Fansided

2017 NFL Mock Draft: Fournette, Peppers land in top 10

By Brad Weiss

Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) breaks the tackle of Michigan State Spartans linebacker Chris Frey (23) during the first half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) breaks the tackle of Michigan State Spartans linebacker Chris Frey (23) during the first half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 32
Next
Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) breaks loose for a touchdown run against the Mississippi Rebels during the third quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) breaks loose for a touchdown run against the Mississippi Rebels during the third quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

player. 87. . RB. LSU. Leonard Fournette. 5

Leonard Fournette is hands-down the best running back prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he is going to go very high in April. Sitting at No. 5 is the Carolina Panthers, who could use some youth in their backfield. Starting running back Jonathan Stewart is getting up there in age, so adding a player like Fournette would give the Panthers a solid nucleus on offense.

Cam Newton has a lot of good football left in him, and Kelvin Benjamin appears fully healed from his knee injury last season. While Carolina has some gaping holes on defense, passing up on Fournette is just not possible this high. He is going to have an immediate impact next season, and while it may not be to the scale of Ezekiel Elliott, it should be very close.

Fournette is NFL-ready, and the 2016 season has not been the kind of year he was hoping for. He has already lost his head coach Les Miles to a firing, and has missed time due to a bone bruise in his ankle. The NFL cannot come soon enough, and whoever gets him, will certainly have a franchise back.

Home/NFL Mock Draft