NFL Draft 2016: First-Round Order, Mock Draft Predictions and More

Draft season has begun in earnest, and players are being studied quite dutifully by all 32 teams.

It is an exhaustive process that can be incredibly rewarding for a team that finds a superstar player in the first round and also finds key contributors in the rounds that follow.

Front-office jobs depend on consistency in the draft. It is a difficult business because every team has had its share of first-round disappointments, but a solid drafting system that takes a full 360-look at a player is required if a team is going to get the job done year in and year out.

Some players have awfully high ceilings because they may be remarkable athletes who pass the eye test. But questions abound about their character, health, experience or consistency.

In this piece, we will present our take on the first round of the draft, as well as take a deeper look at four of the more high-ranking players in the draft. In addition to looking at their strengths, we will look at potential roadblocks that could hurt their development at the next level.

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

No. 1 pick, OT Laremy Tunsil, Tennessee Titans (Ole Miss)

Tunsil looks like the top pick in the draft in mid-February because he has the size (6'5" and 305 pounds) and athleticism to man the vital left tackle position for a decade or more. Since the Titans have a high-level quarterback prospect in Marcus Mariota, finding someone who can protect him well is obviously important to their long-term prospects.

Tunsil looks excellent on tape, according to Dallas Morning News draft guru Bob Sturm, because of his quick feet and even quicker hands that allow him to pepper opposing pass-rushers with short, quick upper-body shots that keep them off balance and prevent them from mounting a full rush at the quarterback. He also has the hunger and nastiness to play hard on every snap. Tunsil does not take downs off.

While that mindset is admirable, Tunsil is not a sure thing. He has so much enthusiasm for the job that he will jump the count at times and will get called for false-start penalties. That can be a frustrating issue for any offense because it will blunt momentum during an important drive.

Tunsil was suspended during the first seven games of the 2015 season for accepting improper benefits. He also hesitated when it came time to admit his role, and that's an issue that NFL teams will include in their evaluation.

John Raoux/Associated Press

No. 3 pick, CB Vernon Hargreaves III, San Diego Chargers (Florida)

Hargreaves looks like the kind of player who should be able to step in early in his rookie season and start making a strong contribution because of his excellent athleticism combined with his top-rate technique.

The Gators depended on Hargreaves' aggressiveness and superb ability to redirect the receiver with his initial hand punch. He can cover receivers very tightly, but he may be even more dangerous in off-man coverage when he can read the quarterback's eyes and react to the ball. 

Hargreaves' aggressiveness shows in his ability to play the run, according to draft expert Russell Street. He is a hard-hitting and willing tackler, and that's something that is often an issue with top-flight cover corners.

Hargreaves has average size for a corner at 5'11" and 205 pounds, and when he hits a bigger ball-carrier or receiver up high, there are times he will miss the tackle. That's the biggest issue that Hargreaves has faced to this point in his career.

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

No. 11 pick, QB Jared Goff,  Chicago Bears (California)

The Bears will have to replace Jay Cutler at some point in the future, and that could be sooner rather than later. While Cutler reduced his tendency to turn the ball over in 2015 (11 compared to the 18 he threw in 2014), throwing interceptions at key moments has been an issue throughout his career.

That's one of the reasons that the Bears could grow quite enamored with Goff. He has shown great accuracy on his medium-range passes. He throws the ball into tight windows and can execute those throws quite well, according to Brendan Leister of the Orange and Brown Report. He leads his receivers and does it with confidence.

The problem with Goff could be his ability to stay healthy and on the field. Goff often looks vulnerable because he is on the skinny side at at 6'4" and 210 pounds. He has thin arms and legs, and he gets hit quite a bit (84 sacks in with years at Cal). When those hits are coming from harder-hitting pass-rushers in the NFL, Goff may have a hard time staying on the field.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

No. 18 pick, LB Myles Jack, Indianapolis Colts (UCLA)

There is little doubt that Jack could turn out to be a star at the next level because of the athleticism and talent he shows off on nearly an every-game basis. Jack is a solidly built linebacker at 6'1" and 245 pounds who plays the game with a great understanding of what opponents are going to do. That allows him to turn and run with receivers coming out of the backfield as well as tight ends.

Jack is also a big-time hitter against the run, and he can take on bigger blockers and defeat them, according to Sturm.

His agility and explosiveness will make him a very effective pass-rusher, and it's likely he could become dominant in that area with a bit of NFL experience.

The problem with Jack may be his overall health. He suffered a torn ACL in September and missed the rest of the season. Jack is going to have to endure multiple examinations in the coming weeks and months, and additional questions could be raised as his physical condition is probed.

He is going to have to demonstrate complete recovery during his workouts if he is going to improve his draft status.

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All height and weight information courtesy of CBSSports.