2016 NFL Mock Draft: Early 1st-Round Predictions for Next Year's Top Prospects

Yes, it's very early for a 2016 NFL mock draft. After all, the 2015 draft just concluded Saturday, and most prospects haven't even had the chance to venture to their new team's facilities yet. Still, it's always fun to speculate.     

While we won't exactly know team needs for next year's draft until the conclusion of the 2015 season, we can make some educated guesses—not every franchise filled its voids with top-tier prospects this year and will likely revisit similar positions in 2016. That gives us something to work with.

Before we get started, here's one interesting note: LSU offensive tackle La'el Collins wasn't drafted in 2015, and his plan was to enter the 2016 NFL draft. Well, that apparently won't be happening, as it's against league rules, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, via Conor Orr of NFL.com.

Lastly, there's the matter of the selection order. The NFL season is chock-full of surprises, and it would be detrimental to guess where every team will finish. To simplify the process, the order of this mock is based on Odds Shark's most recent Super Bowl 50 odds. Enjoy.

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

Analysis for Top Five Picks

1. Tennessee Titans: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State

The Titans really spruced up their offense during the 2015 draft, so kicking off the 2016 draft by selecting its best defensive playmaker makes plenty of sense. A dominant 6'5", 285-pound defensive lineman with a great deal of athleticism, Joey Bosa will draw comparisons to J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans due to his ability to be a constant disruption in the backfield.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida

This ball-hawking defensive back was the nation's top cornerback recruit out of high school in 2013. Since joining the Gators, Vernon Hargreaves has been sensational, earning first-team All-American honors. A pure cover corner, Hargreaves has the speed, athleticism and ball skills to make an immediate impact in the NFL. He'll bolster a Jaguars secondary that has been shaky over recent seasons.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

After acquiring a franchise quarterback and other offensive pieces in the 2015 draft, the Buccaneers go defense here. Oakman is an enormous physical specimen, standing at 6'9" and weighing in at 280 pounds of pure muscle. He's highly athletic for his size and constantly finds himself in opponents' backfields, racking up 11 sacks during the 2014 season (including the Cotton Bowl).

4. Washington Redskins: Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Redskins were rumored to have interest in Marcus Mariota during the 2015 NFL draft, and if Robert Griffin III produces another lackluster season, this team could be back on the market for a quarterback in 2016. Cardale Jones took the nation by storm during Ohio State's bowl games, displaying a strong arm and tough mentality en route to a national championship. He's raw, but the upside is astronomical.

5. Oakland Raiders: Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Mississippi

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Robert Nkemdiche doesn't produce jaw-dropping stat lines, but he's one of the most consistent interior defensive linemen in the nation. At 6'4" and 280 pounds, he can bully his way into the backfield to put pressure in the face of a quarterback, shed double-teams and locate ball-carriers quickly against the run. He's a do-it-all player, and that's exactly what Oakland needs at defensive tackle.