The first day of free agency altered the outlook for the 2017 NFL draft more than a week's worth of action at the NFL Scouting Combine did.Sounds dramatic, right' Except some of the league's biggest names, from Stephon Gilmore to A.J Bouye to Alshon Jeffery and beyond found new homes. Even Brock Osweiler's name came up one year after he signed a deal with the Houston Texansthe team decided to ship him to the Cleveland Browns, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.As a nice supplement to foundation pieces acquired in the draft, a flurry of moves seemed the obvious outcome for teams looking at a deep free-agent class at certain spots and a draft class with obvious weaknesses on the way.With the list of needs for each team altered and a domino effect created each time a projected pick changes, it is a great time to take another look at a mock draft.2017 Draft Order and ProjectionsBreaking Down Free Agency's Biggest Areas of Impact12. Cleveland Browns (from Eagles) O.J. Howard, TE, AlabamaFew teams won like the Browns did Thursday.Other than swinging the Osweiler tradehe's not the quarterback of the future; the team just wanted to buy a draft pickthe Browns struck gold with the market's best guard, former Cincinnati star Kevin Zeitler, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The team also got some some insurance at wideout, grabbing veteran Kenny Britt, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.In other words, the Browns can still go for the best player available at both No. 1 and No. 12, barring any further major moves.In the above scenario, after grabbing the draft's best player in Myles Garrett, the Browns secure Alabama's O.J. Howard at No. 12.Howard might be the safest prospect in the draft overall as a pro-ready tight end at 6'6" and 251 pounds who can move all over the field. He has sure hands and performs well as a blocker.It's important to note Howard never ascended to household-name status because the Alabama offense simply doesn't employ tight ends in a major way. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein worked this into his summary:Howard has struggled to live up to hype that has come with his play-making ability while at Alabama, but some scouts put the blame on the staff and scheme. He has elite athletic traits and raw talent, but must add polish to go along with those attributes. Should become substantially more productive as a pro, but the difference between "potential weapon" and "elite tight end" will likely be tied to his desire and overall football character.Though the Britt signing was a smart move, the Browns continue to leak talent like Terrelle Pryor Sr. and running backIsaiah Crowell, provided they don't return.Howard is a nice remedy to the situation. The team figures to break in a new quarterback one way or another in 2017, so a massive target who can reliably bail out a starter and move the chains is a great investment.14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Vikings): Christian McCaffrey, RB, StanfordPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentzorchestrates one of the scariest offenses in the NFL.After watching wideouts struggle to catch passes for a year, the Eagles got serious about the position. The front office signed speedster Torrey Smith to stretch defenses vertically, a move the team announced.Far from content with the rebuild at the spot, the team then grabbed Alshon Jeffery to gobble up the targets on underneath work, per ESPN's Josina Anderson.Call it the perfect scenario on paper. Smith and Jeffery line up on the outside, and Jordan Matthews moves to his preferred role in the slot.Wentz, barring a slump, shouldn't have any problems.With the biggest need out of the way, the Eagles can focus on another problem area while upgrading an already strong-outlook offense: running back.Stanford's Christian McCaffrey is the obvious choice. He feasted at the combine, turning heads with a 4.48 40-yard dash, a 37.5-inch vertical and a blazing 6.57 seconds in the three-cone drill, confirming he's an ideal modern NFL back who excels as a rusher and, perhaps more importantly, as a receiver.Unleashing McCaffrey in Philadelphia's offense is almost unfair to defenses. Units have three major problems to worry about on every down without watching for McCaffrey to line up all over the field as a wideout or sneak out of the backfield for opportunities.For Wentz and the Eagles, though, it's the perfect rebuild around the most important position of all.Stats courtesy ofNFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy ofPro Football Focus.
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