2016 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects

The end of March Madness always signifies the beginning of true draft season: the time in April when it's finally appropriate to start discussing all draft, all the time, and when mock drafts start to carry some weight. 

That's right; we're less than four weeks away from the first selection of the 2016 NFL draft on April 28 and beginning to get into the thick of silly season. 

Much ink has been spilled on how the first few selections in the draft will play out, including whether the Tennessee Titans will address their offensive line or their secondary with the first overall pick, how early running back Ezekiel Elliott will be off the board and more. 

We'll go through a full first-round mock draft, then take some time to analyze one of the less-discussed positions in this year's draft class: wide receiver. In this mock, three of them come off the board consecutively, so we'll dive into what that could mean for those prospects. 

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
2	Cleveland Browns	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota St.
3	San Diego Chargers	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
4	Dallas Cowboys	Joey Bosa	DE	Ohio State
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Myles Jack	OLB	UCLA
6	Baltimore Ravens	DeForest Buckner	DL	Oregon
7	San Francisco 49ers	Jared Goff	QB	Cal
8	Philadelphia Eagles (MIA)	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
10	New York Giants	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
11	Chicago Bears	Noah Spence	DE	Eastern Kentucky
12	New Orleans Saints	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
13	Miami Dolphins (PHI)	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
14	Oakland Raiders	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
15	Los Angeles Rams	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
16	Detroit Lions	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
17	Atlanta Falcons	Darron Lee	OLB	Ohio State
18	Indianapolis Colts	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
19	Buffalo Bills	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
20	New York Jets	Leonard Floyd	OLB	Georgia
21	Washington	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
22	Houston Texans	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
23	Minnesota Vikings	Will Fuller	WR	Notre Dame
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Shon Coleman	OT	Auburn
27	Green Bay Packers	Reggie Ragland	ILB	Alabama
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Cody Whitehair	OG	Kansas State
29	Arizona Cardinals	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
30	Carolina Panthers	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Jarran Reed	DT	Alabama

Latest Predictions for First-Round Prospects: Where Will WRs Go?

The 2016 wide receiver class is nowhere near as special as the 2015 class, which saw two receivers come off the board in the top 10 in Amari Cooper (No. 4 overall to the Oakland Raiders) and Kevin White (No. 7 overall to the Chicago Bears).

However, this year's group of prospects still has talent and playmaking ability to offer, and wide receiver is always a huge need for a handful of teams each offseason. 

While analysts' opinions differ, three receivers could come off the board on Day 1 of the draft: Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss), Will Fuller (Notre Dame) and Corey Coleman (Baylor). 

Some experts see other receivers getting a first-round nod; CBS Sports' Pete Prisco has the Minnesota Vikings selecting TCU's Josh Doctson at No. 23 in his March 29 mock, for example.

However, most mock drafts predict that at least Treadwell, Fuller and Coleman will be taken in the first round; the question is in what order. 

Prior to Ole Miss' pro day, Treadwell was widely regarded as the top receiver in this year's draft class. He didn't run the 40-yard dash at the combine in February, so that narrative continued into late March. 

However, at his pro day, Treadwell experienced a setback when he ran the 40 in 4.63 seconds, confirming a concern many have voiced about his speed. 

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

The question is whether that will matter when it comes down to making an investment in a pass-catcher—and will Coleman or Fuller really come off the board before Treadwell?

In this mock, Treadwell remains on the board until Houston's selection at No. 22 both because of teams filling other needs in the picks before and in anticipation of some wariness about his 40 time. 

However, despite concerns about his speed, Treadwell is a nice fit in Houston. 

Reviewing Treadwell's strengths, CBS Sports' Dane Brugler described the kind of player Houston has been missing—a big-play generator who also has the potential to be a passionate locker room leader: "Very strong-minded competitor and doesn't shrink under bright lights. Innately motivated and wired right for professional football. Carries himself like a leader with a goal-oriented mindset—genuinely enjoys the camaraderie with his teammates."

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein quoted an AFC Southeastern scout who seemed to indicate that speed isn't everything when evaluating Treadwell: "He's going to get beat up because he's slow but I like everything else he does. You would think scouts would learn about overestimating speed and underestimating tape."

Could Houston look to Fuller or Coleman ahead of Treadwell? Perhaps. Coleman in particular is an intriguing fit with quarterback Brock Osweiler given his ability to stretch the field. He could make an instant impact in that offense. 

It's also possible, of course, that teams ahead of Houston target a wide receiver. If the Los Angeles Rams aren't able to move up to take a quarterback, that's another position they could pursue. 

Ultimately, expect at least three—and potentially four—receivers to come off the board by the end of Day 1. However, there may end up being a run on the position late in the round.