2017 Best guesses:

[ScottDCP]

Same qualifier as always - I don't watch college football for more than ten minutes a year and I make these assessments reading between the lines of player write-ups on nfldraftscout.com or similar websites, with the occasional youtube highlight reel thrown in.

1. Best pro QB in this draft? Only DeShaun Watson and Chad Kelly enter the discussion. Kelly will need to go to a team that won't let him drink his career away. Also has to stay otherwise healthy. 1 in 5 chance. I say no. Watson has to go to a team that is stacked (or at least good, stable, well coached, and aware of its need of a young QB for development,) and ready to let him sit a year or more. That is Denver, Houston, New England, Giants, Green Bay, Arizona, Pittsburgh, or New Orleans. He will be good if and only if he goes to one of those teams. Denver, by the way, will not take him.
2. Best players? Myles Garrett. He is goofy, but not self-destructively goofy, a la Nkemdiche. Jabrill Peppers. Think Polamalu. Malcolm Thomas.
3. Best positions in this draft? Corner and defensive line. I have read a lot about the wide receivers, but only half of them ever turn out able to play at pro speeds. Plus the health issues, and too-high ods of going to a team with a poor staff.
4. Best TE? Butt, Njoku(sp?) Howard will be the first one taken (I expect it to be Buffalo because I am a glass-half cracked kind of fan) and be OK but not great.
5. Best CB? No idea. There are 2 dozen good ones. Some good tacklers (my preference for a deal-breaker at any defensive position,) some better cover guys than others, some better interceptors. At least 2 dozen guys who will play. I don't think there are any Hall Of Famers in the bunch.
6. Best WR? Corey Davis. Only one I would give a top 10 for, although I hope Buffalo takes Peppers instead. I don't rust Clemson receivers, mostly because of Watkins and not Hopkins, and John Ross will never stay healthy. I also don't trust Ohio State receivers. SO Davis or none for top of the class. Probably another dozen good players in there, but none I will ever want to pay 10M per year.
7. Best LB? I am going away form differentiating ILB and OLB because I am mad at Buffalo for letting Zach Brown walk while pinning their hopes on two guys who can't cover (Ragland and other Brown whose first name escapes me at the moment.) In no particular order: Reuben FOster, Jarrad Davis, TJ Watt, Hasaan Reddick. Honestly I think there are an additional dozen good ones here as well.
8. DT? Jonathan Allen, then Jarron Jones, because he went to the same high school as my brother.
9. DE? After Myles Garrett and Malcolm Thomas I think you could get a long term starter with most of the next 8 guys.
10. OT? Pass.
11. OG? Forrest Lamp and nobody else.
12. C? No clue.
13. Jamal Adams is looks like Michael Huff. Not a strong enough tackler.

[Rich Gapinski]

Same qualifier as always - I don't watch college football for more than ten minutes a year and I make these assessments reading between the lines of player write-ups on nfldraftscout.com or similar websites, with the occasional youtube highlight reel thrown in.

1. Best pro QB in this draft? Only DeShaun Watson and Chad Kelly enter the discussion. Kelly will need to go to a team that won't let him drink his career away. Also has to stay otherwise healthy. 1 in 5 chance. I say no. Watson has to go to a team that is stacked (or at least good, stable, well coached, and aware of its need of a young QB for development,) and ready to let him sit a year or more. That is Denver, Houston, New England, Giants, Green Bay, Arizona, Pittsburgh, or New Orleans. He will be good if and only if he goes to one of those teams. Denver, by the way, will not take him. I think the best chances are Trubisky (yeah, homer, blah blah) and Peterman
2. Best players? Myles Garrett. He is goofy, but not self-destructively goofy, a la Nkemdiche. Jabrill Peppers. Think Polamalu. Malcolm Thomas. Yep. Garrett.
3. Best positions in this draft? Corner and defensive line. I have read a lot about the wide receivers, but only half of them ever turn out able to play at pro speeds. Plus the health issues, and too-high ods of going to a team with a poor staff. Agree
4. Best TE? Butt, Njoku(sp?) Howard will be the first one taken (I expect it to be Buffalo because I am a glass-half cracked kind of fan) and be OK but not great. Butt will have best stats in career. Howard will be considered most all-around.
5. Best CB? No idea. There are 2 dozen good ones. Some good tacklers (my preference for a deal-breaker at any defensive position,) some better cover guys than others, some better interceptors. At least 2 dozen guys who will play. I don't think there are any Hall Of Famers in the bunch. No HOFs that are obvious, but so deep that teams can actually pick guys who fit their philosophies instead of on just talent alone.
6. Best WR? Corey Davis. Only one I would give a top 10 for, although I hope Buffalo takes Peppers instead. I don't rust Clemson receivers, mostly because of Watkins and not Hopkins, and John Ross will never stay healthy. I also don't trust Ohio State receivers. SO Davis or none for top of the class. Probably another dozen good players in there, but none I will ever want to pay 10M per year. I like Davis, too. I don't love taking any receiver high anymore. I also don't really trust Clemson guys like you couldn't trust Oklahoma guys about a decade ago.
7. Best LB? I am going away form differentiating ILB and OLB because I am mad at Buffalo for letting Zach Brown walk while pinning their hopes on two guys who can't cover (Ragland and other Brown whose first name escapes me at the moment.) In no particular order: Reuben FOster, Jarrad Davis, TJ Watt, Hasaan Reddick. Honestly I think there are an additional dozen good ones here as well. Give me the dude from Vandy.
8. DT? Jonathan Allen, then Jarron Jones, because he went to the same high school as my brother. Allen shoulder stuff is real, but he still should be the first one taken. Solomon Thomas will be the best of the bunch, though. Will be able to move him around more than ever will with Allen.
9. DE? After Myles Garrett and Malcolm Thomas I think you could get a long term starter with most of the next 8 guys. Story checks out.
10. OT? Pass. Pick one in the first round? Ha. Enjoy Gabe Carimi 2.0 in seven different flavors.
11. OG? Forrest Lamp and nobody else. I love lamp. Actually, I don't really love the lamp. I'm just saying I love the lamp.
12. C? No clue. They all forgot to register for the draft. Thus, for the first time in history, there are none available.
13. Jamal Adams is looks like Michael Huff. Not a strong enough tackler.I hope this isn't true. The Bears are taking him.

Answers in bold.

[ScottDCP]

Solomon, Malcolm, whichever fits

In addition to psychology tricks on the guys writing the reports, I use combine results in a limited way. 1. If a guy has a lousy shuttle (thinking of all but the interior linmen) I take it as a sign he doesn't do the hard stuff on his own that is required for sustained success. Either will underperform or be hurt a lot. 2. The only other one I care much about is the 3 cone. Cannot excel at that without natural athletic ability. Especially for pass rushers and running backs, but really for anyone.

[ScottDCP]

Looking more closely at what I wrote and think, I apparently think any team taking an offensive player not named Corey Davis in the first round is making a mistake. I am cool with that.

[Brian Williams]

Agreed on Corey Davis. And yes I'm a homer, but I think whomever takes Chris Godwin in round 2 is getting a pro bowl caliber player.

Pat Mahomes scares me, but for the exact reasons why he has the most upside in the draft class. I love his moxie. I like Watson as well.

I also love Lamp. And I'm not just saying that I love Lamp, I really love Lamp. But aside from Lamp, is there a more Anchorman name than Fish Smithson?

One team needs to just go all in and draft Fish Smithson, Taco Charleton, and "Sweet" Corn Elder. That would be an incredibly tasty haul.

Early RBs are always kinda scary, but I'd have no problem taking Fournette or McCaffrey. Cook scares the living snot out of me. Could be very good, but character concerns are very real.

Along with Godwin, my 2 other favorite prospects are Haason Reddick and Obi Melifonwu.

[ScottDCP]

Oh yeah, running backs. I like Joe Williams in Nevada(?) and Foreman in Texas. I haven't seen Fournette or McCaffrey.