NFL Draft: Mock Draft 3.0
The 2016 National Football League Draft is finally here!
There were some major events that led up to this draft that are worth noting.
First, the Los Angeles Rams made a huge trade with the Tennessee Titans to move up to the top overall pick in the Draft.
Not to be outdone, the Philadelphia Eagles have traded up to the second overall spot, giving a generous trade package to the Cleveland Browns in order to move up. How do the trades affect the rest of the order?
Without further ado, here is the latest mock for the 2016 NFL Draft!
We’re going to hit up two rounds, 63 selections. No trades, mostly due to the fact that they are very difficult to predict, more so than 63 selections! But let us get at it!
**Keep in mind that the New England Patriots surrendered their first round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft due to the investigation of “Deflategate.”
1.) Los Angeles Rams (acquired via trade with Tennessee Titans)
Selection: Jared Goff – Quarterback – California
Mock Draft 2.0: 1st overall (Los Angeles Rams)
Mock Draft 1.0: 2nd overall (Cleveland Browns)
First thing is first: the Rams paid way too much to move up to the first overall pick.
Yes, Cleveland likely would have selected Jared Goff with the second pick, but is Goff truly a “cannot miss prospect?” No. He is no Andrew Luck or Cam Newton.
The price to move from the 15th pick to the first overall pick was far too much to draft Goff instead of, say, Paxton Lynch and the rest of your draft class.
2.) Philadelphia Eagles (acquired via trade with Cleveland Browns)
Selection: Carson Wentz – Quarterback – North Dakota State
Mock Draft 2.0: 2nd overall (Cleveland Browns)
Mock Draft 1.0: 7th overall (San Francisco 49ers)
Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is not good and that the Eagles should replace him. Check that one off the list for the Eagles fan.
With the Rams moving up to get Goff, the Eagles decided their need for Carson Wentz is greater than others thought. In order to get Wentz over Cleveland and San Francisco, they moved up. Now, the fun part: trading quarterback Bradford elsewhere.
3.) San Diego Chargers
Selection: Jalen Ramsey – Cornerback / Safety – Florida State
Mock Draft 2.0: 4th overall (Dallas Cowboys)
Mock Draft 1.0: 5th overall (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Thanks to the Rams-Titans trade, the San Diego Chargers will likely get their choice of the top three / four players available.
Each player would fill a need on this Chargers roster, but the best player on the board of this draft class is Jalen Ramsey. Losing safety Eric Weddle this season makes the Ramsey pick fill the need to bolster the secondary.
4.) Dallas Cowboys
Selection: DeForest Buckner – Defensive End – Oregon
Mock Draft 2.0: 7th overall (San Francisco 49ers)
Mock Draft 1.0: 8th overall (Miami Dolphins)
Laremy Tunsil is there for the Dallas Cowboys, but his fall will continue as Dallas has an entire offensive line that is very good.
With a need to bolster the defense, DeForest Buckner is very good for the hybrid defensive system that Dallas employs, able to play at defensive tackle or defensive end.
5.) Jacksonville Jaguars
Selection: Myles Jack – Outside Linebacker – UCLA
Mock Draft 2.0: 5th overall (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Mock Draft 1.0: 11th overall (Chicago Bears)
With the addition of defensive end Malik Jackson from the Denver Broncos, the Jacksonville Jaguars will now be able to fill in the rest of the top-seven on defense.
Myles Jack is an athletic monster, who should allow the Jaguars’ defense to come alive. Worry not about his injury, it is not as serious as it was reported.
6.) Baltimore Ravens
Selection: Laremy Tunsil – Offensive Tackle – Mississippi
Mock Draft 2.0: 3rd overall (San Diego Chargers)
Mock Draft 1.0: 1st overall (Tennessee Titans)
If this happens, we will see a Baltimore Ravens representative rushing to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell with their draft card to make their selection.
Tunsil would be a valued asset for quarterback Joe Flacco and the offensive line. To many scouts, Tunsil is still listed as the second-best overall prospect in the draft.
7.) San Francisco 49ers
Selection: Joey Bosa – Defensive End – Ohio State
Mock Draft 2.0: 6th overall (Baltimore Ravens)
Mock Draft 1.0: 3rd overall (San Diego Chargers)
With both Goff and Wentz gone, the San Francisco 49ers are out of the first round quarterback race. Paxton Lynch is not worthy of a top-10 pick, so the 49ers will have to look elsewhere.
They will go with linebacker Joey Bosa, the pass rusher who will aid San Francisco’s defense.
8.) Cleveland Browns (acquired via trade with Philadelphia Eagles)
Selection: Ezekiel Elliott – Running Back – Ohio State
Mock Draft 2.0: 8th overall (Philadelphia Eagles)
Mock Draft 1.0: 10th overall (New York Giants)
Thanks to the top of the draft, Ezekiel Elliott falls to the Browns instead of Dallas. This allows the Browns to get one elite playmaker back into the fold on offense.
Elliott creates big plays in both the running and receiving game. Elliott is also solid in pass protection for whoever will be the starting quarterback.
9.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Selection: Vernon Hargreaves III – Cornerback – Florida
Mock Draft 2.0: 9th overall (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Mock Draft 1.0: 12th overall (New Orleans Saints)
Vernon Hargreaves III is a fast corner with great closing speed and instincts. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could use some help despite having Jonathan Banks and Alterraun Verner on the roster. Hargreaves will take the heat off of the secondary.
10.) New York Giants
Selection: Darron Lee – Linebacker – Ohio State
Mock Draft 2.0: 10th overall (New York Giants)
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
Make it three Buckeyes in the top-10 of the draft. Darron Lee becomes the surprise addition to the top of the draft thanks to the New York Giants, but he is also rather deserving of the pick. Lee has great sideline-to-sideline speed and athleticism to go into pass coverage.
11.) Chicago BearsSelection: Shaq Lawson – Outside Linebacker – Clemson
Mock Draft 2.0: 11th overall (Chicago Bears)
Mock Draft 1.0: 9th overall (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Chicago Bears have a boat-load of options here, but there is a major need for a 3-4 edge rusher with the transition to the 3-4 system.
Bears fans, meet Shaq Lawson, an absolute terror for quarterbacks with his pass rushing abilities.
12.) New Orleans Saints
Selection: William Jackson III – Cornerback – Houston
Mock Draft 2.0: Not selected
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
It is too bad Rob Ryan is so bad at coaching that he is not the defensive coordinator there anymore. It would be too fun to watch him sprint up to the podium to get the Saints to draft the underrated cornerback William Jackson III, a complete corner with good ball skills and ability to play man coverage.
13.) Miami Dolphins (acquired via trade with Philadelphia Eagles)
Selection: Ronnie Stanley – Offensive Tackle – Notre Dame
Mock Draft 2.0: 13th overall (Miami Dolphins)
Mock Draft 1.0: 14th overall (Oakland Raiders)
Based on their recent drafts, the Miami Dolphins will likely reach on someone that they should have waited on. But, the Dolphins will look to aid their offensive line once more in the surprisingly available Ronnie Stanley, and look to move Jawaun James to the inside.
14.) Oakland Raiders
Selection: Leonard Floyd – Outside Linebacker – Georgia
Mock Draft 2.0: 14th overall (Oakland Raiders)
Mock Draft 1.0: 29th overall (Arizona Cardinals)
The Oakland Raiders’ defense gets more powerful with the selection of Leonard Floyd.
While safety is a massive need, they cannot select any one of them until later on as none of the safeties left should be going this high. Getting some pass rush help would be nice, as trusting Aldon Smith to stay out of trouble is not logical.
15.) Tennessee Titans (acquired via trade with Los Angeles Rams)
Selection: Taylor Decker – Offensive Tackle – Ohio State
Mock Draft 2.0: 15th overall (Tennessee Titans)
Mock Draft 1.0: 19th overall (Buffalo Bills)
The trade’s ripple effects will continue here, but Tennessee still gets a tackle like Taylor Decker to pair with Taylor Lewan to protect quarterback, Marcus Mariota.
The Titans may not remain in this spot, as they have plenty of ammunition to move around into the top-10 if they please.
16.) Detroit Lions
Selection: Laquon Treadwell – Wide Receiver – Ole Miss
Mock Draft 2.0: 16th overall (Detroit Lions)
Mock Draft 1.0: 6th overall (Baltimore Ravens)
The Detroit Lions actually get lucky here as they will have Laquon Treadwell fall to them at 16. This is mostly thanks to the Rams trading up to the first overall pick in the draft.
Los Angeles was a big contender for Treadwell, but them moving up allows Detroit to fill the shoes left by Calvin Johnson.
17.) Atlanta Falcons
Selection: Sheldon Rankins – Defensive Tackle – Louisville
Mock Draft 2.0: 21st overall (Washington Redskins)
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
The Atlanta Falcons could always use more help with their anemic defense.
Sheldon Rankins is a space eater, which is useful in Atlanta’s defense, and also has pass rushing abilities that would fix their terrible pass rush.
18.) Indianapolis Colts
Selection: Jack Conklin – Offensive Tackle – Michigan State
Mock Draft 2.0: Not selected
Mock Draft 1.0: 31st overall (Denver Broncos)
If this team does not select an offensive or defensive lineman, Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson should be fired on the spot.
Luckily, the Colts get to draft tackle Jack Conklin to help with keeping quarterback Andrew Luck upright and on his feet, something that the Colts failed to do last year.
19.) Buffalo Bills
Selection: Jarran Reed – Defensive Tackle / End – Alabama
Mock Draft 2.0: Not selected
Mock Draft 1.0: 21st overall (Washington Redskins)
At this point, Jarran Reed is the most talented and versatile piece left in the first round.
Buffalo, running a 3-4 defense this year, could use a player who could play nose, three-technique or five-technique. Imagine a defensive front line that includes Reed, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus.
However, the presence of Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch makes Buffalo’s spot in the draft a very valuable target to trade up to.
20.) New York Jets
Selection: Paxton Lynch – Quarterback – Memphis
Mock Draft 2.0: 13th overall (Philadelphia Eagles)
Mock Draft 1.0: 2oth overall (New York Jets)
With Lynch falling to the New York Jets, the team can finally cast aside the absurd negotiations of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and start over with a long-term answer at quarterback.
That is as long as no one trades up to the Bills’ spot at 19th overall to take him.
21.) Washington Redskins
Selection: Reggie Ragland – Linebacker – Alabama
Mock Draft 2.0: 19th overall (Buffalo Bills)
Mock Draft 1.0: 17th overall (Atlanta Falcons)
The Washington Redskins are missing a presence in the middle of their defense.
Reggie Ragland may not be the most complete player, but he fits the mold needed for Washington. Ragland has shown he can play in coverage, now he must prove to be a three-down linebacker in the NFL.
22.) Houston Texans
Selection: Corey Coleman – Wide Receiver – Baylor
Mock Draft 2.0: 22nd overall (Houston Texans)
Mock Draft 1.0: 15th overall (Los Angeles Rams)
The Houston Texans add another weapon for newly acquired quarterback Brock Osweiler in wide receiver, Corey Coleman. Coleman can thrive across from DeAndre Hopkins, as his speed and athleticism will take away double coverage on Hopkins.
23.) Minnesota Vikings
Selection: Josh Doctson – Wide Receiver – TCU
Mock Draft 2.0: 24th overall (Cincinnati Bengals)
Mock Draft 1.0: 28th overall (Kansas City Chiefs)
It is time for the Minnesota Vikings to build around quarterback Teddy Bridgewater instead of running back Adrian Peterson. Josh Doctson and Stephon Diggs will be a great young tandem for Bridgewater to grow with for many years.
24.) Cincinnati Bengals
Selection: Kevin Dodd – Defensive End – Clemson
Mock Draft 2.0: 17th overall (Atlanta Falcons)
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
While Cincinnati could go wide receiver here, the spurt on wide receivers before their selection causes the Bengals to go in a different direction. They could use some youth in the defensive line, where the big body of Kevin Dodd is capable of making a sudden impact.
25.) Pittsburgh Steelers
Selection: Vonn Bell – Safety – Ohio State
Mock Draft 2.0: 25th overall (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to get younger and more physical in the secondary. Vonn Bell can be the exact piece Pittsburgh needs.
At Ohio State, Bell had nine interceptions, including six in his sophomore season. He is a risk taker, but is also incredibly strong with tackles totaling 115 in his three seasons at Ohio State.
26.) Seattle Seahawks
Selection: Noah Spence – Outside Linebacker – Eastern Kentucky
Mock Draft 2.0: 26th overall (Seattle Seahawks)
Mock Draft 1.0: 24th overall (Cincinnati Bengals)
The Seattle Seahawks is another team that loves to take chances on players with off-field issues. Noah Spence can be another version of Bruce Irvin, but better as a pass rusher and and a similar caliber linebacker than Irvin was.
27.) Green Bay Packers
Selection: Andrew Billings – Nose Tackle – Baylor
Mock Draft 2.0: 27th overall (Green Bay Packers)
Mock Draft 1.0: 18th overall (Indianapolis Colts)
The Green Bay Packers have to fill the void left when B.J. Raji retired. Green Bay will add another strong defensive lineman in Andrew Billings that can attempt to stop a weapon like Peterson in Minnesota, and the rest of the tough running backs in the NFC.
28.) Kansas City Chiefs
Selection: Tyler Boyd – Wide Receiver – Pittsburgh
Mock Draft 2.0: 28th overall (Kansas City Chiefs)
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
The Kansas City Chiefs could replace Sean Smith with this pick, but adding a versatile receiver like Tyler Boyd would make the Chiefs’ offense dangerous.
With weapons like Jeremy Maclin, Travis Kelce, Jamaal Charles, Boyd could make Kansas City a favorite to take the AFC title next season.
29.) Arizona Cardinals
Selection: Eli Apple – Cornerback – Ohio State
Mock Draft 2.0: 29th overall (Arizona Cardinals)
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
The Arizona Cardinals could use some help here at cornerback. With Eli Apple falling farther from the first round tree, Arizona stops him from landing into the second round.
30.) Carolina Panthers
Selection: Derrick Henry – Running Back – Alabama
Mock Draft 2.0: Not selected
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
This may seem like a reach, but the Carolina Panthers have to get younger in the backfield.
Derrick Henry, the most recent Heisman Trophy winner, is a straight line power runner. However, he is also fantastic at crushing defenders.
Carolina will give Henry a whirl at 30 with a fifth-year option on his contract.
31.) Denver Broncos
Selection: Connor Cook – Quarterback – Michigan State
Mock Draft 2.0: 31st overall (Denver Broncos)
Mock Draft 1.0: Not selected
Denver is about to trot Mark Sanchez out to start the entire 2016-17 season. That is really bad.
Luckily, Connor Cook is probably the most pro-ready quarterback in the 2016 NFL Draft. Cook may not start right away, but it beats the heck out of having no competition for Sanchez.
SECOND ROUND: Picks 32-63
32.) Cleveland Browns
Selection: Will Fuller – Wide Receiver – Notre Dame
33.) Arizona Cardinals (acquired via trade with Tennessee Titans)
Selection: Vernon Butler – Defensive Tackle / End – Louisiana Tech
34.) Dallas Cowboys
Selection: Robert Nkemdiche – Defensive Tackle / End – Mississippi
35.) San Diego Chargers
Selection: Ryan Kelly – Center – Alabama
36.) Baltimore Ravens
Selection: Mackenzie Alexander – Cornerback – Clemson
37.) San Francisco 49ers
Selection: Germain Ifedi – Offensive Tackle – Texas A&M
38.) Jacksonville Jaguars
Selection: Cody Whitehair – Center / Guard – Kansas State
39.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Selection: Emmanuel Ogbah – Defensive End – Oklahoma State
40.) New York Giants
Selection: Michael Thomas – Wide Receiver – Ohio State
41.) Chicago Bears
Selection: Karl Joesph – Safety – West Virginia
42.) Miami Dolphins
Selection: Kenneth Dixon – Running Back – Louisiana Tech
43.) Tennessee Titans
Selection: A’Shawn Robinson – Defensive Tackle – Alabama
44.) Oakland Raiders
Selection: Kendall Fuller – Cornerback – Virginia Tech
45.) Tennessee Titans
Selection: Su’a Cravens – Safety/Linebacker – USC
46.) Detroit Lions
Selection: Joshua Garnett – Guard – Stanford
47.) New Orleans Saints
Selection: Hunter Henry – Tight End – Arkansas
48.) Indianapolis Colts
Selection: Chris Jones – Defensive Tackle – Mississippi State
49.) Buffalo Bills
Selection: Darian Thompson – Free Safety – Boise State
50.) Atlanta Falcons
Selection: Bronson Kaufusi – Defensive End – BYU
51.) New York Jets
Selection: Jerald Hawkins – Offensive Tackle – LSU
52.) Houston Texans
Selection: Kyler Fackrell – Linebacker – Utah State
53.) Washington Redskins
Selection: T.J. Green – Safety – Clemson
54.) Minnesota Vikings
Selection: Jonathan Bullard – Defensive Tackle – Florida
55.) Cincinnati Bengals
Selection: Sterling Shepard – Wide Receiver – Oklahoma
56.) Seattle Seahawks
Selection: Christian Westerman – Guard – Arizona State
57.) Green Bay Packers
Selection: Jason Spriggs – Offensive Tackle – Indiana
58.) Pittsburgh Steelers
Selection: Artie Burns – Cornerback – Miami (FL)
59.) Kansas City Chiefs
Selection: Shilique Calhoun – Defensive End – Michigan State
60.) New England Patriots
Selection: Pharoh Cooper – Wide Receiver – South Carolina
61.) New England Patriots (acquired via trade with Arizona Cardinals)
Selection: Rees Odhiambo – Guard/Offensive Tackle – Boise State
62.) Carolina Panthers
Selection: Jordan Jenkins – Linebacker – Georgia
63.) Denver Broncos
Selection: Austin Johnson – Defensive Tackle – Penn State
There you have it. Two rounds. Going to be destroyed the minute that trades occur. Hope you enjoyed reading it! Happy NFL Draft weekend to you all, and be sure to come back to BLTD Sports for more on the NFL Draft, including reactions and grades from the weekend to come!
