NFL Mock Draft 2016: 1st-Round Predictions, Landing Spots for Rising Prospects

April has finally arrived, and the 2016 NFL draft is officially less than one month away. 

The draft picture has become more focused in recent weeks. Free-agent signings have cleared up team needs, and predraft visits have provided insight into what positions teams are looking to upgrade. 

Even in these last few weeks, teams are still finalizing draft boards, giving prospects one last chance to improve their grades with workouts and interviews. 

Here's a look at an updated mock draft with a breakdown of a few prospects who could be on the rise. 

Pick	Team	Player	Pos	School
1	Tennessee Titans	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Ole Miss
2	Cleveland Browns	Jalen Ramsey	DB	Florida State
3	San Diego Chargers	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
4	Dallas Cowboys	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
6	Baltimore Ravens	Joey Bosa	DE	Ohio State
7	San Francisco 49ers	Jared Goff	QB	California
8	Philadelphia Eagles	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	Florida
10	New York Giants	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
11	Chicago Bears	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
12	New Orleans Saints	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
13	Miami Dolphins	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
14	Oakland Raiders	William Jackson III	CB	Houston
15	Los Angeles Rams	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
16	Detroit Lions	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
17	Atlanta Falcons	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
18	Indianapolis Colts	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
19	Buffalo Bills	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
20	New York Jets	Noah Spence	LB	Eastern Kentucky
21	Washington Redskins	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
22	Houston Texans	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
23	Minnesota Vikings	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Ole Miss
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Cody Whitehair	OG	Kansas State
27	Green Bay Packers	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Mackensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
29	Arizona Cardinals	Ryan Kelly	C	Alabama
30	Carolina Panthers	Jeremy Cash	S	Duke
31	Denver Broncos	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama

Notable Prospects on the Rise

Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

Ezekiel Elliott has been mentioned among the elite prospects in the draft since early in the evaluation process, but he still had a steep hill to climb to rise into the top 10 due to the position he plays. 

It takes a special prospect for a running back to be considered a top-10 value, but the Dallas Cowboys appear to have that type of interest in Elliott. 

Earlier this offseason, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and his staff visited Columbus to work out Elliott and the top Ohio State prospects. And according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the team hosted Elliott for another visit over this past weekend:

"

Tomorrow morning, #tOSU RB Ezekiel Elliott flies to Dallas for a pre-draft meeting with #Cowboys. They previously worked him out in Columbus

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 2, 2016"

Obviously, not every draft visit indicates a genuine interest in a prospect, but Elliott would make sense for the Cowboys. Despite signing Alfred Morris to join Darren McFadden in the backfield, the Cowboys are still in search of a long-term solution to their issues in the run game. 

Leonard Floyd, Georgia

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Leonard Floyd doesn't stand out in any one area, but his impressive versatility is leading to a rise up draft boards. 

The 2016 linebacker class is relatively thin, which has Floyd emerging as one of the safest prospects in the class due to his ability to line up at multiple positions. 

An NFL scout told Mark Eckel of NJ.com: "The guy can do whatever you want to do. He can rush the passer. He can cover. He has legit speed off the edge. I like the guy a lot."

The Chicago Bears and New York Giants are among the teams that could plug Floyd into an immediate starting role. 

Jeremy Cash, Duke

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

The Carolina Panthers are making an effort to get faster and more explosive on defense. This was apparent with the selection of undersized linebacker Shaq Thompson in the first round in 2015. 

The next step in this defensive evolution for the Panthers may be to bring in a strong safety like Duke's Jeremy Cash. 

While Cash could solve the Panthers' immediate need at strong safety, he also offers them a potential long-term replacement for linebacker Thomas Davis. 

The 33-year-old Davis was once a collegiate safety like Cash and could help him make that transition in the pros. 

Cash's stock is on the rise due to his elite athleticism and potential to play a hybrid safety/linebacker role at the next level.