. Denver struck out last season with Russell Okung, and players like Ty Sambrailo and Michael Schofield just aren’t good fits at left tackle. That’s why going into the draft next week it’s imperative the Broncos find a starting left tackle.

In the first round of our mock draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got Miami tight end David Njoku, who would give them one of the league’s best pairs with Cameron Brate. It’s a pick that has become commonplace for the Buccaneers in mock drafts, which assuredly means it will not happen.

Sander Philipse of Bucs Nation is back to make his second-round pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time he’s targeting arguably Tampa’s biggest need in the draft.

Most mock drafts have Washington taking a player on the defensive side of the ball. Usually it’s players like defensive lineman Malik McDowell or linebackers Reuben Foster and Haason Reddick.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, Ken Meringolo of Hogs Haven went in a different direction, taking Florida State running back Dalvin Cook. Despite Meringolo’s hopes, Cook can’t play on the defensive line in Washington. In the second round, that leaves him targeting a player who can.

At long last, the Minnesota Vikings are up for a pick in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft.

For the past several seasons, the Vikings have had to fix their offensive line. That happened this offseason with the addition of tackles Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers. Hopefully. That leaves guard as an area of improvement for the Vikings, but not their only need.

Over the past three seasons, the Baltimore Ravens have dropped in team sacks from 49 in 2014, to 37 in 2015, and down to 31 in 2016. As they approach the 2017 NFL draft, it’s clear that Baltimore needs to get at least one pass rusher.

That’s exactly the aim of Kyle Barber of Baltimore Beatdown, who is here to explain his second-round pick in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft.

The NFL draft is all about risk and reward, and sometimes the greater the risk the better the reward. In the SB Nation NFL writers mock draft, Stephen Reed of Stampede Blue is back up for the Indianapolis Colts and hopes the risk will pay off.

Reed: Realistically, this pick came down to how much and what kind of risk the Colts are willing to take with a second-round pick. They could go for an off-field risk and take OLB Tim Williams or RB Joe Mixon, both great values at this point in the draft at positions of need, or an injury risk in CB Sidney Jones. As Stampede Blue writer Matt Danely pointed out in his article, Four Draft Prospects Who Won’t be on the Colts Board, it’s unlikely either Williams or Mixon are selected by the Colts. I doubt Chris Ballard risks taking Williams after multiple failed drug tests at Alabama. I doubt Ballard risks the PR backlash of taking Mixon.

One of the most daring picks in the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft came from Revenge of the Birds and the Arizona Cardinals. With the 13th pick they took Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, giving them their quarterback of the future.

Seth Cox of Revenge of the Birds is back on the clock and this time he’s targeting a player on defense for the Cardinals.

One of the best moves of the offseason was the Buffalo Bills deciding to retain quarterback Tyrod Taylor. He can be hot and cold at times, but holding onto him means the Bills don’t have to force a pick at quarterback in the 2017 NFL draft and miss out on other key positions of need.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, the Bills were able to take wide receiver Corey Davis instead of rushing a quarterback. Now in the second round, instead of forcing a pick of Cal’s Davis Webb or Pittsburgh’s Nathan Peterman, Chris Trapasso and Dan Lavoie of Buffalo Rumblings can sit back and fill another big need.

The Philadelphia Eagles go into the 2017 NFL draft needing to land a cornerback. Although players like Patrick Robinson and Jalen Mills are solid, they lack the No. 1 shutdown cornerback. Fortunately the 2017 NFL draft is loaded at the position.

After taking linebacker Reuben Foster in the first round SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation is back to make the pick for the Eagles in the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft.

When the New Orleans Saints got tight end Evan Engram in the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, I thought it was risky. The Saints need a cornerback, and getting Engram felt a little bit like a luxury selection.

I was wrong. The gang over at Canal Street Chronicles proved themselves to be correct because their Kevin Skiver was able to find a cornerback.

In the first round, Cincy Jungle swung for the fences for the Bengals in taking running back Leonard Fournette. It may not have addressed the team’s issues on defense, but Fournette’s addition could transform Cincinnati’s offense. Going into the second round, the Bengals are faced with issues on the defensive line, where they could use a pass rusher and an interior piece.

Jason Marcum of Cincy Jungle is here to make the tough call on the Bengals.

In the first round of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft, the Carolina Panthers and Cat Scratch Reader took Alabama tight end O.J. Howard. There’s nothing wrong with the selection because Howard is such a good talent. However, it leaves some obvious needs at pass rusher and cornerback going into the second round.

Jaxon from CSR is back up to make his second-round pick for the Panthers to address one of those holes.