Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the 2017 NFL redraft, where we're going to answer all the questions you never knew you had.
Should the Cleveland Browns have taken a quarterback with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft last year? Did the Bengals blow it when they decided to take John Ross at ninth overall? Should we re-pick the entire first round of the 2017 draft for the sake of everyone in Ohio?
The answer to that last question is yes, and that's what we're going to do right now.
This redraft is pretty simple: What we're going to do here is re-pick the entire first round based on what we know about every player who was picked during the 2017 NFL Draft. This is bad news for the Saints because they're no longer going to get Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore. Although neither player was taken in the top 10 of last year's draft, both players have been bumped up into the top 10 of the redraft.
With the redraft, we're going to use the original order of the 2017 draft, which means all trades that were made on draft day have been thrown out the window, with one exception: Any team that was crazy enough to trade up for a quarterback got to keep their quarterback if he was still on the board when they were picking. Basically, this means there will be no drama here for Chiefs or Bears fans. Your redraft is the same as your regular draft.
However, there will be plenty of drama for everyone else. For instance, we threw the Chargers' first-round pick out the window and replaced it with someone we thought would be better.
Like any good draft, we're going to start things off here with Roger Goodell getting booed.
BOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/G9n2hX6d4A
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 28, 2017
Alright, let's get to the redraft.
1. Cleveland Browns
Redraft pick: Deshaun Watson, QB
Actual pick: Myles Garrett
The Browns have basically spent the past 20 years trying to find a quarterback, so it only makes sense that they continue that search in our redraft. If Sashi Brown was still in charge, he would likely veto this pick because he refuses to take a quarterback in the first round, but he's not in charge, so Watson is the pick here.
2. Chicago Bears (from San Francisco)
Redraft pick: Mitchell Trubisky, QB
Actual pick: Trubisky
The Bears wanted Mitchell Trubisky so badly last year that they traded away FOUR picks just to move up one spot so they could grab him. Bears general manager Ryan Pace is clearly a big fan of Trubisky and since Pace is still running the show in Chicago, the Bears pick is staying the same in our redraft.
3. San Francisco 49ers (from Chicago)
Redraft pick: Myles Garrett, DE
Actual pick: Solomon Thomas
With Deshaun Watson going to the Browns at the No. 1 spot in our redraft, that leaves Myles Garrett on the board for the 49ers. Although the team's actual pick, Solomon Thomas, was decent in 2017, taking Garrett in our redraft is a no-brainer for the 49ers.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Redraft pick: Leonard Fournette, RB
Actual pick: Fournette
The Jaguars' entire offense is basically designed around having a power runner in the backfield, so sticking with Fournette is the easy decision here. By the way, I'm 90 percent convinced that the selection of Fournette was made just so Tom Coughlin could prove that a power run game can still work in today's NFL. Let's be honest, Coughlin probably watches the film every day of Fournette's three-touchdown game against the Steelers in the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs. Coughlin is basically three running backs away from turning the Jags into a single-wing offense.
5. Tennessee Titans
Redraft pick: Marshon Lattimore, CB
Actual pick: Corey Davis
With no Adoree Jackson on the roster thanks to our redraft, that means the Titans have a gaping hole at cornerback and they're going to fill that by selecting Lattimore. Not only did Lattimore end the 2017 season as the defensive rookie of they year, but he also invented the butt-pick, which is a rarely used defensive technique that he has somehow perfected.
How? HOW?!@shonrp2 just made one of the best plays of the year.
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2017
PICKED. #GoSaints pic.twitter.com/RU66MbyBOJ
That was almost impressive enough to move him up to the top spot in our redraft.
6. New York Jets
Redraft pick: Jamal Adams, SS
Actual pick: Adams
Adams started in all 16 games for the Jets last year during a stellar rookie season. Although the Jets put some thought into a taking a quarterback in our redraft (Patrick Mahomes), they decided to stick with Adams.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
Redraft pick: Ryan Ramczyk, OT
Actual pick: Mike Williams
Since there was a zero-percent chance the Chargers were going to stick with WIlliams in our redraft, we decided to add someone at a more pressing position group: The offensive line. No matter who they draft or who they sign, the Chargers somehow always seem to have one of the weakest offensive lines in the NFL. In the re-draft, Philip Rivers wants an offensive lineman so badly that I'm guessing he would personally turn in the card for this pick. Ramczyk started all 16 games at tackle for the Saints last season.
8. Carolina Panthers
Redraft pick: Alvin Kamara, RB
Actual pick: Christian McCaffrey
If you're wondering who had the best draft in 2017, that answer is clearly the Saints. We're only eight picks into our re-draft and THREE of the picks have come from New Orleans' draft class. Although McCaffrey was a much-needed weapon in Carolina's backfield, the Panthers decide to pass on him and take Kamara in our redraft.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
Redraft pick: Reuben Foster, LB
Actual pick: John Ross
After taking Joe Mixon in the second round last year, we know the Bengals don't really have any issues with taking a troubled player as long as he's talented. Foster definitely fits the bill on that. Foster was a star for the 49ers during his rookie season, but that was kind of overshadowed by the fact that he's been arrested twice since mid-January. The good news in Cincinnati is that he has a potential mentor in Vontaze Burfict. Wait, is that actually good news? Maybe it's not.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (from Buffalo)
Redraft pick: Patrick Mahomes, QB
Actual pick: Mahomes
Even in our redraft Alex Smith is getting hosed by the Chiefs. Andy Reid was willing to give up two first-round picks to land Mahomes in the real draft, so we figured he would probably do the same thing in the redraft.
11. New Orleans Saints
Redraft pick: Kareem Hunt, RB
Actual pick: Marshon Lattimore
If you thought Alvin Kamara was deadly in the Saints offense, just imagine what Kareem Hunt could do. Hunt was actually the Saints' fourth choice in our re-draft, they got stuck with him because Lattimore, Kamara and Ramczyk have already been taken.
12. Cleveland Browns
Redraft pick: Tre'Davious White, CB
Actual pick: Traded to Texans, who selected Watson
The Browns might be actually be the winner of the redraft. After getting their franchise quarterback with the top pick, the Browns grab a corner at 12th overall. Any draft where you can land a starting quarterback and a shutdown corner seems like a good one.
Tre'Davious White's 2017 season was special. He allowed the third-lowest catch percentage among all rookie CBs since 2006! pic.twitter.com/CSfO9vPqnq
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) March 18, 2018
Although Lattimore won defensive rookie of the year, White was actually the top-ranked corner, according to Pro Football Focus. White wasn't just one of the best rookie corners though, he was one of the best corners overall.
13. Arizona Cardinals
Redraft pick: Jarrad Davis, LB
Actual pick: Hasson Reddick
The downside to taking Davis here is that there's a good chance he's going to be getting hit with penalties every week in 2018, and that's because he doesn't sound like a big fan of the new targeting rule.
Detroit Lions' Jarrad Davis: 'It’s a dangerous game & I don’t want to make it safe' https://t.co/ARw7TCTxF6
— Detroit Free Press (@freep) December 17, 2017
Apparently, Davis wants to keep football as dangerous as possible.
14. Philadelphia Eagles
Redraft pick: Derek Barnett, DE
Actual pick: Barnett
The Eagles selected Derek Barnett and then went on to win a Super Bowl, so we're just not going to mess with this pick.
15. Indianapolis Colts
Redraft pick: Solomon Thomas, DE
Actual pick: Malik Hooker
Although he was the No. 3 overall pick in the draft last year, Thomas mostly flew under the radar during his first year in San Francisco, and that's mostly because he got outshined by fellow defensive rookie Reuben Foster. The Colts take Thomas as a favor to Andrew Luck, because they both went to Stanford.
16. Baltimore Ravens
Redraft pick: T.J. Watt, LB
Actual pick: Marlon Humphrey
The steal of the redraft goes to the Ravens, who start a riot in the AFC North by taking Watt. Not only are they landing a much-needed outside linebacker, but they also keep him from going to Pittsburgh. By the way, the NFL must have known we were putting together a redraft, because, they graciously decided to tweet out Watt's top-10 plays of 2017.
Let's watch.
The youngest Watt brother dominated with 7 sacks in his first season.@_TJWatt's Top 10 Plays of 2017! pic.twitter.com/3SuDHOTPQy
— NFL (@NFL) March 25, 2018
Watt's seven sacks in 2017 ranked third on the team in Pittsburgh.
17. Washington Redskins
Redraft pick: Christian McCaffrey, RB
Actual pick: Jonathan Allen
Alex Smith is a huge fan of the check down, which means McCaffrey could end up catching roughly 155 passes if he were to end up as Smith's teammate in Washington. Although the Redskins won't be getting McCaffrey in real life, they did end up with a pretty talented running back from the 2017 draft. Samaje Perine, who was selected in the fourth round by the Redskins, was the team's leading rusher last season.
18. Tennessee Titans
Redraft pick: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
Actual pick: Adoree' Jackson
After taking Marshon Lattimore with the fifth overall pick, the Titans no longer have a need for a defensive back, so they're going to use their second pick of the first round to add a receiver in the form of JuJu Smith-Schuster. The big loser here is Corey Davis, who went from being taken by the Titans with the fifth overall pick in the real draft to not even being selected in our redraft.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Redraft pick: Joe Mixon, RB
Actual pick: O.J. Howard
Quick: Can you name the Buccaneers' leading rusher from 2017? If your answer to that question is "no," then welcome to the club. The Bucs had an atrocious running game led by Peyton Barber and Doug Martin, who each rushed for less than 500 yards. With this pick, Jameis Winston gets some help in the form of Joe Mixon, who nearly had more total yards last season (913) than Barber and Martin combined (1,027). Oh, and the answer to our trivia question is Barber, who led the Bucs with 423 yards rushing.
20. Denver Broncos
Redraft pick: Garett Bolles, OT
Actual pick: Bolles
John Elway hasn't gotten a lot right lately, but he did get this pick right, so we're not going to fix it.
21. Detroit Lions
Redraft pick: Carl Lawson, DE
Actual pick: Jarrad Davis
This Bengals' fourth-rounder vaults all the way up to the first round, thanks in large part to the fact that he was one of the best rookie pass rushers in the NFL last season. As a matter of fact, Lawson actually led all rookies with 59 QB pressures in 2017.
22. Miami Dolphins
Redraft pick: Evan Engram, TE
Actual pick: Charles Harris
With Anthony Fasano on the tail end of his career, the Dolphins could use some tight end help and that's why they're taking Engram in the redraft. Engram had more receptions (64), yards (722) and receiving touchdowns (6) in 2017 than every tight end on the Dolphins' roster combined. Miami's four tight ends combined for just 56 catches for 525 yards and four touchdowns.
23. New York Giants
Redraft pick: Cam Robinson, OT
Actual pick: Evan Engram
If you watched the Giants play at all in 2017, then you're probably well aware of the fact that they need as much offensive line help as they can possibly get, and that's where Cam Robinson comes in. As a rookie for the Jaguars last season, Robinson started 15 games at left tackle for a Jacksonville offense that led the NFL in rushing.
24. Oakland Raiders
Redraft pick: Tarik Cohen, RB
Actual pick: Gareon Conley
If the Raiders have proven one thing over the course of their existence, it's that they love speed and they will almost always take a fast guy in the draft. Cohen definitely checks that box. Not to mention, he would serve as a pretty perfect complement to Marshawn Lynch. Also, since the Raiders just traded away Cordarrelle Patterson, Cohen can also serve as the return guy.
This is why you DO NOT kick to @TarikCohen.
— NFL (@NFL) December 3, 2017
Absolutely ridiculous. #DaBears pic.twitter.com/UahwkjI02F
Yup, he can definitely be the return guy.
25. Houston Texans
Redraft pick: Dan Feeney, OG
Actual pick: Traded to Browns, who selected Jabrill Peppers
The Texans surrendered 54 sacks in 2017, which was the second most in the NFL. Basically, adding an offensive lineman can only help things, and that's where Feeney comes in. The Chargers' third-round pick played in 15 games and started in nine for L.A. last season. Feeney was one of the top rookie offensive lineman in the NFL.
26. Seattle Seahawks
Redraft pick: Marcus Williams, S
Actual pick: Traded to Falcons, who selected Takkarist McKinley
With the Legion of Boom slowly being torn apart in Seattle, the Seahawks are using their redraft pick on a defensive back. The crazy thing here is that with Williams going to Seattle, that means FOUR of the Saints draft picks in 2017 have now been taken in the first round of our re-draft.
27. Buffalo Bills (from Kansas City)
Redraft pick: Desmond King, CB
Actual pick: Tre'Davious White
The biggest winner in our redraft is Desmond King, who went from being selected in the fifth round by the Chargers last season to the first round in our redraft. For the Bills, taking a corner here was pretty much an absolute necessity after losing Stephon Gilmore to the Patriots. Since their original pick of Tre'Davious White is no longer available, we have the Bills taking the best corner left on the board.
28. Dallas Cowboys
Redraft pick: Takkarist McKinley, DE
Actual pick: Taco Charlton
We have some bad news for Taco Charlton: He's going to have to give up that taco sponsorship in Dallas now that he's no longer playing for the Cowboys after our re-draft.
Taco Charlton has signed his first taco deal with Taco Bueno!!! 🌮🌮🌮 pic.twitter.com/16B7KcvDGH
— DemBoyzNation (@DemBoyzNation) June 29, 2017
Instead of Charlton, the Cowboys are going to grab Takk McKinley at this spot. McKinley had a huge rookie season that included six sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and seven tackles for loss.
29. Green Bay Packers
Redraft pick: Cooper Kupp, WR
Actual pick: Traded to Browns, who selected David Njoku
With Jordy Nelson out in Green Bay, the Packers decide to take the closest thing to Jordy Nelson available in the draft.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers
Redraft pick: Marlon Humphrey, CB
Actual pick: T.J. Watt
With the Ravens taking Watt, it's only fitting that the Steelers steal Baltimore's pick and grab Humphrey. Humphrey was one of just two rookie corners in 2017 who didn't surrender a touchdown the entire season.
Only CBs to not allow a TD this season (PFF, min. 50% snaps):
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) January 17, 2018
-William Jackson
-Jimmy Smith
-Marshon Lattimore
-Marlon Humphrey
-A.J. Bouye
-Aaron Colvin
Unfortunately for the Steelers, Humphrey does come with some baggage. The rookie corner was arrested in January for allegedly stealing a 15 dollar phone charger, which is why we didn't have the Chargers take him in our redraft. That could have been awkward.
31. Atlanta Falcons
Redraft pick: John Johnson III, SS
Actual pick: Traded to 49ers, who selected Reuben Foster
The Falcons don't necessarily need another defensive back, but at this point in the draft (even a redraft), you're taking the best player available, and that player is Johnson. During his rookie year, Johnson played in all 16 games for the Rams and started in 11 of those. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson was the second best rookie safety in the NFL last year.
The highest graded rookie safeties in 2017! pic.twitter.com/b2JtVpIKTn
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) February 14, 2018
Ironically, Johnson's season came to an end against the same team that's selecting him in the redraft when the Falcons beat the Rams in the playoffs.
32. New Orleans Saints
Redraft pick: Budda Baker, S
Actual pick: Ryan Ramcyzk
Although the Saints didn't land Alvin Kamara and Marcus Williams like they did in the real draft, they're still walking away with a solid haul in the re-draft. Not only did they grab Kareem Hunt with the 12th overall pick, but they're also getting a starting safety in Budda Baker. If you scroll back up one spot and look at that tweet where the Falcons picked, you'll notice that Baker also had an impressive rookie season. After the Cardinals selected him in the second round, Baker went on to play in all 16 games last season.