Another day, another mock draft. As we move into November, NFL draft boards will be in flux from now until April. Anywho, here is my newest 2016 NFL mock draft.
1. Detroit Lions- OT Laremy Tunsil/Ole Miss
Tunsil is the kind of T that can be the ultimate “Blind Side” ironically the same school as the man who was the feature man of “Blind Side.” Tunsil is finally playing and he’s been good for them. Detroit needs to protect Matthew Stafford in order to have any success on offense.
2. Cleveland Browns- QB Jared Goff/California
Cleveland is picking ANOTHER QB in the 1st round, these poor fans have been tortured enough. I can’t guarantee that Goff will be the #1 QB on my board come draft time but he’s the safest pick with his talent and intangibles. Manziel isn’t the future and that is as clear as day.
3. San Diego Chargers- DT Robert Nkemdiche/Ole Miss
The Chargers have had rotten luck but they’re fortunate to have a chance to land a blue chip player like Nkemdiche to rejuvenate the DLine. He’s been a force to be reckoned with and Kendall Reyes and Corey Liuget could be viewed as expendable. I’m not as high on Ronnie Stanley as many are.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars- CB Vernon Hargreaves/Florida
This is one of the most obvious picks ever, no wonder it’s a consensus! Hargreaves is a gritty CB who plays off coverage a lot but he has the same qualities that I liked in Joe Haden, Marcus Peters, and Jason Verrett coming out. Jacksonville may look to FA to boost their pass rush with names like Chandler Jones and Bruce Irvin.
5. Dallas Cowboys- DE Joey Bosa/Ohio State
The Cowboys may need a WR and backup QB, but a pass-rushing talent like Bosa would give them another talented player on defense. DB is a deep group this year draft wise so they can take Bosa to replace the infamous Greg Hardy and select a CB in round 2. Plus, I don’t think Cowboy fans want to remember the last DB they took in the top 10.
6. Tennessee Titans- S Jalen Ramsey/Florida State
Ramsey is a CB/S but I believe he could be an ELITE S. With Jason McCourty being dangled during the trade deadline it’ll be interesting to see if he does get moved this offseason, especially with a coaching change on the ropes. The offense is young and just needs time to grow with Marcus Mariota if he indeed is the guy for the Titans.
7. Baltimore Ravens- WR Lequan Treadwell/Ole Miss
I HATED the Breshad Perriman pick in last year’s draft but Erik Decosta and Ozzie Newsome can make up for that by picking Treadwell here who is a REAL #1 WR who can be a difference maker for any offense he joins. He might not be Amari Cooper or Sammy Watkins but Tredwell has been the key factor to Ole Miss’s offense this season with Chad Kelly.
8. San Francisco 49ers- QB Paxton Lynch/Memphis
Put me on the record that I think the 49ers are making the right decision with parting ways from Kaepernick, money wise, but there isn’t many QBs with the athletic ability of Kaepernick. But Paxton Lynch has been extremely efficient this year for Memphis, who has surged to the top 25.
9. Chicago Bears- LB Jaylon Smith/Notre Dame
Chicago has a lot of ways they could attack this pick, but ultimately ILB is a need they must address. Smith is the best LB in this draft the way I see it. Replacing Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher has been difficult. As far as QB, they only take Goff in this draft, especially with Cutler still under that egregious contract.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- OT Ronnie Stanley/Notre Dame
Tampa Bay could end up like the Colts in a few years with the lack of talent they have on the offensive line. Drafting a LT here would set up a blind side guy for QB Jameis Winston to succeed and also boost the running game for Doug Martin and Charles Sims. Marpet and Smith need to realigned for them to be successful.
11. Washington Redskins- LB Myles Jack/UCLA
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins is mediocre but he isn’t as bad as Robert Griffin III was. Keenan Robinson and Perry Riley Jr. are likely to be expendable this offseason, in comes Myles Jack, an athletic LB who can play in coverage or against the run. Although an injury ended his season, don’t think he’ll fall to far down boards.
12. Miami Dolphins- LB Reggie Ragland/Alabama
The Miami Dolphins have done exactly what I thought they’d do this year, below average and a lot to be desired especially at LB. Reggie Ragland is a stud, to me he’s the definition of what a MIC LB should be. Like Mosley, Hightower, and McClain before him, Ragland is highly talented and very smart in qb’ing the defense for Nick Saban and Kirby Smart.
13. Houston Texans- QB Christian Hackenberg/Penn St.
Hackenberg’s best was with Bill O’Brien and he happens to be with the Houston Texans who need a QB more than anybody. Hackenberg has also juristically improved, I never gave up on him but some will hop back on the bandwagon soon enough. Intangibles are not easy to teach at the pro level but Hackenberg is a student of the game and a natural leader.
14. Kansas City Chiefs- QB Connor Cook/Michigan St.
Alex Smith has to go, plain and simple. Andy Reid may look to Michigan State QB Connor Cook to sit a year behind Smith before getting handed the reigns. Cook has been very good late in games for Michigan St has been cheating death a few times this season despite the lack of luck against Nebraska. Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce will be fantasy studs with a better record.
15. New Orleans Saints- DT DeForest Buckner/Oregon
Buckner is a big boy and they’ll need him at DT to fill in for old man Kevin Williams. Buckner is as good as Arik Armstead was coming out, and for the Saints who need help on defense they can utilize his size as a boost for that group. You could look at pass rushers but 3-4/4-3 is complicated until the offseason.
16. Philadelphia Eagles- CB Tre’Davious White/LSU
White has made some plays in recent games, he wasn’t bad vs. Alabama either matching up with Calvin Ridley on occasion with Jalen Mills. The Eagles are really in need of a true CB. Maxwell has been a disaster and Eric Rowe isn’t a CB, he’s a S. White could be the #1 CB on the roster from the 1st day of camp. He’s my #4 CB on my board.
17. Oakland Raiders- DT Kenny Clark/UCLA
Kenny Clark isn’t quite a blue chip prospect but he’s apart of a front seven that has been a force for a couple of years under Jim Mora Jr. Jack Del Rio could look at Clark as an added bonus alongside Dan Williams to boost their run defense, the pass rush already looks like they set with Aldon Smith and Khalil Mack.
18. St. Louis Rams- WR Tyler Boyd/Pittsburgh
Tyler Boyd is the best WR in this draft, based on big play ability. Though he may have an average frame (which I say is BS because 6’2” 200lbs is fine, the NFL is obsessed with the big WRs who can draw flags), Boyd has the talent to change the game on one play. The Rams need a consistent #1 threat because they have Austin and Quick who are #2’s.
19. Seattle Seahawks- OT Jack Conklin/Michigan State
Jack Conklin is the 2nd best OT in this draft behind only Laremy Tunsil. Conklin is a talented senior who has been sound protecting fellow 1st rounder Connor Cook for a few years. He has had a knee injury but looks fully recovered. Cook has had the luxury of a clean pocket, which every QB needs.
20. Buffalo Bills- DE Emmanuel Ogbah/Oklahoma St.
Emmanuel Ogbah might be the Chandler Jones of this draft class, Jones was graded a top 10 pick on my board in 2012. Ogbah has the same raw ability against the run and the pass. The Bills may try to move on from Mario Williams, just a hunch, especially with the money they have to pay him with other needs on the roster.
21. Indianapolis Colts- OT Taylor Decker/Ohio State
I have a special message for GM Ryan Grigson, QUIT, RETIRE, GET OUT OF FOOTBALL, he’s the worst GM in pro football. If he doesn’t pick an OT or OG in the 1st round, Colts fans should demand a refund on their season tickets. Now to Decker, he’s a great run blocker and a solid pass blocker. He’s one of the most talented seniors in the draft of any position. Opposite of Castanzo, this is the best situation for Indy.
22. New York Giants- DE Shaq Lawson/Clemson
Shaq Lawson was an early 2nd prospect for me but has gradually impressed over the course of the season. JPP is likely going to either stay or go. Either way that team needs talent on the pass rush because Jerry Reese loves pass rushers.
23. Pittsburgh Steelers- CB Kendall Fuller/Virginia Tech
Fuller is mocked to the Steelers once again, but their team may lose ground on a playoff spot due to another Big Ben injury. Fuller is a top 16 talent, but falling to 23 because of his own injuries. The CB core has William Gay, Antwon Blake, Ross Cockrell, and Cortez Allen… Need I say more?
24. New York Jets- QB Dak Prescott/Mississippi State
The New York Jets are a player for a playoff spot and with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB (remember, you need an elite QB to be good (NFL Media). They have Bryce Petty, but he’s not a starting QB by any means in the NFL level. Prescott has been very efficient and is getting slept on by NFL scouts. 18 TDs and 1 INT on a team that is far less talented than last year’s squad, that’ll open some eyes.
25. Atlanta Falcons- DE/OLB Leonard Floyd/Georgia
Leonard Floyd is viewed as a top 20 pick and I can see why but his slender frame may hurt him in this case, as well as the Georgia system (which was also said about Justin Houston). I think his effort and consistency against the run could be a problem in the NFL but otherwise the Falcons may have a sparring partner for Beasley going forward.
26. Minnesota Vikings- OG Vidal Alexander/LSU
Teddy Bridgewater’s injury is the risk you take playing football, but the Vikings could add a piece to protect their star QB going forward. Alexander didn’t get the better of A’Shawn Robinson and the Bama D-Line but LSU has been dominant in the running game this year. For Peterson who may win a rushing crown this year, this is an added bonus.
27. Green Bay Packers- DT A’Shawn Robinson/Alabama
I have mixed feelings towards Robinson, I’ve heard iffy things about him from Bama fans and others in my shoes. But you can’t ignore the size and strength he possesses. Also have to look at Green Bay’s defense and think they another ox for that defensive line. Datone Jones and BJ Raji simply aren’t getting it done.
28. Arizona Cardinals- RB Ezekiel Elliot/Ohio State
The Arizona Cardinals may have David Johnson but he’s a bigger back who may only be good for limited carries. Ezekiel Elliot is a workhorse and a true feature back that the team has been lacking for a very long time. He can stay and pass block too for old man Palmer.
29. Denver Broncos- RB Derrick Henry/Alabama
Henry is a bull! Although Eddie Lacy being benched may indirectly hurt him, he still put on a show against an LSU defense that was highly praised coming into the game. The Broncos have to realize that CJ Anderson is a flex back and Ronnie Hillman is a complimentary player. Henry could provide the boom for Kubiak’s offense, the way he had in Houston with Arian Foster.
30. Cincinnati Bengals- WR Michael Thomas/Ohio State
Cincy’s offense has been electric this year but Mohammed Sanu and Marvin Jones are both free agents and will likely only keep one or none of them. Thomas is a solid WR from Ohio State who is definitely better than Devin Smith was in the draft last year. Thomas also has been consistent over the course of the season.
31. Carolina Panthers- RB Devontae Booker/Utah
Booker will likely go in the second round but Booker should be a 1st round for the type of back that he is. Booker could be the new feature back with Jonathan Stewart’s cap number where it stands. Although Carolina should be looking at WRs possibly in free agency.