Drafting, even when it is done by the very best in the business, is largely a game of chance. It’s not much more than a dart throw, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Sure, one can be pretty confident in a player’s future success, but you can’t truly know for certain. Players get injured, off-the-field issues spring up, and poor coaching/scheme fits can entirely derail a players trajectory. However, with the gift of hindsight and the passing of time, one can play God a bit and create an “ideal” list of selections. Now, with five full years behind us, that is my task for the 2017 NFL Draft. A few quick notes before I begin:
- I kept the picks in the exact order they were made on draft night. For example, would Chicago have traded up to #2 to draft a non-QB? Probably not, but changing that one decision opens up a whole new can of worms that I don’t want to untangle.
- More than anything, these are selections that I would really like to see. Sometimes, I’ll have a team pass on a player in a position of need to grab a star that I would love to see on the roster (see pick #5). Remember, sports are meant to be fun.
- I will not be listing Deshaun Watson here. Not only am I not comfortable discussing him in a strictly football context right now, but it’s also very hard to judge a player’s worth when it can’t be said for certain when he will play again.
- If you don’t want to read all 4200+ words in this article, I listed exactly who every team takes in a list at the bottom of the page. I don’t mind, really.
- Cleveland Browns (Actual Pick: Myles Garrett, DE)
PATRICK MAHOMES, QB
I can’t imagine you’re surprised, as the reasoning here is pretty obvious. The quarterback position has burned Cleveland time and time again ever since their reemergence in 1999, and drafting the passer who some consider to be the best player in the NFL would be an instant salve. Patrick Mahomes is the best player in this draft, and is being picked accordingly.
- Chicago Bears (Actual Pick: Mitch Trubisky, QB)
TJ WATT, OLB
Coming into the 2017 Draft, some were wary of TJ Watt. Was the linebacker from Wisconsin only receiving notable draft hype because of his future-Hall-of-Famer brother JJ, or was he really the budding superstar that he was advertised as? Turns out, he is certainly the latter. Watt has unquestionably become one of the best defensive players in the league, and is one of the few that can well and truly be described as a game wrecker. Watt, who is used as an edge rusher, would have fit very well into the 3-4 schemes John Fox and Vic Fangio were fond of. A young star like him is the ideal piece to slot into a defense that got old, expensive, and not that great only a few years later.
- San Francisco 49ers (Actual Pick: Solomon Thomas, DE)
MYLES GARRETT, DE
This one was also easy. With Garrett gone off the board in the real draft, the Niners opted towards the next most freakish athlete at the position. Unfortunately for all involved, the Solomon Thomas pick was an utter failure. However, the 49ers of this alternate reality have the good fortune of Myles Garrett still being available, and they happily snap him up with the third overall pick. Just imagine the carnage that could be inflicted with Garrett on one end of the line and Nick Bosa on the other…
- Jacksonville Jaguars (Actual Pick: Leonard Fournette, RB)
COOPER KUPP, WR
After a pretty clear first three selections, this is a much harder decision to make. The destined split between the Jags and Fournette was, seemingly, largely down to team chemistry and locker room issues (even though coach-at-the-time Doug Marrone will insist otherwise). Jacksonville was, and remains, a franchise known for creating rifts with their best players. A 2019 statement from the NFLPA noted that over 25% of complaints from players in the last 24 months had originated from Jacksonville, and implied that free agents should avoid signing there.
Is there any top talent from the 2017 class that we know could have survived in such a player-hostile environment? It’s impossible to know for certain, but what I do know is that adding a do-it-all receiver like Kupp to breathe life into the otherwise stagnant passing offense would have worked wonders.
- Tennessee Titans (Actual Pick: Corey Davis, WR)
ALVIN KAMARA, RB
Yes, I understand that Derrick Henry was already on this roster, and that adding another running back who would go on to be an All-Pro caliber player could be seen as a hat on a hat. I disagree. The fatal flaw in the Titans “hand it off to Derrick Henry” plan is that such high usage has worn him down and, time and time again, has kept him from finishing his seasons. Now imagine that instead of relying solely on Henry, that the Titans could switch things up with the quick, evasive Kamara whenever needed. I love “thunder and lightning” backfield duos, and this one would be the stuff of legends. If nothing else, you can’t tell me it wouldn’t be fun to watch.
- New York Jets (Actual Pick: Jamal Adams, S)
RYAN RAMCZYK, T
The Jets, perhaps more than any other franchise over the last decade, have simply needed more foundational pieces, and the offensive line has been an especially sore spot for Gang Green. As we speak, we can’t even be certain if their first-round tackle from only two seasons ago, Mekhi Becton, will even retain his starting spot. Ramczyk played both left and right tackle at Wisconsin, although as far as I can tell, he has played only on the right side in the NFL. Either way, locking down a stalwart tackle for years to come would put some issues to rest that this franchise has not solved to this very day.
- Los Angeles Chargers (Actual Pick: Mike Williams, WR)
MARSHON LATTIMORE, CB
I very much like the original pick here, but I couldn’t in good conscience let one of the elite corners in the NFL fall any further. Casey Hayward was already on the roster, but he needed some help in that secondary, and adding the soon-to-be Defensive Rookie of the Year would have created a lethal corner duo in the backfield.
- Carolina Panthers (Actual Pick: Christian McCaffrey, RB)
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, RB
An outstanding pick. For all the issues that Carolina’s rosters have had over the past half-decade, McCaffrey has been one of the few constants that have kept the offense not only afloat, but watchable.
I understand the arguments against this pick. Largely, the trepidation revolves around how much he has been hurt in recent years. To that, I say that injuries are typically an unlucky, freak occurrence, and in this alternate reality, perhaps these injuries simply would never come to be. I can dream, right?
- Cincinnati Bengals (Actual Pick: John Ross, WR)
TRE’DAVIOUS WHITE, CB
The Bengals 2017 corners weren’t a group that needed a top-ten pick to join them on paper, but with the gift on hindsight, the need becomes clear. Pacman Jones was 34 at season’s start, and Dre Kirkpatrick, while being a respectable starter, would only be on the roster until 2019, where he would appear in a mere 6 games. Selecting White here immediately locks down the CB1 position for the foreseeable future and would also be one less player the Bengals would need to pick up in their defensive free agent spending spree of the last few seasons.
- Kansas City Chiefs (Actual Pick: Patrick Mahomes, QB)
DALVIN COOK, RB
It can be hard to justify drafting a running back with a top-ten overall pick when the back that Kansas City would go on to draft in the third round led the league in rushing that year, but let me explain. While I am certainly a fan of Kareem Hunt, I feel pretty comfortable in saying that Dalvin Cook has gone on to be the better player. So if Hunt was an immediate success with the Chiefs, surely Cook would have been more so, right? Maybe, more than anything, I’ve simply had enough of Cook running over my Packers twice a season.
- New Orleans Saints (Actual Pick: Marshon Lattimore, CB)
CHRIS GODWIN, WR
This is the hardest one yet. For how solid of a team the 2017 Saints were, they certainly had holes on the roster. Replacing Josh Hill with George Kittle would certainly open up lots of possibilities for Sean Payton’s playbook. With Marshon Lattimore not available in this redraft, perhaps Marlon Humphrey is the pick. The possibilities are overwhelming.
But I think that Godwin is the one that makes the most sense. The Saints have been negligent in drafting wide receivers for years, instead deciding to lean on Michael Thomas et al. Godwin has developed into a star receiver in another system where he often has to share his targets, so there is no question he could thrive in New Orleans alongside Thomas. By picking up Godwin, not only do the Saints beef up a receiver room that would go on to desperately need it, but they also manage to keep him out of the hands of their division rival, the Bucs.
- Houston Texans (Actual Pick: Deshaun Watson, QB)
GEORGE KITTLE, TE
With the sorry state of the 2017 Texans roster, I feel as though Houston’s pick here should simply be the best player available. George Kittle has year in and year out been one of the very best TEs in the league, and the 2017 Texans absolutely needed production at the position, with three different tight ends combining to accrue a mere 627 yards through the air. Of course, catching the ball is far from the only thing that is expected of tight ends. I won’t lie to you and pretend to know how good of blockers Stephen Anderson, Ryan Griffin, and C.J. Fiedorowicz were, but I feel safe in assuming that Kittle is also superior to the three of them in this regard. Grabbing Kittle unquestionably makes the Texans better the moment he steps on the field.
- Arizona Cardinals (Actual Pick: Hassan Reddick, LB)
BUDDA BAKER, S
I can see why grabbing a player that would go on to be Arizona’s second round pick in the first round is a flawed strategy, but in this scenario, I think it would be wise. Tyrann Mathieu’s tenure in Arizona was destined to end after the 2017 season, and replacing him as soon as possible would be in the Cardinals best interest. Several safeties are going to be drafted going forward in this exercise, and I can promise you that Budda would not have come back around to Arizona in our hypothetical second round.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Actual Pick, Derek Barnett, DE)
KAREEM HUNT, RB
The Eagles are in a strange position here, as most of the best players available would be redundant on the 2017 Eagles roster. Eddie Jackson and Jamal Adams are available, but the safety duo of Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod is already pretty solid. Dion Dawkins is a formidable LT, but I don’t know if I could recommend drafting him when the Eagles will go on to grab Jordan Mailata in next season’s draft. Instead, I move that they draft Kareem Hunt.
This is, of course, a move you would only make with hindsight. LeGarrette Blount was fresh off a 1100 yard season with the Patriots and was expected to be the dominant back in a talented corps consisting of himself, Corey Clement, and Jay Ajayi. However, after an inefficient season, Blount’s one-year contract was not extended and Ajayi would go on to tally only four touchdowns and less than 250 yards over his last two seasons with Philadelphia. A duo of Corey Clement and Kareem Hunt would go on to be a much healthier long-term running back unit.
- Indianapolis Colts (Actual Pick: Malik Hooker, S)
JAMAL ADAMS, S
They had the right idea! With Mike Adams no longer on the roster after the 2016 season, the Colts absolutely needed to retool at safety, and drafting another safety named Adams would have made a lot of sense. Adams has garnered an unfairly poor reputation amongst many fans in recent years, largely due to the enormous trade package Seattle put together to acquire him. While it’s true that the Seahawks front office might have been a touch too keen on getting him on the roster, I can understand why the franchise has a soft spot for physical safeties who love to play close to the line of scrimmage. Drafting Adams would have been a great step in fixing a secondary that has been a work in progress for years now.
- Baltimore Colts (Actual Pick: Marlon Humphrey, CB)
EDDIE JACKSON, S
The run on safeties continues! My reasoning here is two-fold. While the starting safety duo of Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson that the 2017 Ravens rocked was great, it could have been even better. Several different safeties on the roster would play in over 20% of defensive snaps that season, and replacing them with a great talent like Jackson would create an embarrassment of riches at the position. Furthermore, 2017 would go on to be Weddle’s last season with the Ravens. If Jackson could take his rookie year to learn behind one of the very best safeties of this generation, perhaps he could have continued his career trajectory that saw him as a first-team All-Pro in only his second year.
- Washington (Actual Pick: Jonathan Allen, DE)
MATT MILANO, LB
Milano has become a quiet star for the stout Buffalo defense. If you looked up the definition of “nose for the ball” in the dictionary, you’d see his picture. An edge rusher group of Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith was already solidly entrenched for Washington, but the interior linebacker unit could have used a hand. The defense, specifically the front seven, has become the strength of the franchise, and drafting Milano here would have been a perfect opportunity to add strength to strength.
- Tennessee Titans (Actual Pick: Adoree’ Jackson, CB)
MIKE WILLIAMS, WR
After putting the finishing touches on an absurdly stacked running back group earlier in the round, the Titans look to build up a thin receiver room. Only two wide receivers on the 2017 roster would end the season with over 500 receiving yards, and one of them was 30 year old Erik Decker, who would retire at the end of the season. Taking JuJu Smith-Schuster was also considered here, but Williams is a more versatile type of receiver, and I believe could find more ways to be useful to this Tennessee team.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Actual Pick: OJ Howard, TE)
AARON JONES, RB
The running back situation in Tampa would eventually become settled when they signed Leonard Fournette prior to the 2020 season, but why wait that long when you could just draft an outstanding running back way back in 2017 instead? Aaron Jones has been a key contributor to some of the very best offenses in the NFL since being picked by Green Bay, and with the absurdly stacked offensive line that would go on to be put in place in Tampa, I have the utmost confidence that Jones would also flourish with the Bucs.
- Denver Broncos (Actual Pick: Garrett Bolles, LT)
LARRY OGUNJOBI, DT
Once again, this is a spot where several different choices are all defensible. RT has been a revolving door for Denver for years, and taking Taylor Moton would certainly put a bandaid on that. They also could have desperately used a better TE, and perhaps OJ Howard or Evan Engram would have been up to the task? Ultimately though, it is the defensive line that needed the most help. The Broncos managed a good pressure rate, but I’d be willing to chalk most of that up to Von Miller and Shaq Barrett. Drafting Ogunjobi would help the edge rushers by flushing opposing passers out of the pocket and also force them to make rushed throws into a very talented secondary.
- Detroit Lions (Actual Pick: Jarrad Davis, LB)
JOE MIXON, RB
Man, this was a pretty crazy draft for running backs, wasn’t it? Not unlike Tampa only two picks ago, Detroit eventually found their footing at the running back position (D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams is one of my favorite RB duos in the league), but Joe Mixon would certainly have cured their RB ails much sooner. Mixon has put up among the best rushing numbers in the league despite playing behind a poor offensive line in Cincinnati, and if Mixon could instead be playing behind the caliber of line that they’ve managed to assemble in the Motor City, he would be tearing the league apart.
- Miami Dolphins (Charles Harris, DE)
TAYLOR MOTON, RT
Over the past half-decade or so, the Miami Dolphins have managed to scrape together a pretty strong roster, but the offensive line remains a question mark. RT is a particularly shaky spot, which is doubly concerning since whoever holds that position is protecting Tua’s blindside. Taylor Moton, who has been one of the very few bright spots on the Carolina offensive line in recent years, would be exactly what the doctor ordered.
- New York Giants (Actual Pick: Evan Engram, TE)
JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, WR
Evan Engram was a wise selection here, as he would go on to be the Giants second leading receiver in 2017 and has been a notable contributor when healthy. However, they could have done even better. Smith-Schuster has by far the most receiving yards for the Steelers since his drafting, and with the history of injuries that the Giants have been suffering at the skill positions in recent years, a receiver who has stayed relatively healthy would be of great use. Of course, he did miss nearly all of 2021 with a shoulder injury, but the fact that he missed only 6 games in the previous four seasons (one of which was due to a suspension) is not to be ignored.
- Oakland Raiders (Actual Pick: Gareon Conley, CB)
TREY HENDRICKSON, DE
The 2017 Raiders offense was pretty middling despite a talented cast, but I think the defense is the unit more in need of a makeover here. The defensive line struggled to produce much in 2017, tallying a paltry 31 sacks, the eighth-lowest amount in the league that season. We can imply that the Raiders were looking to replace Mario Edwards as evidenced by his release prior to the 2018 season. This would have been a golden opportunity for Hendrickson, who hardly played in his first three seasons but has accumulated 27.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl nod in the last two seasons alone.
- Cleveland Browns (Actual Pick: Jabrill Peppers, CB)
DION DAWKINS, LT
Since the departure of Joe Thomas, the Browns have been on a journey to find their franchise LT. While Jedrick Wills has had an alright start to his career, he is certainly not locked into the position long-term. Dion Dawkins has been a strong, consistent starter for the Bills, which is exactly the kind of descriptor words you want attached to your starting tackles. I also considered Garrett Bolles, and could absolutely understand his selection here instead.
- Atlanta Falcons (Actual Pick: Takkarist McKinley, DE)
JONATHAN ALLEN, DT
There are a litany of issues with the Falcons roster these days, but fans of the team will tell you that one of the most pressing concerns is the lack of production from the defensive line. Grady Jarrett needs somebody else to be pulling their own weight next to him, and I believe that Allen could be a great contributor for this unit. The Falcons have been among the worst run defenders in the league several times since 2017, and the run-stopping specialist Allen would be the perfect piece to slot in to alleviate those woes.
- Buffalo Bills (Actual Pick: Tre’Davious White, CB)
MARLON HUMPHREY, CB
I can’t believe it took me this long to select Marlon Humphrey. He has been a key factor in the Baltimore secondary that has allowed the third-lowest opposing QBR since 2017. With White long gone in this redraft and CB being a clear position of need for the 2017 Bills, Humphrey is the easy pick at 27th overall, and perhaps the best value of the day.
- Dallas Cowboys (Actual Pick: Taco Charlton, DE)
MARCUS WILLIAMS, S
I love safeties, I guess. Again, by just looking at the 2017 roster, the need for a safety doesn’t jump out at you. Byron Jones is still an every-game starter for a suffocating Miami defense, and Jeff Heath would go on to start every single game he was available for Dallas for the next three seasons. However, Byron Jones would convert to cornerback in 2018, creating an opening at safety. Xavier Woods would go on to take a significant role in the defense, and the duo of him and Williams would be a solid grouping for a defense that has had some lean years recently.
- Cleveland Browns (Actual Pick: David Njoku, TE)
KENNY GOLLADAY, WR
My goal with Cleveland’s selections in this faux draft is to turn the real life 0-16 Browns of 2017 into as good a team as possible with their 3 first round picks. Patrick Mahomes under center and Dion Dawkins covering his blind side is a great start, but there is more work to do. Most pressingly, who is Mahomes throwing to? Josh Gordon would not be available until Week 13 when he was reinstated by the NFL, and the season had been down the drain for months by then. He managed 67 yards per game as the season wound down, but not a single wide receiver on the roster outside of him managed to string together more than a pathetic 34 yards per game.
Outside of a woeful 2021 season (who’s failures I am fine with largely assigning to an injury-stricken supporting cast and some questionable playcalling), Golladay has been an extremely efficient downfield weapon. His 9.74 yards per target from 2017 to 2020 is among the very best in the NFL, competing with the likes of DK Metcalf, Julio Jones, and George Kittle. Of course, the coaching staff of an 0-16 team very likely won’t be able to fully utilize their playmakers, but the least we can do is give them the pieces to try with.
- Pittsburgh Steelers (Actual Pick: TJ Watt, LB)
HASSON REDDICK, LB
The 2017 Steelers were utterly loaded. 8 Pro Bowl selections and 4 First-Team All-Pro nods highlighted a roster that won 13 games before an untimely playoff loss to the Jaguars. They allowed the 5th fewest yards and gained the 3rd most. What do you get the team that has everything?
Well, in this scenario, they don’t have everything. With TJ Watt not available to be drafted in our version of events, a hole at edge rusher opens up. With Ryan Shazier needed to cover the other side and James Harrison not available for the vast majority of the season, Watt’s 15 starts for the 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers are now vacant. Reddick, another defensive player who has finally arrived on the scene after being underutilized early in their career, fits the bill. Reddick is certainly no Watt, but with the playing time that joining the Steelers would have given him, he certainly could have developed his game quicker and become known as a great edge far earlier than he did.
- San Francisco 49ers (Actual Pick: Reuben Foster, LB)
ZACH CUNNINGHAM, LB
The 49ers desperately needed to rebuild on defense, and Reuben Foster looked to be an integral piece of the rebuild. If not for some notable off-field issues, he very well could have been a top-ten pick in the real 2017 Draft. There are times where red flags can be ignored, but there are many more times where they ought to be heeded. Foster was released in the middle of his second season after drug and weapons charges, and eventually, an arrest due to a domestic violence charge. He never appeared again in a regular season game.
Zach Cunningham could fill this spot instead. More than just about any linebacker in the NFL, Cunningham has an innate ability to insert himself into plays. Across his five years in the league, he has averaged nearly 120 combined tackles per year. He’s far from the perfect MLB, but his playmaking ability can make a difference anywhere in the league.
- New Orleans Saints (Actual Pick: Ryan Ramczyk, T)
LEONARD FOURNETTE, RB
By drafting Alvin Kamara in the actual 2017 Draft, the Saints signaled that they were preparing for life without Mark Ingram. He was certainly still capable of notable production (he had at least 800 yards from scrimmage every year from 2017-2019), but he was getting older in a position where players retire young, and New Orleans needed some new blood in the room. With an incredible amount of running backs off the board already, this could be a precarious position. Fortunately, 2017 was a historic season for running backs in the Draft, and Leonard Fournette is still available. Fournette has put up huge numbers even in spite of some questionable environments (two seasons of 1300+ yards from scrimmage in an otherwise lifeless Jacksonville offense), but being in a system in Tampa that makes the most of his skillset has allowed him to continue to shine. A front-and-center position in a highly-talented offense like New Orleans would be fertile ground for Fournette to flourish.
THE RECAP
ARIZONA CARDINALS:
- Budda Baker
ATLANTA FALCONS
- Jonathan Allen
BALTIMORE RAVENS
- Eddie Jackson
BUFFALO BILLS
- Marlon Humphrey
CAROLINA PANTHERS
- Christian McCaffrey
CHICAGO BEARS
- TJ Watt
CINCINNATI BENGALS
- Tre’Davious White
CLEVELAND BROWNS
- Patrick Mahomes
- Dion Dawkins
- Kenny Golladay
DALLAS COWBOYS
- Marcus Williams
DETROIT LIONS
- Joe Mixon
GREEN BAY PACKERS
- N/A
HOUSTON TEXANS
- George Kittle
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
- Jamal Adams
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
- Cooper Kupp
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
- Dalvin Cook
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
- Marshon Lattimore
LOS ANGELES RAMS
- N/A
MIAMI DOLPHINS
- Taylor Moton
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
- N/A
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
- N/A
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
- Chris Godwin
- Leonard Fournette
NEW YORK GIANTS
- Juju Smith-Schuster
NEW YORK JETS
- Ryan Ramczyk
OAKLAND RAIDERS
- Trey Hendrickson
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
- Kareem Hunt
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
- Hasson Reddick
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
- Myles Garrett
- Zach Cunningham
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
- N/A
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
- Aaron Jones
TENNESSEE TITANS
- Alvin Kamara
- Mike Williams
WASHINGTON
- Matt Milano
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