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The first round of the 2017 NFL draft is over, and now we can move on to the next round. 32 players are off the board, and a lot of fans think their team got a lot better tonight. But general managers have to go back to work and figure out who they’re taking in the second and third round on Friday.
The first round was pretty messy. Three teams traded up for quarterbacks, the San Francisco 49ers added a slew of picks and two outstanding players, tight end O.J. Howard dropped all the way to the Bucs at number 19, and as always, a few players dropped out of the first round entirely.
You can check out the full first round results here.
Those talented players who dropped will be priorities for general managers tonight, as they’ll try to set up trades to target those players who they feel are likely bargains. Players like Dalvin Cook, Forrest Lamp, Malik McDowell and Obi Melifonwu will be the subject of heated debates around NFL offices.
For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the fact that Dalvin Cook is falling this far is pretty good news. Whether or not they’re interested in Cook, there are plenty of running backs available who could fill their need, like Kareem Hunt, Alvin Kamara or even Joe Mixon, if the Bucs want to touch him after what he did. Curtis Samuel would be an interesting weapon as well, adding a lot of speed and versatility, though not the kind of back you can build a running game around.
Another position where the Bucs need to add some talent: safety. And that position has plenty of available players, too. Obi Melifonwu is still available, and the Bucs brought him in for a pre-draft visit. Budda Baker has been connected to the Bucs for a while, and if he falls a little further the Bucs could definitely snap him up. But a player like Josh Jones would make a lot of sense, too.
The Bucs hold the 18th pick in the second round, so a lot of teams still have to pass on the guys for Tampa Bay to end up with them, though.
Here are the best remaining players in the 2017 NFL draft as we head for the second round.
Best available players
Based on Dan Kadar’s Top 100
7. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
21. Forrest Lamp, OT/OG, Western Kentucky
23. Malik McDowell, DL, Michigan State
26. Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama
27. Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt
33. DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame
34. Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
35. Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut
37. Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn
38. Budda Baker, S, Washington
39. Teez Tabor, CB, Florida
40. Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama
41. Alvin Kamara, RB, Tennessee
43. Dan Feeney, G, Indiana
46. Chris Wormley, DT, Michigan
47. Derek Rivers, DE/OLB, Youngstown State
48. Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
49. Josh Jones, S, North Carolina State
50. Curtis Samuel, RB/WR, Ohio State