2016 NFL Mock Draft: Latest 1st-Round Predictions for Top Prospects in Class

NFL free agency is officially upon us, which makes all mock drafts published before March 9 essentially useless. 

Okay, that's not entirely fair—even early mock drafts are useful for, if nothing else, pinpointing team needs ahead of the new league year.

But it's true that free agency drastically alters the landscape of the draft. 

Some teams, such as the Houston Texans, New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, addressed what was projected to be their biggest need in Round 1 in free agency instead. 

The updated mock draft below reflects the moves made on Day 1 of free agency. Keep in mind that New England does not own a selection in Round 1 due to Deflategate sanctions. 

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	Joey Bosa	DE	Ohio State
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Myles Jack	OLB	UCLA
6	Baltimore Ravens	DeForest Buckner	DL	Oregon
7	San Francisco 49ers	Jared Goff	QB	Cal
8	Philadelphia Eagles (MIA)	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
10	New York Giants	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
11	Chicago Bears	Noah Spence	DE	Eastern Kentucky
12	New Orleans Saints	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
13	Miami Dolphins (PHI)	Vernon Hargreaves III	CB	Florida
14	Oakland Raiders	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
15	Los Angeles Rams	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
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	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
20	New York Jets	Leonard Floyd	OLB	Georgia
21	Washington	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
22	Houston Texans	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
23	Minnesota Vikings	Will Fuller	WR	Notre Dame
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	Cody Whitehair	OG	Kansas State
29	Arizona Cardinals	Robert Nkemdiche	DL	Ole Miss
30	Carolina Panthers	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Jarran Reed	DT	Alabama

Predictions for Top Prospects 

Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

The Cleveland Browns have officially waived quarterback Johnny Manziel, the team announced Friday. 

Accordingly, the projection for them at No. 2 overall is still a quarterback, and in this mock draft specifically it's North Dakota State product Carson Wentz. 

Wentz went 20-3 as a starter for North Dakota State and has proven that he can succeed in a pro-style offense even. 

He may not have faced top defenses in college, but he's continuing to make a case for being the first quarterback taken off the board with his offseason workouts. 

At the combine, Wentz stood out 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 he's the perfect prospect around whom to build a franchise. And that's exactly what Cleveland needs right now. 

DeForest Buckner, DL, Oregon 

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

The Baltimore Ravens could definitely pursue an offensive lineman in the first round of the draft, but addressing the defensive line makes just as much if not more sense with their first selection.

After losing Chris Canty to free agency, the Ravens need to beef up their run defense without committing a ton of money toward their salary cap. 

Buckner accomplishes both goals. 

He's also not too shabby at rushing the passer; in 2015, his senior year at Oregon, Buckner amassed 10.5 sacks, 17.0 tackles for loss and 83 total tackles.

"He plays with explosive movements and terrific body control for his size, flashing heavy hands and initial power to be a disruptive force," wrote Brugler. 

Stocking the defensive line with Buckner, Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan would be a power move by the Ravens sure to pay dividends in the competitive AFC North. 

Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State 

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

The Dallas Cowboys may have addressed their front seven in free agency when they signed defensive lineman Cedric Thornton Thursday, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported. 

But that doesn't mean they can't look to double down on beefing up their defensive front through the draft as well, and that's where Ohio State product Joey Bosa comes in. 

Bosa may be a better fit as a 4-3 defensive end, but he could also be a strong 3-4 rush linebacker for the right team. 

Brugler wrote that Bosa is "active on stunts with experience lining up inside and outside—a proven threat anywhere in the front seven." 

With Randy Gregory suspended for the first four games of the season and given that Dallas was lackluster in getting after the passer last season, Bosa makes a ton of sense for the Cowboys.