2017 NFL Draft: Franchise-Changing Defenders in This Year’s Class

November 14, 2016   ·   Justis Mosqueda   ·   Jump to comments

Last year's NFL draft was lauded for being a class loaded with top-tier defensive talent. Seven of the first 12 picks were defensive players, including defensive end Joey Bosa and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, both of whom are in a heated race for the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.
Of the seven defensive players selected in the top 12, all of them either had value as a pass-rusher or played cornerback. The NFL is a pass-heavy league, and that leaves all of the teams near the top of the draft looking for one of three things: a quarterback, someone to hit the quarterback or someone to negate the quarterback. That is not to say that running backs, inside linebackers, tight ends, etc., aren't valuable, but in such a quarterback-centric league, getting defensive players who frustrate the quarterback is a must.
The 2016 NFL draft provided those types of players in abundance. The handful of players near the top of the draft have panned out thus far. Even some of the players from the...

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