WUNKLE’S TOP 20 FOR THE 2017 NFL DRAFT

Hello again, everyone. It seems that everyone has their take on who are the top twenty players in a given draft. Well, I’m no exception; and with that, here are Bill Wunkle’s top twenty players in the 2017 NFL draft.

1 – Myles Garrett – DE – Texas A&M: At 6′-4″ tall and 272 lbs. with the ability to run a 40 in 4.64 seconds and bench press 225 lbs. 33 times, Garrett is the most physically gifted player in the draft. Extremely intelligent and articulate, he is the player you have to account for on every snap. played much of the season with an ankle injury and was still able to dominate.

2 – Solomon Thomas – DE – Stanford: At 6′-3″ tall and 273 lbs. with the ability to run the 40 in 4.69 seconds and bench press 225 lbs. 30 times, Thomas isn’t very far behind Garrett. His motor never stops running and is tenacious and relentless in his pursuit of the football. Has a mean streak and can dominate at the DE position.

3 – Jonathan Allen – DE – Alabama: At 6′-3″ and 286 lbs., Allen in a model of consistency and can be the anchor of your defensive line. He has been called the safest pick in this year’s draft.

4 – Malik Hooker – S – Ohio State: A true ball hawk at 6′-1″ and 206 lbs. Hooker has the uncanny ability to turn the ball over for his team’s offense. A hip injury may cause him to slide a little, but the ability to make an immediate impact for the team that drafts him is there.

5 – Jamal Adams – S – LSU: At 6′-0″ tall and 214 lbs., Adams is an impactful in-the-box safety. Physicality is his game and he’s not afraid to mix it up with the big boys.

6 – Marshon Lattimore – CB – Ohio State: A true shut down cover corner at 6′-0″ and 193 lbs. with the ability to run a 40 in 4.36 seconds. His footwork and recovery speed are both excellent, as are his hands. Only a one year starter, though, which has some teams concerned.

7 – Leonard Fournette – RB – LSU: Ran a 4.51 in the forty at 6′-0″ and 240 lbs. Fournette is a big, physical back with great cutback ability. The only chink in the armor is the ability to stay healthy for an entire season because – although he dishes out a lot of punishment, he takes a great deal as well.

8 –  OJ Howard – TE – Alabama: This guy is the prototypical player for the position at 6′-6″ and 251 lbs. Howard is an excellent in-line blocker and averaged over 15 yards per catch throughout his entire college career. The last time the Browns drafted a TE out of Alabama, he was a Hall of Fame player, and Howard has that kind of potential.

9 – Reuben Foster – LB – Alabama:  This kid is a three down thumper with excellent range. At 6′-0″ and 229 lbs., he may need to add some muscle mass, but this kid comes off the bus looking for someone to hit.

10 – Hassan Reddick – LB/DE – Temple: No one has soared up the charts since the combine like Reddick. At 6′-1″ and 237 lbs. and a 40 time of 4.52, he has the speed and intensity to go from sideline to sideline. His best position might be MLB in a 4-3 defense. This kid is a heat seeking missile with cleats.

11 – Dalvin Cook – RB – Florida State: Off the field issues may cause Cook to slide, but he has the talent to play the game at a high level. At 5′-10″ and 201 lbs. and a 40 time of 4.49, he has the speed and quickness to his the hole and take it to the next level.

12 – Mike Williams – WR Clemson: At 6′-4″ and 218 lbs., his game is get the 50/50 jump balls with his 33 3/8″ long arms and 32 1/2″  vertical jump. He catches everything in his zip code.

13 – Mitch Trubisky – QB – North Carolina: Only 13 career starts, but played in over 30 throughout his college career. Although his body of work is small, his tape is the most consistent of any quarterback in this draft. At 6′-2″  and 222 lbs., he’s big enough to play the position and has a strong enough arm to make all the throws.

14 – David Njoku – TE – Miami (FL): More of a receiving TE than an in-line blocker, but his 6′-4″ 246 lbs. frame with 35 1/4″ arms presents a huge target for your quarterback.

15 – Taco Charlton – DE – TSUN: Long and lean at 6′-6″ and 277 lbs., Charlton is an effective pass rusher that would thrive in a 4-3 scheme like what’s run in Cincinnati.

16 – Caleb Brantley – DT – Florida: Not a glamorous position, but Brantley is effective against the run and the pass.

17 – Malik McDowell – DT – TSUN: Another well rounded D-tackle. It’s just a shame that he went to that school up North.

18 – Deshaun Watson – QB – Clemson: the most battle tested quarterback in the draft with back-to-back championship appearances against Alabama. Watson possesses the uncanny ability to play his best when the lights are their brightest. He thrives under pressure situations and comes through in the clutch.

19 – Corey Davis – WR – Western Michigan: An immediate impact receiver at 6′-3″ and 209 lbs. Granted, he played in the MAC, but this kid is a playmaker.

20 – Ryan Ramczyk – OT – Wisconsin: The most complete O-lineman in the draft with the ability to play either guard or tackle. Plug him in and forget about it.

HONORABLE MENTION . . . Sidney Jones – CB – Washington: Was a top ten talent until he tore his ACL during Washington’s pro day. How much will it cost him in the draft? Who knows, but if healthy, this kid it a top notch cornerback. Some team will have to be willing to wait a year for him to rehab and then reap the harvest.

And that wraps up my top 20 for 2017. As always your comments are most welcome. This is Bill Wunkle signing off for now.