2016 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down Projected Landing Spots for Top Prospects

College football season is here and the start of a fresh NFL campaign isn't far behind, which means it's time to take an early look at where some of this season's top-ranked prospects could land when the 2016 NFL draft rolls around. 

And even though stocks will rise and fall with tremendous volatility in the coming weeks and months, a few players have already cemented their status as first-round picks thanks to superlative 2014 seasons and established track records. 

But before we get started, there's one key housekeeping note that needs to be addressed. Since the 2015 NFL season has yet to get underway, the projected 2016 NFL draft order was based on this year's Super Bowl odds, courtesy of Odds Shark. 

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Joey Bosa	OLB/DE	Ohio State
2	Jacksonville Jaguars	Robert Nkemdiche	DE	Ole Miss
3	Washington Redskins	Christian Hackenberg	QB	Penn State
4	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
5	Cleveland Browns	Cardale Jones	QB	Ohio State
6	Oakland Raiders	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	Florida
7	New York Jets	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
8	St. Louis Rams	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
9	Chicago Bears	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
10	San Francisco 49ers	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
11	Houston Texans	Jared Goff	QB	California
12	San Diego Chargers	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
13	New Orleans Saints	Jalen Ramsey	S	Florida State
14	Detroit Lions	Kendall Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
15	Carolina Panthers	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
16	Atlanta Falcons	Su'a Cravens	S	USC
17	Cincinnati Bengals	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
18	Buffalo Bills	D'haquille Williams	WR	Auburn
19	New York Giants	Sheldon Day	DT	Notre Dame
20	Arizona Cardinals	Jack Conklin	OL	Michigan State
21	Minnesota Vikings	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
22	Miami Dolphins	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
23	Kansas City Chiefs	Tyler Boyd	WR	Pittsburgh
24	Baltimore Ravens	Leonard Floyd	LB/DE	Georgia
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	KeiVarae Russell	CB	Notre Dame
26	Philadelphia Eagles	Shilique Calhoun	DE	Michigan State
27	Denver Broncos	Jalen Mills	S	LSU
28	Dallas Cowboys	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah
29	New England Patriots	Corey Robinson	WR	Notre Dame
30	Indianapolis Colts	Adolphus Washington	DT	Ohio State
31	Seattle Seahawks	Shawn Oakman	DE	Baylor
32	Green Bay Packers	Reggie Regland	LB	Alabama

Washington Redskins: Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

The Washington Redskins are in desperate need of stability under center. 

While Kirk Cousins was named the starter for the entire 2015 regular season by head coach Jay Gruden on Monday, according to Redskins.com's Andrew Walker, there's no guarantee he'll be the team's quarterback of the future. 

With Robert Griffin III's future in D.C. in doubt and Cousins' contract set to expire after this season, Washington needs to be on the prowl for a game-changing signal-caller.

Enter Penn State's Christian Hackenberg.

Although Hackenberg's 2014 season was littered with inconsistencies (12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions) as he was acclimating to a new system, the junior is primed to live up to expectations during his second season under head coach James Franklin.   

"It was one of the best experiences for me because not only in football but in life there's going to be changes, there's going to be things that don't go your way or not exactly how you planned it," Hackenberg said, according to the Associated Press' Ralph D. Russo. "And you've got to be able to adjust to that and make the best out of it." 

Despite those struggles, scouts continue to rave about the junior's potential. In fact, one scout told ESPN.com's Kevin Van Valkenburg that he believes Hackenberg "is easily a top-five pick."

Considering Washington graded out as the NFL's seventh-worst passing offense last season, per Pro Football Focus, an injection of consistency in the dropback passing department could do wonders for the team's long-term outlook. 

Cleveland Browns: Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Time will tell if Cardale Jones made a mistake by forgoing a chance to enter the 2015 NFL draft following his immaculate late-season display, but one thing became crystal-clear throughout Ohio State's championship run: Jones has NFL-caliber tools.

"Jones' size, arm strength and athleticism would have made him my No. 3 quarterback in the 2015 draft, so the potential is there for him to be a legitimate first-rounder in 2016," Bleacher Report's Matt Miller wrote. 

That description should have the Cleveland Browns salivating at the chance to keep Jones in the state of Ohio. 

While quarterback Josh McCown is under contract through 2017, he isn't exactly the long-term solution Cleveland should be pining for. Ditto for Johnny Manziel, whose pocket passing skills remain a work in progress despite some encouraging improvements in that department of late. 

One of the few knocks against Jones revolves around Ohio State's decision to roll with two quarterbacks this year, per Sporting News' Bill Bender, but his ability to maximize opportunities in upcoming clashes could be enough to solidify his status as a worthy top-10 pick. 

Carolina Panthers: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State 

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Ezekiel Elliott's 230-yard, two-touchdown showing against Alabama in last season's Sugar Bowl turned plenty of heads, and it should prove to be a nice appetizer as the speedy running back gets ready to put on a show during his junior season in Columbus.  

However, Elliott isn't defined by his speed. Rather, the 6'1'', 225-pound terror has tortured opponents with a combination of quickness and power that allows him to thrive inside and outside of the tackles.

"Elliott shows no hesitancy to take on contact, and by effectively lowering his shoulder into defenders and keeping his legs moving, he is frequently able to continue through it," Bleacher Report's Dan Hope wrote. "Even when defenders are able to bring Elliott down, he consistently falls forward to gain extra yardage."

Thanks to those elite qualities, Elliott enters the 2015 season with the best odds to take home the Heisman Trophy, sharing the top spot with TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, according to Odds Shark. If Elliott's able to take home the hardware, he'll be the first running back to secure the honor since Alabama's Mark Ingram did so in 2009. 

And come draft day, it's easy to see why a runner of Elliott's caliber would be appealing to the Carolina Panthers. Although Carolina has Jonathan Stewart to lean on, he hasn't appeared in at least 13 games since the 2011 season and will be 29 years old when the 2016 campaign gets underway. 

In need of a future bell cow who can help take the pressure off quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers should jump at the opportunity to draft Elliott. 

All contract info courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise noted.