2017 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting First Three Rounds before Scouting Combine

The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t a team with a ton of glaring needs, but they could use another inside linebacker to pair with Derrick Johnson next season. There’s a bit of a drop off at the position after Reuben Foster, but Vanderbilt’s Zach Cunningham is still a potential first-round prospect.

Cunningham has nice size for an ILB at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. He does a great job of shedding blockers and has a nose for the ball. He misses more tackles than I’d like to see, but he’s consistently in a position to meet the ball carrier, which is harder than it sounds for an inside linebacker.

There are other routes the Chiefs could go with this pick, but Cunningham could be a valuable contributor on a defense that has enough talent that it won’t force him to do too much as a rookie.

It has been a tough stretch for the Dallas Cowboys as they try to find reliable defensive ends, and they’ll likely be looking for another one in the first round of this year’s draft.

Auburn’s Carl Lawson has experience standing up or with a hand in a ground, and he was a proven pass rusher with the Tigers. He has a powerful upper body and does a great job using his hands to disengage and create separation to get to the quarterback. He proved that he could stay healthy this season after an injury-riddled career, and that might be enough for Lawson to be a first-round pick.