2017 NFL Draft rewind turned out to be average at best
By Brian Miller
The 2017 NFL Draft wasn’t as great as it was on paper heading into that draft but now the 5th-year options are coming due.
Charles Harris is moving on to the Atlanta Falcons after the Miami Dolphins traded their former first-round pick for a 7th round pick in 2021. Miami shouldn’t feel too horrible though, a large number of first-round picks failed to see a 5th-year option from the 2017 NFL draft.
As the NFL remains quarantined, business in the NFL is still business, and teams are exercising their fifth-year options on their first-round picks from 2017. Needless to say, the Dolphins did not exercise their rights on Harris.
The Dolphins picked 22nd overall in that draft. We can discount the players drafted ahead of him simply because Miami had no shot at drafting those players without trading up. While the Browns exercised the option on first-overall pick Myles Garrett, the teams picking in the next four spots did not. Mitch Trubisky, Solomon Thomas, Leonard Fournette, and Corey Davis rounded out the top five picks and none of them will receive the 5th year
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At pick six, Jamal Adams saw his option picked up by the Jets but there has been growing speculation that the Jets are trying to trade him. Some thought he may have been traded during last month’s draft. Of the top 21 players, Christian McCaffrey is the only player to sign an extension so far. Two players picked at 13 and 15 have yet to have their options decided.
There were a few players that Miami could have drafted over Harris including Jabrill Peppers and T.J. Watt who have been stellar. Taco Charlton drafted at 28 was released last year by the Cowboys, picked up by Miami off the street, then released two days ago by the Dolphins.
Five players after Miami had their 5th-year options picked up and three did not. Overall, 12 players in round one did not have their options picked up or were released/traded. Two are yet to be determined, and McCaffrey received an extension.
The Dolphins blew the pick at 22 and could have done much better but it does not appear that many of these players from this class are doing all that well in hindsight.