NFL Mock Draft 2017: Defense rules early
By Brad Weiss
With the NFL Draft only six days away, we take a look at which players will be selected in the first round in our latest 2017 NFL Mock Draft.
On April 27, the 2017 NFL Draft will take place in the City of Brotherly Love, as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will play host to the event. Philadelphia actually hosted the first NFL Draft back in 1936, and thanks to a trade made with the Minnesota Vikings prior to last season, they will actually have a selection in the first round. The Cleveland Browns will get the party started at No. 1, and most experts believe that pick will be Myles Garrett from Texas A&M.
As look ahead six days to the draft, here is our latest mock draft.
Myles Garrett
Edge, Texas A&M
In what should be no shocker to anyone reading this mock draft, the Cleveland Browns will select Myles Garrett from Texas A&M with the first overall pick on Thursday. Garrett is a rare blend of size and speed, and with the Browns struggling on defense for the last decade-plus, he is just the kind of player need to upgrade the unit. The Browns have some talent on the defensive side of the ball, and Garrett could be the kind of generational talent that turns the franchise around.
Cleveland has done a nice job this offseason bringing in pieces, especially along the offensive line. Kevin Zeitler and J.C. Trotter will both be up front this season, and they also brought in wide receiver Kenny Britt to replace the departed Terrell Pryor. The Browns have been a joke in the NFL for way too long, and this fan base deserves for the organization to at least put a competitive team on the field.
It is very likely that the Browns were tanking last season, and it will now be up to second-year head coach Hue Jackson to turn things around in Cleveland. He has the talent to do just that, and in an AFC North that is going to beat each other up in 2017, they should definitely improve on their one win from last season. This is a rebuilding process, and having players like Garrett as a key to that movement is going to make the Browns much better, sooner than later.