2016 NFL Mock Draft: Early Offseason Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects

Nearly a full week has passed since Super Bowl 50, and now, NFL draft season is in full swing for all 32 teams. 

We're still a few weeks away from the NFL Scouting Combine, and teams are using this downtime to prep for the draft by reviewing evaluations filed by scouts during the season and going back to scout underclassmen who may not have been thoroughly evaluated in the fall. 

While this stage of the process doesn't produce many headlines, it's a critical step because teams use this time to begin setting their draft boards and establishing plans for the offseason. This may include thinking about potential prospect visits to arrange after the combine, as well as any possible road trips to pro days in the spring. 

Based on an evaluation of where teams stand at this early stage in the draft process, here's an early look at how the first round could play out. 

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

Stock Falling: Vernon Hargreaves III

John Raoux/Associated Press

Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III appears in the top 10 in many mock drafts (NFL.com's Bucky Brooks has him at No. 6 to the Baltimore Ravens). But fans and the media may have overhyped Hargreaves in terms of his draft status. 

Draft Breakdown's Jeff Risdon has Hargreaves falling to No. 21 and stated: "Another gleaning from my postseason travels is that the NFL is not nearly as high on VH3 as fans are, in large part because he’s no more than 5’10” and isn’t going to run or drill better than average at the combine."

Hargreaves is a ball hawk in the secondary, with 10 career interceptions, which leads to highlights and name recognition. And this could be why his stock soared early. 

However, it's not hard to see why teams may not view Hargreaves in as positive a light. In his final collegiate game, Hargreaves was burned multiple times by Michigan's Jehu Chesson, including on this long touchdown:

Stock Rising: Darron Lee

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Not every team is ready to embrace an undersized linebacker, but many have already and are reaping the rewards. 

In an era of spread offenses and elite pass-catching tight ends, linebackers who may have once been considered undersized, such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Lavonte David, have excelled in coverage roles. 

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah recently described Ohio State's Darron Lee as the "perfect new-school [linebacker]."

Lee's athleticism gives him the ability to impact the game in multiple ways, and it should lead to an early selection in the draft. 

His speed and agility allow him to run with just about every tight end and running back, and those qualities also give him elite range against the run. 

A team searching for an identity on defense, such as the Chicago Bears, should jump at the chance to add a playmaker like Lee on draft day.