With less than 58 days remaining until the 2017 NFL Draft, top draft prognosticators are busy taking a serious look at the field of college prospects.
Each year, all 32 NFL teams get the opportunity to change its fortune by finding that diamond in the rough that is able to take the franchise to the next level.
This year’s draft figures to be an exercise in patience. With the list of quality offensive skilled players running a little thin in the earlier rounds, fans can expect many teams to be looking to stock up on players from the defensive side of the ball.
Let’s take a look at the first three projected picks to see if we can get a sense of how the remainder of the draft might shake out.
#1 – Cleveland Browns – Myles Garrett (DE, Texas A&M) – The Browns find themselves mired in a deep rut that demands immediate attention. The prior few drafts have found the team focused on offensive players, who have yet to live up to expectations. While those players look to gain a little maturity and experience, the Browns figure to nab the best defensive player available in Myles Garrett, a highly talented defensive end from Texas A&M. Garrett first garnered national attention in 2015 (his sophomore season) when hit lit up the stats sheet with sacks and tackles on the way to earning the Lombardi and Hendricks Awards. This past season, he was slowed by injuries, but still got selected as a First-Team All American. Strength and speed are his main assets.
#2 – San Francisco 49ers – Marshon Lattimore (CB, Ohio State) – While the 49ers need to find some serious help at the quarterback position, this not might be the draft to try to pull a rabbit out of a hat. The safe pick would be to pick up a quality defender like Marshon Lattimore from the Ohio State Buckeyes. The talent here is immense, but there is some risk involved. Lattimore missed his freshman season with a hamstring injury and again struggled with hammy issues in 2015. When finally healthy this past season, he spearheaded one of the top defenses in college football with four interceptions and nine pass deflections. Continued improvement would make him an elite NFL defender.
#3 – Chicago Bears – Jonathan Allen (DE, Alabama) – Assuming the 49ers are willing to seek a high return by taking a chance on Lattimore, the door would be open for the Bears to continue building what is starting to look like a very talented front seven on defense. Defensive end Jonathan Allen looks to be the perfect fit. After leading the nation’s top defense with 69 tackles, 16 TFL and a team high of 10.5 sacks, he earned the prestigious 2016 Chuck Bednarik and Bronco Nagurski Award as the best defensive player in the nation. He used his size, 6’3”, 291 lbs, and superior agility to get around the offense line. With the emergence of key offensive players, the Bears have the luxury of building a defense that could anchor the franchise for years to come.
With a little more improvement, the Bears might be worth a look in the future book listings. If you are looking for the best online bookmaker, you should take a look at these betting sites to find out which betting sites are the best for American football.