What if the 2017 NFL Draft was held today?
13. Arizona Cardinals: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU (Original Pick: Haason Reddick, OLB, Temple)
Yet another case where the original pick turned into a good player but not a great one. The current Cardinals front office regime is obsessed with athletic freaks (they also selected Budda Baker in this draft and Isaiah Simmons a couple of years later). Haason Reddick is a player I personally view as overrated. He’s a good player but is definitely not as great as his 11.0 and 12.5 sack seasons would indicate.
Tre’Davious White is widely viewed as an elite corner, which he is, and one of the biggest steals of the first round in 2017. The fact that the Bills moved down 17 spots and still landed him is a testament to their front office (even if they did pass on Patrick Mahomes).
14. Philadelphia Eagles: Jamal Adams, S, LSU (Original Pick: Derek Barnett, EDGE, Tennessee)
Derek Barnett has had an odd career so far with the Eagles. He’s mainly a run-first edge defender and is the textbook example of mediocre. He’s not below-average but he isn’t above-average either. Even so, he was part of perhaps the most memorable defensive play in the Philadelphia Eagles’ history when he recovered a Tom Brady fumble in Super Bowl 52.
The Eagles didn’t have a lot of needs, outside of pass rusher and wide receiver, at this time so I went with who I viewed as the best player available. Adams would have fit in well with the Eagles as part of a great duo with Malcolm Jenkins.
15. Indianapolis Colts: Taylor Moton, OT, Western Michigan (Original Pick: Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State)
Malik Hooker has been a victim of injuries for much of his NFL career. He had a great 2018 season for the Colts but hasn’t quite returned to that level since then. He now plays for the Cowboys in an attempt to reach the potential that many analysts thought he had.
Taylor Moton, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated tackles in the entire NFL. He’s always been a great pass-protector and has recently improved his run-blocking. Moton would have been the perfect fit for a Colts team that was still attempting to rebuild its OL five years ago. He’d have solved their right tackle problem immediately and would have been a step in the right direction for the team.
16. Baltimore Ravens: Marcus Maye, S, Florida (Original Pick: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama)
Marlon Humphrey was a home-run pick for the Ravens, but since he isn’t available for them in this re-draft, Marcus Maye is the next best option for reasons previously stated. Maye often played second-fiddle to Jamal Adams in New York but he was a very good player for a while for the Jets.