2016 NFL Mock Draft: Opening-Round Projections for Polarizing Prospects

Right after the conclusion of the NFL combine, draft boards and mocks alike tend to go a little haywire as analysts attempt to account for and process all the new information that emerged from the workouts. 

In the case of the most polarizing prospects in this draft class, there may be a lot of movement up or down the board, and in some cases they may fall out of the first round altogether. 

Here's a post-combine mock draft, and we'll take a look at some of those prospects and analyze whether their stock is rising or falling after the combine. 

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
2	Cleveland Browns	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota St.
3	San Diego Chargers	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida State
4	Dallas Cowboys	Myles Jack	OLB	UCLA
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Joey Bosa	DE	Ohio State
6	Baltimore Ravens	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
7	San Francisco 49ers	Jared Goff	QB	Cal
8	Miami Dolphins	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
10	New York Giants	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
11	Chicago Bears	Noah Spence	DE	Eastern Kentucky
12	New Orleans Saints	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
13	Philadelphia Eagles	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
14	Oakland Raiders	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
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	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
19	Buffalo Bills	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
20	New York Jets	Leonard Floyd	OLB	Georgia
21	Washington	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
22	Houston Texans	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
23	Minnesota Vikings	Cody Whitehair	OG	Kansas State
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Shon Coleman	OT	Auburn
27	Green Bay Packers	Reggie Ragland	ILB	Alabama
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Jarran Reed	DT	Alabama
29	Arizona Cardinals	Vernon Butler	DT	Louisiana Tech
30	Carolina Panthers	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Andrew Billings	DT	Baylor

Projections for Polarizing Prospects

Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Opinions about Georgia pass-rusher Leonard Floyd were mixed before he worked out at the NFL combine. Despite the fact that he chose to only run the 40-yard dash once, he helped his cause overall with his performance in Indianapolis. 

While many feel that Floyd is one of the most talented pass-rushers in this year's draft class, concerns remain about his size and ability against the run. 

"Floyd is going to be a polarizing conversation all the way up to the draft," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said on the air after Floyd's combine performance. "Is he a top 10 pick because he’s such an energizing pass rusher or is he nowhere near that because he’s underpowered and can’t stand up against the run?”

Some analysts have Floyd coming off the board as early as No. 10 overall to the New York Giants, such as Fox Sports' Peter Schrager, in a mock draft dated March 3. 

However, given the questions about Floyd's run defense, he may last until the Jets' pick 10 spots later, and that would be a perfect fit for him. 

Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

Quarterback is probably the No. 1 position in the NFL draft for which rankings and team needs don't always dovetail.

For instance, one scout told NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis and Lance Zierlein in December that Cook "is a third-rounder to me and an average starter at best."  

That same scout said that Cook is the "most polarizing guy in the draft," and that's saying a lot. 

However, there is no shortage of quarterback-needy teams in this year's draft, and that makes it less likely that Cook falls out of the first round. 

"He can make all the throws, and he's got some strength to him and he can run. It's all the other stuff with him," one scout told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "How much does he really like ball? How much is he going to work at it? He likes being a celebrity."

Still, some team looking to develop a prospect at the position is bound to roll the dice on Cook. In this case, it's the Houston Texans at No. 22. If anyone can shepherd Cook's professional development, it's quarterback whisperer Bill O'Brien. 

Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss

Based on talent alone, Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche could have been the first prospect to come off the board in the 2016 NFL draft, but off-field concerns and questions about his work ethic will scare teams away from selecting him early in the first round.

"He's really athletic, and he's got strength," one scout told McGinn. "He's really a different kid. He may scare some people. He's strange, strange." 

Red flags aside, analysts had great things to say about Nkemdiche's raw athletic ability.

"He's quite athletic, boasting perhaps the most exciting raw talent as any defensive lineman in this draft," wrote CBS Sports' Rob Rang.

However, Nkemdiche has more problems than the incident in late 2015 in which he fell, intoxicated, 15 feet from a hotel balcony and was charged with possession of marijuana.

As Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel discussed recently on The Audible podcast, Nkemdiche had "a trainwreck of a session with the media" at the combine, an opportunity that otherwise could have perhaps provided the defensive lineman a foothold back into the early picks of the draft. 

As it stands, Nkemdiche still comes off the board in the first round in this draft, going to a team headed by Rex Ryan, who both loves to stack the defensive line and doesn't necessarily shy away from character issues.

But the Ole Miss product is not doing much to help his cause. Perhaps his pro day will change that.