NFL Mock Draft 2016: Predicting Where Top Prospects Will Land in 1st Round

The NFL mock draft landscape for 2016 will change drastically after the new league year begins on March 9 and teams fill certain needs with street free agents rather than draft prospects.

While the team needs identified in this draft could remain similar even after the conclusion of free agency, there's no doubt that some clubs will choose to fill the holes in their rosters ahead of the draft. 

Let's take a look at where things stand prior to the beginning of free agency on March 9 and predict where the top three prospects in the draft are expected to end up at this point in time. 

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

Predicting Where Top Prospects Will Land

Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

After the completion of the combine and ahead of the start of NFL free agency, the Tennessee Titans still look like the most logical landing spot for Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil. 

The Titans need a tackle, and he is the best one in this year's class. Unless they trade the first overall pick, the pairing is obvious. 

CBSSports.com ranks Tunsil as the top prospect in the class, ahead of free safety Jalen Ramsey and defensive end Joey Bosa. 

"On the field, Tunsil is a nimble big man with a rare athletic skill set for the position, showing above-average balance and flexibility to easily bend, handle speed and absorb power at the point of attack," CBS Sports' Dane Brugler wrote. 

Tunsil struggled with injuries throughout his college career and was never able to play a full season for the Rebels. He also started just five games in 2015, missing the season's first seven contests due to a suspension.

Tennessee has already invested heavily in its offensive line. "If [Jon] Robinson uses the top pick on Tunsil, the Titans would be in the exceedingly rare position of having three first-round picks on rookie contracts playing along the same offensive line," wrote ESPN.com's Bill Barnwell. 

But it's unlikely the Titans could get equal value back for trading the pick, and the offensive line is their biggest need that also melds with the prospects who are projected to go early. 

Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

Some analysts, such as NFL Network's Bucky Brooks in his latest mock draft, still maintain that California's Jared Goff will come off the board before North Datoka State's Carson Wentz. 

But most draft experts agree that the Cleveland Browns will go after a quarterback with the second overall pick...and most also agree that quarterback will be Wentz. 

Wentz "possesses a NFL-style skill set with his size, athleticism and arm talent, including the field vision to work through reads and make sound decisions," wrote Brugler, who also expects the Browns to select the former Bison at No. 2 overall. 

The prospect only helped his chances with his performance at both his senior day and the NFL combine. At the latter, Wentz was a top performer in the 40-yard dash (4.77 seconds), broad jump (118 inches) and three-cone drill (6.86 seconds), per NFL.com. 

Wentz may still be developing after playing only two years in an FBS program, but Cleveland will want to reap the rewards of helping the quarterback come into his own. 

Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State 

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

If the Titans decide to go against the grain with their No. 1 pick and not take an offensive lineman, it's highly likely they'll go after Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey. 

But let's assume for the time being that Ramsey is in fact available at the third overall pick. 

The San Diego Chargers, who will likely have to replace Eric Weddle this offseason, are a perfect landing spot for the Seminole. 

CBSSports.com ranks Ramsey as the No. 3 overall prospect, making him a perfect value for San Diego at third overall. 

"He has above-average anticipation, vision and instincts, seeing the field extremely well with uncanny awareness and timing to create turnovers and get his hands on the ball," Brugler noted. 

Assuming he's on the board when San Diego selects, Ramsey and the Chargers seem like a perfect match.