2016 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-Wild Card Round Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects

The start of the playoffs provides yet another reminder that building through the draft is often the clearest path to victory in the NFL.

One glance at the majority of the remaining quarterbacks alone—Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Andy Dalton (although he's injured) and Kirk Cousins—shows how quickly a college prospect can turn into a household name when he's put in the right situation.

While 12 teams still have Super Bowl dreams this season, the rest of the league already has its eyes on the upcoming draft and the next crop of superstars who will shine in the playoffs. With that in mind, here is a look at a mock draft for the entire first round.

The order of picks is borrowed from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, with the top 20 set and the remaining teams “based on playoff seed.”

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

Notable Draft Picks

No. 13 Philadelphia Eagles: Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia

Brett Davis/Associated Press

The Philadelphia Eagles were an absolute mess on the defensive side of the ball this season and finished 28th in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed per game. They were also a middling 17th in total sacks and failed to consistently generate a pass rush in critical situations as they fell out of the race in the winnable NFC East.

Enter Georgia Bulldogs superstar Leonard Floyd.

Eddie Brown of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that “Floyd could be this draft class' best pure pass-rusher” as a 6’4”, 231-pound playmaker off the edge. He has the power to attack linemen and stuff runs and the speed and agility to maneuver his way into the backfield and pressure the quarterback.

Floyd tallied 17 sacks in three years for the Bulldogs and possesses the sideline-to-sideline athleticism that will allow him to pursue ball-carriers at the next level or even stick with tight ends if necessary.

As long as he is a menace pass-rusher, Floyd will make an instant impact on Philadelphia’s defense.

No. 22 Seattle Seahawks: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

The Seattle Seahawks may be in the playoffs, but they need to address their offensive line this offseason.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com projected Michigan State’s Jack Conklin as one potential solution: “Seattle has several question marks on the offensive line, including the future of Russell Okung, who is in a contract year. Conklin isn't the most athletic player, but he plays with patience and power to win the point of attack and control speed rushers.”

Football Outsiders ranked the Seahawks offensive line as the league’s 30th-best pass-protection unit, which is abysmal for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Wilson was forced to improvise on a number of occasions because of his line's inability to create proper protection and was only able to do so because he is one of the league’s best players.

Seattle is still in the middle of a championship window, but it desperately needs more depth up front if it wants to make the most of it moving forward.

Conklin provides just that as a 6’6” blocker who can pave holes for running backs and protect his quarterback’s blind side. He was a Second-Team Associated Press All-American and a critical part of the offensive line during the 2014 Rose Bowl victory, 2015 Cotton Bowl victory and 2016 College Football Playoff semifinal.

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio praised Conklin in a released statement, via Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press: "Jack Conklin is a gifted athlete, who embodies all of the qualities of the ideal left tackle. He's an intelligent player, who runs extremely well for his size. Jack was an impact player in our starting lineup for the last three years, and his toughness permeated the entire offensive line."

That toughness up front would serve Seattle well in 2016 and beyond.

No. 31 Carolina Panthers: Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State

It is a testament to Newton’s ability that Ted Ginn Jr., Corey Brown and Devin Funchess are the primary wide receivers for a team that finished 15-1 and earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Kelvin Benjamin will return next season after missing the 2015 campaign with an ACL tear, and the combination of him and Ohio State’s Michael Thomas would provide physical, big targets for Newton in the red zone.

Thomas, who is the nephew of NFL great Keyshawn Johnson, is 6’3”, 210 pounds and hauled in nine touchdowns in each of the last two seasons for the Buckeyes. He often saved his best work for the biggest moments and scored against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, star cornerback Kendall Fuller of Virginia Tech and Alabama in the Sugar Bowl during last season’s College Football Playoff. 

He has impressive hands to go with his NFL-ready frame and doesn’t shy away from contact or catches in traffic, as CFB Film Room illustrated:

The Panthers could still theoretically have Ginn and Brown as speedsters on the outside or from the slot to stretch the field, which would open up underneath routes for Thomas in the middle before he becomes an even more dangerous weapon in the red zone.

Ben Axelrod of Bleacher Report called Thomas “Ohio State’s most complete wide receiver since Santonio Holmes,” who happened to win a Super Bowl MVP award with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Panthers would certainly settle for someone like that in the 2016 draft.