NFL Draft 2016: Order and Mock Predictions for Top Prospects After Super Bowl 50

Thanks to a world-beating pass rush put on by eventual MVP Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, the Denver Broncos got Peyton Manning his perfect farewell moment with the win against the Carolina Panthers in the 50th Super Bowl. 

It's only right that the action there mirrored the talent of the 2016 NFL draft class.

There aren't a ton of high-profile offensive pieces in this class. More might emerge, but right now the analytic focus of the 2016 class centers on game-changing defenders and how they will shape the first round.

Draft season is officially underway, so let's dive into what looks like a first round dominated by defenses by forming a mock draft based on team need and prospect value.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

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

Notable Picks After Super Bowl

4. Dallas Cowboys: Joey Bosa, DL, Ohio State

Ohio State's Joey Bosa didn't need much in the way of help when it came to his draft stock, but he got it anyway when Miller and Co. ran wild, sacking Cam Newton six times.

Bosa was already the consensus top rusher in the class after his years of disruption in the Big Ten. As Lori Schmidt of 97.1 The Fan pointed out, though, the Super Bowl kept Bosa on the minds of many:

Few can do what Bosa does, which is terrorize quarterbacks on his way to the Big Ten Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year award while comparing with someone such as Jared Allen or perhaps even J.J. Watt for his ability to line up at different spots and play all phases of the game well.

Dallas won't take a pass after the season it had. The Cowboys defense only mustered 31 sacks, an area where Bosa can absolutely help. It also tied for 22nd against the rush, a facet of the game at which the Ohio State product excels thanks to his strength and gap control.

With the Cowboys inching toward a necessary win-now approach with Tony Romo aging, it only makes sense for the front office to grab the best player available and plug him into the lineup as a way to make a push.

Bosa can certainly do so right out of the gates.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA

Again, linebackers with out-of-this-world athleticism don't come around often. 

Miller is one, but on paper, UCLA's Myles Jack might just be another.

Folks will decry Jack's stock after a knee injury in September, but it won't destroy it. Knee injuries aren't as serious as they used to be, and Jack is already working out well.

Few can play like Jack. He might be just 6'1" and 245 pounds, but he's the owner of jaw-dropping athleticism that lets him twist and bend his way to quarterbacks after an elite explosion off the line. When a defense asks him to drop into coverage, he almost resembles a safety, as NFL Network's Ben Fennell pointed out:

San Francisco might end up wanting to reach on a quarterback, but again, the Super Bowl was a pretty good reminder of how a franchise can build up other areas and find success.

The 49ers need a world of help on the defensive side of the ball. One way to immediately improve is getting a rusher of Jack's skill who could pair with Ahmad Brooks and others to create a versatile attack and disguise other problem areas.

Jack would be a fix in both the short and long terms for the 49ers. If the rebuild goes well, he might just be the point in history folks circle when commending San Francisco on turning things around.

30. Carolina Panthers: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina's lack of weapons around Newton finally caught up with the team in the Super Bowl, where the receiving corps dropped several passes and the regular-season MVP could only manage an 18-of-41 line for 265 yards.

Granted, the Panthers will immediately improve this offseason when No. 1 wideout Kelvin Benjamin returns from injury—a pretty scary thought when one ponders just how far Newton carried this supporting cast this year.

But why stop there? 

With the defense in place and running backs available in every round, why not go out and get a guy like TCU's Josh Doctson?

Doctson comes in at 6'3" and 195 pounds. He's a tad more wiry than some would prefer, but the TCU product is a lanky target nonetheless and coming off a season in which he caught 79 passes for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns, good for an impressive average of 16.8 yards per catch.

CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler explained what makes Doctson such an attractive prospect right out of the gates:

"

All of Doctson's experience came in a spread offense that didn't ask him to run a full route tree, but he shows outstanding effort on throws in his zip code, expanding his catch radius, contorting his body and finding ways to finish catches - bailed out quarterback Trevone Boykin on a number of errant passes on film.

Doctson lacks polish in areas, but has the resilient mentality and on-field skill-set to contribute early and settle into a No. 2 receiver role, drawing similarities to Jordan Matthews when he entered the league out of Vanderbilt.

"

The Panthers need a guy like Doctson to come in and inhale anything thrown his way. Instead of leaning on, say, Ted Ginn Jr., a Doctson-Benjamin approach would keep Newton gunning for his wideouts with more confidence than ever.

If a reliable threat opposite the No. 1 is the only thing standing between the Panthers and another Super Bowl, why not make the move?

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of Monday. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.