Todd McShay NFL Mock Draft 2016: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru's 3rd Mock

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay released his third mock draft Wednesday after getting a chance to evaluate the prospects during the NFL Scouting Combine, which ended Monday. He decided offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil is the leading candidate to get selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans.

The choice of Tunsil is a change from McShay's second mock, which projected the Titans would select Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa over the Ole Miss lineman. His latest breakdown also switches the quarterback the Cleveland Browns take at No. 2 from Jared Goff to Carson Wentz.

Let's check out the complete set of predictions from McShay with just under two months until the draft. That's followed by a closer look at some of the notable picks. 

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

Laremy Tunsil Moves To No. 1

Tunsil is certainly the most likely option for the Titans. While they have needs all over the field, including defensive end, protecting Marcus Mariota is the top priority moving forward. No team gave up more sacks last season than Tennessee (54).

The Ole Miss standout has all the tools to become a long-term starter at the all-important left tackle position. His combination of power and athleticism sets him apart from the rest of the line class, including Ronnie Stanley, who's still an intriguing option in his own right.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network provided some background info from the combine:

The Titans' other option is trading the pick. If they can move down to a spot elsewhere in the top 10, where they are confident they can still land Stanley while also picking up more assets, that deal would make a lot of sense.

Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today passed along comments last week from Tennessee general manager Jon Robinson, who confirmed the franchise is keeping its options open.

"I don't know that there are any secrets really in the league," Robinson said. "We're going to evaluate every prospect we think can be a help to our team and explore every avenue that's available to our football team—whether we stick and pick, or whether we get an offer that we really can't turn down."

Ultimately, the Titans should finish the first round with a new tackle prospect on their roster. It would be ideal if they can convince someone to give up a king's ransom for the top pick. If not, they won't be too disappointed about getting a player of Tunsil's caliber.

Only Two Quarterbacks in Round 1

There are two separate storylines developing among the quarterback group. It's Wentz vs. Goff to become the first QB off the board, which likely means going to the Browns with the No. 2 pick. Then there's another battle between the second-tier options who hope they can sneak into the first round.

For now, McShay projects only the top two prospects will go in the opening round. Wentz goes to the Browns, and then Goff lands with the San Francisco 49ers, the other team inside the top 10 that could use an upgrade at the most critical position.

Wentz, the North Dakota State product, seemingly has the inside track at the top thanks to a strong showing at the combine. NFL Total Access compared the numbers from some key athletic tests:

That said, nothing is settled. Things could still change over the remaining weeks. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller points out something to keep in mind:

At the next level, Paxton Lynch appears to hold the advantage over Connor Cook and Christian Hackenberg as the No. 3 quarterback. That would put him on the fringe of the first round, but so far he's on the outside looking in, according to McShay's mock.

Hackenberg is going to need a terrific effort at his pro day and during team visits in order to rise up the rankings. He had a lackluster showing at the combine and is very much a work in progress for any team that takes him in the second or third round.

Robert Nkemdiche Slides to Seattle Seahawks

Nkemdiche is probably the toughest prospect to forecast at this stage of the draft process. He's a potentially dynamic contributor along the defensive line, but he has a history of off-field problems that are having an impact on his stock.

That includes an incident during which Daniel Paulling of the Clarion-Ledger reported the Ole Miss star fell about 15 feet from a wall at an Atlanta hotel. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports provided remarks from Nkemdiche, who spoke with teams about the situation and stated he was drunk at the time.

"They believe me," Nkemdiche said. "It's the truth and it's what I'm going to keep moving forward with. I'm going to stick to my story. That's what it is. I'm going to keep moving forward, keep being in the moment and get ready to show out on Sunday."

Front offices around the league will need to decide at which point the potential reward with him matches the risk. Getting a prospect with his upside in the second half of Round 1 or later is an enticing option, but the bust potential is evident, as well.

Albert Breer of NFL Network highlighted the bottom line:

That's especially true when you consider these numbers from ESPN Stats and Info:

The Seahawks don't have a ton of needs, which means they could afford to take a chance on Nkemdiche to bolster their defensive line. They ranked second in total defense last season, so if they did take him and he panned out, it would create a truly dominant group.

Whether it's with Seattle or another team, Nkemdiche is going to get every chance to succeed in the NFL because of his raw talent. It's up to him to take advantage of that opportunity.