2016 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions on Where Top Prospects Will Go in 1st Round

It's never too early to talk about the NFL draft.

There's still plenty to get through before the draft even happens. We're talking about bowl games, the combine and more. Plenty of moving and shaking will happen between now and the draft before a mock draft will look concise.

Nevertheless, here's the latest mock draft, followed by some analysis on a couple of the potential first-round players. There's plenty of Big Ten and SEC goodness in this one.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Cleveland Browns	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
2	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OL	Ole Miss
3	San Diego Chargers	Ronnie Stanley	OL	Notre Dame
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jalen Ramsey	DB	Florida State
5	Baltimore Ravens	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
6	New Orleans Saints	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
7	San Francisco 49ers	Jared Goff	QB	Cal
8	Dallas Cowboys	Robert Nkemdiche	DE	Ole Miss
9	Detroit Lions	Taylor Decker	OL	Ohio State
10	St. Louis Rams	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
11	Miami Dolphins	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
12	New York Giants	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
13	Oakland Raiders	DeForest Buckner	DL	Oregon
14	Philadelphia Eagles	Vernon Hargreaves III	DB	Florida
15	Chicago Bears	Jamal Adams	S	LSU
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	A'Shawn Robinson	DL	Alabama
17	Atlanta Falcons	Vadal Alexander	OG	LSU
18	Houston Texans	Cameron Sutton	DB	Tennessee
19	Buffalo Bills	Hunter Henry	TE	Arkansas
20	Pittsburgh Steelers	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
21	Washington Redskins	Tre'Davious White	DB	LSU
22	Indianapolis Colts	Shilique Calhoun	DL	Michigan State
23	New York Jets	Scooby Wright	LB	Arizona
24	Seattle Seahawks	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
25	Kansas City Chiefs	Tyler Boyd	WR	Pittsburgh
26	Minnesota Vikings	Shaq Lawson	DL	Clemson
27	Green Bay Packers	Jack Conklin	OL	Michigan State
28	Arizona Cardinals	Andrew Billings	DL	Baylor
29	Cincinnati Bengals	Desmond King	DB	Iowa
30	New England Patriots	*forfeit pick*	N/A	N/A
31	Denver Broncos	Le'Raven Clark	OL	Texas Tech
32	Carolina Panthers	Kendall Fuller	DB	Virginia Tech

No. 1: Cleveland Browns—Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

For all the times the Browns have gone after quarterbacks in the draft, not once have they gone after the prototype player. 

The Browns haven't gotten the one that has size, speed, accuracy and a cannon for an arm. They could use a Cam Newton-type player, and should the Browns be at No. 1, that player will be available in Paxton Lynch out of Memphis.

In a class of quarterbacks that doesn't have the star appeal compared to last year, the top quarterback in the class is up for grabs. And since we're talking about the Browns, they really have nothing left to lose in this situation.

Lynch is a project. He's almost like what Marcus Mariota was when coming out of Oregon. Lynch plays in a spread-based system that doesn't require much from the pocket. He tends to focus on one read, stick with it and let it rip. For the most part, Mariota did the same thing in college, but he also displayed his smarts and high IQ in the pocket.

The same goes for Lynch. He's gotten better each year at Memphis, completing 69 percent of his passes this season and has thrown 28 touchdowns to only three interceptions. That's better than a 7:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Here's the key: He's 6'6" and is mobile. The only difference between him and Newton is that Lynch comes off as more accurate with the football. He's a project, but the Browns should be willing to accept that given the state of their franchise. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com was at the Memphis/Houston game this year, and he wrote about Lynch's athleticism:

"

He is an absolutely outstanding athlete. Lynch plays with very good balance and body control, and has rare quick-twitch for a quarterback with his pocket-passing potential. When running, he shows a good understanding for making the most out of his carries before deciding to end it without taking a big shot. His combination of size and athleticism separates him from most every draft-eligible quarterback.

"

The Browns are in no position to nitpick about which quarterback they feel is the best fit. Lynch has the tools, frame and mechanics to be great for Cleveland. He's a project, and that's what Cleveland needs. It's not like the Browns are trying to build Rome in a day anymore.

No. 8: Dallas Cowboys—Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss

Having such a bad season could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Greg Hardy experiment is swiftly failing, and barring unforeseen circumstances, Hardy won't be back in Dallas next year. That opens the door for the Cowboys to get another top prospect on the defensive line and create the Cowboys' pass-rushing tandem of the future.

Enter Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss, who may be the best two-way defensive lineman of this year's draft class.

Ohio State's Joey Bosa is a talented edge-rusher and is rightfully getting consideration for the top pick in the draft. Nkemdiche, however, can play both outside and inside.

Nkemdiche faced many double teams this year, which resulted a dip in his production (26 tackles, three sacks and seven tackles for loss). But with another year of experience for Randy Gregory, and Nkemdiche's versatility, the Cowboys could have a stellar pass-rushing combo for the next decade.

Greg Gabriel of NationalFootballPost.com went into detail on how gifted an athlete Nkemdiche is:

"

He has a thick, well-muscled frame with good length. He has very good strength and power and shows the ability to hold the point versus single and double blocks. He is a very good athlete for his size with speed and a burst and plays with natural bend. He has great balance, stays on his feet, and can change direction and move well laterally.

"

While Gabriel also noted how his stats have been disappointing, it's all about the system. Ole Miss is heavy on the defensive line, but it has succeeded due to the attention on Nkemdiche. He's got the physical tools to be a great defensive lineman at the next level, and there's no better offensive line to practice with than the Cowboys'.