nfl-draft-2017Today I’ll take a pause on the championship series to talk about the Draft. LSU has more players in the NFL than any other college football team. Year after year we are always having players drafted that could be the next superstars in the NFL. For LSU fans, the draft is a pretty big deal.

Some draft classes have all kinds of big names, and some are very boring. Usually, for every great draft class, there is a bad one too. Last year’s draft class was pretty good in hindsight, but it usually takes two or three years for players to adapt to the NFL and reach their full potential. Sometimes all it takes is for a starter to get injured and give a rookie the chance he has been waiting for. Every draft has busts that had all the hype but completely failed to fulfill it (think Jamarcus Russell and Johnny Manziel), and diamonds-in-the-ruff that nobody knew about until they made a name for themselves. It is hard to believe it now, but Tom Brady was a sixth round pick and wasn’t noticed until Drew Bledsoe got injured and gave Tom Brady a chance.

There are eight rounds and 253 picks every year. Many teams trade players, money, and their draft picks for higher picks. The worst teams get the first picks and the best teams get the last picks, but by the time all the trading is done the order is almost unrecognizable. I think this year’s class will be a great one, but you can never know. One of the reasons I’m most excited is that this draft is stocked with LSU players who I think could be NFL superstars like Tre’davious White, Jamal Adams, Leonard Fournette, and Malachi Dupre. I made my own First Round Mock Draft, and you might notice it’s a little biased towards LSU. I put Leonard Fournette with the Panthers at nine because that’s where I want him to go, and think he’ll do best even though he will probably go higher at four or six with the Jets or the Jaguars. I may have put some LSU players generously high. But just as the draft experts try to guess who the breakout players will be and make “mock drafts,” I am taking a stab at it as well, perhaps with my LSU blinders on, but that’s okay. Geaux Tigers!

Micah the Tiger’s Mock Draft

1. Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, DE
Most people are positive that he’ll be the first pick and I don’t think there is any denying that a great athlete like Myles Garrett could help the Browns defense.
2. San Francisco 49ers Jamal Adams, LSU, S
You might say this is generously high but I’ve seen him this high on other mock drafts too. Adams has swagger like Tyrann Mathieu. He’s absolutely insane, but in a good way. He would keep playing if his arm got chopped off. He asks the ball to come to him before games. The 49ers need a few playmakers on defense like Adams who have a nose for the football.
3. Chicago Bears Jonathan Allen, Alabama, DT
He’s impossible to hold, always hungry for the ball. He’s 6’3 and 265 pounds and somehow scored two 30 yard touchdowns on scoop and scores this season.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars Solomon Thomas, Stanford, DT
The Jagz are looking for a solid defensive lineman, with Myles Jack and Solomon Thomas the Jagz will have a pretty nice defense.
5. Tennessee Titans Malik Hooker, Ohio State, S
The Titans have focused on offense for a while so a nice defensive player like Malik Hooker is a good bet for them. Malik Hooker can play back shadowing different wide receivers while he can also blitz and play the run.
6. New York Jets Marcus Lattimore, Ohio State, CB
The Jets need a first round cornerback or safety to help out Darelle Revis.
7. Los Angeles Chargers Reuben Foster, Alabama, ILB
The chargers have built up an okay offense but are missing some big names at linebacker. Reuben Foster could help them shut down their opponent’s running game.
8. Carolina Panthers Leonard Fournette, LSU, RB
In my opinion Leonard Fournette is the next Bo Jackson and any team would be glad to have him. If the panthers get a generational player like Fournette and put him in the backfield with Cam Newton, the Panthers would be back to the Super Bowl in no time. Jonathan Stewart is also getting worn out.
9. Cincinnati Bengals Mike Williams, Clemson, WR
The Bengals have a pretty good team on both sides of the ball, but another great wide receiver to help A.J. Green would be awesome. The opponent would always have to pick their poison on who to double cover.
10. Buffalo Bills Tre’Davious White, LSU, CB
The bills need a DB who can get things done. Note: If the real draft were to happen exactly like this one then there would be three LSU players in the first ten picks.
11. New Orleans Saints Derek Barnett, Tennessee, DE
We can all agree that the Saints need defense and an edge rusher to replace Will Fuller would be nice.
12. Cleveland Browns O.J. Howard, Alabama, TE
The Browns need offense more than defense and they’ve tried picking quarterbacks and running backs in the first round but those are always more likely to be a bust.
13. Arizona Cardinals David Njoku, Miami, TE
The Cardinals need another receiver. I didn’t put them with John Ross (the other good receiver I was thinking about putting here) because he would have been the exact same type of receiver as Larry Fitzgerald.
14. Philedelphia Eagles Gareon Conley, Ohio State, CB
The Eagles need a good cover corner to make their defense a little better.
15. Indianapolis Colts Haason Reddick, Temple, ILB
The Colts could use a nice linebacker to add to their growing defense.
16. Baltimore Ravens Dalvin Cook, Florida State, RB
The Ravens are missing a running back that could boost their offense. Dalvin is that guy.
17. Washington Redskins John Ross, Washington, WR
The Redskins need a new standout receiver.
18. Tennessee Titans Corey Davis, Western Michigan, WR
The Titans picked up a first round quarterback in 2015 so a first round wide receiver this year could help their struggling offense.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Trevor McKinley, UCLA, DE
The Bucs are on the rise and could be a dark horse for next year. They are pretty stacked with playmakers but a recognizable defensive end is absent so I think this is a good fit.
20. Denver Broncos Deshaun Watson, Clemson, QB
In 2015 the Broncos won the Super Bowl with Peyton Manning, so now that he left they are a franchise team with a gaping hole at quarterback. Deshaun Watson is the first quarterback drafted so far in my mock draft which is rare but many teams have already filled their quarterback spots from the past draft classes that had quarterbacks going left and right.
21. Detroit Lions Cam Robinson, Alabama, OT
The Lions need some offensive lineman to protect Matthew Stafford this season. Last year Stafford was sacked 37 times, seventh most in the NFL, and only five away from the highest.
22. Miami Dolphins Kevin King, Washington, CB
The Dolphins need some DBS and Kevin King would be a great one to pick up.
23. New York Giants Christian McCaffrey, Stanford, RB
The Giants have a pretty good offense with Odell Beckham and Eli Manning but a versatile running back could help them. All they have is some big bulldozer running backs. Some would say McCaffrey should be drafted much earlier but I think he’s a little overrated.
24. Los Angeles Raiders Garret Bolles, Utah, OT
The Raiders are missing some Offensive Lineman to prevent Derek Carr from getting sacked.
25. Houston Texans Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina, QB
DeAndre Hopkins could be an outstanding wide receiver if he had a quarterback. With J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, the Texans won’t need to worry about defense too much.
26. Seattle Seahawks Marlon Humphrey, Alabama, CB
To get back to the top of the NFL, the Seahawks need to get their “Legion of Boom” defense back. Richard Sherman won’t admit it, but he needs some help at corner.
27. Kansas City Chiefs Quincy Wilson, Florida, CB
The Chiefs have a great defense but for them to be the best in the NFL, they need to upgrade their DBs.
28. Dallas Cowboys Adoree’ Jackson, USC, CB
The Cowboys have a good offense and on defense they have good linebackers and a pretty good D-line bt Orlando Scandrick is their only recognizable name at corner and he needs some help.
29. Green Bay Packers Charles Harris, Missouri, OLB
The Packers need an edge rusher because Clay Matthews has been struggling lately and he might need some help at linebacker.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers Jarrad Davis, Florida, ILB
The Steelers need a new linebacker because James Harrison is 39 and won’t hang around too much longer.
31. Atlanta Falcons Sidney Jones, Washington, CB
A speedy 180 pound corner is just what the Falcons need. In the Superbowl, the Falcons weren’t ready for the speedy receivers and were routinely holding the wide receivers jersey because they couldn’t keep up.
32. New Orleans Saints Jabrill Peppers, Michigan, LB
A Heisman finalist linebacker is rare. Jabrill Peppers is an insane athlete who could return kickoffs, play man on man, or blitz the QB, just what the Saints need.