Fournette, Watson top our too-early top 25 list for 2017 NFL draft

Oh, you thought it was too early to grade the 2016 NFL draft class?

What about giving you some top draft names for 2017? Yes, we’re a bit sick in the head. But we know you’re already — somewhere deep in the backs of your minds — thinking about next year.

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So here is a rough list of the top prospect for next year’s draft class. Spoiler alert: It will change between now and then. Just a bit, we suspect. Also: Not every good college football player is listed here. We know that.

1. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson — Watson is an athletic wonder with deep-ball accuracy who had a tremendous game in the playoffs against Oklahoma and Alabama, and that could carry him into a Heisman-winning season and the No. 1 pick in the draft. There are some things to iron out as a passer, and he’s not the biggest guy around, but Watson is a special young man.

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2. LSU RB Leonard Fournette — Each year the past few seasons, with Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott, we’ve seen a special runner test the NFL’s hardening belief that running backs don’t belong in this portion of the draft. But physical specimens such as Fournette don’t come around but once a generation.

3. Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett — Is he the next superstar pass rusher? At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds with room to add a little bulk, Garrett has terrific dimensions and laid waste to SEC left tackles with 12.5 sacks and five forced fumbles as a sophomore. Look out.

4. USC WR JuJu Smith-Schuster — The next star Trojans wideout, Smith-Schuster could be the best they’ve had there in some time. He routinely bailed out Cody Kessler with off-target throws down the field and has game-breaking ability and fine size at 6-2 and 218 pounds.

5. Florida State RB Dalvin Cook — Don’t forget Cook in the discussion of the special backs in this class, which is quite deep. But there might be no bigger game breaker in college football than Cook, who has incredible burst and surprising pop to his game.

6. Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly — The nephew of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly really had some

fine moments last season during the Rebels’ hot run, such as in winning at Bama, but he cooled off a bit down the stretch and will need to have his character full scrutinized another year after being dismissed from Clemson and taking a rocky road through junior college to get to Oxford.

7. Alabama LB Tim Williams — Few players were as productive on a per-snap basis at rushing the passer, and we could see a major breakout in 2016 for the player who started really displaying his talent by season’s end. Williams could be a candidate to lead the NCAA in sacks as a junior.

8. Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan — Watching film of Darron Lee, Joshua Perry and others on the talented Buckeyes defense, it was impossible not to notice McMillan who could be a three-down star next season, even with the mass exodus of talent on that side of the ball. He’s special.

9. Clemson WR Mike Williams — Twelve snaps into his 2015 season, Williams suffered a broken bone in his neck and missed the entire year. But the 6-4, 221-pound Williams is expected to make a full recovery. Besides, his roller-coaster ride fits the pattern set by DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins there: brilliant freshman year, setback as a sophomore, stardom regained as a junior. Williams won’t last long.

10. Auburn DE Carl Lawson — Watch the Ole Miss game against Laremy Tunsil and you see Lawson giving him some fits that few players did last season. Lawson is a strong, well built rusher who has NFL strength and explosiveness and could really break out with a healthy 2016.

11. Miami (Fla.) Brad Kaaya — Kaaya took care of the football (five INTs) last season and did well weathering the storm around him with the tumultuous program despite suffering a concussion in a humiliating 58-0 loss to Clemson. We expect things to settle down under new head coach Mark Richt, who has overseen the progress several NFL quarterbacks at Florida State and Georgia and could turn his newest protégé into a top-10 pick.

12. Alabama OT Cam Robinson — A star since the day he set foot in Tuscaloosa, Robinson actually was not quite as dominant last season as many expected him to be. But there are flashes of greatness in his game with a great mixture of light feet and a powerful punch.

13. Iowa CB Desmond King — The Thorpe Award winner surprised many when he announced he’s return to school. He has the look of a mature player and a well-built one, despite average height at 5-11. King had eight interceptions in his first nine games before teams got wise and stopped throwing his way. He also has plus return ability.

14. Alabama DE Jonathan Allen — Another player we expected to leave early, Allen got a bit lost in the shuffle with all the incredible DL talent the Tide rolls out, but he saved his best for last with dominant performances in the two playoff games and has not been worn down there. Allen had 12 sacks in just more than 400 snaps in 2015, which is incredible.

15. Stanford RB Christian McCaffery — The Heisman runner-up is a special player in space who can fill a variety of roles. McCaffery reminds us most of Reggie Bush, who was never an elite player and not worth the No. 2 overall selection but a very good player for a long time who impacted all four downs with his game-changing ability with the ball in his hands.

16. Florida State DE DeMarcus Walker — He looked like a completely different player in 2015 from the year before and has a frame (6-3, 277 pounds) that is NFL-ready. Walker should get better against the run this season but we like his upside to be a first-round pick if he keeps developing.

17. Missouri DE Charles Harris — Just beginning to scratch the surface, Harris could have declared after a seven-sack redshirt sophomore year and might still have been a top-50 selection this year. Harris looks like he’s shot out of a cannon, and he stepped up when the Tigers needed him most as the best player on a good Mizzou front. Expect double-digit sacks and dozens of pressures this season.

18. Alabama TE O.J. Howard — It’s funny. We thought he was highly underrated most of last season, but after his playoff breakout we almost feel he’s a bit overrated. The name Jimmy Graham has been spouted a bit with Howard, and that’s not a terrible comp, but we do think Howard has a chance to be a better blocker. He needs to be a more consistent pass catcher, and the Tide will be on their fourth starting quarterback in four years this fall.

19. LSU CB Tre’Davious White — We were glad he came back to school, because even though he is an impressive player there still were things in his game he needed to clean up. He might not have been a clear-cut first-rounder had he come out, but White has a very good chance to be the second corner taken behind King as things stand now.

20. USC WR-CB-RS Adoreé Jackson — This year’s multi-tool star could be the next multi-position star to be drafted high after Shaq Thompson was a first-round pick in 2014 and Myles Jack landed in the high second. Jackson is a rare athlete who projects to corner but could be a special weapon in a few spots.

21. Michigan S-CB Jabrill Peppers — The elite prep prospect finally arrived on the college football scene last season as a terrific safety prospect who also can cover the slot and has the potential to moonlight as a returner or offensive weapon. He has a terrific frame, and those early Charles Woodson comps are not looking so far off now.

22. USC OT Zach Banner — You don’t find athletic specimens as big (6-foot-8, 355 pounds) as Banner who are as athletic as he is. Some teams might actually ding him for being so tall, and pad level might always be an issue. But it worked out fine for Tony Boselli, and Banner’s unique skill set already has gotten him big attention.

23. Clemson TE Jordan Leggett — Lost a bit nationally in the Tigers’ shuffle, Leggett is a big, strong and athletic pass catcher and blocker who might not be truly special but is a very trusted option in their passing game whom Watson looks to in key situations.

24. Florida CB Jalen Tabor — Frequently tested opposite Vernon Hargreaves, Tabor sent a message to opponents that he can hold his own and could be the next star in the Gators’ secondary. Tabor struggled a bit down the stretch but has the build, talent and thick skin to handle the position.

25. Michigan TE Jake Butt — It was fun to watch him break out under Jim Harbaugh, even if Butt’s run blocking has to come a long way. The 6-6, 250-pound Butt seemed to turn the corner in the second half of last season, and even with a QB change he’ll have a chance to emerge as one of the better tight ends in what looks to be a far more exciting crop of talent at the position than in the 2015 draft.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm