NFL Draft 2016: Updated Order and 1st-Round Mock Draft Predictions

The NFL playoffs are officially underway, which can only mean that we are that much closer to NFL draft season. In the constant cycle that is pro football, a big part of the year is looking ahead to what is coming next and before everyone knows it, the eligible players will be hearing their names called by Roger Goodell.

But while the NFL’s postseason is just starting, its amateur counterpart is reaching its zenith with Alabama and Clemson set to decide the national championship Monday night. Even though there is still football to be played at the pro-level, that doesn’t mean the scouts' eyes won’t be drifting toward the college game to see what talent is on display in Glendale, Arizona.

Both Alabama and Clemson have made their way to the top of the sport with the help of young superstars and Heisman finalists, running back Derrick Henry for the Crimson Tide—the winner of the award—and charismatic quarterback Deshaun Watson for the Tigers.

But despite their status at the college level and on their own teams, neither is assured of heading to the NFL this season—Henry is eligible, but projections aren’t too promising, and he might elect to return—so the scouts will have to look elsewhere if they want to find the future of their teams in the game.

Fortunately, both teams are loaded with talent — they wouldn’t be in the title game without it — which gives those hoping to see the next big thing in the NFL Monday night plenty to look forward to. Let’s take a look at a first-round mock draft and some of the top prospects for the championship matchup.

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

Top Prospects in College Football Playoff National Championship

Clemson DE Shaq Lawson

Richard Shiro/Associated Press

It is rare to find a player at the defensive end position that is effective in both the pass rush and at stopping the run. Sure, you find guys who can do both, but someone who excels at getting to the quarterback and containing the running back is hard to find.

So when a guy of Shaq Lawson’s quality comes along, teams will be jumping at the chance to select the defensive end should he declare. Outside of his natural ability at end, Lawson is a freak athlete and looks the part of a star on the outside of a defensive line.

The New York Giants have a lot of needs to fill in the draft this season—extra safety and linebacker help, anyone—but the top priority should be adding another pass-rusher along with Jason Pierre Paul, a role Lawson should fill nicely.

Prediction: Shaq Lawson to the New York Giants at No. 10

Clemson CB Mackensie Alexander

Nick Lisi/Associated Press

This NFL draft class is absolutely stacked at the cornerback position, with guys like Jalen Ramsey and Vernon Hargreaves III consistently finding themselves in the top 10 of mock drafts, but an argument could be made that Mackensie Alexander is on par with those two in terms of skill.

Typically paired with the opposing team’s top receiver, Alexander has the Richard Sherman effect of not tallying a ton of interceptions because the ball isn’t thrown at him all that much. He doesn’t allow a lot of touchdowns either and could be the best man-coverage corner in the draft this season.

Stuck in a division with the Denver Broncos and their stellar receiving corps, the Oakland Raiders need all the help they can get in pass coverage, and Alexander could be just what the doctor ordered. He won’t step on the field and be able to cover Demaryius Thomas right away, but give him some time and Alexander could turn into one of the game’s elite.

Prediction: Mackensie Alexander to the Oakland Raiders at No. 14

Alabama DT A’Shawn Robinson

Eric Gay/Associated Press

It might come as a surprise to some, but Alabama has an incredibly deep and talented defensive front. Shocking, I know, but it is the truth, and at the heart of it all is the monstrous defensive tackle, A’Shawn Robinson.

Robinson is being projected as anywhere from a top-five talent to near the end of the first round, depending on how the draft falls, but scouts are almost universally in agreement that he could be a fantastic player. His combination of skill and size will be the perfect fit for someone in the opening few picks, and he won’t be waiting long to hear his name called.

The Saints needs a lot of help at a variety of positions in the draft, with their secondary especially brutal and needing a boost, but Robinson should be a case of best player available for them at pick No. 13. It might not be the biggest position of need, but the big defensive tackle should be a force in the middle for New Orleans and could help jump-start a struggling defense.

Prediction: A’Shawn Robinson to the New Orleans Saints at No. 12

Alabama LB Reggie Ragland

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Positioned just behind the chaos that Robinson can bring on the defensive line is linebacker Reggie Ragland, who benefits greatly by putting together a fantastic season this year. But even without the big tackle in front of him, Ragland would likely have been one of the standout defenders in the country, with his AP Defensive Player of the Year Award a shining example of his skills.

In recent years, linebackers have become much less the Renaissance men they can be, with a specific ability receiving much more focus in development than the others, but Ragland bucks this trend. From pass coverage to pressuring the quarterback to stopping the run, Ragland is able to do it all and is one of the best linebacker prospects to come out of Alabama in recent years.

The Chicago Bears seem like the perfect fit for a player like Ragland. As an inside linebacker, he can do it all and will be a big addition to a Bears team that has to face Aaron Rodgers or Adrian Peterson in four of its games during the regular season.

Prediction: Reggie Ragland to the Chicago Bears at No. 11