The top players in the 2017 NFL Draft play on defense or at running back, but the Cleveland Browns know all too well that the only way to build a winning a tradition is to improve at quarterback.
With a bounty of selections -- including two in the first round -- Cleveland could opt to wait, though this strategy has not paid off in the past with Johnny Manziel (2014), Brandon Weeden (2012) and Brady Quinn (2008) all failing to live up to expectations after being selected 22nd in their respected drafts.
With team needs and the pecking order of the top prospects crystalizing as the season goes on, here is my latest early look at what might happen in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
1. Cleveland Browns
Mitch Trubisky , QB, North Carolina Tar Heels : With rookie Cody Kessler struggling to remain healthy or very productive (six touchdown passes in eight games), the winless Browns are once again searching for help at the game's most important position. According to CBSSports.com NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, the Browns are already honing in on Trubisky, an Ohio native and childhood Browns fan, to be the savior. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Trubisky has the tools and production (including a 25-4 TD to INT ratio) this season to excite scouts. However, Trubisky is a huge projection as an NFL franchise quarterback after only emerging UNC's starter this season.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Myles Garrett , DE, Texas A&M: Like the Browns one pick earlier, the 49ers could reach for a quarterback. Garrett, who many scouts feel is the best player in this draft, would be a terrific consolation prize. Garrett has been limited this season with an ankle injury but is a proven difference-maker when healthy. The 6-5, 262-pound junior possesses an explosive first step and rare flexibility to wreak havoc off the edge.
3. Chicago Bears
Jonathan Allen , DE, Alabama Crimson Tide : As long as the defensive-minded John Fox is calling the shots in Chicago, reinforcing this side of the ball will be a priority. The 6-foot-3, 292-pounder offers unique position versatility to go along with the production and intangibles the current regime prioritized in draft picks last spring. Allen is stout against the run and a proven pass rusher with 19 sacks in his past 26 games.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Leonard Fournette , RB, LSU Tigers : The Jaguars have dropped three consecutive games since firing Greg Olson October 29 and now sit at 2-8. With the team's young quarterback Blake Bortles regressing and the offense stagnant, adding a difference-maker like Fournette to the backfield might be the only solution. With all due respect to Jacksonville's current running backs, Fournette is a freakish talent, boasting the most exciting combination of size, speed and power since Adrian Peterson .
5. New York Jets
Jabrill Peppers , SS/LB, Michigan Wolverines : Now as the Jets' head coach and previously as the defensive coordinator in Arizona, Todd Bowles has prioritized versatility in his players. Linebacker, safety, cornerback, returner -- put him wherever you would like -- Peppers is a natural playmaker with the instincts and athleticism to carry over his success and versatility into the NFL.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
Cam Robinson , OL, Alabama: With starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right guard Kevin Zeitler pending free agents, the Bengals could be looking for young blockers in next spring's draft. Robinson has started at left tackle for the Tide, but some feel he projects better inside at guard or at right tackle due to his size (6-6, 310) and power in the running game.
7. San Diego Chargers
Mike Williams , WR, Clemson Tigers : Now fully recovered from the neck injury that forced him to miss virtually all of last season, the 6-3, 220-pound Williams has re-emerged as one of the elite pass-catchers in the country. Athletically, he is said to be in the same class as former Clemson stars Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins . Williams could be a godsend for a Chargers team lacking healthy playmakers.
8. Tennessee Titans (from Los Angeles)
John Ross , WR, Washington Huskies : The three-headed monster of Marcus Mariota , DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry would be that much more effective with a true speed threat challenging the safeties cheating toward the line of scrimmage. Ross is a DeSean Jackson clone, boasting this year's best combination of acceleration and agility among receivers.
9. Carolina Panthers
Teez Tabor , CB, Florida Gators : Growing pains had to be expected with GM Dave Gettlemen opting to go with youth at cornerback over paying Josh Norman . The results haven't always been pretty, though rookie James Bradberry has been a relative bright spot. Tabor talks a good game and backs it up, with his four interceptions currently tied for the SEC lead.
10. New Orleans Saints
Malik McDowell , DT, Michigan State Spartans : While rookie Sheldon Rankins still has a chance to make an impact now that he has returned from a fractured fibula and Cam Jordan remains one of the NFL's best, the latest injury to pass rusher Hau'oli Kikaha (torn ACL) only reinforces New Orleans' lack of depth up front. The 6-5, 282-pound McDowell offers position and schematic versatility, winning with both quickness and raw power.
11. Arizona Cardinals
Deshaun Watson , QB, Clemson: Poor performances and injury concerns for Carson Palmer has rekindled questions about the Cardinals' long-term plans at the position. Watson is not the polished pocket passer that Bruce Arians has preferred in the past but his mobility could be a perfect complement to young star running back David Johnson .
12. Tennessee Titans
Reuben Foster , LB, Alabama: Titans general manager Jon Robinson cut his teeth in New England, where Bill Belichick repeatedly invested early picks in explosive linebackers. Foster was overshadowed a year ago by SEC Defensive Player of the Year Reggie Ragland , but he's a better athlete and arguably the most feared hitter in college football.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jamal Adams , SS, LSU: The Bucs' duo of Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald is one of the league's least athletic. Adams possesses the range, agility and playmaking ability to warrant comparison to former LSU (and current Arizona Cardinals ) star Tyrann Mathieu and is bigger at 6-feet and 211 pounds.
14. Green Bay Packers
Derek Barnett , DE/OLB, Tennessee Volunteers : With edge rushers Julius Peppers , Nick Perry and Datone Jones all in the final year of their respective deals, the Packers will once again be looking for help at the position. The 6-3, 257-pound Barnett lacks the length and pure explosiveness scouts would prefer, but he's a well-rounded player who combines quickness, strength and technique to be effective against the pass and run, alike.
15. Indianapolis Colts
Dalvin Cook , RB, Florida State Seminoles : Adding some juice to the backfield in Indianapolis could be the perfect way to support Andrew Luck and few are better than Cook, who last season shattered Florida State's all-time single-season all-purpose record with 1,691 yards -- nearly 450 more than the great Warrick Dunn registered 20 years earlier.
16. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia)
Zach Cunningham , ILB, Vanderbilt Commodores : Hue Jackson and his staff deserve credit for an improving offense. The defense remains a quagmire, despite several premium draft picks being spent on the unit in recent years. With the need for an edge rusher filled with the trade for former New England Patriots standout Jamie Collins , the Browns could double down at linebacker with the explosive Cunningham.
17. Buffalo Bills
JuJu Smith-Schuster , WR, Southern California Trojans : As long as defensive-minded head coach Rex Ryan is calling the shots, the Bills will have to find unique athletes at the skill positions to make up for a lack of creative play-calling. Pairing the physical and highly competitive Smith-Schuster with the explosive Sammy Watkins would give the Bills a legitimate 1-2 punch on the perimeter.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers
Sidney Jones IV, CB, Washington: The great Steelers teams of the 1970s were best known for their ferocious Steel Curtain defense. The stars for the current squad, however, play on offense. As long as the Steelers' plan is to throw the ball all over the field, reinforcing the secondary will be an annual priority. Jones isn't as long or physical as last year's first-round pick Artie Burns but he is a superb athlete with pure cover skills.
19. Washington Redskins
Justin Evans , SS, Texas A&M: In previous stops in Seattle, San Francisco and Green Bay, Washington GM Scot McCloughan saw in person the benefit of building around play-making defensive backs. Evans, a heavy hitter currently tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions, would complement the signing of cornerback Josh Norman.
20. Miami Dolphins
Marlon Humphrey , CB, Alabama: Miami may be rethinking the decision to release playmaking cornerback Brent Grimes . He recorded four of the five interceptions by Dolphins cornerbacks in 2015 and Miami's three picks this season are tied for second worst in the NFL. The Dolphins prioritized size and physicality in the defensive backfield and could get an immediate boost at both with the 6-foot-1, 196-pound Humphrey, Alabama's latest star in the secondary.
21. Baltimore Ravens
Tim Williams , OLB, Alabama: Terrell Suggs remains a marvel at 34, leading the Ravens with five sacks through eight games but his 32-year old counterpart, Elvis Dumervil , has missed most of the season with a mysterious foot ailment. Possessing a lightning-quick burst off the snap, Williams has starred as a rush specialist for Alabama (GM Ozzie Newsome's alma mater) and could play an even greater role in the pass-happy NFL after learning from Suggs and Dumervil.
22. Detroit Lions
Christian McCaffrey , RB, Stanford Cardinal : The Lions have just three rushing touchdowns (by three different players) through nine games, just one more than the league-worst Houston Texans. Adding a playmaker like McCaffrey might finally give Matthew Stafford the complementary rushing threat he has lacked in Detroit. McCaffrey has struggled a bit with injuries this season but he's a proven difference-maker as a runner, receiver and returner.
23. Houston Texans
Lowell Lotulelei , NT, Utah Utes : The Texans have quietly assembled one of the better young rosters in the NFL. One of the obvious exceptions is at nose guard, where the aging (34) and increasingly rotund (listed at 325) Vince Wilfork is still eating up blocks. Like his older brother Star, Lotulelei offers power and bulk at the point of attack and could earn early-round consideration if he continues to develop.
24. Philadelphia Eagles (from Minnesota Golden Gophers )
Desmond King , CB, Iowa Hawkeyes : While rookie quarterback Carson Wentz earned most of the hype, a big reason for Philadelphia's early success this season has been a vastly improved defense. That was not the case in back-to-back division losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants , when the Eagles' secondary was torched. While perhaps lacking in straight-line speed, King's instincts, physicality and ball skills are top notch.
25. Atlanta Falcons
Carl Lawson , DE, Auburn Tigers : The Falcons' pass rush has taken off this season due to the emergence of second-year pro Vic Beasley , but a complementary threat is needed for Atlanta to take the next step. Lawson has struggled a bit with injuries over his career, but he is a power-packed edge rusher well-suited to Dan Quinn's aggressive scheme.
26. New York Giants
O.J. Howard , TE, Alabama: Rookie Sterling Shepard has diversified the Giants' offense, but the team remains too reliant upon Odell Beckham Jr. and is in need of more weapons, especially down the seam. Howard lacks the flashy statistics most often associated with first-round prospects, but he is a freakish athlete at 6-6, 242 pounds who may very well wind up being more productive in the NFL than he has been for the Crimson Tide.
27. Denver Broncos
Ryan Ramczyk , OT, Wisconsin Badgers : The Broncos gave veteran left tackle Russell Okung a one-year "show me" type of deal but his play in Denver has thus far been just as inconsistent as it was in Seattle. Ramczyk has been one of this year's most pleasant surprises, starring at left tackle for the Badgers after transferring from D-III UW-Stevens Point. The 6-6, 314-pounder is long and surprisingly agile, making him a potentially perfect fit in Gary Kubiak's zone blocking scheme.
28. Kansas City Chiefs
Dan Feeney , G, Indiana Hoosiers : Former offensive line coach Andy Reid prioritizes athleticism and smarts among his blockers, one of the reasons why his clubs consistently rank among the best at running draws and screens. This is precisely where Feeney excels, projecting as an upgrade over Kansas City's current starting guards Parker Ehinger and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif .
29. Seattle Seahawks
Takkarist McKinley , OLB/DE, UCLA Bruins : The Seahawks already have a good pass rush, but Pete Carroll and John Schneider are known to gamble early on freakish athletes. McKinley, the Pac-12's current sack leader, is certainly that, running a 10.58 100 meters in his first year of track in high school. McKinley may lack ideal length at 6-2, 258 pounds but he's explosive, tenacious and potentially capable of helping Seattle's pass rush and at strongside linebacker.
30. Oakland Raiders
Taco Charlton , DE, Michigan: The Raiders envisioned an immediate improvement in the pass rush by pairing pricey free-agent addition Bruce Irvin with young superstar Khalil Mack . Though the wins are up in Oakland, sacks are down with the Raiders ranking among the league's least-effective pass-rushing teams. Charlton possesses exciting initial quickness and bend given his 6-5, 272-pound frame.
31. New England Patriots
Charles Harris , DE, Missouri Tigers : With Jamie Collins traded to Cleveland and Dont'a Hightower , Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long each in the final year of their respective deals, the Patriots will likely be focusing on edge defenders in the 2017 draft. The 6-3, 255-pound Harris is an effective edge rusher due to his burst and power and plays with the relentless motor Bill Belichick requires.
32. Dallas Cowboys
Bucky Hodges , TE, Virginia Tech Hokies : Future Hall of Famer Jason Witten has played an underrated role in the development of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott but he no longer possesses the speed to threaten down the seam. This is precisely where the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Hodges could excel, providing the Cowboys with a potentially lethal complement to Dez Bryant and, of course, young sensation Ezekiel Elliott .
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