2016 NFL Draft Big Board: Matt Miller's Updated Rankings
The college football regular season ends this weekend, with the famed Army-Navy game serving as a fantastic finish to the season. That leaves bowl games and the College Football Playoff as all that separates us from draft season being here at 100 percent.
There are key dates coming up on the calendar: January 16 is the deadline for underclassmen to declare—and those decisions are starting to leak out—and January 30 is the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Those two events will shake up the Big Board in a huge way, and give some much-needed clarity to the draft picture. Until then, this Big Board is based on intel on which players will be entering the draft and which will be staying in school.
As of December 10, this is how the top 100 players in the draft shake out. Of course, one of my 10 Scouting Rules is that all grades should be fluid and revisited, so expect these to change between now and the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
Top 100 Overall
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How does the 2016 draft class look compared to previous seasons?
In terms of talent at the top of the class, it's fair to say 2016 is comparable to 2015 but nowhere near close to 2014. As far as depth, this year doesn't have the depth that last year's draft featured, but it's much better than the famous 2013 draft class. In the last five years of drafts, this year's looks to be fourth-best (2014, 2012, 2015, this year, and 2013 in last place), but there is room for that to change if some juniors surprise us all and head back to school.
The strengths of this class reside at defensive line and linebacker. There are 13 players in the top 32 along the defensive line, and four linebackers help to round out what looks like a very good defensive class. The weakness, though, will be at key spots like quarterback, safety and tight end.
You might not hear many say quarterback is a weakness, but outside of Jared Goff at No. 1 overall—a spot he's fighting to keep with Jaylon Smith and Joey Bosa being exceptional prospects—there isn't a passer in this class I'd compare to the 2014 or 2015 top passers. Paxton Lynch of Memphis doesn't currently grade out as better than Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Derek Carr, Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. That, of course, can change with more film study.
| Rank | Player | School | Pos |
| 1 | Jared Goff | California | QB |
| 2 | Jaylon Smith | Notre Dame | LB |
| 3 | Joey Bosa | Ohio State | EDGE |
| 4 | Robert Nkemdiche | Ole Miss | DL |
| 5 | Ronnie Stanley | Notre Dame | T |
| 6 | Laremy Tunsil | Ole Miss | T |
| 7 | Vernon Hargreaves | Florida | CB |
| 8 | Jalen Ramsey | Florida State | FS |
| 9 | Laquon Treadwell | Ole Miss | WR |
| 10 | Myles Jack | UCLA | LB |
| 11 | Mackensie Alexander | Clemson | CB |
| 12 | DeForest Buckner | Oregon | DL |
| 13 | Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State | RB |
| 14 | Josh Doctson | TCU | WR |
| 15 | Leonard Floyd | Georgia | EDGE |
| 16 | Shaq Lawson | Clemson | EDGE |
| 17 | Paxton Lynch | Memphis | QB |
| 18 | Su'a Cravens | USC | LB |
| 19 | Andrew Billings | Baylor | DL |
| 20 | Maliek Collins | Nebraska | DL |
| 21 | Kenny Clark | UCLA | DL |
| 22 | Michael Thomas | Ohio State | WR |
| 23 | Reggie Ragland | Alabama | LB |
| 24 | Shon Coleman | Auburn | T |
| 25 | Jayron Kearse | Clemson | FS |
| 26 | Emmanuel Ogbah | Oklahoma State | EDGE |
| 27 | Corey Coleman | Baylor | WR |
| 28 | Jarran Reed | Alabama | DL |
| 29 | A'Shawn Robinson | Alabama | DL |
| 30 | Austin Johnson | Penn State | DL |
| 31 | Noah Spence | Eastern Kentucky | EDGE |
| 32 | Jerald Hawkins | LSU | T |
| 33 | Eli Apple | Ohio State | CB |
| 34 | Tre'Davious White | LSU | CB |
| 35 | Jordan Jenkins | Georgia | EDGE |
| 36 | Vince Biegel | Wisconsin | EDGE |
| 37 | Joshua Perry | Ohio State | LB |
| 38 | Tyler Boyd | Pittsburgh | WR |
| 39 | Carson Wentz | North Dakota St. | QB |
| 40 | Christian Hackenberg | Penn State | QB |
| 41 | Taylor Decker | Ohio State | T |
| 42 | Jonathan Bullard | Florida | EDGE |
| 43 | Jonathan Allen | Alabama | EDGE |
| 44 | Jeremy Cash | Duke | SS |
| 45 | Cameron Sutton | Tennessee | CB |
| 46 | Darian Thompson | Boise State | FS |
| 47 | Vonn Bell | Ohio State | SS |
| 48 | Paul Perkins | UCLA | RB |
| 49 | Charles Tapper | Oklahoma | DL |
| 50 | Adolphus Washington | Ohio State | DL |
| 51 | Vernon Butler | Louisiana Tech | DL |
| 52 | Denver Kirkland | Arkansas | G |
| 53 | Devontae Booker | Utah | RB |
| 54 | Jason Spriggs | Indiana | T |
| 55 | Kamalei Correa | Boise State | EDGE |
| 56 | Shilique Calhoun | Michigan State | EDGE |
| 57 | C.J. Prosise | Notre Dame | RB |
| 58 | Tony Conner | Ole Miss | SS |
| 59 | Chris Jones | Miss. State | DL |
| 60 | Hunter Henry | Arkansas | TE |
| 61 | Pharoh Cooper | South Carolina | WR |
| 62 | Ryan Kelly | Alabama | C |
| 63 | Kemoko Turay | Rutgers | EDGE |
| 64 | Leonte Carroo | Rutgers | WR |
| 65 | William Jackson | Houston | CB |
| 66 | Braxton Miller | Ohio State | WR |
| 67 | Tyvis Powell | Ohio State | FS |
| 68 | Kentrell Brothers | Missouri | LB |
| 69 | Alex Collins | Arkansas | RB |
| 70 | Germain Ifedi | Texas A&M | T |
| 71 | O.J. Howard | Alabama | TE |
| 72 | Cayleb Jones | Arizona | WR |
| 73 | Sheldon Day | Notre Dame | DL |
| 74 | Vadal Alexander | LSU | G |
| 75 | Sheldon Rankins | Louisville | DL |
| 76 | Jerell Adams | South Carolina | TE |
| 77 | Landon Turner | North Carolina | G |
| 78 | Derrick Henry | Alabama | RB |
| 79 | Jordan Howard | Indiana | RB |
| 80 | Spencer Drango | Baylor | T |
| 81 | Marcus Maye | Florida | FS |
| 82 | Cassanova McKinzy | Auburn | LB |
| 83 | Rashard Higgins | Colorado State | WR |
| 84 | Cole Toner | Harvard | C |
| 85 | Tajae Sharpe | UMass | WR |
| 86 | Joshua Garnett | Stanford | G |
| 87 | Christian Westerman | Arizona State | G |
| 88 | Keivarae Russell | Notre Dame | CB |
| 89 | Miles Killebrew | Southern Utah | SS |
| 90 | Jalen Mills | LSU | FS |
| 91 | Christian French | Oregon | EDGE |
| 92 | Cody Whitehair | Kansas State | G |
| 93 | Kendall Beckwith | LSU | LB |
| 94 | Max Tuerk | USC | C |
| 95 | Kendall Fuller | Virginia Tech | CB |
| 96 | Sterling Shepard | Oklahoma | WR |
| 97 | Karl Joseph | West Virginia | SS |
| 98 | Carl Nassib | Penn State | DL |
| 99 | Jonathan Williams | Arkansas | RB |
| 100 | Will Redmond | Miss. State | CB |
Quarterbacks
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Most NFL-Ready: Connor Cook, Michigan State
Best Arm: Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
Best Runner: Trevone Boykin, TCU
Best Potential: Cardale Jones, Ohio State
Biggest Question Mark: Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
Biggest Sleeper: Carson Wentz, North Dakota State
Biggest Riser: Brandon Allen, Arkansas
Biggest Faller: Cardale Jones, Ohio State
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Jared Goff | California |
| 2 | Paxton Lynch | Memphis |
| 3 | Carson Wentz | North Dakota St. |
| 4 | Christian Hackenberg | Penn State |
| 5 | Connor Cook | Michigan State |
| 6 | Brandon Allen | Arkansas |
| 7 | Nate Sudfeld | Indiana |
| 8 | Brandon Doughty | Western Kentucky |
| 9 | Dak Prescott | Mississippi State |
| 10 | Kevin Hogan | Stanford |
Running Backs
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Most NFL-Ready: Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
Best Third-Down Back: C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame
Best Speed: Byron Marshall, Oregon
Best Power: Derrick Henry, Alabama
Best Potential: Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
Biggest Question Mark: Derrick Henry, Alabama
Biggest Sleeper: Alex Collins, Arkansas
Biggest Riser: Jordan Howard, Indiana
Biggest Faller: James Conner, Pittsburgh
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Ezekiel Elliott | Ohio State |
| 2 | Paul Perkins | UCLA |
| 3 | Devontae Booker | Utah |
| 4 | C.J. Prosise | Notre Dame |
| 5 | Alex Collins | Arkansas |
| 6 | Derrick Henry | Alabama |
| 7 | Jordan Howard | Indiana |
| 8 | Jonathan Williams | Arkansas |
| 9 | Kenyan Drake | Alabama |
| 10 | Byron Marshall | Oregon |
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Wide Receivers
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Most NFL-Ready: Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss
Best Boundary Receiver: Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss
Best Slot Receiver: Corey Coleman, Baylor
Best Hands: Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss
Best Route-Runner: Tyler Boyd, Pitt
Best Potential: Michael Thomas, Ohio State
Biggest Question Mark: Leonte Carroo, Rutgers
Biggest Sleeper: Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
Biggest Riser: Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
Biggest Faller: Kenny Lawler, California
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Laquon Treadwell | Ole MIss |
| 2 | Josh Doctson | TCU |
| 3 | Michael Thomas | Ohio State |
| 4 | Corey Coleman | Baylor |
| 5 | Tyler Boyd | Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Pharoh Cooper | South Carolina |
| 7 | Leonte Carroo | Rutgers |
| 8 | Braxton Miller | Ohio State |
| 9 | Cayleb Jones | Arizona |
| 10 | Rashard Higgins | Colorado State |
Tight Ends
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Most NFL-Ready: O.J. Howard, Alabama
Best Slot Tight End: Evan Engram, Ole Miss
Best Hands: Hunter Henry, Arkansas
Best Route-Runner: Hunter Henry, Arkansas
Best Blocker: O.J. Howard, Alabama
Biggest Question Mark: O.J. Howard, Alabama
Biggest Sleeper: Nick Vannett, Ohio State
Biggest Riser: Jordan Leggett, Clemson
Biggest Faller: Evan Engram, Ole Miss
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Hunter Henry | Arkansas |
| 2 | O.J. Howard | Alabama |
| 3 | Jordan Leggett | Clemson |
| 4 | Jerell Adams | South Carolina |
| 5 | Austin Hooper | Stanford |
| 6 | Evan Engram | Ole Miss |
| 7 | Jake McGee | Florida |
| 8 | Nick Vannett | Ohio State |
| 9 | Bryce Williams | East Carolina |
| 10 | Bucky Hodges | Virginia Tech |
Tackles
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Most NFL-Ready: Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
Best Run-Blocker: Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss
Best Pass-Blocker: Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
Best Potential: Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M
Biggest Question Mark: Shon Coleman, Auburn
Biggest Sleeper: Tyler Johnstone, Oregon
Lowest Risk: Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame
Biggest Riser: Shon Coleman, Auburn
Biggest Faller: Jason Spriggs, Indiana
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Ronnie Stanley | Notre Dame |
| 2 | Laremy Tunsil | Ole Miss |
| 3 | Shon Coleman | Auburn |
| 4 | Jerald Hawkins | LSU |
| 5 | Taylor Decker | Ohio State |
| 6 | Jason Spriggs | Indiana |
| 7 | Germain Ifedi | Texas A&M |
| 8 | Spencer Drango | Baylor |
| 9 | Le'Raven Clark | Texas Tech |
| 10 | Tyler Johnstone | Oregon |
Guards
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Most NFL-Ready: Vadal Alexander, LSU
Best Run-Blocker: Denver Kirkland, Arkansas
Best Pass-Blocker: Vadal Alexander, LSU
Biggest Upside: Landon Turner, North Carolina
Biggest Question Mark: Aaron Morris, Ole Miss
Biggest Sleeper: Cody Whitehair, Kansas State
Biggest Riser: Denver Kirkland, Arkansas
Biggest Faller: Greg Pyke, Georgia
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Denver Kirkland | Arkansas |
| 2 | Vadal Alexander | LSU |
| 3 | Landon Turner | North Carolina |
| 4 | Joshua Garnett | Stanford |
| 5 | Christian Westerman | Arizona State |
| 6 | Cody Whitehair | Kansas State |
| 7 | Pat Elflein | Ohio State |
| 8 | Greg Pyke | Georgia |
| 9 | Isaac Seumalo | Oregon State |
| 10 | Sebastian Tretola | Arkansas |
Centers
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Most NFL-Ready: Max Tuerk, USC
Best Run-Blocker: Ryan Kelly, Alabama
Best Pass-Blocker: Max Tuerk, USC
Best Upside: Evan Boehm, Missouri
Biggest Question Mark: Dan Voltz, Wisconsin
Biggest Sleeper: Cole Toner, Harvard
Biggest Riser: Ryan Kelly, Alabama
Biggest Faller: Mike Matthews, Texas A&M
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Ryan Kelly | Alabama |
| 2 | Cole Toner | Harvard |
| 3 | Max Tuerk | USC |
| 4 | Evan Boehm | Missouri |
| 5 | Nick Martin | Notre Dame |
| 6 | Mike Matthews | Texas A&M |
| 7 | Jack Allen | Michigan State |
| 8 | Austin Blythe | Iowa |
| 9 | Matt Skura | Duke |
| 10 | Kyle Friend | Temple |
Edge-Defenders
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Most NFL-Ready: Joey Bosa, Ohio State
Best Run-Stopper: Jonathan Bullard, Florida
Best 4-3 Defensive End: Joey Bosa, Ohio State
Best 3-4 Outside Linebacker: Leonard Floyd, Georgia
Best Pass-Rusher: Joey Bosa, Ohio State
Best Potential: Vince Biegel, Wisconsin
Biggest Question Mark: Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky
Biggest Sleeper: Vince Biegel, Wisconsin
Biggest Riser: Leonard Floyd, Georgia
Biggest Faller: Kemoko Turay, Rutgers
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Joey Bosa | Ohio State |
| 2 | Leonard Floyd | Georgia |
| 3 | Shaq Lawson | Clemson |
| 4 | Emmanuel Ogbah | Oklahoma State |
| 5 | Noah Spence | Eastern Kentucky |
| 6 | Jordan Jenkins | Georgia |
| 7 | Vince Biegel | Wisconsin |
| 8 | Jonathan Bullard | Florida |
| 9 | Jonathan Allen | Alabama |
| 10 | Kamalei Correa | Boise State |
Defensive Linemen
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Most NFL-Ready: Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
Best Run-Stopper: Kenny Clark, UCLA
Best Nose Tackle: Kenny Clark, UCLA
Best 3-4 Defensive End: DeForest Buckner, Oregon
Best 3-Technique: Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
Best Pass-Rusher: Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
Best Potential: Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss
Biggest Question Mark: Shawn Oakman, Baylor
Biggest Sleeper: Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech
Biggest Riser: Jarran Reed, Alabama
Biggest Faller: Adolphus Washington, Ohio State
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Robert Nkemdiche | Ole Miss |
| 2 | DeForest Buckner | Oregon |
| 3 | Kenny Clark | UCLA |
| 4 | Andrew Billings | Baylor |
| 5 | Maliek Collins | Nebraska |
| 6 | Jarran Reed | Alabama |
| 7 | A'Shawn Robinson | Alabama |
| 8 | Austin Johnson | Penn State |
| 9 | Charles Tapper | Oklahoma |
| 10 | Vernon Butler | La. Tech |
Linebackers
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Most NFL-Ready: Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Best Weak-Side Linebacker: Myles Jack, UCLA
Best Strong-Side Linebacker: Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
Best Inside Linebacker: Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Best Run-Stopper: Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
Best Pass-Rusher: Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Best Pass Coverage: Myles Jack, UCLA
Best Potential: Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
Biggest Question Mark: Eric Striker, Oklahoma
Biggest Sleeper: Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
Biggest Riser: Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn
Biggest Faller: Scooby Wright, Auburn
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Jaylon Smith | Notre Dame |
| 2 | Myles Jack | UCLA |
| 3 | Su'a Cravens | USC |
| 4 | Reggie Ragland | Alabama |
| 5 | Joshua Perry | Ohio State |
| 6 | Kentrell Brothers | Missouri |
| 7 | Cassanova McKinzy | Auburn |
| 8 | Kendall Beckwith | LSU |
| 9 | Antonio Morrison | Florida |
| 10 | Kyler Fackrell | Utah State |
Cornerbacks
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Most NFL-Ready: Vernon Hargreaves, Florida
Best Man Coverage: Mackensie Alexander, Clemson
Best Zone Coverage: Vernon Hargreaves, Florida
Best Potential: Mackensie Alexander, Clemson
Biggest Question Mark: KeiVarae Russell, Notre Dame
Biggest Sleeper: Michael Jordan, Missouri Western
Biggest Riser: Mackensie Alexander, Clemson
Biggest Faller: Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Vernon Hargreaves | Florida |
| 2 | Mackensie Alexander | Clemson |
| 3 | Eli Apple | Ohio State |
| 4 | Tre'Davious White | LSU |
| 5 | Cameron Sutton | Tennessee |
| 6 | William Jackson | Houston |
| 7 | Kendall Fuller | Virginia Tech |
| 8 | KeiVarae Russell | Notre Dame |
| 9 | Will Redmond | Mississippi State |
| 10 | Fabian Moreau | UCLA |
Safeties
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Most NFL-Ready: Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
Best Coverage: Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
Best Strong Safety: Vonn Bell, Ohio State
Best Free Safety: Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
Best Run-Stopper: Jeremy Cash, Duke
Best Potential: Jalen Ramsey, Florida State
Biggest Question Mark: Jalen Mills, LSU
Biggest Sleeper: Darian Thompson, Boise State
| Rank | Player | School |
| 1 | Jalen Ramsey | Florida State |
| 2 | Jayron Kearse | Clemson |
| 3 | Jeremy Cash | Duke |
| 4 | Vonn Bell | Ohio State |
| 5 | Darian Thompson | Boise State |
| 6 | Tony Conner | Ole Miss |
| 7 | Tyvis Powell | Ohio State |
| 8 | Marcus Maye | Florida |
| 9 | Jalen Mills | LSU |
| 10 | Miles Killebrew | Southern Utah |
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