NFL Draft 2016: 1st-Round Mock Draft and Buzz After Scouting Combine Day 4

As always, the NFL Scouting Combine once again provided valuable lessons about a draft class as the official countdown to the draft itself begins.

This year's event mainly focuses on quarterbacks. Not that it doesn't most years, but this quarterback class is quite a long ways away from the epic Jameis Winston-Marcus Mariota duel that headlined last year's process.

Cal's Jared Goff and others headline this odd class, which talks about "upside" and "potential" perhaps more than any class has in quite a long time.

With the combine in its final throes, now would be a good time to look at an updated mock draft reflecting prospect stock changes and detailing some of the more notable buzz about top guys coming out of Indianapolis.

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	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
11	Chicago Bears	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
12	New Orleans Saints	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
13	Philadelphia Eagles	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
14	Oakland Raiders	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
15	Los Angeles Rams	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
16	Detroit Lions	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
17	Atlanta Falcons	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
18	Indianapolis Colts	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
19	Buffalo Bills	Jarran Reed	DL	Alabama
20	New York Jets	Jonathan Bullard	DE	Florida
21	Washington	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
22	Houston Texans	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
23	Minnesota Vikings	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
27	Green Bay Packers	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
29	Arizona Cardinals	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
30	Carolina Panthers	Shaq Lawson	LB	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana

Notable Buzz on Top Prospects

2. Cleveland Browns: Jared Goff, QB, California

Many might expect this to look different after the combine, which could otherwise receive the tag "Carson Wentz hype machine" and do just fine.

But at some point, one has to step back and wonder if the hype surrounding North Dakota State's Wentz isn't more about the Cleveland Browns attempting to stop teams from jumping them in the draft to nab the guy they want, as the Tennessee Titans seems like a franchise that wouldn't mind dealing the top pick.

No, odds are the Browns and new head coach Hue Jackson still have eyes on Goff, the guy who came in at 6'4" and 215 pounds and showed off strong form and accuracy in drills, as Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm noted:

NFL.com's Bucky Brooks added some important perspective after Goff's strong showing:

"

The polished pocket passer put on a strong showing to cement his status as the top quarterback in the 2016 class. Goff showed exceptional footwork and mechanics making throws in passing drills. Most importantly, he consistently put the ball within the strike zone while flashing the ability to change ball speeds and trajectory on his throws. Given the importance coaches and scouts place on accuracy and ball placement, Goff's impressive exhibition, in my estimation, makes him the front-runner at the position heading into the pro-day circuit.

"

Look, Goff did exactly what he needed to do. Compared to other guys in the class who hit the combine looking more like projects, Goff reaffirmed the notion that he's a pro-ready passer who will come off the board high and quickly learn the game, if not start and produce.

Jackson did good work with quarterback Andy Dalton during his time with the Cincinnati Bengals. He probably wouldn't mind more of a project player under center, but grabbing Goff and molding him while gaining some job security and winning more games than the franchise is accustomed to doesn't hurt, either.

15. Los Angeles Rams: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

None of the above is meant to suggest that Wentz will go flailing down the board and have to sweat it out in front of the cameras. 

But Wentz is more of a long-term project who needs to land with a franchise willing to wait it out. With the way Cleveland goes through head coaches, that's probably not the right locale. Los Angeles and veteran coach Jeff Fisher? Bingo. 

Wentz mostly matched expectations at the combine, coming in at 6'5" and 237 pounds. As FoxSports.com's Peter Schrager pointed out, the North Dakota State product passed most tests:

Wentz is more physically imposing than Goff and might find himself able to make some headway on the ground at the next level if asked. But the rumblings after the workouts still seem quite split as to who the top signal-caller in the class will wind up being.

Regardless, Wentz is one of the top rising stars of the class. He hit the combine with immense hype and matched it, making it easier to ignore level-of-competition jargon.

For the Rams, he's an ideal new franchise player to build around, even if the going will be quite rough for a while given the state of the roster and how long Wentz might take to develop.

16. Detroit Lions: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

There's little doubt who the No. 1 wideout in the 2016 class is now. 

The title goes to Laquon Treadwell from the Ole Miss Rebels, who put past injury concerns behind him with a superb performance in Indianapolis. There has been little bad chatter about interviews or medical evaluations, and on the field, well, Treadwell captured the audience and didn't let go.

In fact, it was the defenders who raved about Treadwell the most, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun:

CBS Sports' Dane Brugler provided an example by speaking with Florida defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III:

Keep in mind, folks, Hargreaves lined up against New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham, Oakland Raiders playmaker Amari Cooper and Carolina Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin when they were still in college.

Treadwell measured at 6'2" and 210 pounds, but more impressive was his ability to track the ball over his shoulder and his gigantic catch radius. Given his size, it should go without saying that he can create separation at the line of scrimmage.

With the future of Calvin Johnson a big unknown surrounding the Detroit Lions, having the top wideout in the class fall in their laps certainly looks like a major win.

As teams focus on a draft class deep in help getting to quarterbacks, the Lions should be able to stand pat and get a big win with Treadwell, who might emerge from the combine as the most-talked about prospect.

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