The day is almost upon us! Tomorrow night kicks off the 2016 NFL Draft. The draft ends months of terrible speculation by ESPN and other networks. They’ll have to fill about 80 percent of their TV schedule with something else now (Look for “My Wish” to start soon along with other “human interest” stories).
One thing is for sure, Mel Kiper’s hair will be as loud as Chris Berman’s annoying voice. If you’re looking for something to do while watching, try playing the NFL Draft drinking game. Drink every time you hear the words “upside” “reach” or “bust”. You’ll be dead by 11 o’clock. If you do manage to keep it somewhat together, check to see how accurate these picks are compared to what goes down tomorrow night. Here’s our final mock draft for 2016.
Los Angeles Rams (Trade from Tennessee) – Jared Goff, QB, Cal – After moving all the way up to the first overall pick, the general consensus is that the Rams will use their selection on a quarterback. They’ll select Goff as their QB of the future.
Philadelphia Eagles (Trade from Cleveland) – Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State – No surprise here. The Eagles will select whoever the Rams do not, either Goff or Wentz. Philly has bigger problems on their hands though: like what to do with Sam Bradford?
San Diego Chargers – Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State – Possibly the best all around athlete in the entire draft, Ramsey will give the Chargers some long-needed help on the back-end of their defense. Whether that’s playing cornerback or safety, is yet to be determined.
Dallas Cowboys – Myles Jack, LB, UCLA – Since the departure of Demarcus Ware, Dallas has had some difficulty putting constant pressure on the QB, and Jack should give them some immediate help up front.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State – The Jaguars are in a rebuilding phase no more, and need their defense to step up to the same level of play that their offense did last season. Bosa, who can basically line up at any position on the d-line, should inject the front seven with some new energy.
Baltimore Ravens – Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss – Offensive tackle is the second most important position in the NFL besides QB. If Tunsil is still on the board at this point, and nobody trades up to get him, look for the Ravens to jump at the opportunity to select him.
San Francisco 49ers – DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon – Buckner compares favorably to another 49er, and former Oregon Duck, Arik Armstead. Selecting Buckner is the first in a long line of steps needed to rebuild the front 7 in San Fran.
Cleveland Browns – Vernon Hargreaves III – Although Cleveland certainly has more pressing needs (A QB anyone? Literally my entire life, they haven’t had a decent quarterback) Hargreaves is the best player available at this point, and pairing him with Joe Hayden should give them one of the better CB tandems in the league.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Andrew Billings / DT Baylor – Let this guy beef up, learn the scheme and he will be a man child that eats up opposing teams offensive lines. His stock dropped a bit over the course of the drafting process, but I’m still high on this freak’s abilities.
New York Giants – Ronnie Staley /OT Notre Dame – A lot of mock drafts have him falling, but I see some potential with this guy. He is versatile in that he can play tackle or guard for a team that desperately needs to protect its quarterback to get the ball down field.
Chicago Bears – Shaq Lawson /DE/OLB Clemson – The Bears will need to go defense here since all the other decent offensive linemen are taken at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if Conklin or Tunsil, should they drop get snatched up by them. Lawson is a freak player that has some injury concerns, specifically with his shoulder. Otherwise, this guy is a top-five pick in my opinion.
New Orleans Saints – Sheldon Rankins /DT Louisville – The Saints defense is atrocious. They need a solid defensive linemen to plug up the middle of the line and stop the run and possibly free-up and edge rushers they have. Rankins fits the bill.
Miami Dolphins – Eli Apple /CB Ohio State – I first wrote down Zeke Elliott, but changed my mind 5 times before choosing Apple. With the addition of CJ Anderson at RB, I think they will wait to see how that plays out first. Apple is the next best CB, a position they desperately need help with.
Oakland Raiders – Leonard Floyd /OLB Georgia – He is an all-around linebacker that the Raiders desperately need. I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually trade up to get someone that is more of a home run hitter like Myles Jack or Joey Bosa.
Tennessee Titans – Jack Conklin OT / Michigan State – Did I mention trade? If I was a betting man, I’d say there will be 3 to 4 more trades done in the 1st round of the draft this year. Yes, offensive line help is what the Titans need, but moving up just 5 or 6 spots can get you possibly a whole lot more.
Detroit Lions – William Jackson III – CB Houston – Some mocks have this guy going earlier than this or even later. I say the Lions desperately need secondary help and I think this is the guy to do it.
Atlanta Falcons – Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State – The Falcons have stated they need speed at the linebacker position. Lee fills that need with 4.4 speed. He has the ability to shine at the weakside position.
Indianapolis Colts – Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State – The most glaring need for the Colts this offseason is the offensive line. Colts QBs were sacked 37 times. While that does include the statue Matt Hasselback, it’s too much. They also averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. Decker can help shore up the O-line with his strength.
Buffalo Bills – Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss – Remember when he was the consensus number 1 pick? A lot happens over the course of a season…and off-season. Nkemdiche still has the skill to warrant a first round pick. The bills need help on the D-line after the departure of Mario Williams.
New York Jets – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis – Ryan Fitzpatrick will likely re-sign with the Jets. After him, it’s Glassjaw Geno Smith and Bryce Petty. Lynch has the tangibles and intangibles to be the QB of the future in New York.
Washington Redskins – Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama – Washington can add to its defensive front to go with the addition of Josh Norman in the defensive backfield. Reed is a big, quick, physical tackle who can make an impact. He can improve the run defense, and get after the QB.
Houston Texans – Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor – The Texans add a big play receiver for new QB Brock Osweiler. Coleman scored 20 TDs for the Baylor Bears in 2015.
Minnesota Vikings – Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss – The Vikings can add a big weapon for Teddy Bridgewater. Stephon Diggs is a deep threat, and Treadwell can be the possession guy with big play upside.
Cincinnati Bengals – Josh Doctson, WR, TCU – Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu are not walking into the Cincy locker room. The Bengals need a number 2 to compliment AJ Green. Doctson is a play-making receiver with more than enough speed to fill the void.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Mackensie Alexander, CB Clemson – Ramsey, Hargraves, and Apple are off the board already and Pittsburgh cannot continue to win games 38-35. They need a corner and they’ll take the best available one left on the board.
Seattle Seahawks – Germain Ifedi, OT/G Texas A&M – Contrary to Seattle’s success, Russell Wilson needs some protection up front.
Green Bay Packers – Reggie Ragland, ILB Alabama – Aaron Rodgers and Co. will continue to handle their business on the offensive side of the ball, especially with Jordy Nelson returning. Green Bay can always use some help on the defensive side though. Ragland’s their guy at #27.
Kansas City Chiefs – Will Fuller, WR Notre Dame – Time for the run on WRs. Jeremy Maclin finished with a strong season, but Kansas City needs a good WR2. It might be a stretch to take Fuller here, but doubtful he makes it to the next time Kansas City is on the clock. If you want him, you have to pull the trigger here.
Arizona Cardinals – Shilique Calhoun, OLB Michigan State – Our last memory of Carson Palmer wasn’t a good one, but there’s no need to panic just yet. Arizona already has a strong defense, but defense wins championships. Just look at what Denver did.
Carolina Panthers – Ezekiel Elliot, RB Ohio State – Hard to imagine someone with talent like Elliot’s would fall to the bottom of the first round, but too many teams have other needs. Carolina likes to run the ball and their current RBs are Cameron Artis-Payne, Jonathan Stewart, Brandon Wegher, and Fozzy Whittaker. Elliot would be an immediate upgrade.
Denver Broncos – Connor Cook, QB Michigan State – At this point, Denver still needs a QB, unless they really feel confident with Mark “Sanchize” at the helm. If Denver was willing to draft Tim Tebow in the first round, why not Cook?