Welcome to the NFL Draft, 2017 edition. It's the night when college players have their dreams of making it to the NFL come true. It's also the night that fantasy football enthusiasts start taking further steps to build their rosters for the upcoming season. As such, we're back again with another edition of our live blog. Keep coming back through the first two days for updates on the offensive skill position players with analysis on what their fantasy futures might hold.
2. Chicago Bears (trade): Mitchell Trubisky, QB: This one caught everyone by surprise. The Bears traded a king's ransom with the 49ers to move up one spot and pick a quarterback with just 13 college starts under his belt. There is certainly upside there from a fantasy perspective, but he'll spend 2017 battling with Mike Glennon for the starting job and might not show fantasy dividends for a couple of seasons.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette, RB: There had been a thought for some time that this could happen. Fournette gives Jacksonville the freight train of a running back it has been seeking for some time. His ability in the passing game remains to be seen, but Fournette's ability to be both a bruiser and a burner between the tackles means he can be a workhorse and give the Jaguars offense a dimension it's been lacking.
5. Tennessee Titans: Corey Davis, WR: I love every part of this pick. The Titans need help (and speed) at the receiver spot and Davis looks like the most complete receiver in this class. There might be some concern because an injury prevented him from doing offseason workouts, but his tape should be plenty good enough to excite both Titans fans and fantasy owners.
7. Los Angeles Chargers: Mike Williams, WR: This one is a bit of a surprise for a team that appears to have solid depth at wide receiver. It's hard to pass up a talent like Williams when he falls in your lap and his ability to high-point the football will make him a nice choice around the goal line. But with Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman and Travis Benjamin already on the roster, you have to wonder how many targets are going to be available.
8. Carolina Panthers: Christian McCaffrey, RB: Things worked out for McCaffrey to fall into Carolina's lap. As arguably the most versatile running back in this year's draft, McCaffrey will have the chance to do a little of everything in the Panthers offense. Look for him to be on the field paired with Jonathan Stewart and occasionally line up as a slot receiver. He'll be a popular PPR pick this season.
9. Cincinnati Bengals: John Ross, WR: You might have heard, but John Ross is fast. The speedy Washington Husky now pairs up with A.J. Green and is likely to push Brandon LaFell for the WR2 job in Cincy. We'll see if the Bengals use him as more than just a deep threat. Otherwise, he'll have mostly boom-or-bust, best-ball potential.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (trade): Pat Mahomes, QB: The Chiefs swing a deal with the Buffalo Bills to move up and draft Mahomes. The Texas Tech standout might be the rawest among the top QBs in the class, but he might also have the most upside. He won't have any fantasy relevance in the near future barring injury, but he'll be a name to remember whenever the Chiefs and Alex Smith part ways.
12. Houston Texans (trade): Deshaun Watson, QB: Watson will have an opportunity to challenge for the starting job right away with a Texans offense desperately in need of a signal-caller. It's ironic that Houston gets its QB of the future in a trade with the Browns after sending their previous QB of the future (Brock Osweiler) to Cleveland earlier this offseason. Okay then. Nonetheless, this looks to be a pretty good match of team and player. Plus, DeAndre Hopkins has to be doing his happy dance right now.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: O.J. Howard, TE: Welp. This probably means the Cameron Brate train will be pulling into the stockyards soon. Howard is the best tight end in a deep draft class and has the skillset to buck the "rookie fantasy tight ends don't produce" trend (following in the footsteps of Hunter Henry). Putting Howard with Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson makes everyone in Tampa a much more productive fantasy option.
23. New York Giants: Evan Engram, TE: This is s damn sexy pick by the Giants, who have been needing a tight end for years. He has the athleticism to be an impact player in an offense that will spread it out and throw the ball quite a bit. But with Odell Beckham, Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard already in the Big Apple, Engram will have to battle to find an adequate number of targets.
29. Cleveland Browns (trade): David Njoku, TE: The Browns traded with the Packers to get back into the first round and get themselves a tight end. Njoku is a dynamic playmaker who could slot into an offense that is looking to retool. He'll find himself in an early competition with Gary Barnidge, but Njoku should find his way onto the field and potentially have some limited fantasy value later in the season.
Round 2
37. Buffalo Bills (trade): Zay Jones, WR: Jones' impact as a fantasy player could rest heavily on Sammy Watkins' ability to stay healthy and productive in the Bills offense. Jones is a great hands-catcher who will succeed in making contested catches but isn't going to convince anyone he's a WR1. He can definitely produce immediately but he'll be a WR3/4 at best to start.
40. Carolina Panthers: Curtis Samuel, WR: First, the Panthers draft a running back who can play receiver. Now they take a receiver who can play running back. One thing is certain ... the Panthers are getting upgrades in the speed department and suddenly Cam Newton is looking a lot more dangerous as a fantasy passer heading into 2017.
41. Minnesota Vikings (trade): Dalvin Cook, RB: I love Cook as a player, but wish he would have landed somewhere else. With the Vikings adding Latavius Murray in free agency, Cook's role will automatically be limited. Fortunately, Cook's ability to catch the football will keep him on the field consistently. Nonetheless, this is a running back committee that I was hoping we could avoid.
44. Los Angeles Rams (trade): Gerald Everett, TE: Everett is still a rather raw prospect and will compete for snaps in an offense that drafted the athletic Tyler Higbee last season. There could be a fantasy future for Everett, but it's to see him being a productive option during 2017.
45. Chicago Bears (trade): Adam Shaheen, TE: The Bears just can't seem to figure out the tight end position ever since letting Greg Olsen get out of the Windy City. Shaheen has the potential to change that, but he's likely to suffer the same fate as many other rookie fantasy tight ends.
48. Cincinnati Bengals (trade): Joe Mixon, RB: Mixon's assault charge made im a controversial pick but on the field, there's little denying his all around talent. The problem is the logjam in the Bengals backfield with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard already taking up residence there. One of those players (potentially Bernard) will be the odd man out, but in the short term this is going to be another fantasy headache.
52. Cleveland Browns: DeShone Kizer, QB: Kizer could be the first of the rookie quarterbacks to start as the Browns look to remake their offense in Hue Jackson's image. From a fantasy perspective, 2017 isn't likely to be a huge year for Kizer but his outlook in dynasty formats is pretty bright.
62. Pittsburgh Steelers: Juju Smith-Schuster, WR: Smith-Schuster isn't a speed burner, but an offense with Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant won't need it. He will be a tough, move-the-chains possession receiver who will have to battle for snaps and targets. Being in a loaded passing attack isn't going to do much for his fantasy value and it could be tough to see him selected at all in redraft leagues.
Round 3
67. New Orleans Saints (trade): Alvin Kamara, RB: Kamara as a third round pick makes sense. And even in a backfield that already boasts Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson, Kamara should carve out a role as a pass-catcher on third downs. Whether there will be enough opportunity to for him to make a fantasy impact remains to be seen but it looks like there will be chances for him to play the former Darren Sproles role in the offense.
69. Los Angeles Rams: Cooper Kupp, WR: The good news for Kupp is that there are plenty of targets available in the Rams offense. The bad news is that no one is sure how much Jared Goff or the rest of the offense has improved. Kupp is a nice possession receiver but his overall yardage and touchdown totals might not make anyone excited about him as a fantasy draft pick.
72. Tennessee Titans (trade): Taywan Taylor, WR: Taylor's lot in the NFL will be as a slot receiver, meaning the Harry Douglas era is likely over in Tennessee. He's likely to work out as the fourth option in the Titans passing game which will depress his fantasy value across the 2017 season.
79. New York Jets (trade): ArDarius Stewart, WR: The Jets are in need of receivers with Brandon Marshall gone and Eric Decker's future with the team in question. Stewart is great with the ball in his hands and has enough speed to get downfield. In an offense where targets are up for grabs, Stewart could have sneaky late round value.
82. Denver Broncos: Carlos Henderson, WR: Henderson was a late riser as we got closer to the draft and his ability with the ball in his hands coul make him a nice complement to Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. A lot of the Louisiana Tech offense involves short passes that turned into longer plays. He could fill much of the same role with the Denver offense.
84. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chris Godwin, WR: Godwin got a lot of buzz during the draft season, but he's going to have to battle to get a requisite amount of targets in the Bucs offense. We'll see how big a slice of the pie Godwin can carve out for himself this season, but it's hard to imagine him as more than a waiver wire pick.
86. Kansas City Chiefs (trade): Kareem Hunt, RB: I've made no secret of my love for Kareem Hunt. He's a do-everything running back going to a coach that's excelled at using backs. It might take some time for him to earn a sizeable role in the offense, but it seems almost certain to happen by the end of the season and Hunt can be a deep fantasy sleeper.
87. New York Giants: Davis Webb, QB: This is strictly a pick for the future with Eli Manning still taking snaps in the Big Apple. Webb is a prototypical big, strong-armed quarterback who's lacking in mobility. There's zero reason to consider him in any fantasy format this season.
89. Houston Texans: D'Onta Foreman, RB: Foreman will take a backseat to Lamar Miller in the short term but he's likely to see some work in an effort to keep Miller fresher. The upside is that Foreman could be the player to see work near the goal line, in which case, his touchdown potential will make him a vmore valuable fantasy commodity.
96. Detroit Lions (trade): Kenny Golladay, WR: Detroit is looking for a player who can be another solid target for Matthew Stafford. Whether Golladay can be the guy to become a bona fide WR1 remains to be seen. One thing is certain -- there should be enough targets in the offense for Golladay to be a waiver wire option in plenty of leagues.
98. Arizona Cardinals (trade): Chad Williams, WR: Some will question whether Williams' big production in the SWAC can translate (even though plenty of quality players have come from HBCUs). He's in an offense where he won't necessarily be called upon to be a star from Day 1. That could minimize his fantasy draft value in 2017. If the Cards offense can rebound this year, Williams could have some waiver wire appeal.
100. Tennessee Titans: Jonnu Smith, TE: Smith is probably more of a blocking tight end than a true potential replacement for Delanie Walker in the Titans offense. He's not likely to have much fantasy relevance in the short term.
104. San Francisco 49ers (trade): C.J. Beathard, QB: Beathard didn't put much on tape to impress and he'll enter a quarterback competition with Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley. Sure, that doesn't sound too tough ... but it's also not a competition that Beathard is likely to win.
105. Pittsburgh Steelers: James Conner, RB: Conner's story is an amazing one after his battle with cancer and now gets to stay in the Steel City to play for Steelers. With DeAngelo Williams out of the mix in Pittsburgh, Conner will compete with Fitzgerald Tousssaint for snaps behind Le'Veon Bell but he won't find his way onto many fantasy rosters.
106. Seattle Seahawks: Amara Darboh, WR: The Seahawks are trying to upgrade their receiving corps but Darboh looks to be a bit of a project. There's a chance for him to fight for targets but it might not be enough to make him more than a waiver wire option.
Round 4
110. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dede Westbrook, WR:Marqise Lee is coming off the best season of his career but now he might have to battle for some slot receiver snaps with the dynamic Westbrook heading to north Florida. The Oklahoma product is smooth with the ball in his hands and can take snaps out of the backfield as well. Should make for an interesting camp competition.
114. Washington Redskins: Samaje Perine, RB: Perine is a big, strong back with good hands who can be a bruiser between the tackles. He joins a backfield that's already fairly crowded though this move coule mean the end of Matt Jones in the nation's capital. Washington's backfield will likely continue to be a fantasy headache ... just with Perine's name now thrown into the mix.
117. Los Angeles Rams: Josh Reynolds, WR: Reynolds adds a big target to their offense, though he isn't necessarily a game-changer at the position. The fantasy upside is that there should be plenty of opportunity to go around in a receiving corps that is still finding itself. But it would be prudent to leave Reynolds on the waiver wire until we see how it shakes out.
121. San Francisco 49ers (trade): Joe Williams, RB: The Niners are stockpiling running back depth after trading for Kapri Bibbs and drafting Williams. It will be interesting to see how Kyle Shanahan decides to how to parse out snaps and touches. For now, it's better to hold off on drafting anyone from that backfield not named Carlos Hyde.
127. Detroit Lions: Michael Roberts, TE: Roberts isn't blessed with a lot of speed or agility, but he does know how to get open and make catches. It might take a year or two, but don't be surprised with Roberts starts to push Eric Ebron for snaps and touches in this offense.
128. Cincinnati Bengals: Josh Malone, WR: The Bengals are loading up at wide receiver adding John Ross and now Josh Malone. Malone brings speed and size to an offense looking to get more dynamic. As for Malone's fantasy impact ... I wouldn't get too excited yet.
132. Philadelphia Eagles (trade): Donnel Pumphrey, RB: Pumphrey's game is all about speed though his size will make it tough to be anything more than a gadget player. His short term outlook might involve some special teams work but the Eagles will likely find a way to work him into the offense.
133. Dallas Cowboys: Ryan Switzer, WR: Switzer is a nice player but he seems a bit redundant in an offense that already has Cole Beasley. We'll see how he works into the offense.
134. Green Bay Packers: Jamaal Williams, RB: Williams needed to find the right fit on offense and he may have found it in Green Bay. As a pair with Ty Montgomery, Williams could turn into a short-yardage and goal line hammer with touchdown upside.
135. Pittsburgh Steelers: Josh Dobbs, QB: Dobbs will be the backup to Ben Roethlisberger but considering Ben's health history it's likely that Dobbs will see some starts this season. He'll stay on the waiver wire until that happens.
139. Kansas City Chiefs (trade): Jehu Chesson, WR: Chesson is very much a developmental prospect, which doesn't bode particularly well in an offense that hasn't shown a propensity to develop receivers. There's no fantasy value here for 2017.
140. New York Giants: Wayne Gallman, RB: Gallman is another project running back joining a muddled and underwhelming running back group. If LeGarrette Blount joins the squad, there are no obstacles standing between him and the No. 1 running back gig.
141. New York Jets: Chad Hansen, WR: The Jets are completely rebuilding their receiving corps with ArDarius Stewart and now Hansen. One of the biggest things to watch in training camp will be how snaps and targets are divided up among the wideouts in New York.
143. Indianapolis Colts: Marlon Mack, RB: Mack is a nice addition to a backfield that needs to find an understudy to Frank Gore. Mack is a versatile runner who can also catch passes out of the backfield and could be a nice waiver wire pick later this year or a solid dynasty pick this summer.
Other Notables
145. Denver Broncos: Jake Butt, TE: Butt won't have any fantasy value this season as he rehabs from a torn ACL suffered in Michigan's bowl game. BHe has the talent to be a productive fantasy tight end. You'll just have to wait a year or two for it to happen.
154. Washington Redskins (trade): Jeremy Sprinkle, TE: Sprinkle's future in the NFL is likely as a blocker who occasionally catches passes. There are players ahead of him in Washington's tight end pecking order and there's no reason to consider drafting him in any format.
156. Atlanta Falcons (trade): Brian Hill, RB: Hill will add depth to an already talented running back group. It will be a surprise to see him see enough opportunity to have any real value this season.
162. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jeremy McNichols, RB: McNichols will come in and platoon with Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims but has the skillset to start to earn a decently-sized role in the Bucs offense. He should be a nice dynasty pick with waiver wire potential in redraft leagues.
171. Buffalo Bills: Nathan Peterman, QB: The Bills strangely don't seem 100 percent sold on Tyrod Taylor but Peterman right now projects as the Bills' backup with an eye toward the future. It wouldn't be a shock to see Peterman beat out Cardale Jones for the No. 2 spot but barring an injury he won't have any fantasy value at all.
182. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Jones, RB: Things just got interesting in the Packers backfield. Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones should be in a pitched battle to earn snaps alongside Ty Montgomery. The winner could have handcuff value. Keep an eye on this one.
201. Minnesota Vikings: Bucky Hodges, TE: Hodges might be more of a receiver than a tight end but his athleticism could eventually earn him a spot in the offense. We aren't signalling the end of Kyle Rudolph just yet but Hodges could be an interesting chess piece for the Vikings.
215. Detroit Lions: Brad Kaaya, QB: Kaaya stayed on the board longer than anyone would have imagined and he'll sit behind Matt Stafford for the foreseeable future. For the moment, there's no fantasy value here. We can revisit this in the event of an injury.
237. Miami Dolphins (trade): Isaiah Ford, WR: Ford is more of a technician than a speedster, which makes him similar to Jarvis Landry in some ways. He'll need to find a way to carve out targets before we assign any real fantasy value to him.
247. Green Bay Packers: Malachi Dupre, WR: Dupre is a speed guy trying to find his way through a crowded receiving corps. Aaron Rodgers rewards players who earn his trust. We'll see how far Dupre can get in that process.
252. Cleveland Browns (trade): Matt Dayes, RB: Dayes is good but not great in a lot of areas and is most likely added depth in the Browns backfield. It's a stretch to imagine him having much fantasy value in 2017.
