NFL Mock Draft 2016: Predictions for Top Prospects Affected by Free-Agent Frenzy

The free-agent frenzy has left the 2016 NFL draft outlook something akin to as if Chip Kelly stormed through, shook things up and left for somewhere else.

Maybe that hit too close to home for some, but the fact is simple—free agency alters much of what most thought they knew about the upcoming draft and how teams might act.

Instead of grabbing a prospect to plant as a starter, teams have gone out and found proven veterans at a much higher cost in the hopes of competing sooner, if not using the draft to plug a different hole.

It's one of the wildest time of year when it comes to draft buildup. Below, let's take a look at a revised mock draft and outline some of the biggest changes thanks to free agency.

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	Philadelphia Eagles	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
10	New York Giants	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
11	Chicago Bears	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
12	New Orleans Saints	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
13	Miami Dolphins	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
14	Oakland Raiders	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
15	Los Angeles Rams	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
16	Detroit Lions	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
17	Atlanta Falcons	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
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	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
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	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma St.
30	Carolina Panthers	Shaq Lawson	LB	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana

Prospects Impacted by Free Agency

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame

Were it not for a few signings, Jaylon Smith might not make the cut in the first round at all.

Folks likely know the deal with Smith now. The Notre Dame product suffered a serious injury in the team's bowl game, and the chatter around it has been all over the place since, from his falling out of the first round completely to still coming off the board in the top 10.

In this scenario, it's all about the latter, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having hit on a major need in free agency and making room for a future-minded pick.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Buccaneers went out and signed defensive end Robert Ayers, taking care of one of the roster's biggest issues. No longer does the team have to go out and grab help at the area such as Oregon's DeForest Buckner.

Smith wouldn't be a terrible pick by the Buccaneers, who should have the future in mind. He'd be an incredible fit in the same unit as Lavonte David once healthy, and the team could afford to wait. A conclusion by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein puts the rarity of Smith's skills into context:

"

In this day and age of "tweeners" being labeled "hybrid" players, Smith is the rare commodity who is truly hybrid in the sense that he has the athleticism, speed and physical makeup to play any linebacker spot in either the 3­-4 or the 4-­3. Smith was productive but slightly miscast in the middle of the Notre Dame defense and is better suited to play in space as a 4­-3 outside linebacker. However, his length and upfield burst could draw the attention of a 3-­4 team looking to transition him into a rush linebacker while utilizing his rare cover skills.

"

Tampa Bay has more immediate needs the front office could hit, sure, but free agency has helped check most major points off the list.

As the Buccaneers continue to develop with Jameis Winston leading the way, waiting about a year for a guy who could have been the top pick makes sense. Free agency helped put both parties in this situation.

16. Detroit Lions: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

So much for the Detroit Lions needing to go out and get a wide receiver with Calvin Johnson gone.

Instead of grabbing one of the draft's top players at the position, the Lions decided to get Matthew Stafford a proven target in the form of Marvin Jones, according to ESPN's Dianna Marie Russini.

While a bit more expensive, the Lions will want the offense to keep moving instead of waiting on a weapon to develop, and freeing up the first-round selection doesn't hurt.

All that remains is helping the proven offense move up and down the field. In that regard, the Lions need help in the trenches after Stafford took 44 sacks last season, so adding a top prospect such as Michigan State's Jack Conklin makes sense.

Coming in at 6'6" and 308 pounds, Conklin is a bruiser who can play either side of the line based on the situation. The Spartans captured the thoughts of Fox Sports' Charles Davis, who points out how well Conklin can move as a pass-blocker despite his reputation:

Great news for the Lions, who could use some flexibility on the line, even if it means trotting out Conklin as a guard during his rookie campaign to stabilize the line.

No matter where Conklin plays, his addition is what happens when a franchise has a goal in mind and completes it with aggression on the open market.

24. Cincinnati Bengals: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

Sometimes leaking talent in the worst way, as opposed to adding it and increasing options as the teams above did, alters a team's draft plans. 

Such is the case here with the Cincinnati Bengals, who not only lost Jones to Detroit but Mohamed Sanu to the Atlanta Falcons, according to the team itself.

Translation—Cincinnati just watched 1,210 receiving yards and four touchdowns from last season walk out the door. Jones was a capable starter when healthy, and Sanu stepped in nicely in 2014 as a starter with Jones out for the year, but Cincinnati wasn't willing to pay top dollar to keep around third and fourth options on the offense.

Drafting one, though, makes too much sense. Laquon Treadwell is also a product of all the above, with most teams in need going out and getting free agents so they don't have to spend an early pick on what many agree is a weak wideout class.

Treadwell is the headline act, though, and quite a good one. He's 6'2" and 221 pounds with elite ball skills reminiscent of, say, Dez Bryant. He had a scary injury a few years ago and gets emotional, but on the field, his impact isn't hard to see.

Cincinnati doesn't have a ton of needs and has a habit of grabbing the best player available. Getting the draft's top wideout at No. 24 is too good to pass up. Treadwell would start right away across from A.J. Green and in the same base sets as Tyler Eifert, quite the scary concoction for opposing defenses.

The Bengals have put themselves in a position to draft Treadwell through smart drafting and smooth free-agent adds here and there. Such a marriage might wind up as the perfect fit for both sides.

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