Breaking Down Mike Mayock’s 2017 NFL Draft Positional Rankings

Mike Mayock of the NFL Network has dropped his annual top five players at each position list. We don’t get a ton of content from Mayock throughout the year, so this is always one of my favorite pieces of the season. Let’s take a look at what he thinks of the class.

First things first, Mayock has Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer as his top passer. I agree with him, but not a lot of others do. I think Kizer has a shot to rise through the process and be a top pick. The tools are undeniable, but he’s going to have to add some polish to his intermediate game.

Mayock lists Dalvin Cook ahead of Leonard Fournette, which I also agree with. There’s a little concern with Fournette’s ability to change direction quickly. He has Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara next, with Joe Mixon rounding out his top five. Hard to argue with any of that.

I’d like to think that we were ahead of the curve with Corey Davis, but now Mayock rates Davis over Mike Williams. This is an unpopular option with the big draft folks, who seem to still be attached to Williams. Davis just offers you more as a prospect.

Senior Bowl stars Cooper Kupp and Zay Jones slide into Mayock’s top five receivers at four and five. I really like Zay Jones as a potential surprise first round pick. He’s got some size and wiggle to him — all he does is make big plays.

The biggest surprise of Mayock’s rankings has to be Sidney Jones over Marshon Lattimore at cornerback. I think Lattimore is the superior athlete and Jones is a little to lean. They’re my two favorite corners, just in reverse order. Both will be in play for the Titans.

Another surprise is Malik Hooker over Jamal Adams. Hooker has better range and is a more natural fit for center field duties, but it’s hard to discount what Adams can do overall. He can play man coverage and fill gaps like a linebacker. I don’t get this one, but I’m sure Mayock has all-22 tape to study that I don’t.