Mel Kiper 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Grade A Edition

ESPN lead draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has released his annual “Grade-A” mock draft. This isn’t necessarily where Kiper thinks players will go, but rather a indication of what he would do. He went three rounds, including four picks for the Titans.

5: Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama

Foster is a supreme athlete and an instant upgrade for the Titans at linebacker. He gives you a rangy, heavy-hitter that could potentially transform the defensive unit. The positional value isn’t great at 5th overall, however. You just don’t see linebackers going this high anymore. I think Foster is a realistic option, but likely more realistic in a trade down scenario.

18: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

Some love Humphrey, some don’t. It’s hard to ignore the ‘Bama corner narrative here. He’s a redshirt Sophomore, too. We don’t really know if Jon Robinson is open to taking a player with limited action in college. Humphrey is an aggressive, zone corner who can get beat deep from time to time. With the amount of man coverage that the Titans played last season, I’m not sure he fits. He’s a dog in run support, though. You won’t find a more physical corner in this class.

83: Mack Hollins, WR, North Carolina

It’s like Mel Kiper is in my brain. I was just watching Hollins yesterday, wondering where the 6-4, 220 pound deep threat might land.

Hollins is really explosive and has been really overlooked in this deep class. I thought he was a 4th round target, so pick 83 isn’t all that shocking here. He’s also a core special teams player, which is a nice bonus.

100: Bucky Hodges, WR/TE, Virginia Tech

Hodges is an interesting case. He pretty much played exclusively at receiver this past season despite playing more of a tight end role in years previous. He’s a huge target and seems to fit what the Titans have been interested in to this point. They’ve been connected to big bodied move tight ends like Gerald Everett and David Njoku. Hodges could be a potential big receiver target to end day two.