Following the conclusion of the regular season, we now have the order for the first 20 picks of the 2017 NFL Draft. The order for the remaining 12 slots will be determined by what happens in the postseason. Here are 10 takeaways from my initial look at the selection order.
- Cleveland lost a heartbreaker to the Steelers in overtime on Sunday, but the loss did secure the No. 1 overall pick for the Browns organization. They also hold the 12th overall pick, courtesy of their trade with the Eagles prior to last year's draft. Last week, I wrote about the direction they should go in with these two picks (spoiler: I don't think they should spend either of them on a QB).
- The 49ers announced the firing of GM Trent Baalke and head coach Chip Kelly on Sunday. Whomever they hire will be armed with the second pick in the draft. This roster has needs all over the place, which should allow them to simply take the best available player.
- Tennessee also owns two picks in the top 20 selections. They pick fifth and 18th overall in the first round. The fifth pick is courtesy of the trade with the Rams last spring that brought Jared Goff to Los Angeles. They have done an excellent job of building through the trenches, but I think they'll look at adding a dynamic playmaker with this selection.
- Much has been made about the lack of top-tier quarterback talent in the 2017 class, but there is no shortage of teams with a need at the position. In fact, the teams holding the top three selections (Browns, 49ers and Bears) will likely address the quarterback position in the upcoming offseason. Will they find a signal-caller worthy of a first-round selection, or will they look to address that area of need in another round of the draft (see Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott)?
- The Jaguars will pick in the top five for the fifth consecutive season. They hit a homerun with their top pick in last year's draft, Jalen Ramsey. They should be able to land another impact defender at this spot or select a dynamic running back.
- It sure looks weird seeing the Carolina Panthers picking in the top 10 (eighth overall) one year removed from a Super Bowl appearance. No. 8 might be a little early to take one of the top offensive linemen in this draft class, but it's definitely an area that needs to be addressed by Carolina.
- The Eagles were smart to trade Sam Bradford prior to the season and begin the Carson Wentz era ahead of schedule. The trade with Minnesota ended up providing the Eagles with a pick in the middle of Round 1 (they'll pick either 14th or 15th ... more on that later). They'll be picking 2-3 spots behind the 2017 first-round pick they sent to Cleveland to trade up for Wentz. The Eagles need to add some playmakers and there should be plenty of them available at their spot in the first round.
- The coin flip: A draft tradition unlike any other. The Colts and Vikings ended up in a tie for record and strength of schedule at No. 14 in the draft order. As mentioned above, the Eagles hold the Vikings' first-round pick, so a coin flip will decide which team picks first, Colts or Eagles. This has happened several times over the last decade. Quick reminder: Tails NEVER fails!
- The defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos failed to make the playoffs and will select 20th in the first round. This could the time for a mini-rebuild on the offensive side of the ball. I wouldn't be shocked if they eventually moved back in the draft and collected some extra picks to rebuild the offense.
- The Chargers nailed their top pick last spring. Joey Bosa quickly emerged as a premier pass rusher in his rookie campaign. They hold the seventh pick in this draft and they need to provide some help for Philip Rivers. I'd love to see them add a playmaking wide receiver or an upgrade along the offensive line.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter at @MoveTheSticks.
