2016 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions for Prospects with Rising Stock

While not boasting fancy terms such as Cinderellas and bracket-busters, the NFL draft matches the hype of the month blow-for-blow with the draft process forging ahead.

The most notable term in NFL land these days is "stock," the almighty "S" word that folks slap on prospects whenever something at all happens to them, whether it's a workout, pro day or any endless other tornado of factors that form the summary.

Rest assured that stocks have continued to move and shuffle the board even with the globe's attention elsewhere. Here's a review via a mock based on team need and prospect value with a closer look on three notable risers.

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	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
12	New Orleans Saints	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
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	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
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	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

Notable Stock Risers

3. San Diego Chargers: Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

Normally, a guy as highly thought of as Florida State's Jalen Ramsey doesn't get a mention as a stock-riser because he can't really climb much higher.

A talent like Ramsey can, though, especially with folks using the draft process to realize just how special of a prospect he really is.

NFL.com's Chad Reuter noted Ramsey could go first off the board to the Tennessee Titans. It's something the organization seemed to reinforce with comments on the Florida State product:

Chances seem strong the Titans still grab an offensive lineman to protect Marcus Mariota, but it's easy to see why some consider Ramsey the top pick.

Coming in at 6'1" and 209 pounds, he can play any spot in the defensive secondary and do so quite well. With his elite athleticism, length and smarts, he can play physical at the line with bigger receivers or drop back into deep center and track like a safety.

The description makes perfect sense for the San Diego Chargers, the first team in the order that can't pass up Ramsey. After losing Eric Weddle this offseason, the Chargers can add Ramsey to a secondary that already boasts Jason Verrett and begin to build something special.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Folks didn't hear much about Ohio State's Darron Lee before the NFL draft process really got into the meat of the schedule because it was easy to look at his measurements and move on to the next guy.

Fair enough. Most NFL linebackers don't come in around 6'1" and 232 pounds and find success.

Lee might, though.

He is an absolute burner, one of the most freakish athletes in the draft after running a 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine, a time better than most wideouts. He has a great knack for tracking the football too, prompting folks who spoke with Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to label him as an immediate starter:

"

Redshirt sophomore started all 28 games in 2014-'15. "Run, see, hit type guy," one scout said. "Little bit like Myles Jack. Very athletic. Little undersized. 4-3 'Will' or 3-4 inside backer. Immediate nickel backer." Had 12 sacks, 27 ½ tackles for loss and three interceptions. "More of a finesse guy than anything," another scout said. "Has to be covered up. He goes out and plays on the slot a lot. First-round talent."

"

It's jarring praise for a guy who wasn't even in the first-round conversation before the end of the season. 

So it goes, though. Nickel 'backers are more important than ever, and Lee has the upside to be one of the league's best, which is why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't bat an eye at grabbing him.

Tampa Bay has a lot of work to do on that side of the ball after ranking 16th against the pass last year and giving up 26.1 points per game, the 26th mark in the league. Letting Lee learn from Lavonte David and using the rookie properly could lead to big things for the unit.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

The globe seems obsessed with Baylor's Corey Coleman right now because he ran a fast dash time at his pro day, but TCU's Josh Doctson's stock is rising quietly too.

Why not? It's a somewhat weak wideout class, and Doctson doesn't flash pretty numbers in drills. Yet he's a guy at 6'2" and 202 pounds with sticky hands and elite route-running abilities—traits that folks continue to realize more and more as the process continues.

"He killed it at the combine and that really helped him. He was first round before that, now he might have moved up a few spots," a scout told Mark Eckel of NJ.com. "Don't be surprised if he goes before [Laquon] Treadwell."

The Minnesota Vikings won't ignore Doctson's ability to climb the ladder and get the ball at the point of attack after a crisp route. A quarterback can depend on him in a pinch.

With Cordarrelle Patterson looking like a bust and only Stefon Diggs and Jarius Wright as starters, the Vikings should select Doctson as they attempt to surround Teddy Bridgewater with more talent.

Boasting so many pro-ready skills, Doctson has a chance to end up as Minnesota's No. 1 wideout as a rookie once he develops chemistry with his new quarterback.

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