Final 2017 CRFL Mock Draft

The 2017 NFL Draft has come and gone, signalling the one week countdown to the 2017 CRFL Draft. As is tradition our fantasy draft that includes rookies and free agents will occur the Saturday following the draft. Badgerhawks has been on the clock since December. Will they draft Leonard Fournette? Who knows, but as of now I'm basing this mock draft off of what I think teams should do, not necessarily what I think they'll actually do.

2017 CRFL Mock Draft

1.01. Badgerhawks select...RB Leonard Fournette JAC (LSU)
Badgerhawks might have all the time in the world to make this pick, but it's unlikely he has much to think about. Unless something crazy happens (and some people have suggested McCaffrey goes before Fournette), Fournette is the obvious #1 overall pick in dynasty/keeper rookie drafts. Fournette landed with the Jaguars on draft day and figures to be a bell-cow talent right away for Jacksonville. 

1.02. Gem State Bruins select...RB Dalvin Cook MIN (Florida State)
The Bruins traded up two spots from 1.04 to 1.02, parting with their 2018 1st to do so. Why such a drastic decision? The answer: to ensure that a 1st round RB goes to Gem State. This trade clearly didn't pan out for the Bruins, who probably should have stayed at 1.04. Behind Carolina's OL and a top 10 selection, Christian McCaffrey will be hard for the Bruins to ignore. That said, the Bruins have preferred Cook from a talent standpoint. They'll roll the dice with Cook and live with the results. 

1.03. Huskerfan select...RB Christian McCaffrey CAR (Stanford)
Oh my. What a blunder of a trade by The Valley Bulls to allow Huskerfan into this #3 slot. Huskers don't really have a weakness at RB or WR, so he'll go BPA (best player available). Who the best player available is arguable, but I've been told the Huskers are determined to grab a RB with this pick. I doubt two 2nd round RBs go ahead of McCaffrey. His slide ends here.

1.04. Juice Box Heroes select...WR Corey Davis TEN (Western Michigan)
Juice Box deposited an extra 2018 1st rounder in exchange for moving back two spots to 1.04. It's looking like a wise move after Dalvin Cook's poor combine and plummeting stock, surrounding the 1.02 pick with more questions than before. The Juice Box has several pressing needs, but young WRs are gold in keeper leagues. Davis is a huge steal at 1.04.

1.05. Connell Conquistadors select...RB Joe Mixon CIN (Oklahoma)
The CRFL Buccaneers moved back to 1.05 from 1.04 after acquiring Doug Martin in a trade. As usual, 1st round draft picks tend to early in our fantasy draft. There will be some cogitating for Connell at this pick, but RBs are always in demand in the 1st round of the CRFL draft. The last of the big four RBs comes off the board to the Conquistadors. 

1.06. Northern Lights select...WR Mike Williams LAC (Clemson)
The drama continues during draft week. Just when we thought the draft order was set and done, the Northern Lights shipped off Rob Gronkowski and Allen Robinson to the Huskers in exchange for Tyler Eifert and this pick. The result becomes Mike Williams, whom the Chargers drafted at #7. Young, highly-regarded WRs are hard to come by in fantasy. A solid addition for the Lights.

1.07. Brucey's crew select...WR John Ross CIN (Washington)
At this stage in the draft, owners start picking the best player available instead of by need. While there is an argument for a few other players at this spot, it's really hard to ignore a WR taken at #9 in the NFL Draft. John Ross has a Hall of Fame WR in his way to top fantasy status, but at 1.07 he's too great of a value here to ignore. 

1.08. Northern Lights select...RB Kareem Hunt KC (Toledo)
The Northern Lights departed with a 3rd round pick to move up three spots in the 1st round and it pay off. The 1st round products are gone, but there is hype building around the Toledo Rockets RB that he might be the 2017 version of Jordan Howard. The Lights would be thrilled if that is the case. The Lights, who only a few months ago had no 1st round picks, emerge from this round with Mike Williams and Kareem Hunt.

1.09. Vito's Vikings select...RB Samaje Perine WAS (Oklahoma)
The Lonestars, while finishing at 5-8, have rebuilt this poor roster in a very short time. A 2017 breakout is in store for this team under new owner Vito, and their team only gets bolstered by having this 1st round pick. In desperate need of a RB to compliment Jordan Howard, the Vikings will gladly take a gamble on 3rd round RB Perine with the Redskins. 

1.10. Brucey's crew select...TE O.J. Howard TB (Alabama)
Bruce seemingly finds a way to have multiple 1st round picks every year. After grabbing John Ross a few picks ago, I'm thinking the crew go best player available here. Brucey LOVES his TEs, and Howard at 1.10 will be too much to ignore.

1.11. Wind River Bison select...RB Marlon Mark IND (South Florida)
The Bison finally broke out! After years of being in the CRFL cellar, the 10-3 campaign came as a shocker. I have it on good authority that the Wyoming-based Bison are really, really high on Brian Hill. Unfortunately, Hill fell into the 6th round and was drafted by the Falcons. The Bison will wait to grab the Wyoming alum, and instead grab Mack here.

1.12. Juice Box Heroes select...RB Alvin Kamara NO (Tennessee)
Heroes found his franchise WR, now he'll go BPA. Alvin Kamara is a solid RB, but unable to shed his 3rd down RB title, he falls here. He has Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson ahead of him on the depth chart. That said, if those two get hurt, Kamara could explode onto the scene.

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Mock draft season for the 2017 draft is officially closed. Mind you, it's never as straightforward as this mock draft indicates. There will be autopicks, dare I say maybe even at 1.01. Some free agents might sneak into the 1st round. Last year, soon-to-be studs like Michael Thomas slipped into round 2. The dust will settle late Saturday night, but for now a week of suspense is ahead as we wait for the 2017 CRFL Draft.