2016 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Round 1's Biggest Boom-or-Bust Prospects

There is always a certain risk that comes from the NFL draft with no player being a guaranteed star. However, there are a few top prospects who are more of a gamble than others.

Whether there are injury concerns, off-field questions or simply doubts about the ability on the field, the first round is often filled with boom-or-bust college stars. We don't know how they will perform at the next level, but the upside usually makes it worth the risk.

This year's crop features plenty of similar players, including injury risks such as Myles Jack and Jaylon Smith. Beyond that, here is a look at the latest mock draft as well as a breakdown of the more volatile prospects on the board.

No.	Team	Player	Pos.	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
2	Cleveland Browns	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
3	San Diego Chargers	Joey Bosa	DE	Ohio State
4	Dallas Cowboys	Jalen Ramsey	CB	Florida State
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Myles Jack	OLB	UCLA
6	Baltimore Ravens	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
7	San Francisco 49ers	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
8	Miami Dolphins	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Miami Dolphins
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
10	New York Giants	Noah Spence	DE	Eastern Kentucky
11	Chicago Bears	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
12	New Orleans Saints	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
13	Philadelphia Eagles	Jared Goff	QB	California
14	Oakland Raiders	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
15	Los Angeles Rams	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
16	Detroit Lions	Jarran Reed	DT	Alabama
17	Atlanta Falcons	Jaylon Smith	OLB	Notre Dame
18	Indianapolis Colts	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
19	Buffalo Bills	Darron Lee	OLB	Ohio State
20	New York Jets	Leonard Floyd	OLB	Georgia
21	Washington Redskins	Reggie Ragland	ILB	Alabama
22	Houston Texans	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
23	Minnesota Vikings	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Robert Nkemdiche	DT	Ole Miss
27	Green Bay Packers	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Braxton Miller	WR	Ohio State
29	Arizona Cardinals	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
30	Carolina Panthers	Vonn Bell	S	Ohio State
31	Denver Broncos	Cody Whitehair	OG	Kansas State

Notable Boom-or-Bust Prospects

Noah Spence, DE, Eastern Kentucky

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Mike Mayock of NFL Network summed up the entire situation potentially facing the New York Giants with the No. 10 pick, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com:

"

[The Giants are] another team, sitting at (pick No.) 10, that has to look at an edge rusher. Noah Spence could be squarely in the middle of that conversation. And the Giants typically don't take a lot of risks and he's one of the riskiest guys in the draft. But he's also one of the best edge rushers.

"

The talent is obvious with Noah Spence, who is as good as they come as a pass-rusher. He has elite quickness and often beats blockers around the edge, similar to Von Miller.

However, the risk comes from the off-field problems. According to Jarrett Bell of USA Today, Spence was banned from the Big Ten and kicked out of Ohio State after failing multiple drug tests. He was also arrested for an alcohol-related offense.

This will make Friday's interviews with teams at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis almost as important as the physical drills. He has to convince his potential employers that his problems are in the past and there won't be any more issues.

Former teammate Taylor Decker is on his side, per Dane Brugler of CBS Sports:

There are "problem" players in the draft who end up being stars—like Dez Bryant and Tyrann Mathieu—but there are also ones who never seem to get back on track, such as Josh Gordon and Justin Blackmon. Selecting Spence could give the Giants an elite pass-rusher, but they need to be certain his past won't come back to haunt him.

Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Clemson had a dominant defense this season, and cornerback Mackensie Alexander was a big part of that. The cornerback usually lined up against an opponent's best receiver and shut him down, forcing the quarterback to look for other options.

Of course, when no one throws the ball in your direction, the stats tend to suffer. That is what happened with Alexander, who has zero career interceptions. This has led to questions about his ability to make plays on the ball.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus noted the lack of consensus around the league:

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller even explained in his scouting notebook there were multiple teams considering the cornerback to be a Day 3 selection because of  his lack of interceptions and his smaller size at 5'11", 195 pounds. These teams likely won't be drafting Alexander.

The reality of the draft is it only takes one team to make someone a first-round pick, and there should be enough teams excited by Alexander's potential to take him on the first night. He has the tools to be an elite cover corner, and even if the interceptions don't come, his ability to slow down opposing receivers should be all that matters.

Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss

Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Like Spence, Robert Nkemdiche will have plenty of questions to answer this week about off-field troubles. Most notably, the defensive lineman missed the Sugar Bowl after falling 15 feet out of a hotel room. Police found marijuana in the room afterward.

However, the problems continue for Nkemdiche because there are just as many question marks about his play on the field.

Albert Breer of NFL.com explained the lack of technique apparent from the tackle:

If he does contribute at a high level, it will likely come a couple of years down the line once he figures out how to use his athleticism to his benefit. Of course, if that does happen, he has the talent to be one of the best in the NFL at his position.

Like Jadeveon Clowney two years ago, Nkemdiche is an elite athlete with the strength (6'4", 296 lbs) to simply overpower opposing offensive linemen. At his best, he is one of the top prospects in the entire draft and could easily be a top-five pick on talent alone. There is a reason he was the No. 1 overall prospect in his high school class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

His upside will probably put him in the first round, but any team that takes him will have to know his inconsistency on the field and problems off it could be permanent. 

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