NFL Mock Draft 2016: 1st-Round Projections and Ideal Scenarios for Top Prospects

The right scenario is one of the biggest factors in an NFL prospect's potential success.

Look at Amari Cooper, the Oakland Raiders' fourth pick last year, as the perfect example. He landed with an upstart core led by Derek Carr as opposed to suffering on the many other teams boasting iffy starters under center.

It's the same story this year, as several top prospects need the right situation to really flourish. Few in the 2016 class have the look of a prospect who can go into any situation at all and be one of the best in the league, with no Andrew Luck or Marcus Mariota available.

Here's a look at an updated mock before examining some of the noteworthy scenarios.

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	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
11	Chicago Bears	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
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	Nile Lawrence-Stample	DT	Florida State
30	Carolina Panthers	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana

Ideal Scenarios for Top Prospects

2. Cleveland Browns: Jared Goff, QB, California 

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

It's harder than ever for a quarterback to make it at the pro level these days. 

Not only does the college game continue to go away from what the NFL asks of its quarterbacks, NFL franchises don't have a ton of patience to wait for a guy to develop, whether he's on the field or not.

That won't be the case in Cleveland this time, not with the Browns having new head coach Hue Jackson on board. Jackson is one of the most respected offensive names in the league, and the proof of his prowess exists in Cincinnati after the year Andy Dalton had last season while Jackson acted as offensive coordinator.

This is incredible news for Jared Goff. The top quarterback in the class for the entire process, Goff comes in at 6'4" and 215 pounds with a strong arm. He's not a surefire contributor yet, but a moldable prospect.

Which is just what Jackson wants. He's not the type of guy to give up on a developing prospects, especially not one he trusts to take with the second pick in a class. Unlike most rookie quarterbacks, Goff will get an extended leash. He'll also take his lumps while the team around him remains under construction, but for the first time in a long time, Cleveland isn't such a bad place for a quarterback to end up—it's actually rather ideal.

6. Baltimore Ravens: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

While not as well known as Laremy Tunsil, Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley isn't far behind in terms of stock at offensive tackle this year.

Stanley, 6'6" and 312 pounds, chose to stay in school an extra year and work on the fundamentals, something that will have him coming off the board in the top 10.

In a perfect world, Stanley lands with the Baltimore Ravens. The fact the Ravens already have Eugene Monroe manning the left side of the line is actually a good thing—the mentioned shift away from pro-style offenses at the collegiate level hurts offensive linemen, too.

Rather than get thrown to the wolves as a left tackle while he adapts to the pro game, Stanley could play guard or right tackle with the Ravens. It's such a positive that even NFL Network's Mike Mayock has talked positively about the fit.

"I think Ronnie Stanley is a Day 1 starter and would be a solid option for Baltimore at No. 6," Mayock said, according to NFL.com's Chase Goodbread.

The Ravens only gave up 24 sacks last year, but adding depth along the line isn't anything to scoff at when the offense is so predicated on timing. And if things don't work out with Monroe down the line, Stanley is right there to assume left tackle after spending a year or two getting used to the pro level.

Which certainly works out in his favor, too.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Few wideouts get to land in a situation where they can immediately become the No. 1 wideout if they mesh properly with the starting quarterback.

In the above mock draft, the best odds seem to go to TCU's Josh Doctson, who lands with Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings.

An athletic freak who can outjump almost anyone he lines up against to get the ball in the air, Doctson stands at 6'2" and 202 pounds after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with a minimum of 11 touchdowns in each. 

It's a sheer dominance of smaller defensive backs that should translate well to the NFL, but especially in Minnesota where the Vikings lost Mike Wallace and only have Stefon Diggs to speak of at wideout, a guy who caught just 52 of 84 targets for 720 yards and four scores last year.

Doctson should have a nice rapport with Bridgewater, an efficient passer who completed north of 64 percent of his attempts in his rookie and sophomore seasons. In a mutually beneficial relationship, Doctson should see plenty of work at the first-down marker and in the red zone.

A key part of a young core looking to contend in the NFC, Doctson wouldn't have many problems competing for rookie honors and carving out a lucrative career for himself with the Vikings.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of April 10. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.