2016 NFL Mock Draft: Predicting Destinations for Sleeper Prospects and Top Names

Sleepers, top prospects, mocks, risers and fallers on the stock market, 40-yard dash times and more. 

It's NFL draft season ahead of the 2016 draft, all right.

Draft season never actually goes away, but simmers a tad during the regular season. It's back in full force now with 20 teams out of the running for the Super Bowl and looking toward the future, one defined by what appears to be an iffy quarterback class and loaded almost everywhere else.

Let's kick off draft season, otherwise known as mock season, with a look at the full order and projections for each team.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
2	Cleveland Browns	Joey Bosa	DL	Ohio State
3	San Diego Chargers	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
4	Dallas Cowboys	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
6	Baltimore Ravens	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
7	San Francisco 49ers	Jared Goff	QB	California
8	Miami Dolphins	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
10	New York Giants	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
11	Chicago Bears	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
12	New Orleans Saints	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
13	Philadelphia Eagles	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
14	Oakland Raiders	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
15	St. Louis Rams	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
16	Detroit Lions	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
17	Atlanta Falcons	Shilique Calhoun	DE	Michigan State
18	Indianapolis Colts	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
19	Buffalo Bills	Jarran Reed	DL	Alabama
20	New York Jets	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
21	Pittsburgh Steelers	Desmond King	CB	Iowa
22	Seattle Seahawks	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
23	Green Bay Packers	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
24	Kansas City Chiefs	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
25	Washington	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
26	Houston Texans	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
27	Minnesota Vikings	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
28	Cincinnati Bengals	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
29	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana
30	Arizona Cardinals	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
31	Carolina Panthers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State

Mock Highlights

Best Fit for Top Name: 2. Cleveland Browns, Joey Bosa, DL, Ohio State

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

If the Tennessee Titans decide to help out Marcus Mariota with some beef up front like they do in this scenario, there's little doubt the Cleveland Browns will pull the trigger on Joey Bosa.

The Browns mustered all of 29 sacks this year, with defensive end Desmond Bryant pitching in six and linebacker Armonty Bryant 5.5.

While strong performances, that's not enough for a team that relies on pressure to relieve the secondary, especially when in recent years the front office has made moves such as signing Paul Kruger and drafting Barkevious Mingo to correct the issue.

For the Browns, picking up Bosa and letting him run wild within the scheme makes sense after he acted as college's most disruptive player last year. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller provided some context:

Bosa doesn't solve all of Cleveland's problems, of course. Some might prefer a quarterback this high, but the team has a few ways it could go with that position outside of the draft, if not taking one it likes later on in the process.

There's no reason to pass on a building block such as Bosa, whose sheer talent and disruptive play masks other concerns besides just his position. 

Perfect Spot for Top Sleeper: 27. Minnesota Vikings, Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Think Ohio State's Michael Thomas isn't underrated?

Go ask most anyone who the Buckeyes' top wideout is and watch them struggle. Thanks to Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett, the position change of Braxton Miller and the sheer dominance of Ezekiel Elliott, many have let Thomas get lost in the shuffle.

Thomas, though the No. 1 wideout on the offense, only caught 56 passes for 781 yards and nine scores, similar to what he posted the year prior, too.

As Rotoworld's Josh Norris pointed out, though, there's a lot bubbling beneath the surface for Thomas as a draft prospect:

A team like the Minnesota Vikings would see the value in Thomas.

Minnesota needs more weapons around Teddy Bridgewater. Adrian Peterson's there, yes, but Stefon Diggs wound up as the team's leading receiver with 52 catches for 720 yards and four scores. Mike Wallace was a good pickup, but caught just 39 passes for 473 yards and two scores.

With Jarius Wright filling nothing more than a niche role and Cordarrelle Patterson looking more and more like a gigantic bust, the Vikings need to get Bridgewater an every-down receiver with reliable hands who can move the chains. The 6'3", 210-pound Thomas looks like the perfect fit.

Underrated Spot for Top Sleeper: 28. Cincinnati Bengals, Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Though he hasn't committed to the draft just yet and folks don't know his name yet, either, most will get to know Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah in a hurry.

Few players outside of Bosa disrupted games more than Ogbah, who blew away the competition in the Big 12 on the way to gaudy numbers.

ESPN.com's Brandon Chatmon broke down his impact:

"

Ogbah led the Big 12 with 13 sacks, 16 disrupted dropbacks (sacks/interceptions/batted passes/passes defended) and 17.5 tackles for loss. Not only was he the conference’s most disruptive force, he was exceptionally consistent. Ogbah had just one game, against TCU, without at least half of a sack and had a disrupted dropback in all 12 regular-season outings.

"

There's a long time between now and the draft for Ogbah's slot to change, but right now he looks to fall in this area.

The Cincinnati Bengals don't have a ton of needs. They brought back Michael Johnson last year and his pairing with Carlos Dunlap, not to mention the presence of Geno Atkins in the middle, wreaked havoc. 

But what the Bengals missed was a rotational rusher that has traditionally put the unit over the top. With Wallace Gilberry aging and Margus Hunt struggling to find a role in the NFL, rotating in a player such as Ogbah would keep one of the league's top-scoring defenses right on ticking.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of January 4. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.