NFL Mock Draft 2016: 1st-Round Projections and Receiving Prospects on the Rise

Gone are the days one could look at the 2016 NFL draft, call Laquon Treadwell the top wideout and move on to looking at more interesting positions.

As the draft process has surged forward, no position has become more interesting than wide receiver. There's pro-ready guys, players who didn't get enough film attention at first, boom-or-bust projects and role players who can terrorize the league right away.

Not that Treadwell and Baylor's Corey Coleman aren't still up there in terms of stock. But they're flanked by a relatively new cast of names and it wouldn't be a shock to see any of them come off the board first—when wideouts rank this closely, team desires for roles needing filled act as a tiebreaker.

Here's a look at an updated mock with a few days to go and a deeper dive on some of the rising pass-catching threats set to take the next level by storm.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Los Angeles Rams	Jared Goff	QB	California
2	Philadelphia Eagles	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
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	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
7	San Francisco 49ers	Joey Bosa	DL	Ohio State
8	Cleveland Browns	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
10	New York Giants	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
11	Chicago Bears	Shaq Lawson	LB	Clemson
12	New Orleans Saints	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
13	Miami Dolphins	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
14	Oakland Raiders	William Jackson III	CB	Houston
15	Tennessee Titans	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
16	Detroit Lions	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
17	Atlanta Falcons	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
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	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
23	Minnesota Vikings	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	T.J. Green	S	Clemson
26	Seattle Seahawks	Will Fuller	WR	Notre Dame
27	Green Bay Packers	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
29	Arizona Cardinals	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
30	Carolina Panthers	Kendall Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
31	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana

Receiving Prospects on the Rise

23. Minnesota Vikings: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Josh Doctson out of TCU is the most recognizable name after Treadwell and Coleman, though the longer the process lasts, the more it looks like he could become the first wideout off the board. 

He isn't in this scenario, but it's not hard to see why. Doctson pops off the page at 6'2" and 202 pounds, though what should really stand out is his 41-inch vertical jump and 131-inch broad jump from the combine.

Those silly numbers pop up on film all the time with Doctson, who doesn't have the fastest straight-line speed but can climb the ladder and beat smaller defensive backs to the ball at its highest point for some slick highlight-worthy grabs.

Such an ability changes an NFL offense right out of the gates. One that immediately comes to mind as a fit is the Minnesota Vikings, a notion many seem to concur with, as does NFL Network's Steve Mariucci:

It's not a bad spot for Doctson, who would probably become the No. 1 wideout right away with Mike Wallace gone and only Stefon Diggs holding down the position.

With Teddy Bridgewater needing a legitimate deep threat on each down, Doctson couldn't land in a better spot.

26. Seattle Seahawks: Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame's Will Fuller is new to the first-round scene, though he certainly slots into the high-upside descriptor from the intro. 

Teams will have to decide if Fuller is worth the gamble, as he comes in a tad small at 6'0" and 186 pounds. He makes up for it with blazing speed, though, which is apparent on film after his 62 catches for 1,258 yards and 14 scores last year, but got reinforced at the combine with his 4.32 40-yard dash.

A deep threat will always grab the attention of the NFL, especially when other intangibles hint at something greater on film. Cris Collinsworth of Pro Football Focus hinted at these while mocking Fuller 24th:

"

I’ve seen a ton of Fuller from watching Notre Dame these last few seasons, and he is one of the fastest players I’ve seen in college football. It seemed like he would come down with at least one deep ball every game, even against the best competition, so it’s no surprise he ranked No. 1 in the nation in deep-ball catch rate this season. His speed is a game-changer, both on deep routes and in taking screens and hitches for big gains after the catch, and NFL defenses would have a hard time covering him one-on-one with A.J. Green drawing more attention on the other side.

"

Fuller falls a couple more slots in this scenario. The Seattle Seahawks don't have an A.J. Green, but they do have Doug Baldwin and the explosive Tyler Lockett, as well as Jimmy Graham at tight end.

With Marshawn Lynch out of the picture, the Seahawks might lean on the pass more than usual in the coming years, meaning a guy who can make big plays down the field or at least open the spacing up wide for others looks like a smooth move.

Fuller is the guy after a meteoric rise up draft boards.

28. Kansas City Chiefs: Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State

If Fuller is the high-upside player hinted in the intro, Ohio State's Michael Thomas falls into the boom-or-bust category. 

Somewhat lost in the shuffle of Urban Meyer's superteam, Thomas quietly posted 56 catches for 781 yards and nine scores last season. Pair that with an outstanding 6'3", 212-pound frame and it's not hard to see why Thomas sticks in the first-round conversation.

The problem with Thomas is experience, as he's still learning the position and doesn't show a ton of consistency when it comes to hands or route running, with the Buckeyes only using him on short outs and letting him go to work after the catch.

Some, though, remain quite high on Thomas, such as NFL.com's Chad Reuter: "If I had a top-10 pick in this draft and needed a receiver, I'd take Thomas. I don't care about his 40-yard dash results (4.57 seconds)—he has elite quickness, hands and agility. Every time I watch him, all I can think of is how DeAndre Hopkins is ripping up the league with a similar skill set.

A deep class means Thomas takes a tumble, but the Kansas City Chiefs wouldn't mind plucking him from the free fall.

Kansas City did right by finally getting a No. 1 wideout with Jeremy Maclin, but there's little else to speak of on the roster after him, as last year no other wideout broke the 500-yard mark.

Thomas isn't an instant fix by any means, but he can contribute right out of the gates with the same usage Ohio State asked of him while he learns the rest of the pro game, providing a now-and-later impact many teams whiff on completely in the first round.

Stats are courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of April 25. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.