Peter King NFL Mock Draft 2016: Notable Picks from NFL Guru's Predictions

Peter King of The MMQB, one of the most plugged-in reporters around the NFL, released his annual mock draft this week ahead of the 2016 NFL draft. 

King expects the logjam of prospects under consideration for the first 10 picks will lead to a flurry of activity inside the first 90 minutes. A personnel director told him: "After the quarterbacks, there's a major difference of opinion on players, depending on what team you're talking to."

Ultimately, King included two trades in his projections, featuring one inside the top five. So let's take a look at how he predicts the first round will play out. That's followed by a deeper dive into some of the more interesting selections from his mock.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Los Angeles Rams (from TEN)	Jared Goff, QB, Cal
2	Philadelphia Eagles (from CLE)	Carson Wentz, QB, NDSU
3	San Diego Chargers	Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State
4	Dallas Cowboys	Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
5	Tennessee Titans (Mock Trade from JAX)	Laremy Tunsil, OT, Mississippi
6	Baltimore Ravens	Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
7	San Francisco 49ers	DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
8	Cleveland Browns (from MIA via PHI)	Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
10	New York Giants	Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
11	Chicago Bears	Shaq Lawson, DE/OLB, Clemson
12	New Orleans Saints	Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
13	Miami Dolphins (from PHI)	Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
14	Oakland Raiders	William Jackson III, CB, Houston
15	Jacksonville Jaguars (Mock Trade from LA via TEN)	Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
16	Detroit Lions	A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
17	Atlanta Falcons	Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
18	Indianapolis Colts	Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
19	Buffalo Bills	Robert Nkemdiche, DE, Mississippi
20	New York Jets	Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
21	Washington Redskins	Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech
22	Houston Texans	Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
23	Minnesota Vikings	Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
26	Cleveland Browns (Mock Trade from SEA)	Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
27	Green Bay Packers	Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Laquon Treadwell, WR, Mississippi
29	Arizona Cardinals	Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
30	Carolina Panthers	Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
31	Denver Broncos	Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama

Tennessee Titans Trade Up for Laremy Tunsil

King projects the Titans to move back into the top five in exchange for the No. 15 and No. 33 selections in this year's draft and a mid-round pick next year. If Tennessee's front office can pull off that deal or something similar, it will make the Titans an early favorite for the draft's biggest winner.

General manager Jon Robinson previously traded the first pick and two other mid-round picks to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a total of six selections. The Titans received two picks in each of the first three rounds split between the next two years, four in 2016 and two in 2017.

What would really put the combination of moves over the top is the fact Tunsil was already a strong option for Tennessee at No. 1. So the team ends up getting a top prospect while also adding several draft picks to use or trade for other assets.

Tunsil is a perfect fit for the Titans, too. Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota got sacked 38 times in just 12 games last season. A team can't allow the face of the franchise to get punished like that. The Ole Miss product represents a quick fix, as numbers from Pro Football Focus illustrate:

Depending on how the first four picks play out, the Jacksonville Jaguars' asking price for the fifth spot could increase quite a bit. But as long as the Titans don't have to give up an extra first-round pick to make the move and Tunsil is still available, it should be a serious consideration on draft night.

Cleveland Browns Land Paxton Lynch After Deal

The second trade in King's mock sees the Browns acquire the 26th selection from the Seattle Seahawks while giving up No. 32 and No. 100 in this year's draft. Cleveland proceeds to select Lynch, who would enter a crowded quarterback competition.

Trading up into that area of the first round will likely be necessary for any team interested in Lynch. The Denver Broncos are looming at No. 31, and it would be a surprise to see them pass on the Memphis star following Peyton Manning's retirement and Brock Osweiler's exit during free agency.

Whether Lynch will still be on the board that long is a mystery. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided a rumor that suggests the quarterback could go quite a bit earlier:

Lynch possesses an intriguing combination of size (6'7", 244 lbs) and dual-threat playmaking ability. His struggles against a fast, athletic Auburn defense in the Birmingham Bowl raised questions about how quickly he can make the NFL transition, though.

Cleveland already has Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown on the roster, so it wouldn't need to force the rookie into the lineup. It could afford to give him a "redshirt" season while hoping Griffin has a bounce-back campaign, giving the front office a valuable trade chip next offseason.

The questions surrounding Lynch's development time mean the Browns shouldn't overpay to get in position to draft him or use their eighth overall pick on him. But if it plays out like King projects, then it's a deal that would make sense.

Laquon Treadwell Falls to No. 28

Treadwell is the most physically imposing (6'2", 221 lbs) wide receiver in the draft class. A few months ago, those traits seemed to make him the clear-cut No. 1 option at the position, and perhaps that's still the case with some teams. However, it's no longer a guarantee he'll be the first wideout off the board.

That's mostly because of lackluster testing results at his pro day, highlighted by a mediocre 4.63-second 40-yard dash, as recorded by NFL.com. It raised questions about whether he'll have enough separation ability to become a top target at the next level.

Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today passed along comments from the Ole Miss standout, who doesn't think top-end speed is necessary to make a significant impact.

"That's not my game, I guess," Treadwell said. "I don't have to run a 4.2 to win on deep balls. I just play ball. I work on technique and try to beat you on different points and attack the ball and make a play for the team. Everybody has their wants and needs. You just have to do what you do."

All told, if he's still on the board for the Kansas City Chiefs with the 28th pick, as King predicts, it would be a massive steal. Putting him opposite a deep-ball threat like Jeremy Maclin is ideal, giving the Chiefs some serious firepower in the passing game.

While Kansas City will never be a pass-heavy offense with Alex Smith at quarterback, having those type of weapons available is always important come playoff time.