2016 NFL Mock Draft: Early Predictions on Next Year's Top Prospects

The 2015 NFL draft got underway on Thursday, and we're already thinking about next year. You could call this early, but I prefer the term proactive. Let's call this a proactive 2016 mock draft.

Obviously, we don't know what the draft order will be, but the teams are ranked based on their projected final record for the upcoming season.

Pick	Team	Player
1	Oakland Raiders	Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
2	Cleveland Browns	Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
3	San Francisco 49ers	Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
4	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Duke Williams, WR, Auburn
6	Washington	Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
7	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
8	New York Jets	Cardale Jones, QB. Ohio State
9	New York Giants	Robert Nkemdiche, DE, Ole Miss
10	Chicago Bears	Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
11	Houston Texans	Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
12	St. Louis Rams	Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
13	Buffalo Bills	Leonard Floyd, DE/OLB, Georgia
14	Minnesota Vikings	A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
15	Kansas City Chiefs	Marquez North, WR, Tennessee
16	New Orleans Saints	Nate Andrews, S, Florida State
17	Detroit Lions	Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
18	Miami Dolphins	Spencer Drango, OT, Baylor
19	Atlanta Falcons	Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State
20	Cincinnati Bengals	Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
21	Philadelphia Eagles	Travin Dural, WR, LSU
22	San Diego Chargers	Scooby Wright, DE/OLB, Arizona
23	Carolina Panthers	Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
24	Dallas Cowboys	Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Su'a Cravens, S, USC
26	Arizona Cardinals	Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
27	Baltimore Ravens	Cameron Sutton, CB, Tennessee
28	Indianapolis Colts	Shilique Calhoun, DE/OLB, Michigan State
29	Denver Broncos	O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
30	Green Bay Packers	Darron Lee, DE/OLB, Ohio State
31	New England Patriots	Eddie Jackson, CB, Alabama
32	Seattle Seahawks	Vadal Alexander, G, LSU

Who's the Bosa?

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I apologize for that retro TV pun, but the Ohio State Buckeyes pass-rusher is something of a throwback Oakland Raiders-style player. At 6'5", 285 pounds, Joey Bosa has the size to play defensive end without concession. He has a nasty streak on the field and a great motor.

He's the type of player who can flat-out terrorize a quarterback with his relentless pursuit. In 2014, Bosa had 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss for the national champions. If he picks up where he left off this season, he'll set himself up to hear his name first in next year's draft.

The Project

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After his improbable rise to fame in leading the Bucks to the national championship, Cardale Jones could have opted to enter the NFL draft. After some anxious moments in Columbus, Jones decided to come back and hone his skills in his junior season.

Physically, Jones has everything an NFL scout would look for in a QB prospect. He's huge at 6'5", 250 pounds. Despite his size, he moves well and has shown durability when he's had to scramble. Jones also possesses one of the strongest arms you'll find.

He needs more experience running an offense—especially on the pro level—but he showed excellent poise and leadership in Ohio State's run in 2014. 

The New York Jets wouldn't be able to resist bringing Jones to the Big Apple as their next franchise quarterback.

New Jack Hustler

It's hard to pinpoint which position best fits the UCLA Bruins' Myles Jack, but there's no questioning his speed and instincts for the game. When UCLA defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was asked about Jack's NFL position, he seemed stumped as well. 

Per Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News, Ulbrich said:

"

Honestly, I don’t know. There’s days where I say inside 'backer, because he’s so good off the ball. He’s gaining such a better understanding of defense. His eyes are improving. He’s got crazy range because he’s so fast, going sideline to sideline. Sometimes, I think coming off the edge is his thing. Sometimes, I think maybe he’s that down safety type guy. He can cover receivers. He can cover tight ends for sure, and he can cover running backs.

"

He may not get an opportunity to show it in the NFL, but Jack also proved to be a devastating force as a running back for UCLA this past season.

At 6'1" and 230 pounds, Jack could be an undersized linebacker, but as a safety he could have the sort of impact that Troy Polamalu had early in his career. Jack has those kinds of instincts, speed and physicality.

He could be a game-changer for the Cincinnati Bengals secondary. Whatever position he plays, there's little doubt he'll shine. Some guys are just born to play football, and Jack is one of them.