NFL Mock Draft 2016: Predictions for Top Prospects Ahead of Week 17

All NFL teams eliminated from the postseason want is a golden ticket to next year's event in the form of a rookie who will act as the proverbial missing piece.

Easier said than done.

Star power such as Jared Goff leads the way this year, though like any year there's no easy answer for the top teams, especially with no can't miss player such as Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota just yet. 

As the order begins to finalize, let's take a look at an updated mock draft based on team need, prospect value and more.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
2	Cleveland Browns	Joey Bosa	DL	Ohio State
3	San Diego Chargers	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
4	Dallas Cowboys	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
5	San Francisco 49ers	Jared Goff	QB	California
6	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
7	Miami Dolphins	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
8	Baltimore Ravens	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
10	New York Giants	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
11	New Orleans Saints	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
12	Philadelphia Eagles	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
13	Detroit Lions	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
14	Chicago Bears	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
15	Indianapolis Colts	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
16	Buffalo Bills	Jarran Reed	DL	Alabama
17	Oakland Raiders	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
18	St. Louis Rams	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
19	Atlanta Falcons	Shilique Calhoun	DE	Michigan State
20	Pittsburgh Steelers	Desmond King	CB	Iowa
21	Washington Redskins	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
22	Houston Texans	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
23	Seattle Seahawks	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
24	New York Jets	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
25	Kansas City Chiefs	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
26	Minnesota Vikings	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
27	Green Bay Packers	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
28	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana
29	Cincinnati Bengals	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
30	Arizona Cardinals	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
31	Carolina Panthers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State

Analyzing Notable Picks

5. San Francisco 49ers: Jared Goff, QB, California

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

The globe continues to come around on the aforementioned Goff, who has all the physical tools a team could want at 6'4" and 215 pounds. 

Goff's made the most of his time with the California Golden Bears, completing 64.2 percent of his passes this year with 37 touchdowns to 13 picks, one year removed from throwing 35 to seven.

Numbers don't tell the whole story with a collegiate quarterback, of course, but on film Goff can move a defense with his eyes and hit most of the pro throws with alluring upside.

It's a dream come true for the San Francisco 49ers. The organization clearly wants to move on from Colin Kaepernick, who would up benched before getting shut down. While Blaine Gabbert's been decent in spot duty, he isn't the potential franchise option Goff presents.

There's a lot wrong in San Francisco after one of the worst offseasons in modern history. But like any team in the modern era, the 49ers cannot afford to pass on a potential franchise gunslinger and address everything else first, especially when Goff seems to have the potential to elevate those around him in time.

11. New Orleans Saints: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

Few know what the future holds between Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, but with the franchise quarterback at the age of 36, it's time the front office starts to think about the long-term plan. 

The Saints have a quality young offensive line in place, so grabbing a quarterback such as Memphis' Paxton Lynch to groom behind Brees makes sense. The recent hype train for the junior comes thanks to his 3,670 yards and 28 touchdowns to three interceptions this year and a high ceiling.

Of course, it's the ceiling giving Paxton his allure, as NFL.com's Lance Zierlein points out:

"

Lynch appears to lack some of the polish I'm seeing with Goff, for example, but draft decisions aren't made based on how a player is performing right now. They are made based on the long-term projection of ceiling vs. floor. Lynch has the physical traits teams will covet and I liked his mental makeup in the five Memphis games I watched. I'm hoping to add more pieces to the Lynch puzzle this Saturday when I scout him in person vs. Houston.

"

There's other areas the Saints could go, of course, but if a player such as Paxton presents himself it only makes sense to pull the trigger.

In theory, Paxton learning the offense behind Brees insulates him from getting thrown to the fire like so many past failed first-round picks. As a way to rebuild, the Saints could do much worse.

21. Washington: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

Washington's on the way to the playoffs thanks to bringing on elite decision-makers such as general manager Scot McCloughan.

Those in charge won't be able to pass on Ole Miss wideout Laquon Treadwell given how this board falls.

Treadwell's by far one of the best wideouts in the game at 6'2" and 210 pounds, having caught 76 passes for 1,082 yards and eight touchdowns this year. Folks will find few observers in the know who have another wideout ranked higher than him thanks to his ability to win at every phases of the game, including release off the line, routes and adjusting to passes.

It's the perfect situation for Washington, a team all-in around Kirk Cousins. There's a solid running back committee behind him, an elite big-play threat in DeSean Jackson and a top-tier tight end in Jordan Reed.

Adding an every-down threat such as Treadwell not only makes perfect sense, it gives offensive guru and coach Jay Gruden another piece to the puzzle that only furthers the team's ambitions.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of December 28. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.