The end of the college football season has brought a rush of underclassmen declaring for the 2017 NFL draft, giving all 32 teams different ways to evaluate the class from which they are preparing to select in April.A lot of the players who have already declared were expected. Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey have been on their way to the NFL since the end of the 2015 season. But there are some unexpected players who are taking their shots as draftees, hoping to cash in on team needs and momentum.Looking ahead to the draft with more than three months to go before the actual selections, there is going to be a lot of movement with each pick between now and then. Here's how the first 32 picks look as things stand right now.Most Intriguing Storyline: Deshaun Watson's RiseIn previous mock drafts, Deshaun Watson hasn't been included in the first round. This quarterback class overall is so difficult to gauge because all of the top names have at least one major red flag coming into the NFL.Watson put himself back on the map with a dazzling performance against Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Clemson's star quarterback went 36-of-56 for 420 yards with four total touchdowns (one rushing) in a 35-31 win.Per ESPN Stats & Info, Watson has done something against Alabama head coach Nick Saban that's never been done before:Normally, putting up big numbers against a college defense wouldn't generate buzz because there's a significant gap between what players do in college and what they do in the NFL, but Watson dominated against an Alabama defense that had potentially high draft picks like Jonathan Allen, Reuben Foster and Tim Williams.Beyond the numbers Watson put up, his presence under pressure against the best defense in the country was something NFL teams certainly noticed. He made the game-winning touchdown pass toHunter Renfrow with one second left.Watson is far from a perfect NFL prospect, with Luke Easterling ofUSA Todayhighlighting one of the big concerns for the quarterback at the next level:Consistency was Watsons greatest struggle in 2016, particularly in terms of ball placement and decision-making. With still one game left to play, his 17 interceptions this season are four more than he threw last season, and a few of them have been head-scratching throws in key moments, particularly in the red zone.Because of how brilliant Watson was against the best defense in college football in the biggest game of the year on Monday night, bumping him all the way up to the quarterback-needy San Francisco 49ers with the No. 2 overall pick doesn't feel like a stretch.Teams will always reach on quarterbacks, especially in a year without one standout prospect at the position. If that's the case, shouldn't it be for the player who has proved himself to be great under pressure with excellent physical tools instead of a different player without much of a resume who will look good in shorts'Most Intriguing Team: Tennessee TitansThe Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns are the two teams with multiple first-round picks, but the Browns are so far away from being relevant that it's hard to get excited about what they can do in 2017 with those choices.On the other hand, the Titans quietly posted their first winning season since 2011 and had the same record as the AFC South champion Houston Texans.Unlike the Texans, though, the Titans know their franchise quarterback is a very good NFL player. Marcus Mariota had 3,426 passing yards, 349 rushing yards, 28 total touchdowns and nine interceptions.It seems obvious where the Titans will go with their top two picks. They desperately need a top-tier receiver to fully take advantage of Mariota's arm and a young cornerback to anchor the secondary. Fortunately for the Titans, those two positions boast plenty of talent to choose from in the first round. The secondary should be the first priority for head coach Mike Mularkey and general manager Jon Robinson because Mariota's ability to create his own plays and DeMarco Murray's return to glory give the offense some wiggle room.Biggest Draft Sleeper: Josh Allen, QB, WyomingOne of the top draft stories over the last week has been the sudden rush of mock drafts that are including little-known Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen in the first round.B/R's Matt Miller even took the bold step of giving Allen to the Chicago Bears in his mock released on Jan. 2 with this explanation:Why should Bears fans be excited' Because Allen has the size (6'5", 220 lbs), arm, mobility and gunslinger mentality to develop into a great quarterback. He's not NFL-ready right out of the gate, but none of the passers in this year's class are. Investing in the future, with another year of Matt Barkley at quarterback, is the way general manager Ryan Pace should be thinking.Miller wasn't the only one watching Allen's tape and seeing potentially big things in his future. Here's what NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had to say about the Wyoming quarterback:Allen played under head coach Craig Bohl at Wyoming. Bohl was also Carson Wentz's head coach at North Dakota State for two seasons between 2012 and 2013, so he knows talent at the quarterback position.In a quarterback class without a consensus top player at this point in the process, Allen's raw potential could be enough to push him into the first-round mix if he tests well at the combine.It's not enough right now for me to place Allen in the first round because there's such a significant gap between raw potential and in-game performance, but don't be surprised to see him trickle up draft boards in the coming weeks.
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