NFL Mock Draft 2016: Edition 3 (Combine Edition)
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| Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss |
The NFL Combine has only furthered Tunsil's case as the No. 1 pick and the right man for Tennessee. Already 6'5" and over 300 pounds, Tunsil ran a fast 40 at the combine and proved he had superior athleticism when compared to the other offensive linemen in this year's cycle. He would be an ideal left tackle for the Titans as they continue their lengthy rebuild.
Previous Selection: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
2. Cleveland Browns Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
This pick could be very interesting for Cleveland. There is a possibility Cleveland goes defense here, due to the fact they couldn't stop anyone last year, and then move up late in the first round and snatch up a QB. But, if they want their choice of franchise signal-callers, they should go here. I'm a bigger believer in Jared Goff than Wentz, but Wentz seems like a good fit in Cleveland, and Hue Jackson would work well with the NDSU product.
Previous Selection: Jared Goff, QB, California
3. San Diego Chargers Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State
Eric Weddle has been the Chargers' rock in the secondary for years now, but the safety is almost certainly gone in free agency this spring. Expect San Diego to land his replacement in Ramsey, a dynamic playmaker out of Florida State. Ramsey cannot only make his impact felt as a roaming safety, he could also help San Diego's weak cornerback spot.
Previous Selection: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
4. Dallas Cowboys Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
Jerry Jones has made it pretty clear that he will stick with Tony Romo at quarterback for the next few years, making it seem as though Dallas will restrain themselves from either Goff or Lynch here. That leaves them open to select Jack, who would immediately upgrade their crippled linebacker corps that contains injury prone Sean Lee and inconsistent Rolando McClain.
Previous Selection: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
5. Jacksonville Jaguars Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
Character concerns are dropping Joey Bosa right now, as teams appear wary about a suspension earlier in the year at Ohio State. That may drop Bosa slightly, much to the delight of Jacksonville, who would eagerly snatch him up. Bosa could form a formidable 1-2 punch with Dante Fowler that gives defensive-minded Gus Bradley something to work with for years to come.
Previous Selection: Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State
6. Baltimore Ravens Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
Last year, Baltimore gave up the most passing touchdowns in the franchise's history. While they will hope for the versatile Jalen Ramsey to drop, Vernon Hargreaves is a great consolation prize. Hargreaves doesn't have the versatility of Ramsey or the size, but he is a legit shutdown corner who led Florida's defense for years.
Previous Selection: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
7. San Francisco 49ers Jared Goff, QB, California
The arrival of Chip Kelly in the Bay Area was supposed to help resurrect the failing career of Colin Kaepernick, as Kelly's system was supposed to work flawlessly with the mobile QB. Instead, Kap has expressed discontent, and appears ready to move on. San Fran would be wise to do the same, and grab Goff. Goff has the arm to do damage under Kelly, and has a great feel for the game.
Previous Selection: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
8. Miami Dolphins Noah Spence, DE, Eastern Kentucky
Spence has been shooting up draft boards as of late, and it isn't hard to understand why. The former Ohio State Buckeye has an incredible motor, great speed off the edge and put in work at the Combine. But, he was kicked out of OSU for drug abuse, and teams will have to careful with the defensive end. Miami's secondary is terrible but without Hargreaves or Ramsey available, they should take Spence, considering Olivier Vernon could leave this offseason and Dion Jordan has been a complete bust.
Previous Selection: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers DeForest Buckner, DL, Oregon
Tampa Bay has to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and luckily for them, this Draft is stocked with solid defensive line prospects. Among them is Buckner, a massive linemen with excellent versatility. He would immediately join solid Gerald McCoy and strengthen the Bucs' front seven.
Previous Selection: DeForest Buckner, DL, Oregon
10. New York Giants Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
Gone is Tom Coughlin, but the head coach was far from the problem in New York, where there is just isn't a ton of talent right now. Paramount among this team's concerns is defensive line, where they struggled to do anything productive. While Spence, Buckner and Bosa would be ideal, Lawson was a beast this past year at Clemson and was solid at the Combine.
Previous Selection: Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss
11. Chicago Bears Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
The Bears' primary need is on the defensive line, where they were terrible a year ago. But, the offensive line is far from perfect, and it would be ideal if Stanley dropped all the way down to them at No. 11. Stanley offers great size, and was a proven commodity during his tenure in South Bend.
Previous Selection: A'Shawn Robinson, DL, Alabama
12. New Orleans Saints A'Shawn Robinson, DL, Alabama
It isn't a huge mystery where New Orleans' problems lie. They lie on the defensive side of the ball, where the Saints have been abysmal for far too long. Luckily, A'Shawn Robinson could drop a little bit, opening up this pick. Robinson proved at the Combine that he was just an absolute freak; despite being 330 pounds he ran one of the fastest 40 times of all defensive linemen. He could be a disruptive force for New Orleans in the interior.
Previous Selection: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
13. Philadelphia Eagles Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
While Philadelphia could bring back Sam Bradford, it would leave this team in a state of mediocrity for years to come. Paxton Lynch isn't perfect; his arm strength isn't ideal and he is turnover prone at times. But, Doug Pederson worked well with a pretty similar Alex Smith in Kansas City and the Eagles will improve their weapon around him to help him succeed.
Previous Selection: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
14. Oakland Raiders Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
Oakland has impressive talent on both sides of the ball, and they appear close to ending their decade long Playoff drought. In order to do that, the Raiders must fix their gaping hole at cornerback, where they have no proven No. 1 option. Alexander was terrific throughout his tenure at Clemson, and only solidified himself as a first-round corner with a strong Combine showing.
Previous Selection: Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
15. Los Angeles Rams Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
As they make their move to the bright lights of Los Angeles, the Rams would ideally like to add a new quarterback in this year's Draft, considering Nick Foles was terrible last season. But, if Lynch, Wentz and Goff are all gone here, they should look for an option later that could develop. Treadwell would be a nice pickup none the less; the former Ole Miss Rebel has incredible size and is a proven playmaker.
Previous Selection: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
16. Detroit Lions Jarran Reed, DL, Alabama
The Lions could quite honestly go anywhere with this selection, from wide receiver to defensive line to linebacker. But, this is a team that still has a major hole on their D-Line left when Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley ditched town. Jarran Reed isn't a flashy prospect, but he is a gritty, hard-nosed linemen that would immediately upgrade the unit and rush defense.
Previous Selection: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
17. Atlanta Falcons Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
Much like Jarran Reed, Reggie Ragland is not the flashiest prospect in this year's Draft, but the former Alabama inside linebacker is a rock-solid, gifted player. Atlanta's front seven is pretty weak, they could add another pass rusher opposite Vic Beasley, or continue to improve their rush defense. Improving their rush defense, with a stud like Ragland, makes the most sense.
Previous Selection: Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
18. Indianapolis Colts Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
There are a lot of factors to blame for Indy's slip this past season, but a major one could be traced back to a lackluster offensive line. Getting younger and better on the unit is a must, and Taylor Decker could be a nice solution. Decker is a well-rounded veteran who helped Ohio State win a lot of games. He'll fit in well with the Colts, and help keep Andrew Luck upright.
Previous Selection: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
19. Buffalo Bills Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss
Robet Nkemdiche is the type of player who could slide in a big way come Draft Night. He has all the tools to be absolutely dominant, but he didn't always deliver at Ole Miss, and he has off-the-field concerns. Even so, Buffalo has a need in the interior of their defensive line and Rex Ryan is the kind of guy who can afford to take risks on defensive prospects, because he works well with them.
Previous Selection: Kenny Clark, DL, UCLA
20. New York Jets Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
While Derrick Henry's impressive day at the Combine helped his stock tremendously, it still didn't derail Elliott from being the first back taken this year. Elliott is the perfect blend of speed and power, and would immediately fill in for the Jets, assuming Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell both aren't back.
Previous Selection: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
21. Washington Redskins Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
Washington made huge strides this past year under Jay Gruden and Kirk Cousins, but they are far from perfect. In particular, their rush defense was ranked 26th last season and needs to be addressed. Andrew Billings is not the perfect prospect; he doesn't move very well and looked lost at times for Baylor. But, when he is on his game, the 300+ pounder is an absolute force.
Previous Selection: Jarran Reed, DL, Alabama
22. Houston Texans Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
It is just rough to be Houston. They were good enough to make the Playoffs this past year, but were far from a Super Bowl contender, ending up at the No. 22 pick, where it is significantly harder to upgrade their gaping holes at quarterback and running back. That may force Houston to slightly reach on Connor Cook here. Cook is a solid quarterback who had major success at Michigan State. But, there remains questions about his maturity and leadership abilities. Even so, Bill O'Brien should take the risk here.
Previous Selection: Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
23. Minnesota Vikings Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
Stefon Diggs was a pleasant surprise this past season for Minnesota, but the Vikings really lack weapons beyond him. Expect them to take a swing at Will Fuller here, who had a big day at the Combine, posting a 4.33 40. He isn't just a workout star; the Notre Dame product has excellent burst and put up big numbers throughout his time with the Irish.
Previous Selection: Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State
24. Cincinnati Bengals Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
For years, Cincy has really lacked much beyond A.J. Green in the passing game, and while Tyler Eifert is great in the red zone, they need another weapon for Andy Dalton to work with, especially considering Marvin Jones could be gone. Corey Coleman was an absolute monster this past year at Baylor and while his size isn't ideal, few can handle his pure explosiveness.
Previous Selection: Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
25. Pittsburgh Steelers William Jackson III, CB, Houston
Pittsburgh has been razor thin at cornerback over the past few years, yet they have opted to retool with veterans instead of rebuilding through the Draft. That should change, as the Steelers pick up Jackson. Jackson's huge day at the Combine has the Houston prospect catapulting up draft boards in a pretty weak secondary class.
Previous Selection: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
26. Seattle Seahawks Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
The Seahawks still have a number of holes throughout their offensive line, which must be addressed in this year's Draft. Expect Seattle to take a swing on Conklin, a solid if rather underwhelming, prospect. The offensive tackle has perfect size and possesses ideal footwork.
Previous Selection: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
27. Green Bay Packers Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State
While their defense possesses plenty of speed in the secondary, Green Bay's front seven is relatively slow, and that has hurt their rush defense. The Packers should solve that by picking up Lee, who played a big role in helping Ohio State win the National Championship back in 2014-2015. Lee showcased his blazing speed at the Combine, and is a decent coverage linebacker.
Previous Selection: Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
28. Kansas City Chiefs Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
Kansas City may have among the NFL's most underrated defenses and a healthy Eric Berry, but the Chiefs still have concerns at cornerback. Kendall Fuller was a sure-fire first-rounder before a torn ACL this past season at Virginia Tech. If Fuller can come back and prove he is making progress on his rehab, he could be a great fit, considering his shutdown ability.
Previous Selection: Jonathan Bullard, DL, Florida
29. Arizona Cardinals Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
Despite the fact Arizona won 13 games this past year, they are a team with a lot of aging pieces and an unclear future. A major issue right now is at pass rusher, where they are pretty weak. While the Cardinals likely won't be drafting an elite prospect, Dodd is a solid pass rusher who proved he could make noise at Clemson.
Previous Selection: Noah Spence, DE/LB, Eastern Kentucky
30. Carolina Panthers Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
Carolina got solid play from defensive ends Charles Johnson and Jared Allen this past season. But, Allen has already announced his expected retirement, and Johnson is poised to leave in free agency. Expect the Panthers to fill the void with Ogbah, who was a sack machine throughout his time at Oklahoma State.
Previous Selection: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
31. Denver Broncos Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
With Peyton Manning set to retire and Brock Osweiler's future in Denver murky, expect Denver to lean on their ground attack much more this upcoming season. Unfortunately, neither C.J. Anderson nor Ronnie Hillman were consistently good. That could prompt the Broncos to select Henry, who could be the workhorse this offense needs for a long time.
Previous Selection: Spencer Drango, OT, Baylor
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