It’s never too early to start talking about college football, which is why our staff will continue to discuss some of the hottest topics in the game today. Thus far, we’ve discussed the best and worst coaching hires, the biggest surprise team and the most disappointing team, as well as impact transfers and intriguing quarterback situations. In today’s roundtable, we talk about next year’s NFL draft, now that this year’s draft is over.
Question: If the 2017 NFL Draft were held today, who would be your No. 1 overall pick?
Joe Dexter
On Twitter @BuckeyeRadio
Selecting someone today means that I need a player that can contribute the most to my team right away.
Louisiana State running back Leonard Fournette might be the only player in college football right now that could trade in his purple jersey for a professional one without skipping a beat.
The crazy part of the equation: Even though he’s the most NFL-ready of the top college football prospects heading into 2016, we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
LSU head coach Les Miles has made it public several times that we haven’t seen the next-level speed the New Orleans native brings to the table, because he needs to drop weight.
Yet despite being in less-than-perfect condition, all Fournette did in 2015 was break the LSU single-season rushing record; average 6.5 yards per carry; reach 1,000 yards rushing in five games; become the fastest LSU rusher to 2,000 yards in his career; and become the first SEC player since 1949 to lead the nation in rushing yards per game.
The biggest dig on one of college football’s biggest stars in 2015 was his struggles in big games. There is no dodging his measly 2.75 yards per carry in his two starts against Alabama. Despite those poor showings versus the Tide, he has all the intangibles on and off the ball that you are looking for.
The tools most college players need to develop as they move to the pros, such as his pass blocking and reception skills, are already at an NFL level.
There might be players in college football that will have better careers, some even at the running back position. However, If I’m drafting today to be better, the obvious pick is Leonard Fournette.
Kevin Causey:
On Twitter @CFBZ
The correct answer to this question is probably Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, because of how valuable quarterbacks are in today’s NFL.
That being said, my answer is LSU’s Leonard Fournette. The value of the running back in the NFL is devalued today, but it’s on the rise with last year’s performance from Todd Gurley and this year’s pick of Ezekiel Elliott. Fournette has a rare combination of all of the attributes you want in a feature back.
Fournette showed last year that he can carry a team that doesn’t have a quarterback, and he’s also a threat out of the backfield as a receiver even though LSU doesn’t require him to be one.
If I’m looking for one guy to come in and make a huge impact for my team, it’s Fournette.
Terry Johnson:
On Twitter @SectionTPJ
Joe and Kevin both made a compelling case for Fournette. Given that many professional scouts have compared him with legendary SEC (and NFL) running backs Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson, I have absolutely no doubts that he’ll have a long professional career.
With that said, I’m not 100% certain that I’d take him with the first pick of the draft. While running back is an important position, it’s impossible to win games in the NFL without a great defense.
That’s why if I were choosing right now, I’d select Jonathan Allen of Alabama.
Yes, I realize this choice will raise a few eyebrows, as well as cause Jets and Eagles fans to boo as loudly as they can. After all, he was technically a backup last season, playing mostly behind A’Shawn Robinson, who’s now with the Detroit Lions.
Starter or not, there’s no disputing what Allen accomplished when he was on the field. Despite receiving fewer snaps than Robinson and Jarran Reed, Allen led the team – and the SEC – with 12 sacks. Throughout his time in Tuscaloosa, he’s been at his best in big games, recording over half of his career sacks (9.5 of 17.5) in contests against ranked opponents.
At 6’3” and 284 pounds, Allen is more than capable of playing in a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme in the NFL. Given that he could harass opposing quarterbacks from either the tackle or end position, he’d be an asset to any team that needs a pass rusher, such as the Atlanta Falcons – whose roster recorded only seven more sacks than Allen did last year.
Phil Harrison
On Twitter @Phil HarrisonCFB
With all due respect to the SEC Kool-Aid that’s sure to be consumed in copious amounts with this question, I’ve got to look to the ACC and Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson. Why, you say? Because despite efforts to change it, the NFL is still a quarterback league. In recent times, the right pick under center — for better or worse — has mapped out a team’s destiny in not-so-distant years more often than not.
Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers. Those are just some of the names that have quickly turned franchises at the trail-head of a crossroads into a road of opportunity. Yeah, yeah, there are a whole host of first-round quarterbacks that have won as many playoff games as I have sitting on my couch writing this (Cleveland be damned), so it’s not an exact science, but Watson seems to fit the bill.
The 6-2, 205-pound QB has shown a deft touch, and is a leader among men. Most importantly, he’s a part of the new generation of quarterbacks that can improvise when things ultimately break down in a league with the best defenders in the Milky Way Galaxy.
If you have the number one pick in 2017, you could do a lot worse than picking a quarterback who seems to check off all the boxes you’d want from a guy handling the ball each and every snap. Dare we say that the Cleveland Browns are on the clock?
