2016 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Projections and Prospects Impacted by Free Agency

In most cases, NFL teams use free agency as a way to give themselves more options in the draft process.

It's a way to build complementary foundation blocks around the big-name prospects who form the backbone of any roster. Look at a team like the Houston Texans, who went out and got quarterback Brock Osweiler knowing the draft wasn't going to provide a quality starter, now allowing the team to address another issue.

This doesn't always go as planned, though. In some of the examples below, teams find needs multiplied through losses on the market, which has a huge impact on how the draft will play out.

With such a theme in mind, let's look at an updated mock based on team need and prospect stock and follow with an emphasis on free-agency impact.

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	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
4	Dallas Cowboys	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
6	Baltimore Ravens	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
7	San Francisco 49ers	Joey Bosa	DL	Ohio State
8	Philadelphia Eagles	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
10	New York Giants	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
11	Chicago Bears	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
12	New Orleans Saints	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
13	Miami Dolphins	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
14	Oakland Raiders	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
15	Los Angeles Rams	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
16	Detroit Lions	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
17	Atlanta Falcons	Shaq Lawson	LB	Clemson
18	Indianapolis Colts	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
19	Buffalo Bills	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
20	New York Jets	Jonathan Bullard	DE	Florida
21	Washington	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
22	Houston Texans	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
23	Minnesota Vikings	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
27	Green Bay Packers	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
29	Arizona Cardinals	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma St.
30	Carolina Panthers	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana

Prospects Impacted by Free Agency

13. Miami Dolphins: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

The Miami Dolphins never had any major intention of keeping Lamar Miller around so far as most can tell. 

Instead, the front office used free agency to take a big swing and a miss on Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson, as the Broncos swept in and kept one of their own by matching the offer sheet.

Now the Dolphins hit the draft with just Jay Ajayi in the backfield to speak of, barring a signing. He's not a terrible option and the franchise seems to like his upside, but why not go out and get an Ezekiel Elliott if he falls?

As the above video notes, this is a scenario that is already making the rounds in league circles.

And why not? Elliott is the best back in the class by a mile and one of the best to enter the league in years. He can use his 6'0", 225-pound frame to bulldoze running inside, but he has the speed to cut outside, the soft hands to make an impact as a receiver and the pass-blocking prowess a few years ahead of his experience level.

Miami has other needs, but it went out and got help in some areas by adding Mario Williams and others. If the offense cannot move the ball after losing Miller, though, defensive additions won't matter much.

Normally Elliott might not come off the board this high, but Miami's need will have his name called in a hurry.

24. Cincinnati Bengals: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

LM Otero/Associated Press

Teams with an excess of talent usually lose a few names and hit those areas in the draft. 

It's been that way for a while now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Last year, the front office got preventive, adding offensive tackles in each of the first two rounds. Boring, but the team lost Andre Smith this offseason.

Cincinnati also lost its top two wideouts behind A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. The former was a solid role player who sought more playing time, and the latter was quietly one of the best No. 2 wideouts in the league when healthy, his best season coming in 2013 when he produced 712 yards and 10 scores.

The above is a lot for a team to watch walk out the door, but Cincinnati finds itself in a spot to grab a guy like Baylor's Corey Coleman.

Coleman falls behind Laquon Treadwell at the position this year, but he's one heck of a consolation prize. He comes in at 5'11" and 194 pounds with blazing speed and even more in the way of confidence, as the NFL captured:

A deep vertical talent with great hands, Coleman is exactly what the Cincinnati offense has missed even with Sanu and Jones on the roster.

The best part? Coleman can make a seamless transition and start immediately. Keep in mind he'd be doing so on an offense already boasting Green and Tyler Eifert as the top targets, making for one brutal assignment for opposing defensive coordinators.

26. Seattle Seahawks: Leonard Floyd, LB, Georgia

John Bazemore/Associated Press

The situation with pass-rushers was an odd one this year. 

Thanks to guys like Georgia's Leonard Floyd, a large handful of talented pass-rushers look ready to join the league.

One problem—they aren't coming off the board wildly high because so many big names hit the open market this year and changed teams, allowing those teams with a need to look elsewhere in the draft.

One of those guys, whether folks heard about it or not in the wealth of names moving around, was former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin. The man who nabbed 22 sacks over four seasons decided to join the Oakland Raiders. Unless Seattle believes Frank Clark can assume the role on his own, expect the Seahawks to look for some help.

Said help would be Floyd, a guy at 6'6" and 244 pounds fitting the "freak athlete" description with a 4.60-second 40-yard dash, 39.5-inch vertical jump and 127-inch broad jump at the combine. The only issue is size, as NFL.com's Lance Zierlein pointed out in a summary:

"

Floyd is painfully thin and will struggle to matchup with the strength of NFL players, but he is rangy in space, plays with a good motor and has traits as a pass rusher that would be a mistake to ignore. Floyd’s ability to cover close to five yards in three strides is rare for edge rushers. Add to that his inside counter and ability to play in space and you have a prospect who will be heavily scrutinized. Floyd’s lack of functionality could limit him to sub­-packages unless he proves he can add more beef to his frame.

"

Still, the Seahawks know a thing or two about putting a linebacker with a vast array of rushing moves into the best position to succeed. Floyd could easily pair with Clark and others to great effect while bulking his frame.

The same market that caused the Seahawks to have a notable need feeds it with a prospect who shouldn't normally be available. So goes the never-ending cycle of the NFL draft.

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