Hello Everybody and welcome to the first official Mock Draft
of the 2016. I wanted to squeak in a
Mock Draft before the Combine officially concludes. My standard rules apply, this is I think
the teams should draft, not what is going to happen. So you will see that there are some higher
rated players not in the list, without further ado, here we go!
- Tennessee Titans – DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State. A lot of thought out there is that the Titans will go with offense but there are times when you need to look at an elite talent that can play either the 3-4 End position (more likely) or 3-4 LB. Bosa will give it all on every play and should be a difference maker. Offensive Line can come later.
- Cleveland Browns – QB Carson Wentz, North Dakota State. Despite the fact that there is some thought on Goff from Cal here, I do not see him as elite. Wentz is the only QB that has a chance at starting right away (although Cook might be able to). The good news is that he may be given a little bit of time to develop in Cleveland which he could still use. With that said, this draft is full of guys that need to sit for at least a year so Cleveland could surprise with a different player and go for the QB in round 2 and it would not be out of the question. Wentz is high character, has shown that taking a step up in competition does not affect his play, and he plays with a chip on his shoulder which is important with a QB.
- San Diego Chargers – OT Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi. This is a tough one, the Chargers need some secondary help but the bottom line is that King Dunlap has always been inconsistent and should never have been given a second contract. I am not sure that Tunsil is elite but he is going to be pretty good. If you go back to 2013 and had hindsight, wouldn’t you take David Bakhtiari in the top 10 if you needed an OT? Phillip Rivers has a few years left and he needs protection as well as somebody needs to block for Gordon. Tunsil makes a lot of sense here.
- Dallas Cowboys – DE Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky. The Cowboys were burned bad last year by taking Randy Gregory (though not that bad) so why take another pass rusher who has had a troubled past? Spence is an elite talent, he has stayed out of trouble, and wants to keep it that way. Gregory is either addicted to drugs, immaturity, or stupidity or a combination of all three? How else can you explain somebody that cannot cut out the stuff long enough for a one year NFL career? Spence has improved and Gregory kept getting in trouble so those were two different situations and Spence is the right player here. With all of this said, I have a growing suspicion that LB Myles Jack goes to the Cowboys.
- Jacksonville Jaguars - DB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State. The Jaguars are riddled with okay but not great talent at both CB and S. Bradley is a Defensive guy and there are no elite offensive talents here so they will go with a guy that can make a difference for them.
- Baltimore Ravens – DE DeForest Buckner, Oregon. The Ravens may need help on the offensive line, but Buckner is a near ideal 3-4 DE and they need to take their shot now at another position that could use a boost. Buckner needs some refinement but he has the potential to be excellent.
- San Francisco 49ers – OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame. The 49ers need an LT bad. I am torn because I think Stanley does not play up to his ability and needs to work on his leverage. As of right now, I like Jack Conklin better because he plays with a much better base but does not have the same talent as Stanley. Either way, it should be a choice of who not which position.
- Miami Dolphins – CB Vernon Hargreaves, Florida. The Dolphins need some good young talent at CB and Hargreaves is a good fit. It is likely not the pick that fans want but it might really help the defense a great deal. The entire organization seems like it is a bit of a mess so it is hard to say for sure. Given what is available here, this is the smartest pick.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson. I am rarely a fan of Clemson defensive players in the first round, history shows that they have not worked out too well for the last 25 years or so. With that said, the Buccaneers need some pass rush from the ends and Lawson strings moves together to be as relentless as possible. There is certainly some thought on Emmanuel Ogbah, but from what I saw of him, his motor seems questionable. I want to see a guy that plays through every play and plays for the play not the sack.
- New York Giants – ILB Myles Jack, UCLA. The other thought I had here was DT Sheldon Rankins but the Giants need a linebacker a bit more. I am wary of Jack because he is not as refined and coming off of injury. However, the gamble on greatness is too high in this instance so the Giants go with him. To me he is a riskier Bryan Urlacher.
- Chicago Bears – ILB Reggie Ragland, Alabama. It is a scary thing to see two of the same position two picks in a row but in this case, this is what will help the Bears the most. There should also be some serious consideration for Jack Conklin here as he could solidify this line with Kyle Long for a number of years. In the end though, the Bears would have a hard-nosed MLB that fits their defense with Ragland and would be on their way to solidifying their defense.
- New Orleans Saints – RB Ezekiel Elliot, Ohio State. Nothing helps an aging QB more than a good run game. Running Backs have been a little up and down the last couple of years but Elliot sees blocking lanes well and is quick. He does tend to turn into a sprinter at times so he goes down a little easier in that mode. However, he is hands down the best NFL type running back in this draft and the Saints could use a stronger run game.
- Philadelphia Eagles – QB Connor Cook, Michigan State. I really thought long and hard about this and did not want to say a QB, but it makes too much sense at this point. Cook would not be there in round 2, he has the right combination of ability and cockiness without turning off his teammates, and Pederson will be able to hone him a bit. While many are putting Paxton Lynch ahead of Cook right now (or Goff for that matter), I don’t see Lynch as anything more than Joe Flacco as he lacks touch and is a bit Lurchy. Cook should not start day 1 but that is what Bradford or Chase Daniels (I am guessing that they will sign him) are for.
- Oakland Raiders – OT Jack Conklin, Michigan State. Two MSU players in a row? Yes! This is a tough call here because the Raiders could use a Safety as well. But the lack of an elite safety as well as the importance of protecting your investment is too much here. Conklin may be able to be a LT or may be a solid RT, either way, it will help the Raiders.
- Los Angeles Rams – LB Jaylen Smith, Notre Dame. At this point, there are no QBs that are worth this spot and that might be their biggest need. They need a DE or TE also, but they can be patient with Smith’s recovery and will be rewarded with a great player even if it is not a top need. All of their other needs can be addressed later.
- Detroit Lions – DT Sheldon Rankins, Louisville. The Lions need to rebuild their defensive line and Rankins, though a little short, could bring a really interesting dynamic to the center of the line. He reminds me a lot of Cullen Jenkins. The Lions may also go with either one of the Alabama DTs but when there are two players from the same school at the same position, it is often indicative of both players making the other look better.
- Atlanta Falcons – WR Corey Coleman, Baylor. Looking at what they have, the age of Roddy White, and what they could potentially have with lining up a dynamic quick player like Coleman alongside Julio Jones is too much for the Falcons to pass up on this point. They have some bigger needs but the first round is for difference makers.
- Indianapolis Colts – DL Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss. The Colts have a lot of guys on the defensive line that are just guys. That is okay with a 3-4 but having one player that does a little more changes the entire defense. Nkemdiche could be a very intriguing 3-4 DE where he does his job on 1st and 2nd down, then provides inside pressure in nickel and dime situations. The colts really need a RB but this is not the right spot.
- Buffalo Bills – OL Vadal Alexander, LSU. It is not the sexiest pick here but the Bills seem to be ready to move forward with Tyrod Taylor at QB so they will need to continue to protect him. Alexander gets the nod here over Cody Whitehair because he fits the mentality of Rex Ryan better. He is a grinder and could also fill in at OT in a pinch.
- New York Jets – QB Jared Goff, Cal. The Jets throw a curve ball here and take a QB who can sit behind the cerebral Ryan Fitzpatrick for a year, which is what he needs to do. Jets fans want a “right now” type of player but Goff is the smart pick here.
- Washington Redskins – DL Jarran Reed, Alabama. With their defensive line needing a boost they roll with the better run stopper of the Alabama DTs. Again, the fear is that when you have two players from the same position from the same school it is tough to figure out who is the better player but Reed should fit well with the Redskins
- Houston Texans – OT Taylor Decker, Ohio State. The Texans will want a RB with a QB as the back-up slot. Anybody at this point is a reach (yes, Paxton Lynch is), so they go with a player that could help them a bit, is the best player on the board, and they need an OT with Duane Brown getting up there in age.
- Minnesota Vikings- G Cody Whitehair, Kansas State. The Vikings are in great shape on defense and they could use a boost on the Offensive Line so going with Whitehair here makes a lot of sense. Guards are never a sexy pick but interior pressure for a mildly mobile QB is always tough so solidifying the position here is a great idea.
- Cincinnati Bengals – WR Laquon Treadwell. At this point Treadwell is too good to pass up and will make the Bengals more dynamic than they have been for a long time. He replaces the slower Mohammed Sanu as the possession receiver, though he is more than that.
- Pittsburgh Steelers – CB Kendall Fuller. Fuller is coming off an injury but not a terrible one. Eli Apple and Mackensie Alexander are rated higher on most boards, but I don’t see it. Fuller is the better player in that he plays the field a lot smarter, has a higher motor, and will stick his nose in for the tackle.
- Seattle Seahawks – OT Jason Spriggs, Indiana. Though it is a bit of a reach, the Seahawks need an OT more than anything else and Spriggs is solid. At this point, there will be a lot of thought on DE Kevin Dodd because he is such a great pass rusher but the smarter pick is to finally get protection for Wilson.
- Green Bay Packers – LB Darron Lee, Ohio State. Though I really like some linebackers later in this draft, if the draft falls this way Lee is the right pick. The temptation to take a TE here is there but TEs can be found later in the draft. Lee is of similar ilk to Nick Barnett but a better athlete and he fits the Will Linebacker position so he can be there during Nickel and Dime defenses as well.
- Kansas City Chiefs – WR Josh Doctson, TCU. There will be temptation to go with a gamble on greatness with Braxton Miller but in the end they go with the smarter pick in Doctson. Doctson is quick, smart, and tall. He is a little lanky so his future is brighter at this point but he should be a solid contributor.
- Arizona Cardinals – DL A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama. The Cardinals need a little bit of youth on their DLine and Robinson is too talented to fall any further than this. There would be some thought on Andrew Billings at this point but Robinson is further along.
- Carolina Panthers – DE Kevin Dodd, Clemson. There will be plenty of temptation to take an OT at this spot; however, there is not one player worth it at this point. So the Panthers go with increasing their pass rush with Dodd as they will not have an opportunity for another player like him later in the draft.
- Denver Broncos – DL Andrew Billings, Baylor. It is likely that somebody is going to overpay for Malik Jackson and the Broncos will need to reload. Billings needs some leadership around him and there will be plenty to mold him into a guy who can play all three DL positions.
- The Patriots lost their 1st round pick due to deflate gate.
