2016 NFL Mock Draft: Updated Projections for 1st-Round Prospects

For 24 NFL teams, looking forward doesn't mean the Super Bowl, it means the NFL draft, as fanbases scramble to research and predict the team's next potential star.

But who might that player be for your favorite team? 

Let's take a look at my latest mock draft and find out.

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

For my money, Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa is the top player on the board, but he drops down to No. 3 in my mock draft. 

Why?

Well, Laremy Tunsil isn't much below him in the rankings, and if I were the Tennessee Titans, my top priority would be protecting franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota and keeping him healthy. Adding a lockdown left tackle like Tunsil should do the trick.

Considering he's a top-three talent, taking him at No. 1 is hardly a reach.

Ditto for Jared Goff at No. 2. With Hue Jackson hired to be Cleveland's new head coach on Wednesday, the question immediately became whether he would try to work with Johnny Manziel or ask for a new quarterback. 

The answer is reportedly the latter, per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports:

Andy Dalton showed significant growth under Jackson in Cincinnati, so it would be interesting to see what he could do with a young quarterback like Goff, arguably the perfect combination of upside and polish. The quarterback and coach would certainly be attached at the hip, but would also require a lot of patience, as the Browns simply don't have many compelling weapons on offense. 

And making sure Goff fits the scheme will be important too, as Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated noted:

Still, any true rebuild begins with a franchise quarterback. Manziel doesn't look like the guy for the job. It's hard to imagine the Browns passing up Goff—or perhaps Paxton Lynch, who we'll touch on later—at No. 2.

So at No. 3, the San Diego Chargers have to take the best player on the board, Bosa. The Chargers have plenty of needs on defense, but they lack a true difference-maker on that side of the ball. Bosa would be that player, so that selection should be an easy choice.

And that brings us to No. 4 and the Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo turns 36 in April and missed a huge chunk of this season due to injuries, a recurring issue throughout the later years of his career. The Cowboys have enough talent, meanwhile, that with a healthy Romo they shouldn't have anywhere near this high of a pick in the next few years.

So why not draft Romo's successor this year?

Lynch is the perfect fit. He's a hugely talented, big-bodied, athletic quarterback, but one who lacks polish. He could spend two seasons sitting behind Romo, learning his craft and take over once Romo retires or is clearly incapable of being the team's starter. 

It's a tough decision for the Cowboys. The team will want to compete for an NFC East title next year, and could add an impact player at No. 4 who would help immediately. Romo, for his part, would be fine with the team drafting a quarterback, but would prefer the Cowboys simply take the best player available, as he told Todd Archer of ESPN.com:

"

We're going to evaluate everybody and the organization is going to look at who to take and they're going to take the best player. If the best player there is a quarterback, then that's what our team needs. Our team needs good players. That's what we need. And if it's the best player at a different position… I'm just obviously a player on the football team and I don't have to make those decisions, and I'm glad. My job is go out and get better and make sure this team wins next year. And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that.

"

Romo wants to win now. He'd rather have help for next season rather than his replacement. But owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys brass need to think long term as well. And the opportunity to draft a quarterback of Lynch's upside may not present itself again for some time. For the long-term stability of the franchise, Lynch is the pick.

One of the truly intriguing players to watch will be Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, who has the versatility to play multiple positions in multiple schemes and has off-the-charts athleticism for a man his size. He has the ability to absolutely dominate in bursts, and at one time was considered a surefire top-five pick.

But inconsistency, a questionable motor and off-field concerns—he was charged with marijuana possession in December and was suspended for the Sugar Bowl—seem destined to drop him down the board.

That could even drop him out of the top 20 selections, though I think he's the perfect fit for Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills, especially with Mario Williams likely gone this offseason. Ryan is the type of coach who could push Nkemdiche and get the most out of him, and he would offer Ryan a ton of scheme versatility.

Picking Nkemdiche could be a heck of a steal for Buffalo. Of course, given his otherworldly talent, another team may take a shot on him before he gets to the Bills.