2016 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Top Ole Miss Prospects

In the words of New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter, "The draft is a crapshoot."

In fairness, Jeter was probably talking about the MLB draft. But the NFL draft is just as big a mystery, especially this year. Teams that are normally fighting for playoff positioning at this time of year are at the top of the board.

The top of this upcoming draft features three potential superstars all coming out of Ole Miss. All could be immediate upgrades to whichever team drafts them, and each could be franchise cornerstones.

Let's take a look at the Rebels' top players, as well as the rest of the 2016 draft.

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

No. 1 Tennessee Titans: Laremy Tunsil, OT

All right, Tennessee. You've got the quarterback of the future, now begins the journey of protecting him.

One way to do that would be going after the best offensive lineman in the draft, Laremy Tunsil.

Marcus Mariota is having a solid rookie year. He's closing in on 3,000 yards passing with 19 touchdowns to only 10 interceptions. The former Heisman winner has adjusted to the NFL game quicker than anyone expected.

However, he's also been sacked 38 times this year. Not only does he need more help in the passing game, but he needs protection. Tunsil can provide that. Here's what CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler has to say about Tunsil's strengths:

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Quick off the snap with tremendous lower-body flexibility. He does a tremendous job staying square to defenders, sinking in his kickslide to handle speed and absorb power at the point of attack. Comes to balance on the move and peppering rushers with a quick punch.

Tunsil doesn't have a passive bone in his body and boasts the body control to protect the edge and get out in space. Recognizes extra pressures and quickly picks up defenders on combo blocks.

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He may have missed the first seven games of the season due to a suspension, but Tunsil doesn't appear to have a weakness in his game. That's the kind of prospects Tennessee needs, and he's the perfect player to protect Mariota for at least the next decade.

No. 3 Baltimore Ravens: Laquon Treadwell, WR

There may not be a more gifted receiver to come out of the draft this year than Laquon Treadwell.

For goodness sake, he's being compared to Dez Bryant by Kevin Weidl of the SEC Network, for example:

An AFC college director told NFL.com's Albert Breer that the Ole Miss star is drawing comparisons to another SEC receiver that's turned into a star in the NFL, Alshon Jeffery of the Chicago Bears. "He's a tough matchup all the way around," the director told Breer back on Sept. 18. "He's physical, competitive, has good hands."

If a guy is getting those kinds of comparisons, why not take a shot on him with a top-five pick? USA Today draft analyst Jon Ledyard feels the Dallas Cowboys would take Treadwell with the fifth pick, or decide to trade down. But the way it looks, the Baltimore Ravens will grab Treadwell before any team below them gets a chance.

This is a season where the Ravens are allowed a mulligan. Their first six losses were decided by one possession, they lost wideout Steve Smith seven games in and eventually lost quarterback Joe Flacco for the rest of the year. Because of this, Baltimore's leading receiver in 2015 has been Kamar Aiken. While Aiken has gone above and beyond any expectations and posted career numbers, he's not a long-term No. 1 receiver option.

Treadwell, however, drawing comparisons to Bryant and Jeffery, can be Flacco's top target for years to come. Plus, the Ravens need to find a way to avenge themselves from getting rid of a good thing, letting Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith go.

No. 5 Dallas Cowboys: Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT

Should Ohio State pass-rusher Joey Bosa be available at No. 5, the Dallas Cowboys will take him.

If, and only if, Bosa is gone, it'd be the perfect opportunity for general manager Jerry Jones to get the next best option. It would also represent the perfect replacement for Greg Hardy, because keeping him around would make next to zero sense.

Robert Nkemdiche, when not double- and triple-teamed, is the most versatile pass-rusher in the country.

Now, before going further, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed. Being suspended for the Sugar Bowl is not a good look for him, and neither is falling out of a fourth-floor window while possessing marijuana. Nkemdiche's draft stock is going to be in question for the next few months, but there's no denying the talent is there.

His stock shouldn't take a plunge like, say, a Dez Bryant. But the Cowboys have been known for taking risks on stars in the past, so this would be no different. Why? Because he's that good. Brugler has more:

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On the field, Nkemdiche has impressive explosive traits and movement skills for a 300-pounder, using his natural momentum to burst off the ball and drive blockers backward. Although he's still figuring out how to use them, he has strong, aggressive hands to punch attack the chest of blockers. Nkemdiche, who has lined up inside and outside for the Rebels, is a high risk-high reward type of prospect because the rare athletic traits are clear, but he is still learning the nuances of the game and needs to develop his awareness and discipline both on and off the field.

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This would be a typical Cowboys move, but they need a guy like Nkemdiche to bolster their defensive line. Keeping Hardy beyond this year would come off as a desperate, terrible roster move. With the ability to play on the outside or attack the interior, Nkemdiche has the same skills as Hardy. 

Plus, Dallas could build around Nkemdiche and Randy Gregory for the next decade. That's not a bad combo.