NFL Draft 2016: Last-Minute Rumors and News for 1st-Round Order and Picks

The 2016 NFL draft begins in prime time on Thursday night, with the event's first round taking up the entire day of coverage from the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago.

Success in the NFL depends greatly on putting together a successful draft class. Even the good teams often have glaring needs at multiple positions, and the violent nature of the sport leads to plenty of shortened careers, and thus new players must take over. 

The Los Angeles Rams hold the No. 1 overall pick, having been on the clock since they traded with the Tennessee Titans for the top honor in mid-April. The Philadelphia Eagles made a similar blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Browns and own the second pick. Both teams are expected to take quarterbacks.

The shakeup at the top of the first round has provided the biggest news so far, but there could still be more changes in the works. Rumors are also swirling about specific teams and players.

Before jumping into a look the latest chatter, here's the full draft order along with a big board courtesy of Bleacher Report's Matt Miller.

Cleveland Could Trade Down Again

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Browns' eighth overall pick, acquired via the trade with Philadelphia, could be of interest to teams in need of a running back:

The buzz is interesting for a couple of different reasons. The Browns have already traded down once, and should they do so again, they could be sacrificing a chance at taking an elite prospect in order to gather more picks in this draft or in later years.

For a poor franchise with a new head coach in Hue Jackson, the opportunity to fill multiple draft needs with a bevy of picks is enticing, but that has to be balanced with being in position to take a potential game-changer with a top-10 pick. 

Players like DeForest Buckner, Joey Bosa or Vernon Hargreaves could be available at No. 8, but the Browns have more than just defensive needs.

As for the teams potentially interested in trading up, it's a testament to Ezekiel Elliott's skills that it's a running back reportedly drawing interest.

The position has become devalued with the rise of the passing game in the NFL, and the Rams drafting Todd Gurley at No. 10 last year seemed like an aberration considering the 2013 and 2014 drafts didn't see a running back come off the board until the second round.

The Miami Dolphins could be interested.

They originally had the No. 8 pick before trading it to the Eagles, and ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. (via the Palm Beach Post's Andrew Abramson) said earlier in April that "there’s been talk they can move up to get Ezekiel Elliott, moving up from 13 and getting into that maybe top six, top seven."

If Elliott is the star featured back some clearly think he's capable of becoming, then he could very well be worth a top-10 pick. Gurley showed plenty of potential and finished third in the NFL in rushing last year, and a solid rushing attack allows teams to tinker with the passing game knowing they will get at least some sort of offense going.

San Diego Chargers Reportedly Targeting Offensive Tackle With No. 3 Pick

San Diego is in fine position with the No. 3 pick. With the Rams and Eagles all but guaranteed to select quarterbacks and the Chargers already employing a fine one in Philip Rivers, they can either take the best player on the board or fill whatever the team brass thinks is the roster's most pressing need.

The Chargers could also trade down, but Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reports that they are likely to stay put and will draft an offensive tackle if they do so:

San Diego's offensive line has been a mess in recent years, with injuries and inconsistent play hampering the run game and leaving the immobile Rivers exposed far too often.

While Laremy Tunsil sits at No. 4 on Miller's big board and is a mammoth man capable of both run and pass protection, NFL Network's Mike Mayock has the Chargers instead selecting Notre Dame tackle Ronnie Stanley in his lone mock draft:

Pro Football Focus has Stanley behind both Tunsil and Michigan State's Jack Conklin on their big board, and CBS Sports' Pete Prisco doesn't seem to think he matches Tunsil's talent:

Pre-Snap Reads' Cian Fahey also weighed in:

"

Stanley to SD would suggest the Chargers are going to ask Philip Rivers to throw 1,000 times instead of running.

Sounds like a plan tbh.

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) April 28, 2016"

"

I like Stanley a lot but there is no logic to the Chargers taking him at three.

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) April 28, 2016"

Rumors are rumors, and the Chargers could still go with Tunsil, or perhaps bolster their defense.

Buckner or Bosa would bolster the defensive line, arguably the team's worst position group, or they could go for defensive back Jalen Ramsey and hope he forms a terrifying partnership with the talented Jason Verrett.

New York Giants Reportedly Not Interested In Myles Jack at No. 10

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is No. 2 on Miller's big board, and for good reason. He's an enticing blend of power and speed that is capable of knifing into the backfield while also making sure tackles in the open field. His athletic ability is off the charts, as evidenced by his occasional moonlighting as a running back for the Bruins.

However, Jack missed a large chunk of last season with a torn meniscus in his knee, and the injury could have him set for a draft-day slide.

NJ.com's Jordan Raanan reports the New York Giants are writing him off. 

"The concerns with UCLA linebacker Myles Jack's knee are real," Raanan noted. "So real that he is not among the players in the running for the No. 10 overall pick with the Giants, two individuals with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media."

The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch passed along a concerning quote from Jack regarding his knee, one that certainly doesn't inspire confidence: 

"

This quote to me from Myles Jack today about his knee can hardly be comforting to teams. pic.twitter.com/A6BwGYb6lu

— Bart Hubbuch (@BartHubbuch) April 27, 2016"

Per NFL Network, Mayock has Jack slipping to the Oakland Raiders at No. 14 in his mock draft. That would be quite the coup for the Raiders, who could add Jack to a linebacker corps that already features a burgeoning superstar in Khalil Mack. 

Jack could still very well go in the top 10. The Jacksonville Jaguars could use him to bolster their defense at No. 5, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might want him to add speed to the defense and complement Lavonte David.

The answer will come soon enough, as it would take some serious concerns about Jack's long-term viability for him to slide past the middle of the first round.