The 2017 NFL draft always will be remembered by the aggressive maneuvering for the quarterbacks.
The Bears stunned everyone by trading their No. 3 overall pick to the 49ers at No. 2 to land North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. In all, three teams traded up to land quarterbacks, with the Chiefs moving from 27 to 10 for Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes and the Texans moving from 25 to 12 for Clemson’s Deshaun Watson.
And all of this occurred with the Browns, holding the No. 1 pick and perennial quarterback issues, resisting the urge to reach for one of the quarterback prospects. Only time will tell if the Browns were too cautious, or the Bears, Chiefs or Texans too anxious.
Here is a look at The Post’s team-by-team draft analysis:
Cardinals: They addressed a need and got an immediate contributor at 13 overall in Temple LB Haason Reddick, a versatile player who can play inside and rusher the passer. They traded up nine spots in the second round to draft Washington safety Budda Baker, who has been compared to Arizona’s Tyrann Mathieu and Seattle’s Earl Thomas — good company.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Falcons: They entered the draft in search of an edge rusher to play opposite of 2016 sacks leader Vic Beasley Jr., and think they found that in UCLA DE Takkarist McKinley in the first round. McKinley had 10 sacks in 2016 season and averaged 1.6 tackles for loss per game.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Ravens: With four picks in the top 78, the Ravens didn’t address their biggest need — the void left by the retirement of WR Steve Smith Sr. They passed on some top receivers and went defense with their first four picks, beginning with Alabama CB Marlon Humphrey, who is talented but got beat deep too often in college. Baltimore hopes Houston LB Tyus Bowser, a second-round pick, helps a lacking pass rush.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Bills: They traded down in the first round from No. 10 to 27 to acquire more picks (a 2018 first-rounder and 2017 third-rounder) and still addressed their biggest needs — secondary and receiver. They lost CB Stephon Gilmore and WR Robert Woods to free agency, and they addressed CB in the first round with LSU’s Tre’Davious White and WR in the second round with East Carolina’s Zay Jones.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Panthers: Their plan was twofold: A need for speed and more help for QB Cam Newton. The marquee pick was Stanford’s dynamic RB Christian McCaffrey in the first round. He immediately fills three needs — change-of-pace back, receiving threat out of the backfield and a punt returner. Brooklyn’s Curtis Samuel, another jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon, was taken in the second round. Samuel will line up as a slot WR and replace the departed Ted Ginn Jr.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Bears: The biggest question: Did they need to trade up (and trade away two picks this year and their 2018 first-rounder) to get Mitchell Trubisky? The Chicago fans who booed Trubisky at a Bulls game in the United Center on Friday didn’t think so. He might turn out to be a 13-year NFL starter, but Trubisky is a risk, having started just 13 collegiate games.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Bengals: A team that needed defensive help went all offense early in the draft, and it went with risks. Speedy Washington WR John Ross was the first-round pick. He ran a 4.22 in the 40 and could be a great addition to a receiving corps that includes A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Tyler Boyd. But Ross has had two knee injuries and a shoulder injury. Speaking of risk, the Bengals took the risk of the draft when they picked troubled Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon in the second round.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Browns: They were 1-15 last season but much more successful than that in this draft. Good for the Browns for not desperately reaching for one of the overrated QBs. Instead, they upgraded their defense with Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett and Michigan DB Jabrill Peppers in the first round and added TE David Njoku from Miami in the first. In the second round, the Browns got a QB with some potential in Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Cowboys: They addressed immediate needs here, with Michigan DE Taco Charlton a pass rusher from the first round, Colorado CB Chidobe Awuzie taken in the second and Michigan DB Jourdan Lewis in the third. The Cowboys lost four defensive backs to free agency this offseason in Barry Church, J.J. Wilcox, Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Broncos: If there was one thing that prevented the Broncos from getting to the playoffs last year it was their shaky O-line. They needed a LT and went out and got one in the first round with Utah’s Garett Bolles, though Bolles played only one year at the position. Bolles, a work in progress, may take a while to develop. In time, we’ll know whether the Broncos were smart taking him over the more seasoned Cam Robinson from Alabama.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Lions: They passed on reaching for a needed pass rusher at No. 21 and took the smart, safer choice in Florida ILB Jarrad Davis, a three-down player with good run-stopping skills and ability to cover RBs. He should fit in as an immediate starter. Their second-round pick, Florida CB Teez Tabor, should push Nevin Lawson for a starting spot right away on the outside.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Packers: With no first-round pick, the Packers added defense in the second and third rounds, picking Washington CB Kevin King, who was viewed by analyst as possible first-round talent. The Packers think the 6-3 King has a chance to be a No. 1 cornerback. King gives the Packers their tallest cornerback and is the tallest corner GM Ted Thompson has ever drafted. King also can play multiple positions from safety to the slot cornerback to the outside corner spot.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Texans: They moved up 13 spots and gave up two first-round picks to get Deshaun Watson at No. 12 overall. Watson will sit behind Tom Savage, but for how long? Savage isn’t an established NFL QB, and Houston fans will be clamoring for the dynamic Watson, who was 32-3 in college. The Texans missed badly on Brock Osweiler in free agency a year ago and have no first-round pick in 2018. So Watson better work out for them.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Colts: Ohio State safety Malik Hooker was the ninth new defensive player the Colts have signed or drafted this offseason. They finished 30th in the NFL in defense last season, so the focus was clear. Hooker was rated as a top-five talent, but there were concerns about having hernia surgery and playing just one year as a starter.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Jaguars: Their plan in this draft was simple: Build around QB Blake Bortles and improve the offense. LSU RB Leonard Fournette, at No. 4 overall, was a good start. He is a 20-plus-carry-per-game back with power. The Jaguars have averaged the fewest yards per game and rushed for the second-fewest touchdowns in the NFL over the past five seasons. The 6-foot, 228-pound Fournette ran for 3,830 yards and 40 TDs and averaged 6.2 yards per carry in three seasons. Alabama OT Cam Robinson, the second-round pick, was considered by many as a first-round talent.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Chiefs: The Chiefs gave up a third-round pick this year and their first-rounder in 2018 to trade up for Patrick Mahomes II, hoping they have found an eventual successor to Alex Smith, who turns 33 in May. Mahomes, a gunslinger with dodgy mechanics, will have the luxury of learning. Look out for third-round pick, Toledo RB Kareem Hunt, who could get a lot of immediate action with the Chiefs so thin at RB. Hunt rushed for 1,475 yards and caught 41 passes as a senior.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Chargers: Clemson WR Mike Williams, at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds is the perfect receiver for Philip Rivers. He is a productive, big-play receiver who wins balls in the air and often made Deshaun Watson look good with spectacular catches. Western Kentucky OL Forrest Lamp, picked in the second round, can play tackle or guard and should compete immediately for a starting job.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Rams: With no first-round pick, they went with South Alabama TE Gerald Everett in the second. He could be a nice complement to returning TE Tyler Higbee. Rams coach Sean McVay loves utilizing the position (no team received more yards out of the tight end position than McVay’s Redskins last season). In his last two years at South Alabama, Everett caught 90 passes for 1,292 yards and 12 TDs.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Dolphins: The Dolphins made a strong position stronger, taking Missouri DE Charles Harris in the first round and Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan in the second. Harris is versatile and should help in sub packages as a pass rusher. He led Missouri with nine sacks last season and 28 quarterback knockdowns.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Vikings: The Vikings have quickly moved on from Adrian Peterson, drafting FSU RB Dalvin Cook at No. 41 overall, in the second round. Cook averaged 142.1 yards from scrimmage per game in college. They also added OL help with Ohio State center Pat Elflein in the third round. He was a high school wrestler — just like Vikings coach Mike Zimmer — and moved from right guard to center as a senior when the Buckeyes needed help at the position. So he might be slotted as a guard for the Vikings, having played left guard.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Patriots: Fortunately, they don’t have a ton of needs, because they had no first- or second-round picks. In the third round, the Patriots went small school, picking Youngstown State DE Derek Rivers and Troy OT Antonio Garcia. Rivers had 41 career sacks at Youngstown, but faces a large leap in level of completion. Garcia is considered a project LT prospect.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Saints: The Saints were busy early and productive, landing Ohio State CB Marshon Lattimore, rated by some as the best corner in the draft, at No. 11, and Wisconsin OT Ryan Ramczyk at 32. Both players have injury concerns. Lattimore has a history of hamstring injuries and Ramczyk is coming off postseason hip surgery, which might limit him into training camp and beyond.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Giants: OK, their first-round pick, Mississippi TE Evan Engram, is not a blocker. So what? He was drafted to catch passes, which is something no Giants TE has done consistently in too long to remember. The Giants addressed the loss of Johnathan Hankins by picking Alabama DT Dalvin Tomlinson in the second round. And they picked a potential Eli Manning successor in the third round, Cal’s Davis Webb.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Jets: Their eyes lit up as the first-round board unfolded and LSU safety Jamal Adams fell into their lap. Adams, a solid playmaker, might end up being the locker-room leader the rudderless Jets desperately need once he starts playing and producing. They went safety again in the second round with Florida’s Marcus Maye, a productive player the Jets targeted throughout the process.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Raiders: Leave it to the Raiders to take a chance on a character-questionable player, picking Ohio State CB Gareon Conley at No. 24 overall despite recent rape allegations hanging over his head. The Raiders went DB in the second round, too, with UConn’s Obi Melifonwu.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Eagles: They went all defense early, with Tennessee DE Derek Barnett at No. 14 overall then DBs Sidney Jones from Washington in the second round and Rasul Douglas from West Virginia in the third. Barnett, who is known for his relentless effort and broke former Eagles’ great Reggie White’s Tennessee sack record with 32, likely will replace Connor Barwin. They added UNC WR Mack Hollins in the fourth round as another big-target weapon (6-4, 221) alongside Alshon Jeffery for QB Carson Wentz.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Steelers: Hoping for good sibling DNA in the first round, the Steelers picked Wisconsin LB T.J. Watt, the brother of J.J. Watt. They got another receiving threat for Ben Roethlisberger in USC WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. No team seems to find and develop better WRs than the Steelers, so expect him to be good.
Verdict: Thumbs up
49ers: Good start for rookie GM John Lynch, who stole draft picks from the QB-desperate Bears trading up to No. 2 and got his man, Stanford DE Solomon Thomas, anyway at No. 3. The 49ers also landed Alabama LB Reuben Foster at 31 overall when many had Foster with top-10 talent.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Seahawks: They want to get younger on defense and got Michigan State DT Malik McDowell in the second round with their top pick. His consistency has been questioned, and he had just 1.5 sacks in his final year at MSU. So on paper, he does not look like an impact player.
Verdict: Thumbs down
Buccaneers: The Buccaneers got the most complete TE in the draft in Alabama’s O.J. Howard. At 6-foot-5, 251 pounds, he ran a 4.51 in the 40, has pass catching skills and is a strong blocker. The Bucs like to use a lot of two-TE sets and Howard should be an immediate contributor alongside Cameron Brate.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Titans: The pick of Western Michigan WR Corey Davis this high (fifth overall) was surprising, but the Titans are bent on giving QB Marcus Mariota more targets. The second-round pick, USC CB Adoree’ Jackson, has a chance to contribute right away, not only as a DB but a specialist, having returned four punts and four kickoffs for TDs at USC. Keep and eye on him on offense, too. He caught 39 passes and had two TDs for USC.
Verdict: Thumbs up
Redskins: They believe they got a steal in Alabama DE Jonathan Allen at No. 17 overall, thanks to the early run on offensive players. Allen is considered the best true interior talent in the draft. He will team with newcomers Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain. The Redskins went defense from Alabama again in the second round with LB Ryan Anderson, who also has pass-rushing ability.
Verdict: Thumbs up