NFL Mock Draft 2016: 1st-Round Projections for Prized Prospects

A little over a month out from the 2016 NFL draft, we're in the midst of college pro days; free agency deals, though they have slowed to a trickle, are still continuing to be announced. 

So while mock drafts are still extremely variable at this point in the offseason, we at least have a sense of the needs teams will be looking to address when they're on the clock in Chicago in April.

Let's break down this mock draft and examine where some of the most prized prospects in this year's class could land when all is said and done:

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

Projections for Prized Prospects

Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

The Cleveland Browns, with the No. 2 overall pick, are in position to have their choice of young quarterback prospects in this year's class, from California's Jared Goff to North Dakota State's Carson Wentz.

At the moment, given everything he brings to the table, Wentz seems like the kind of prospect who has the potential to turn Cleveland's franchise around.

The Browns had a good visit with veteran quarterback Robert Griffin III, per ESPN.com's Pat McManamon, but there have been no reports thus far of a deal between the two sides.

Additionally, per McManamon, Browns director of football operations Sashi Brown said "adding a quarterback with experience in no way precludes the team from drafting a quarterback," and it shouldn't. 

There are multiple reasons why that quarterback should be Wentz. As ESPN.com's Britt McHenry reported Monday, the Browns will be taking a look at Wentz at his pro day:

What Jackson should see there is a competent and NFL-ready prospect whose poise in the pocket and mobility could be huge assets to a team in desperate need of a rebuild.

Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

There's no question that multiple teams with early selections in the first round of the draft would love to add a defensive stud such as Florida State's Jalen Ramsey to their rosters, but San Diego is in optimal position to land him.

While we can't rule out Tennessee either trading its first overall pick or deviating from expectations by taking Ramsey off the board at No. 1, San Diego seems like a perfect place for the young defensive back to land.

Sure, there are other needs San Diego could pursue with the No. 3 pick; defensive line is arguably more in need of an upgrade than the secondary, even with Eric Weddle departing in free agency.

"This is where I see best available weighing more than the need (in San Diego's case, defensive line)," NFL.com's Maurice Jones-Drew wrote in his mock draft Monday. "Ramsey is a special player who can change your defense from two different positions."

There you have it.

Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

Ronnie Stanley won't be the first offensive lineman off the board in April; that honor will belong to Ole Miss product Laremy Tunsil, whether he goes to Tennessee or elsewhere. 

But that doesn't mean Stanley isn't a highly prized prospect whom many teams will covet early in the first round.

In this case, the Giants should land Stanley at No. 10, but the Baltimore Ravens could easily opt to give Joe Flacco some help and draft the Notre Dame prospect. 

While Stanley still needs some technical refinement, he'll be an instant starter for whichever team selects him.

CBS Sports' Dane Brugler hit the nail on the head in his mock draft: "With Will Beatty no longer on the roster and last year's first-round pick Ereck Flowers struggling on the left side, Stanley would make sense as a plug-and-play left tackle from Day 1."