NFL Mock Draft 2016: Round 1 Projections for Top Prospects Based on Latest Buzz

Two weeks keeps the globe from the 2016 NFL draft and a complete restructure of the league as most know it.

Sounds dramatic, but each year, the draft infuses new talent into the league via unexpected and expected avenues, and this alters divisional races and potential playoff pictures in one broad stroke.

Based on the latest buzz encircling the league at its most exciting time, much will change in a matter of days once things get underway as teams walk to the podium. With an unpredictable quarterback class, wild franchises like the Philadelphia Eagles on the loose and so much more, the 2016 draft beginning on April 28 has the makings of one of the most entertaining to date. 

2016 NFL Mock Draft

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

Latest Buzz Around Top Prospects

8. Philadelphia Eagles: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

Those Philadelphia Eagles got a mention because even though the Chip Kelly circus has moved to other parts of the nation, the front office continues to make headlines for its unconventional approach to roster building. 

This time, the Eagles sound in on Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, according to a note by CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora:

"

If the Eagles stay at No. 8, and especially if two quarterbacks are gone by then as widely expected, then I continue to hear running back Ezekiel Elliott is the pick. They are in love with him, they have done extensive work on him, they have parted with accomplished veteran running backs LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray the past two years, they need an identity on offense and they are going to be limited at the quarterback position no matter who wins the job.

"

It's not advisable to buy in to most any reports when it comes to the draft, especially now in a smokescreen season, but this one makes too much sense to ignore.

Look at the roster in Philadelphia, with Sam Bradford under center and Ryan Mathews as the starting back. Adding an every-down back with good hands and who rushed for 1,821 yards and 23 scores last year makes perfect sense.

Elliott isn't necessarily Todd Gurley, but the Eagles have to make up for the mistakes of past regimes somehow. Grabbing one of the best backs to come out in years isn't ideal with how easy it is to draft the position in later rounds, but call it a necessary evil for a team walking a tightrope between rebuilding and playoff contention.

19. Buffalo Bills: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

Folks only seem to hear about Carson Wentz and Jared Goff now when it comes to the quarterback spot, but rest assured teams with the long-term outlook in mind have an eye on Memphis' Paxton Lynch, too. 

Lynch is a project in every sense of the word, but he's a high-upside QB if there ever was one. He's a model for the position at 6'7" and 244 pounds, and he tossed 28 touchdowns to four picks in 2015 while totaling 17 touchdowns on the ground across three seasons to prove he's able to escape the pocket.

What has scouts buzzing the most though is his booming arm, as former UCF quarterbacks coach Charlie Taaffe told NFL.com's Chase Goodbread while comparing Lynch to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles.

"They can both make every throw on the field," Taaffe said. "Paxton's deep-ball touch is better than Blake's at this stage. And I don't say that because Blake's wasn't good—it was—but Paxton's is exceptional. He's one of the best deep-ball throwers I've seen."

Now think about a team like the Buffalo Bills in the middle of the round. Those Bills have what looks like a viable starter in Tyrod Taylor, though the front office hasn't exactly acted overly committed to him as the future, hence the lack of an extension.

A team in the same division as New England Patriots QB Tom Brady understands how important it is to have a backup and future option under center, so the Bills taking Lynch off the board makes sense in the long term.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State

Paul Vernon/Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Steelers looking for secondary help is one of the more obvious moves of the draft. 

Once a highly respected unit, the Steelers ranked 30th last season by coughing up 271.9 passing yards per game. While the unit as a whole took a bend-but-don't-break approach by allowing less than 20 points per game, it's still a weakness worth shoring up.

In the linked write-up, La Canfora affirmed the notion by saying the Steelers will look "long and hard at corners" this year.

Ohio State's Eli Apple would be an ideal fit. ESPN's Louis Riddick nailed the perfect description: 

Apple hasn't gotten the hype of a Jalen Ramsey or other notable defensive backs, which for the Steelers is just fine.

Coming in at 6'1" and 199 pounds, Apple is the typical Pittsburgh corner who can play press coverage well and also comes up to meet the run with violence. In other words, Pittsburgh won't mind that Apple doesn't get a ton of hype.

Nailing a potential day-one starter falls into a rich-get-richer descriptor for the Steelers if Apple continues to float around this range.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of April 14. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.