MadDog49er 2017 NFL Draft Best Board Top 50 Draft Day Edition

MadDog49er · 2017-04-27T02:20:59-07:00

It is draft day, and let's have some fun. I will be on the board for much of the draft the next three days throwing in my humble opinion about each selection. Very excited about the potential for the team to rebuild this roster. Here is my final best board, and some notes to go with it. First, I have removed two players completely off my top 50 board. Although the talent and film is sparkling for both Reuben Foster and Gareon Conley, you will not see them listed. Both would be top 10 on my board. Conley's circumstances are rare in being so close to the draft. It will be nearly impossible for teams to get all the information and make a judgment on his guilt or innocence. As for Foster, he simply doesn't get it. He has a 7-year child, but gets kicked out of the combine for yelling at a hospital employee (nobody else seemed to throw a tantrum at the hospital). has a diluted urine sample, is self-admittedly white-board challenged, and scored a low Wonderlic score. Middle linebackers are usually the team captain on defense. Not for me. I first moved him to OLB, then simply off it. Too many other good players to have than wasting energy on this guy who is clearly clueless. A best board for me doesn't automatically mean the surefire on the clock draft choice. Teams sometimes avoid a duplicate pick at the same position, or have a slim enough difference in grade between players that sometimes one leapfrogs over the rest. Some positions are simply more valuable than others. My best board is simply a projection of who I see has the greatest likelihood of success in the NFL. The top tier for me is from 1-6. I don't see any holes, or any question marks, in any of these top prospects. No deficiencies. Hooker and Davis are my best players who have a question mark attached (Can Hooker clean up his tackling and is he experienced enough; is Davis fully healed, and what would he post for a 40 time...we don't know). As chronicled many times before, my lower than expected score on Fournette is due to a couple issues: I don't believe he will be a three down back in the NFL and that cuts out a LOT of snaps; and that the huge gaping holes he saw at LSU are not going to exist in the NFL, and he is going to have to improve lateral cuts to be a top back. I could spend a day on each prospect, but that would take us into June, and that is no good. I welcome all questions, differences of opinion and more. As always, the draft is for fun (we are not solving the Israeli-Palestinian crisis here) and witchcraft (nobody truly knows what they are doing, and those who think they do are fooling themselves). Strap on the seatbelts, and let's roll. The numbers indicate the round graded (I have 20 players graded as first rounders) and positional ranking. 2017 NFL Draft Best Board Pick Player School Position Grade Position Rank 1 Myles Garrett Texas A&M Edge 1 1 2 Solomon Thomas Stanford Edge 1 2 3 Forrest Lamp Western Kentucky G 1 1 4 Haason Reddick Temple ILB/OLB 1 1 5 Christian McCaffrey Stanford RB 1 1 6 Jamal Adams LSU SS 1 1 7 Malik Hooker Ohio State FS 1 1 8 Corey Davis Western Michigan WR 1 1 9 Marshon Lattimore Ohio State CB 1 1 10 Patrick Mahomes Texas Tech QB 1 1 11 Mitchell Trubisky North Carolina QB 1 2 12 Derek Barnett Tennessee Edge 1 3 13 OJ Howard Alabama TE 1 1 14 Zach Cunningham Vanderbilt ILB 1 2 15 Jonathan Allen Alabama DT 1 1 16 Mike Williams Clemson WR 1 2 17 Evan Engram Mississippi TE 1 2 18 TJ Watt Wisconsin Edge 1 4 19 Kevin King Washington CB 1 2 20 John Ross Washington WR 1 3 21 Zay Jones East Carolina WR 2 4 22 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington WR 2 5 23 Blair Brown Ohio ILB 2 3 24 Tarell Basham Ohio Edge 2 5 25 Obi Melifonwu Connecticut SS 2 2 26 TreDavious White LSU CB 2 3 27 Jordan Willis Kansas St Edge 2 6 28 Ryan Ramczyk Wisconsin OT 2 1 29 Chidobe Awuzie Colorado CB 2 4 30 Ahkello Witherspoon Colorado CB 2 5 31 Marcus Maye Florida FS 2 2 32 Alvin Kamara Tennessee RB 2 2 33 Kareem Hunt Toledo RB 2 3 34 Leonard Fournette LSU RB 2 4 35 Cam Robinson Alabama G 2 2 36 Carl Lawson Auburn Edge 2 7 37 Sidney Jones Washington CB 2 6 38 Budda Baker Washington SS 2 3 39 Garrett Bolles Utah OT 2 2 40 Taylor Moton Western Michigan OT 2 3 41 Dion Dawkins Temple G 2 3 42 Malik McDowell Michigan St DT 2 2 43 Chris Wormley Michigan DT 2 3 44 Jarrad Davis Florida ILB 2 4 45 DeShaun Watson Clemson QB 2 3 46 Marcus Williams Utah FS 2 3 47 Takkarist McKinley UCLA Edge 2 8 48 Joe Mixon Oklahoma RB 2 5 49 Dalvin Tomlinson Alabama DT 2 4 50 Charles Harris Missouri Edge 2 9

Apr 27, 2017 at 2:31 AM

mayo49
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Posts: 65,216

Thanks, Mad.

Apr 27, 2017 at 2:43 AM

All22
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Posts: 2,880

And the mass-overrating of Soloman Thomas continues... he'll be the NFL's Sam Bowie or Darko Milicic.

Apr 27, 2017 at 2:57 AM

SadowskyMS4
Veteran
Posts: 414

Thanks MD, much appreciated

Apr 27, 2017 at 2:57 AM

Ronnie49Lott
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Posts: 8,506

Looks like the Eagles agree with you MD--

REUBEN FOSTER HAS TOO MANY RED FLAGS FOR THE EAGLES
Reuben Foster is vastly overrated, and the Eagles should avoid the Alabama linebacker in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft at all costs. This is only an opinion, and an unpopular one at that -- although Foster skeptics are not unheard of, either.

One anonymous talent evaluator claims the club he works for removed Foster from their draft board before a high-profile incident at the scouting combine. Another former high-level executive believes the Butkus Award winner for best linebacker in the nation will slide to day two of the draft.

Talent -- or physical and athletic ability -- doesn't seem to be what's at issue to people around the league, or at least it's not at the forefront of the conversation. Off-field matters have come under increasing scrutiny since Foster was dismissed from the combine for getting into a "heated argument" with a doctor. Later it was revealed his drug test came back dilute, which is treated as a positive test.
http://www.csnphilly.com/the700level/reuben-foster-has-too-many-red-flags-eagles

Apr 27, 2017 at 4:19 AM

MadDog49er
Hall of Fame
Posts: 19,400

Originally posted by All22:
And the mass-overrating of Soloman Thomas continues... he'll be the NFL's Sam Bowie or Darko Milicic.

Do you not like his play on the field or don't think his game translates to the NFL?

Apr 27, 2017 at 4:22 AM

genus49
Moderator
Posts: 28,152

Originally posted by All22:
And the mass-overrating of Soloman Thomas continues... he'll be the NFL's Sam Bowie or Darko Milicic.

Ever think when more people than you think a certain way then maybe you're the one wrong?

Nah...that can't be right?

Apr 27, 2017 at 4:34 AM

joey82
Veteran
Posts: 2,020

MD

How many QBs do you think will be drafted in Round 1? Want to make a prediction on the teams that take QB?

Apr 27, 2017 at 5:03 AM

Luckycharms
Veteran
Posts: 950

Nice MD, do you think Reddick could be in play with our #2 overall selection and what position do you think he fits best at? Also if possible are you able to list your top 5 or 10 at each position? Thanks again for all your work and perspective!!

Apr 27, 2017 at 5:10 AM

All22
Veteran
Posts: 2,880

Originally posted by MadDog49er:

Originally posted by All22:
And the mass-overrating of Soloman Thomas continues... he'll be the NFL's Sam Bowie or Darko Milicic.

Do you not like his play on the field or don't think his game translates to the NFL?

The latter. He needs a very specific team situation to ever live up to that #2 spot.

Apr 27, 2017 at 5:12 AM

#10

Willisfn4life
Veteran
Posts: 7,336

MD I like the board. Our board picks 1-9 would be almost virtually the same. Like you I love me some Lamp. Love the feet and effort, and I think he's the best plug and play day one starter in this draft. I posted a couple of days ago though that Ross would be my number one receiver in this draft followed by Corey Davis if it were not for his durability concerns which including those would push him down to about a second round grade for me. In first round receivers I look for number one receiver potential or electric playmaking ability. I love route running, release and yac in grading my receivers. Ross has a strong game and does a lot of things very well even without the straightline speed but the injury concerns are legit for me. I don't want to worry everytime he gets tackled.

Would Ross be higher on your board without his durability concerns or do you have him placed right about where you see his placement regardless of the injury concerns?

Apr 27, 2017 at 5:12 AM

#11

genus49
Moderator
Posts: 28,152

Originally posted by All22:
The latter. He needs a very specific team situation to ever live up to that #2 spot.

How does his game not translate to the NFL?

Apr 27, 2017 at 5:18 AM

#12

All22
Veteran
Posts: 2,880

Originally posted by genus49:

Originally posted by All22:
And the mass-overrating of Soloman Thomas continues... he'll be the NFL's Sam Bowie or Darko Milicic.

Ever think when more people than you think a certain way then maybe you're the one wrong?

Nah...that can't be right?

So pre-draft consensus is now synonymous with truth?

Please tell me you're ashamed to have implied that.

Apr 27, 2017 at 5:18 AM

#13

49erBigMac
Veteran
Posts: 8,008

Great work as always MD, I'm glad Charlton is off your board and Wormley has made it.

I have a question though, how many carries would you feel comfortable giving McCaffrey a game?

I think he is the prototypical new age passing game RB, but I still want to be able to give it to my number 1 guy 25-30 times if I have to. For me I wouldn't, and that would drop him out of my top tier.

Apr 27, 2017 at 5:25 AM

#14

All22
Veteran
Posts: 2,880

Originally posted by genus49:

Originally posted by All22:
The latter. He needs a very specific team situation to ever live up to that #2 spot.

How does his game not translate to the NFL?

It's not some secret... from his NFL.com scouting report:

WEAKNESSES Considered a "tweener" by scouts, who believe he could struggle to keep enough weight on his frame to play along interior. Length is below average as five-technique. Plays with inconsistent pad level. Needs to get bigger and stronger through his lower body. Tends to play taller as play rolls along and can get washed out of plays by strong down blocks. Hands are quick but need more consistent pop behind them. Overall play strength can be improved. "Big and strong" across from him causes some issues. Gets engulfed at times.

SOURCES TELL US "He's damn good. I don't think he gets drafted as early as you do because he's not big enough for inside and he's not as long as you like on the outside. You have to figure out where you will play him, but he won't stop. He's going to be really productive." -- Director of scouting for AFC team