NFL Draft 2017: 5 best picks of first round
By John Buhler
The first 32 picks of the 2017 NFL Draft were made on Thursday night. Here are the five best selections made in round one.
Day one of the 2017 NFL Draft is in the books. The much-anticipated first round did not disappoint at all. It was full of trades, particularly with teams that were desperate to land a franchise quarterback. Interestingly, all three teams that took a quarterback in the first-round moved up to get their guy.
It was a theme throughout the first round for clubs to be bold in moving up and down the draft order. The San Francisco 49ers moved into the back-end of round one to get another pick. On the other, hand the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks punted on their chances at making a first-round selection.
Here are the five best picks made in round one of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Corey Davis
Wide Receiver, Western Michigan Broncos
The Tennessee Titans successfully used both of their first-round picks to improve their weak play out on the perimeter. While the Titans taking USC Trojans cornerback and return specialist Adoree Jackson at No. 18 was a bit of a reach, Tennessee’s pick at No. 5 was a great one.
They took the most versatile receiver in the draft by selecting Western Michigan Broncos wideout Corey Davis. He was one of three wide receivers that had been first-round material throughout the process, along with Clemson’s Mike Williams and Washington’s John Ross. All three went in the top-10, with Williams to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 7 and Ross to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 9.
The reason Davis’ selection to the Titans at No. 5 is so important is that he gives Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota the vertical threat he hasn’t had for two years in Nashville. Spreading the field will open up more passing lanes for the efficient Tennessee signal caller. Davis’ only criticism is that he will occasionally drop a ball. However, being a vertical threat impacts opposing defenses even if the guy doesn’t come down with a ton of grabs.
In Tennessee, Davis gets to work with head coach Mike Mularkey and offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie. Mularkey and Robiskie previously work in Atlanta, helping turn quarterback Matt Ryan into a Pro Bowl passer and wide receiver Julio Jones into an All-Pro. The sky is the limit for what Davis can do in this Titans offense.