NFL Mock Draft 2016: Stock Watch and Predictions for Combine's Top Prospects

A post-combine mock draft tends to stand as one of the most accurate around on the way to the NFL draft.

Before the combine in Indianapolis, many teams and scouts found it simple to mask some of their intentions and stock grades on prospects. Once said prospects get in front of a national audience at the biggest landmark on the path to the draft, though, it's hard to hide much about the players at all, sort of like an industrial fan clearing a room of smoke. 

Many players boosted or dipped their stock over the handful of days at the event. Though the top 12 or so picks don't change much based on the results of the event, there are some noteworthy stock-movers to analyze.

Let's do so below after predicting landing spots for the combine's top prospects.

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	Noah Spence	DE/LB	Eastern Kentucky
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	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
17	Atlanta Falcons	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
18	Indianapolis Colts	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
19	Buffalo Bills	Jarran Reed	DL	Alabama
20	New York Jets	Jonathan Bullard	DE	Florida
21	Washington	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
22	Houston Texans	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
23	Minnesota Vikings	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
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	Shaq Lawson	LB	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana

Biggest Stock Risers After Combine

15. Los Angeles Rams: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

North Dakota State's Carson Wentz entered the combine with high expectations and left with most of them fulfilled, good for one of the biggest stock bumps possible.

Wentz boasted these expectations because of the strong NFL traits he displayed on film, though it certainly helps this isn't the most memorable quarterback class by any means.

Alas, Wentz came in at 6'5" and 237 pounds and displayed some nice speed with a 4.77 40-yard-dash time, confirming his ability to escape the pocket and make plays with his feet on film isn't a fluke.

Even better, Wentz put on a show in passing drills with good form and precision. Any chatter about the level of competition he faced doesn't matter much, not when a quarterback either has the mechanics, decision making and arm strength or doesn't. As MMQB.com's Peter King pointed out, Wentz continues to put these concerns to rest:

"

What I heard from two teams that met with Wentz this weekend was consistent with what happened at the Senior Bowl last month. The attention and jump from the second division of college football to the NFL hasn’t been a big factor to Wentz, the 6-5 redhead with a scraggly beard and easy demeanor. 

"

It's hard to know if the newest quarterback darling did enough to make himself the first off the board at his position, especially when California's Jared Goff also had a strong day. Should a quarterback-needy team go with a guy from a bigger school, Wentz will find himself with the Los Angeles Rams.

This isn't such a bad thing for either party. The Rams need a new franchise quarterback for a new locale, and Wentz needs a place willing to let him develop. It's a good situation for both given those needs.

24. Cincinnati Bengals: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Emmanuel Ogbah is one of those prospects certain circles have trumpeted since the season ended, which isn't hard to understand now that the combine is in the books.

For one reason or another, Ogbah didn't receive a ton of hype outside of a vocal minority. That changes now, though, with the Oklahoma State product having weighed in at 6'4" and 273 pounds with a jaw-dropping time of 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

It is a sight worth seeing, which the NFL covered:

Again, a 273-pound man ran 40 yards in less than 4.7 seconds.

Numbers aside, Ogbah should have always been in the first-round conversation thanks to his play on the field. The man won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for a reason, and as Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo pointed out, he graded among the best of the best:

It's a shame such a strong prospect has to grab attention through flashy workout numbers, but hey, whatever works.

Ogbah looks like a strong fit with a team like the Cincinnati Bengals. With the Margus Hunt experiment looking like a failure and not much in the way of must-have needs, the Bengals can go out and get an explosive guy such as Ogbah to deepen the rotation along the defensive line.

Cincinnati is known for its freaks in the trenches. Geno Atkins might be the best pass-rusher from tackle in the league, and Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson wreak havoc from the outside. Adding Ogbah to the mix looks like a perfect idea.

31. Denver Broncos: Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Sort of like Ogbah, Indiana's Jason Spriggs had to post some wild numbers to really get the attention his talent deserves.

Think Ogbah was impressive in the dash? Try a 301-pound man running it in less than five seconds. That's what Spriggs managed over the weekend, coming in at 6'6" and 301 pounds with a time of 4.94 seconds over 40 yards.

ESPN Stats & Info provided some perspective on two of Spriggs' best numbers:

NFL.com's Bucky Brooks reinforced the numbers by commenting on how strong the Indiana product looked in drills:

"

The Hoosiers' standout is squarely in the first-round conversation after displaying exceptional speed and athleticism on the turf. Spriggs clocked the best 40 time among offensive linemen (4.94) and flashed ballerina-like quickness during drills. He easily executed turns and transitions during positional drills. Most importantly, he showed good balance and body control shuffling laterally on the kick-and-slide and mirror drills. 

"

Despite the performance, Spriggs still might find himself slotting at guard in the NFL. It's not a bad thing, especially with a team such as the Denver Broncos in need at the position and with the future under center to think about, no matter who suits up there.

Spriggs looks like the perfect athlete for Denver's zone-blocking scheme, which means the Broncos might find themselves with a starter at the final pick in the round. The rich get richer, so long as Spriggs' eye-popping numbers don't have his stock rising any further.

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