NFL Draft 2017: 5 Biggest First Round Steals
By Joel W. Cade
The first round of the 2017 NFL Draft was full of trades and surprises, and a few teams walked away with some big steals.
Three teams traded up for a quarterback in a draft that many experts predicted quarterbacks would fall to the second round. Several projected top ten players fell into the teen and early twenties. Several teams took chances on players they probably should not have.
In the end, every general manager will proudly proclaim they got the players they were targeting all along. But that does not mean they didn’t have to do some moving around to get them. Overall, it was a fun night for the NFL.
Much like the day after a wild party binge, NFL teams are now re-examining their draft boards, sharpening their focus and getting back on the saddle for what will be an exciting ride in rounds two and three on Friday night.
The NFL Draft is a crap shoot. Teams spend outrageous amounts of time and money investigating draft picks only to have a roughly 50/50 shot on any given player.
A major factor of player success, outside of hard work and determination, is where players land. If a player is lucky, he will land on a team with a plan on how to use him. A mediocre player can succeed in the right system. Conversely, a great player can fall apart if not used properly.
After the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, here are five players who find themselves in good positions. If they figure it out, they will be first round steals.