Well… that was a game. Goliath has grown larger, the Pats pick 32nd, and now every fanbase is in full-on draft mode as they prepare for the 2017 NFL Draft. This is about the time when mock draft enthusiasts should be identifying three things: who are your draft top prospects at each position? what are the team needs and draft patterns for every NFL team? and what are the draft day trades that would make logical sense for both teams, and for the prospect being traded for?

It’s all a puzzle, and there is something supremely satisfying about finding an elegant solution for all 32 draft slots.

I’m not quite there yet. There are still a couple teams and spots (especially New Orleans at 11, Cleveland at 12, and Pittsburgh at 30) I admittedly don’t have supreme confidence in. But by tracking the evolution of my own mock draft I can look for patterns, discovering solutions to new problems by looking at past versions.

As always, let me know which of my picks make no sense to you. I will always take your comments under consideration when making future mock drafts. So far, Colts, Browns, and Raiders fans have been the best to me; ripping old decisions to pieces, thereby giving birth to a much better-informed mock draft. Where are the other 29 fanbases? You’ve officially been put on notice.

1. Myles Garrett, DE Texas A&M

With news that Gregg Williams will be the new defensive coordinator in Cleveland, there is a very real possibility the Browns will ditch their long-employed 3-4 defense in favor of a more traditional 4-3 look. This only strengthens the case for Garrett at number 1 overall, as they don’t have a traditional 4-3 DE on the roster. He is the best player in the draft, and the perfect player to build a new 4-3 defense around. It’s almost as if the Browns have known for some time that they would draft Garrett, and they picked a defensive coordinator that would fit his style, rather than the other way around.

2. Reuben Foster, ILB Alabama

I have to admit, I first saw this pick made by Chris Burke, and it makes a lot more sense than many other picks I’d seen in other mocks, and even the ones I’d been making myself. I’ve loved Foster for the entire draft process, and he fits what San Francisco needs better than any other non-QB prospect. The 49ers were most successful when Bowman and Willis manned the middle, and this year they can bring in an adrenaline-filled bullet in Foster to take over the worst run defense in the league and transform it into a feared unit once more.

3. Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson

I still feel, despite the immense talent of so many defensive prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft, that the Bears will draft a QB at 3. Their defense is pretty good. Their offensive skill players are solid. Their QB play needs to improve, now. I think Watson will be the Bears’ pick. He was seen as a #1 overall prospect before the college season began, he had a decent year, and he destroyed the best college defense with some pro-level throws and incredible toughness in the championship game. Yes, he has some issues, but he should be the first QB off the board.

4. via Jamal Adams, S LSU

This feels like a trade I might have a very good chance of nailing on draft day. Both the Titans and the Chargers could use a game-changing safety. With Hooker now recovering from surgery, Adams will probably be seen as the unquestioned top safety on the board. San Diego will feel the pinch and trade up to grab him before the Titans have a chance. This deal also works out strategically for mock draft contest purposes as well. If they let Cyprien leave, the Jaguars could very easily take Adams at pick 4, which would give me the Player-Pick points. (please read our quick primer on How to Play MockOut and how mock drafts are scored.)

5. Malik Hooker, S Ohio State

It’s hard to say whether Tennessee would be disappointed here or would shrug and say “Meh. We still like Hooker.” A lot of folks are going to drop Hooker down their mocks because of his surgeries- as if having a procedure and recovering from it makes you a drastically different player. It might affect his stock, but it shouldn’t drastically do so, and the Titans are happy to get the elite free safety here. With the great depth at cornerback in this year’s draft class, they can afford to take Hooker here and target cornerback or wide receiver or a luxury need at 18.

6. via Leonard Fournette, RB LSU

Here comes another bit of strategic trade prediction. This is the first time I’ve joined the chorus of Fournette-to-Panthers fans, and I am only doing it after having listened to Rivera’s comments about the run game needing to be better. Here, I hedge my bets, getting 6 points if Fournette goes here to the Jets or getting 6 points if he lasts until the Panthers at 8, but getting that big old 20 point Trade Bonus if they trade ahead of Jacksonville to take him. Fournette is a big bad runner, built to play in the power run scheme both Carolina and the Jets employ, so I feel great about this hedge.

7. via Jonathan Allen, DE Alabama

Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise for Jaguars fans? They trade down, gathering some precious draft capital to use on this amazing draft class, and they still get their guy- PFF’s second best draft prospect for the 2017 NFL Draft. Allen helps the Jaguars against the run and with their interior pass rush, which can often be even more disruptive than pass rush coming in from around the edge. Pairing Allen with Malik Jackson and Dante Fowler could give the Jaguars a dominant young D-line, and will allow them to take a defensive back or linebacker early in the second.

8. via Quincy Wilson, CB Florida

Yes, this pick is the ultimate example of bet hedging. Another need that both the Jets and Panthers share is shutdown CB, as Josh Norman left Carolina and Darrelle Revis is not the same elite corner he once was. I have Wilson as the best CB of this class, who combination of size, fluidity, attitude, and youth will make him a much sought-after prospect. This is a bit of a tougher projection since there are so many good CBs to choose from here, and Fournette is clearly the best power scheme RB, so I’ll just stick with my top-rated player and hope this team agrees.

9. Derek Barnett, DE Tennessee

As long as I have Barnett still available at pick 9, I don’t think this pick will ever change until draft day. Barnett is incredibly reliable against the run, but also a force rushing the passer. He is a textbook 4-3 DE, which the Bengals tend to utilize up front. The Bengals might need to trade up ahead of the Panthers if they want to make sure they get their guy, but in this iteration of the mock draft they stay put and get the perfect edge defender.

10. Zach Cunningham, ILB Vanderbilt

While many Buffalo fans will probably hold their breath and pray that Foster falls to them at 10, as the offseason progresses and Foster continues to prove himself as a top-5 prospect, I think the Bills will have to turn their attention to a slightly different but equally valuable player in Cunningham. Foster is like a missile that flies toward ball carriers, but Cunningham, himself very long and fast, is more like a swarm of bees, always buzzing around the ball and wrapping up with textbook form tackling.

11. Solomon Thomas, DE Stanford

While the Saints need help in their defensive backfield, I think they, like a lot of other teams, will wait until the second round to fill that hole, due to the plentiful depth at the position. In this case, they take a disruptive player in Solomon Thomas, who is stout against the run and (as UNC saw during their Bowl Game) creates havoc on the inside on passing downs. With the Saints preferring to play in a 4-3 base with some variations, getting a prospect with positional flexibility like Thomas will be a boon for this defense.

12. via Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State

In the previous version of my mock draft, I had the Skins trading up to grab Fournette. After thinking about it a bit more, this scenario makes much more sense to me. I think both the Redskins and Browns are happy with their bigger backs- Kelley and Crowell- but wouldn’t mind adding better explosion to the position. Especially the Redskins. Never a stranger to making a big splash for an elite player, I don’t think the Redskins just sit back and draft whatever defensive back lands in their laps. Instead they pull the trigger and give their offense a new explosive identity, adding the speed in the backfield that they’ll be losing out wide with the departure of Desean Jackson.

13. O.J. Howard, TE Alabama

The Cardinals must be holding their breath for Howard to fall to them, as he was the last of the big three prospects (ILBs Foster and Cunningham being the other two) that is a superstar in the making at a position of serious need. My love for Howard is well-documented, so just let me say that I am 99% against the idea of drafting a TE in the first round. I didn’t like the Vernon Davis pick and I hated the Eric Ebron pick. But Howard is the exception. He is the other 1%. He will make David Johnson even more effective, and replace Floyd/eventually Fitzgerald as a big seam-splitting target up the middle.

14. Malik McDowell, DE Michigan State

I am all over the place on my Indianapolis mocks, but this is the first pick that feels really good to me. McDowell has a very high ceiling as a disruptive 3-4 DE (a position the Colts really need to upgrade) though his injured ankle might be a little concerning. As long as he passes physicals and the interview portion of the combine, I see him being a very natural fit for a D-line in need of stout players with ferocity in their game. Until the defense is fixed, this team will always be an also-ran. This is a great start.

15. John Ross, WR Washington

Eagles fans hate me. They hate this pick and they hate me and my stupid mock draft. But Corey Davis needing to recover from surgery only cements the idea of Ross being the first receiver off the board. It’s not that I think he is the best WR in the draft. I think he is the best fit for the Eagles in this draft. Much like when Darrius Heyward-Bey was the first WR drafted by the Raiders because he fit what the team needed (or thought they needed) better than Crabtree did… Ross fits what the Eagles need better than Corey Davis or Mike Williams do. I still feel good about this pick, and for now, I’m sticking with it.

16. Ryan Anderson, OLB Alabama

This isn’t the splashiest pick of the first round, but Anderson is a strong player who would make a good defense even better. Anderson has great, fluid athleticism for his size, and he plays the game like his life depends on it. He’s the kind of player any team would love to add, even if he’s never going to lead the league in sacks. This is a good add for a team built the right way, adding solid pieces in the middle rather than just drafting the fastest guy and hoping he can get a ton of sacks.

17. via Kevin King, CB Washington

The Browns, amid myriad other issues, need to address their defensive backfield. Of course this is great news for them, because the draft class is loaded. I think Kevin King is a top-20 prospect, and that even with more popularly-mocked players like Lattimore, Humphrey, and Tankersly available, I feel good about slotting in the long-limbed, aggressive press corner. The truth about the position is, there are just so many good ones in this year’s class, you have to put them in order by your own preference (taking into account each CB’s style, and the strengths of the WRs in the drafting team’s division) and just go with it.

18. Desmond King, CB Iowa

Double Kings! I don’t necessarily think it is the best idea to start two rookies in a defensive backfield, but the Titans needed help all over the back end, and I think Desmond King is a much better prospect than Mike Williams is at WR. Corey Davis could easily go here, but I think concerns about his health, combined with the fact that they already drafted Hooker, who is recovering from his own surgery, will lead them to take the best healthy player left on their board. This might not pay dividends early in 2017, but as the two new defensive backs get used to the pro game, the Titans could be very hard to throw on.

19. Obi Melifonwu, S UConn

This pick is a toss up for me, between Obi and Brantley. Based on what I am hearing about Melifonwu’s potential all-world combine, I’m going to send him here for now. The Bucs could use a big physical presence in their defensive backfield, and Obi has shown he can be a great safety, and has the potential to play as a physical man corner as well. Getting a safety who can hammer down to stop the run but also play against Julio and Cooks from the slot would a great addition to a defense in need of an identity.

20. Haason Reddick, OLB Temple

Yes, the Broncos need an offensive tackle as well, but even with scarcity at the position, I don’t think they are going to pass on an athletic difference maker at LB like Reddick to take a flawed prospect at a position of slightly greater need. They could also consider Jarrad Davis here, but I think Reddick and his pass-rushing prowess, his twitchy speed, will be the pick. Lining him up across from Von Miller will be asking a lot of opposing teams’ offensive tackles, and the Broncos should know better than anyone how much more important it is to have a dominant defense than a capable offense.

21. Takkarist McKinley, DE UCLA

Detroit could use another CB opposite Slay, but this is also a good spot to take one of the two 4-3 DEs who should return first round value. I opted to give them McKinley over Walker (whom I actually prefer) because I think Detroit values length and speed at the DE position more than power and explosion, and that is what McKinley offers. I think bookend rush ends of Tak and Ziggy should make the Lions defensive front imposing on enemy QBs, and therefore allow the corners to not be alone on an island for so long.

22. DeMarcus Walker, DE Florida State

I think Miami might also prefer McKinley over Walker, but they would be happy that at least one of those two players made it to them for their first round pick. Cameron Wake and Mario Williams aren’t exactly rookies any more, and adding a rotational rusher and eventual replacement in Walker should be a big step toward fixing this defense and setting the Dolphins up to compete with New England in the next few years. He has a really funny frame for a defensive end, being both shorter and heavier than most, and I think this will result in many offensive tackles not really knowing how to get their hands on him.

23. Cam Robinson, OT Alabama

The Giants are none too happy about how Erick Flowers has developed (or not developed) to this point in his career, so they take another massive tackle prospect to push him or Hart to start, allowing the third of these three to back up both tackle positions. If the Giants want to have a chance at one last run with Eli under center, they will need to give him more time in the pocket than they have been, so he can feed Beckham and Perkins. The Giants hope is for Robinson to add a more imposing physical presence to a huge but underachieving line.

24. via Mitch Trubisky, QB UNC

You thought I forgot about the QBs, didn’t you? Well, I didn’t. I just can’t justify teams at the top of the draft taking a chance on someone like Trubisky or Kizer when supremely talented defenders and RBs are on the board. The 49ers, happy to have the new QB of their defense in Foster, now have a new QB under center on offense as well. Trubisky showed good accuracy and athleticism in his one full year as a starter at UNC, but will have to work on getting stronger and adding deep accuracy to his game for this to be worth the trade up.

25. DeShone Kizer, QB Notre Dame

The 49ers had to jump past the Texans to get Trubisky, and I think coach O’Brien will be furious if he misses out on Mitch by just one pick. That said, Kizer is an acceptable contingency plan this late in the first round. He needs to show much better decision making and accuracy, but he has a live arm and can move around well in the pocket. The Texans pretty much have to draft a QB capable of at least competing for the starting job, as Osweiler’s contract makes a free agent addition nearly impossible. Kizer might not have the accuracy to take advantage of Hopkins, but he does have the kind of arm that will make Fuller a more dangerous deep threat.

26. Caleb Brantley, DT Florida

I’m not going to believe the Garett Bolles hype until I see some test numbers. A 25 year old one-year starter on the O-line sounds an awful lot like Danny Watkins to me, and with a special player like Caleb Brantley on the board… no thank you. Brantley generates pressure like a bullet through the interior of the offensive line, and shows enough strength to be a decent anchor against the run as well. He is one of my favorite players in the draft, and he can get even better if he adds more strength and better hand technique to his game. Seattle would also be a great landing spot for him.

27. Jarrad Davis, ILB Florida

Davis is going to give the Chiefs an above average linebacker for as long as he can stay healthy. He shows great awareness in shooting the gap, and his straight line speed is impressive. I think he is a little athletically limited, as he doesn’t have the fluidity required to have really great range. Sticking him on the inside- in tight quarters- is almost certainly best for him as a pro. But he shows the kind of attitude and nose for the ball any team could use, and there might not be a better player for him to learn from and eventually replace than Derrick Johnson.

28. Corey Davis, WR Western Michigan

Questions about his level of competition and recovery from surgeries will only drop the talented pass catcher so far. Dallas, whose current #2 WR out wide is Brice Butler, will not let him fall any further. I love Corey Davis, and think he deserves to go higher than this. But without any combine numbers, and with only projections about how effective he can be against top competition, Davis could slide on draft day in favor of equally talented players with fewer question marks. I think he brings an exciting element to the outside of an imposing offense, and enjoys early success against constant single coverage in the pros.

29. Sidney Jones, CB Washington

The Packers, as was illustrated all season long and especially against the Falcons in the championship game, need to improve their entire defensive backfield. They could also use a better TE, and while I could definitely see Njoku going here, I can’t pass on an elite pass defender like Sidney Jones. In round two, there will still be good TE options (the draft is pretty deep at that position as well) but they could even use another CB there, so taking one in the first is a good idea regardless of CB depth.

30. Mike Williams, WR Clemson

The Steelers are in a weird situation with their pass catchers. They have opened contract extension talks with Antonio Brown, but there are reports that his act is wearing thin in Pittsburgh. Who knows how that’s going to shake out. Wheaton is a free agent, Coates hasn’t shown much, Rogers is strictly a slot receiver, and nobody knows if Martavis will ever suit up for them again. All that leads me to giving the Steelers Mike Williams, who I’m not a very big fan of, but who is definitely the best remaining WR on the board before the group takes a nose dive. There are better prospects at other positions still on the board, but for where they are drafting and their team needs, I have a hard time imagining them passing up Williams.

31. Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE Villanova

I love Tanoh, and think he can be a very unique, disruptive end, whether a team lines up in a 4-3 or a 3-4 alignment. He is a massive player with good bend and quickness around the edge, but I think he can hold up against the run better than most 4-3 ends, especially considering his size. He reportedly had a great Senior Bowl week, looking like a grown man among college kids, and I think sneaks into the back end of the first round. The Falcons don’t have any dire needs that have to be reached for, so I think they draft the totally unique talent and hope they hit a home run with him.

32. T.J. Watt, OLB Wisconsin

I am going to stand pat with the Pats again for this mock, though not as enthusiastically as in past mock drafts. I think the Pats would love to get their hands on Watt, and I think he fits their scheme perfectly… but I don’t think he lasts until their pick in the second round. They need a new OLB who can get after the passer, and very few are as relentless as Watt. I have a feeling the Pats will want someone a little more special to fall to them, but in this mock, I think Watt is the best remaining player for them. He could stand to add a little more muscle to go with his hustle, but he will be a difference maker in New England.

You can track changes to my mock draft, as well as other mock drafts from around the web, at WalterFootball’s NFL Mock Draft Database.