National Football League

2017 Top 10 NFL mock draft 3.0

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) tackles Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Who’s going where in the top ten of the NFL draft in 2017?

This will be my third mock NFL draft for 2017 along those lines. Until the official draft order for the top 10 is set, I will use the current Vegas super bowl odds to order the teams at the bottom. One note: this was done before the Jets/Bills game on Thursday night.

1-Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE Texas A&M.

Cleveland does need a quarterback. They also need a ton of talent everywhere. Hue and the Browns have done just well enough with RG3, Kessler, McCown, Whitehurst and Pryor at quarterback that they probably could look at a passer with one of their 5 other top 100 picks.

Garrett could change their defense like Jadeveon Clowney is finally doing for Houston. He’ll play 5, 6 and 7 for them and allow them to run a proper hybrid defense. He would also maximize the contributions from Ogbah and Nassib on the front 7.

2-San Francisco 49ers: Deshone Kizer, QB Notre Dame.

Do you think Chip Kelly regrets taking this job with all the big college head coaching jobs about to open? He may still bolt if Oregon, Southern Cal or Texas comes calling.

Assuming he stays, they need a quarterback unless Kaepernick gets back to his form which got them into the Super bowl. Kizer reminds this author of Steve McNair: strong, powerful, smart and with a changeable delivery where he can slot his arm to adjust his throws. A very impressive prospect but one that needs some time to develop the finer points of the passing game.

Oct 8, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Brad Kaaya (15) throws a pass during the first half against Florida State Seminoles at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

3-Miami Dolphins: Cam Robinson, OL Alabama.

The Dolphins invested a ton in Brandon Albert and used first round picks on Juwan James and Laremy Tunsil. And their offensive line still is a wreck. If they’re going to keep Tannehill as their franchise quarterback(which is 50/50), then they need to actually protect him.

Robinson gives them options. With him, they can deal Albert, James or both of them. They also can move James and Robinson inside to guard. Or play any combination of these four with Pouncey. The problem is that even with all this talent, injuries have been a major problem.

4-Chicago Bears: Brad Kaaya, QB Miami.

The Bears have suffered greatly from injuries which have stripped them of a lot of their young talent. And this has led to frustration in the locker room. The uncertainty of Jay Cutler’s status in Chi-Town isn’t helping.

The odds are that they let Cutler walk in the offseason due to age and salary. Hoyer is a decent starter while they groom a rookie. Kaaya might not have a lot of experience playing in the cold north of the country, but he appears to have the skill set to play in a west coast offense variant like the Bears are running now. There’s still questions about his ultimate potential, but it’s fair to rate him this high right now.

Sep 10, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Taywan Taylor (2) is tackled by Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

5-Tennessee Titans: Isaiah Ford, WR Virginia Tech.

It’s hard to separate him and Mike Williams right now. Williams has the most sheer potential but Ford probably is the better pro ultimately. Williams is probably limited to being a split end right now who has a more limited route tree. Ford can run about anything and at any wideout spot.

The only thing Ford has to work on is his ability to deal with a jam. Ford doesn’t use his hands well in this, he allows a defensive back to get their hands on him and doesn’t try to do much about it. This is a concern, but one that can be fixed.

6-San Diego Chargers: Reuben Foster, LB Alabama.

Foster is rising up this author’s draft board. He could be the total package as an inside linebacker. Foster is thriving thanks to that amazing Bama defensive line but don’t let that make you think that he’s a product of their system. He’s a great tackler with great instincts and moves so fluidly to the ball. This author wasn’t a fan of Reggie Ragland last season, he was just too limited athletically. Foster doesn’t have any such issues.

The Chargers need the defensive help. Joey Bosa is finally playing and looks like a monster on the field. This should help with their continuing pass rush issues. Teo and Perryman just aren’t good enough at inside linebacker and talent is required. Foster should start over Perryman Day 1 and if Bosa and Liugut are taking up blockers on the line, then Foster could be very deadly.

Sep 17, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly (10) makes a pass during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Alabama won 48-43. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

7-New York Jets: Chad Kelly, QB Ole Miss.

It’s pretty simple: with the rest of that roster, all they need is consistent quarterback play. That said, the Jets probably will talk themselves into the status quo since that’s what they’ve done for a decade.

Kelly is a fiery guy on and off the field but his arm talent speaks for itself. There’s just too much for a team to work with for him to go as low as some pundits have him going. Also, his good play vs the Bama defenses also speak well for his overall talent level. If he had his head on straight, he’s a surefire #1 overall pick.

8-Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Leonard Fournette, RB LSU.

Doug Martin is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season and it looks likely that they’ll let him walk rather than give him crazy money. The Bucs have a number of other issues to address with this pick, but they can’t have Winston throwing the ball 40-45 times a game.

The biggest question with this mocked pick is: why not Dalvin Cook? There’s a FSU connection between him and Winston and Cook would be a running back much more like Doug Martin. Fournette gets the nod here on sheer talent and schematic fit. Koetter likes to stay between the tackles with his run plays and Fournette can allow them the option to go with power football.

Apr 8, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Jalen Tabor (31) looks on during the first quarter of the Orange and Blue game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

9-Detroit Lions: Jon Allen, DL Alabama.

The Lions’ defense is a rather big mess. Mostly because they have no depth on the defensive line. Certainly not enough to overcome a constant stream of injuries. They need talent and a penetrator at the 3 tackle to go with Ngata so that Ansah doesn’t have to do everything on his own.

Even if Austin and Caldwell are canned and the Lions switch defenses, then Allen would still have top 10 value for the Lions defense. He is probably best in a 5 End spot with his athleticism and strength. But he could be very effective in the 4-3 3 spot as well.

10-New Orleans Saints: Jalen Tabor, DB Florida

The Saints defense is a total mess. The secondary can’t cover, the linebackers struggle to do much right and the line is pretty poor. Getting Rankins back 100% healthy in 2017 is a big step in the right direction. Tabor is a pure best player available pick. They just need someone who can come in week 1 and start.

He’s not as polished as his former teammate Vernon Hargreaves III. Hargreaves’ technique coming out of school was just amazing. But Tabor might end up being the better NFL player. He has a much better hip turn, speed, quickness and more scheme versatility. Tabor also doesn’t play the run as well as Hargreaves but NFL teams(and this author) really love his potential.