2016 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Top Prospects Entering Championship Week

The NFL next transitions to championship week, but for the NFL draft process, there's a laser focus on compiling data on the now-complete collegiate season and forging together draft boards for the future.

There's plenty of time between now and the draft, of course. There are also other ways for teams to add talent, such as in free agency or via trades.

But the draft process has morphed into an unstoppable monster over the years, and rightfully so—look at what, say, drafting and building a franchise around Luke Kuechly and Kawann Short has done for the Carolina Panthers.

With the majority of the league looking at the draft, here's a first-round mock based on team need and prospect value to help observers keep up to date on the latest happenings in the draft realm.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
2	Cleveland Browns	Jared Goff	QB	California
3	San Diego Chargers	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
4	Dallas Cowboys	Joey Bosa	DL	Ohio State
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
6	Baltimore Ravens	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
7	San Francisco 49ers	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
8	Miami Dolphins	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
10	New York Giants	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
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	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota 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	Washington	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
22	Houston Texans	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
23	Minnesota Vikings	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
25	Green Bay Packers	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
26	Kansas City Chiefs	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
27	Pittsburgh Steelers	Tre'Davious White	CB	LSU
28	Seattle Seahawks	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
29	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana
30	Arizona Cardinals	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
31	Carolina Panthers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State

Predictions for Top Prospects

2. Cleveland Browns: Jared Goff, QB, California

With Hue Jackson in at head coach for the Cleveland Browns, many figured the franchise would move on from Johnny Manziel but not necessarily draft a quarterback this high. 

After all, Jackson could get creative and maybe swing a trade for a Colin Kaepernick or lure a veteran such as Sam Bradford to town.

As time goes on, though, it's seemingly becoming less and less likely Jackson skips the position at No. 2. Perhaps the breaking point fell around his interview with Bleacher Report SXM:

If Jackson wants to try to go out and get his own franchise quarterback instead of inheriting it from somebody else, the only current option looks like Jared Goff out of California.

Goff's got a good frame at 6'4" and 215 pounds and certainly had the numbers of a poised quarterback, completing 64.5 percent of his passes with 43 touchdowns to 13 interceptions this past season.

Cleveland needs a lot. The roster doesn't exactly offer Goff a ton of options when it comes to weapons. But this is Jackson, who helped turn Andy Dalton around and helped AJ McCarron survive in the playoffs. The next task is taking a high-upside player and making him live up to lofty expectations.

4. Dallas Cowboys: Joey Bosa, DL, Ohio State

The Dallas Cowboys have to think about protecting Tony Romo, but at the same time, maybe dipping their toes into free agency for guys with experience at protecting in the pros is a better idea than hoping a rookie can do it well.

Instead, look for the Cowboys to take advantage of how a coaching change impacts the second pick and steal a falling Joey Bosa.

The Ohio State superstar isn't wasting any time garnering No. 1 consideration from someone such as Mel Kiper, according to ESPN CollegeFootball:

For good reason. Bosa looks like the surest thing in the draft, a freak athlete with good awareness who might garner comparisons to one J.J. Watt for his scheme-versatile presence.

Dallas, of course, would love to get its hands on a rusher who can line up in multiple looks and apply pressure. A surprise eight sacks from DeMarcus Lawrence on a unit that managed just 31 last year was nice, but it's hard to know much else about the rushers on the roster right now.

Bosa would enter and probably be the best on the team. Not a bad consolation prize for a middling season, right?

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State

STEVEN CANNON/Associated Press

Jalen Ramsey out of Florida State might not be the biggest name on the planet just yet, but as the process continues, folks will come to realize he's the top defensive back in the class.

All folks have to do is flick on the tape of the 6'1", 201-pound nightmare for offensive coordinators. Ramsey's long, fast and smart enough to line up almost anywhere on the defense from linebacker to any spot in the secondary.

Kiper leads the way in praising Ramsey, though others won't be far behind.

"He’s an athlete like Rod Woodson was,” Kiper said, according to Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. “When Woodson came out of Purdue, you saw a great talent. A great athlete, who had the ability to play a lot of different roles and could wear a lot of hats in the NFL as he did in a Hall-of-Fame career.”

Jacksonville won't pass on the hype or upside. The defense ranked 29th against the pass this past season while allowing an average of 28 points per game.

Not only does an addition like Ramsey help things right away, it acts as just another piece to the puzzle on a defense with plenty of young talent such as Johnathan Cyprien and Dante Fowler Jr.

With the offense set, Ramsey, Fowler and others could begin a new era for the Jacksonville defense.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of January 17. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.