NFL mock draft Week 17 edition: Bold trades set the tone
By Erik Lambert
Go big or go home: that’s the theme of the Week 17 NFL mock draft.
With one week left in the regular season, things are about to get really interesting. This latest 2016 NFL mock draft is a reflection of a pecking order that is almost entirely set in stone save for the playoff teams. Will it be the Cleveland Browns or Tennessee Titans picking 1st overall? Or will another team come out of nowhere to steal it? It’s impossible to answer at this stage. However, what we can see with greater clarity is what players teams are likely to go after.
As always, everything is dictated by the quarterbacks. How many will go in the top 10 or the first round overall is a topic of discussion on almost a daily basis. As is the argument between those who are the most physically gifted and those who are proven winners overcoming athletic limitations with preparation, intelligence and poise. Then come the safer prospects. Those with the smallest chance of failure. Or the “elites.” There are never that many in a draft but those that draw this blue chip label often don’t last long. It’s never dull to find out who they are and more importantly what certain teams might give up for them.
At the end of the day, every draft is the same. Some teams will hit big, others will miss big and still others will do just okay. It all comes down to a mix of hard work, calculated risk and good luck. How much of those three factors go into the formula remains a mystery nobody will solve. So what awaits this latest run of top 31 picks? Let’s find out.
Next: No. 1