2016 NFL Draft: Biggest Steals, Reaches and Surprises from Round 1

The big day has finally, mercifully arrived.

After months of speculation and rumors and enough mock drafts to choke an apatosaurus, it's time for the real deal.

The 2016 NFL draft is underway.

The draft started just the way most predicted, with the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles selecting the quarterbacks they mortgaged their respective futures to trade up to get.

After that? Well, as usually happens in the draft, expectations went right out the window.

We had trades. Value picks that left fanbases cheering. And a few picks that left fans...well, they were yelling loudly, anyway. Short words I can't so much as print here.

Who committed highway robbery? Who got ripped off? And who left draftniks and fans wondering what the heck just happened?

Here's a look, beginning with that pair of selections we all knew were coming.

Bleacher Report Big Board

Before we review Thursday night's action, a look at the Bleacher Report Big Board.

The highest ranked player taken Thursday? That would be our No. 1 overall prospect, in the personage of Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey. He was an absolute gift for the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5.

B/R's own Michael Felder explained to Newy Scruggs of the Dallas Morning News why the 6'1" 209-pounder tops our rankings:

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What doesn't he do is my question? No interceptions? That's not a thing that fazes me, Newy. He makes pass breakups, he denies the ball exceptionally well which means they are not throwing the ball over to where he's at. I think that says a lot about why he is not getting some of those interceptions. Watch Florida State play from his freshman year where he played a safety to his sophomore year at the star position to his junior year where he played the cornerback spot, he's a guy who is active behind the line of scrimmage--that's not something you say a lot about people who are sometime projected to play at the cornerback spot at the next level.

"

Ramsey's addition will go a long way toward shoring up a Jacksonville pass defense that ranked 29th in the NFL a season ago.

The lowest-ranked player on the B/R board who heard his name called? UCLA defensive tackle Kenny Clark (No. 71), whom the Green Bay Packers took at 27.

If you're waiting for me to criticize Ted Thompson, you might want to pull up a chair. It was an eyebrow-raiser, but Thompson is, well, Ted Thompson.

In addition to Myles Jack (whom I'll get to later) and Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith (who has his own serious health concerns after tearing his ACL in the Fiesta Bowl), a full nine of the top 31 prospects on the B/R board will still be available when the Cleveland Browns go on the clock Friday night.

They include:

Noah Spence, DL, Eastern Kentucky (13): Apparently the character concerns that led to Spence's dismissal from Ohio State overshadowed his impressive athleticism and dominant showing at January's Senior Bowl.

Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State (16): NFL draft lead writer Matt Miller's top-ranked wide receiver prospect in 2016. Maybe after five Buckeyes went in the top 20 NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told teams to let other colleges get a chance.

Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama (26): He was the top inside linebacker prospect on most boards this spring, but perceived deficiencies in coverage may have led the 247-pounder to tumble from Round 1.

A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama (28): One of a number of Alabama prospects who received first-round grades from B/R but are still waiting to hear their names called, Robinson is also one of six (!) players still remaining in the green room per the NFL Network.

Will one of those youngsters be the first selection in Round 2? Might the Browns go the quarterback route with Michigan State's Connor Cook? Will fans ever stop booing Goodell?

That we don't yet know, so let's talk about what we do.

And by "know" I mean "I think."

Jared Goff and Carson Wentz Were Both Reaches

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

I see I have your attention now.

Put that tomato down.

These are two picks we knew were coming since the Los Angeles Rams sent a boatload of picks to Tennessee for the No. 1 pick, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles dealing a bushel of selections to the Cleveland Browns for No. 2.

And don't get me wrong: Both Jared Goff of California (whom the Rams took first) and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State (who went to the Eagles just after) are talented young quarterbacks who, at least in theory, can make all the throws at the NFL level.

For my money, give me Wentz's big body, underrated athleticism and pocket presence narrowly over Goff's similarly understated mobility and quick release. But I digress.

The talent of these young men doesn't justify the ransom the Rams and Eagles paid to get them.

The package the Rams sent to Nashville contained six picks on the first two days of the draft over the next two years, including two first-rounders.

The Browns get three of Philly's first four picks in 2016, their first-rounder in 2017 and their second-rounder the year after. That's so the Eagles could move up six spots—after handing Sam Bradford $18 million a season for the next two years.

Bradford shouldn't be the only person unhappy in the City of Brotherly Love.

Both deals have been panned by any number of sportswriters, including Tony Massarotti of CBS Boston:

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In the last 18 years, there have been 13 occasions on which an NFL team has taken a quarterback with the first selection. There have been an additional four teams that have taken a quarterback with the No. 2 pick. Add it all up and what you have is an astonishing 17 of 36 selections that have been wasted … er, used … on a player who, more often than not, has gone the way of the Hindenburg.

"

Mind you, it isn't as if either of this year's top signal-callers were being hailed as "can't miss" a la Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning. This was widely viewed as a so-so QB class. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Wentz to Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Goff to Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons.

With due respect to Bortles and Ryan, no team in the NFL is selling its soul like that to get them. And they've at least shown some ability to play in the NFL.

It's simple: Unless Goff and Wentz make multiple Pro Bowls and lead their teams to multiple playoff trips, they won't come close to living up to their price tags.

And that's not going to be any easier without the picks needed to build around them.

Add in what happened the last time a team moved up to get the leftovers of the top two signal-callers (Robert Griffin III in 2012) and...

Like I said, Eagles fans have good reason to be unhappy.

Bosa Goes to Bolts (Surprise)

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

In the weeks and months leading up to the draft, there was a great deal of speculation Ohio State edge-rusher Joey Bosa would be the first pass-rusher drafted. Any number of mock drafts connected the 6'5", 269-pounder to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 4.

Jerruh's boys never got the chance.

In the night's first eye-opener, the San Diego Chargers took Bosa with the third overall pick, ostensibly to rush the passer standing up as an outside linebacker.

As Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweeted, a visibly shaken Bosa told the NFL Network he can't wait to get after it in his new home.

"I'm going to give them everything I have, every single day," Bosa said. "Let's win some games, man."

I have no doubt Bosa will do just that. Motor was never an issue for him at Ohio State.

With that said, I can't say I like the pick, as much as I like the player.

First, there's the matter of what one personnel director told Zierlein. Simply put, Bosa's speed around the edge is good but not great:

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I think all that hype headed into the year hurt him some because he's not a superman off the edge. But he's a good player. He's athletic with good hands and every pass rusher starts to add to what they do in the pros. If he dedicates himself to the game, he's going to be one of the safest guys in the draft.

"

Around the edge is where Bosa is now going to be rushing from all the time. It's not a horrible fit, but it's a questionable one.

There's also the matter of those games Bosa wants to win. A primary reason the Chargers didn't do much of that last year was an offensive front that struggled mightily and couldn't stay healthy.

San Diego did nothing to address that Thursday night, even though both Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss and Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame were on the board.

Topsy Turvy Tackles (Surprise)

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After the Dallas Cowboys took Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott at No. 4 (fantasy owners rejoice!) and the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, Ozzie Newsome and the Baltimore Ravens went on the clock.

With both of the draft's top offensive tackles on the board.

Sure enough, the Ravens took one of those tackles. It just wasn't the tackle most people thought it would be.

The Ravens used the sixth overall pick on Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley, whom Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of CBS Sports compared to the recently retired D'Brickashaw Ferguson of the New York Jets:

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Dancing bears who use their natural athleticism and length to shut down speed, Stanley needs some time to refine his technique and improve his functional strength to handle NFL rushers, similar to Ferguson when he entered the league.

"

It isn't surprising the Ravens took a tackle. Frankly, it's never a surprise when any team takes one. Offensive line is one of those spots where no matter how good a team is, it wants to get better, and Baltimore lost Kelechi Osemele in free agency.

The surprise was the tackle the Ravens took wasn't Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss, who was the presumptive favorite to go No. 1 overall before the Titans dealt the pick.

As it turns out, Tunsil's slide was only getting started.

Top 10 Trades (Reach)

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After Stanley's selection, things got good and wacky.

The Cleveland Browns, led by their new analytics-driven brain trust, have apparently decided to go with the "chipmunk in November" draft strategy. After trading down from No. 2 to No. 8 before the draft, the Browns then moved back again, dropping from No. 8 to No. 15.

Per the team's Twitter, the deal shakes out like this. Cleveland sent No. 8 and No. 176 to the Tennessee Titans. In return, the Titans gave up No. 15 and No. 76 this year and a second-round pick next year.

The Titans then used the No. 8 pick to draft a tackle—who once again was not Laremy Tunsil. The Titans instead went with Michigan State's Jack Conklin, a nasty 308-pounder whom the NFL Network's Mike Mayock believes can step in at right tackle from Day 1.

"I think Taylor Lewan's job is safe for now," Mayock said. "Because with this kid, I think Lewan stays on the left side and Conklin plays right tackle, and now you have bookend tackles for Marcus Mariota."

The wheeling and dealing wasn't done. The Chicago Bears then sent a fourth-rounder to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the right to hop up two spots and select Georgia pass-rusher Leonard Floyd.

There may not be a player who made a bigger late push up boards than the lanky linebacker. As Bleacher Report's Jason Cole tweeted Thursday, he heard rumblings that Floyd, who not long ago was viewed as a Day 2 pick, wouldn't last past the top 10:

"Have had 3 GMs say that Georgia LB/DE Leonard Floyd will end up in the top 10 tonight," Cole said. "Project him as best potential right end/pass rusher."

Those rumblings turned out to be more than just predraft smoke, but it's a big gamble for Da Bears. Floyd bulked up to 244 pounds for the draft process, but he was closer to 230 at Georgia and has a slight frame. That weight may be hard to keep on, and he's apt to get pushed around without it.

He'll also be 24 years old when his rookie season begins.

The Bears and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio apparently see Aldon Smith in his game. Here's hoping they didn't trade up for a Barkevious Mingo instead.

Tunsil's Tumble (Steal?)

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It wasn't that long ago, as I said, that Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil was the presumptive favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick.

Well, Tunsil didn't go in the top five.

Or in the top 10.

The bleeding finally stopped for the No. 4 overall player on Bleacher Report's big board at No. 13, when the Miami Dolphins drafted the 6'5", 310-pounder.

So what happened?

Well, there were already some rumblings about off-field concerns with Tunsil. He's best friends with teammate and defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, who has off-field issues aplenty. Tunsil's stepfather is suing him after a domestic altercation last year.

Then there's this.

Yes, as ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported, that's Tunsil, wearing a...what is that?

A bong mask?

A gas bong?

What it isn't is a good look.

Tunsil told Deion Sanders during the NFL Network's telecast that his Twitter account was hacked and the video was several years old. Colleague Rich Eisen quipped, "I've seen the video. It doesn't look that old."

There are a couple of ways to look at this slide. If Tunsil, who didn't fail any drug tests at Ole Miss, has his head on straight, the 'Fins may have gotten the biggest steal of Round 1.

If it's the mask Tunsil has on straight, then not so much.

And man oh man would I like to know what Roger Goodell said to Tunsil on the stage Thursday night.

Probably something along the lines of, "Call me. We need to talk."

The Cleveland Browns Made a Pick! (And a Reach)

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

At some point in the 2016 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns were going to have to make a pick.

As a fan of the team, I'm not even a bit surprised that when they did it was the decision our panel of NFL writers tabbed the "Matt Millen Memorial 'What Were They Thinking?' Pick" earlier Thursday.

OK, in fairness I may be just ever so slightly bitter after 30 years of this.

Long-suffering fans of the Browns will no doubt point to Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman's ability to take the top off a defense and how he won the Biletnikoff Award in December after racking up 20 touchdowns.

Or maybe they'll point to comparisons Brugler and Rang drew between Coleman and Emmanuel Sanders of the Denver Broncos:

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Coleman plays bigger than he'll measure with the route athleticism to create separation before and after the catch.

The NFL has yet to see a wide receiver from Baylor coach Art Briles' system translate and produce similar numbers in the pro game, but Coleman could break that streak. He has an athletic skillset at all levels of the field. Coleman is one of the best deep threats in the country with above average tracking and adjustment skills to make tough catches look easy, playing above the rim.

"

Mayock compared Coleman to Percy Harvin, which for some reason didn't make me feel better:

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He's a dynamic playmaker. Think Percy Harvin, that's the kind of playmaker that he is. He has a quick start and explosive speed. The only key for him is that he hasn't run a route tree. You will have to manufacture touches for him as he learns the route tree. He's special with the football in his hands.

"

And heavens knows the Browns need wideouts about as badly as a team can possibly need players at a position.

The problem? There are a few.

The Browns could have used this pick on the offensive line and tackle Taylor Decker or center Ryan Kelly. Or rolled the dice on Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. With a ton of Day 2 picks and a muddied class at wideout, they could have waited.

Instead, they were the first team to draft a player at the wide receiver position in a year when no one wanted to be the first team to draft a player at that position. And they essentially drafted a Travis Benjamin clone—a burner with a limited route tree.

Browns fans will roast me for panning this, but just because you have over a dozen picks doesn't mean you should waste the first one.

Safety Dance (Surprise/Reach)

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

I have to back up a bit, because a pick just after Cleveland's spurred me to look at one that came just before.

At No. 17, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Florida safety Keanu Neal, which just so happened to make ESPN's Todd McShay look like Carnac the Magnificent:

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You'd have to think Atlanta also would consider Ohio State's Darron Lee here if the board fell this way, but Neal would give coach Dan Quinn the most physical player in this class and a safety who comes into the league ready to contribute right away. Neal has the skill set to play the Kam Chancellor role in Quinn's defense.

"

That came a few picks after the Oakland Raiders drafted West Virginia's Karl Joseph at 14. Joseph, a 5'10" 205-pounder whose stock had been on the rise of late, drew any number of comparisons from Mayock the Raiders hope he lives up to:

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With his range, toughness and ability to drop down in the slot and cover man, he's like a poor man's Earl Thomas. He says he models his game after Brian Dawkins. Some say he's much like Bob Sanders. This is a dynamic playmaker.

"

Given that both teams have a need at the back end and that versatile safeties are very much en vogue in today's NFL, these both appear at first glance to be solid picks.

However, both players were considered Day 2 prospects by more than a few pundits, including Zierlein.

Are they awful picks? No. And after a couple of successful drafts with the Raiders, general manager Reggie McKenzie has earned the benefit of the doubt.

But those drafts were born of going the best-player-available route. The selections of both Joseph and Neal look more like drafting for need.

It's an interesting departure.

It's a Reach Because We Said so

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Earlier Thursday, Bleacher Report published its Expert Consensus Projections for the 2016 NFL Draft. One of the categories in that incredibly insightful and poetically written article was "Biggest First-Round Reach."

The unlucky "winner" of that vote of our NFL scribes was TCU wideout Josh Doctson:

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Maybe it's that while Doctson is a tall receiver, he isn't an especially big or physical one, and his lack of mass helped contribute to some injury issues at TCU.

Maybe it's a TCU offense that called for a limited route tree from Doctson—one that could portend a steeper learning curve in the pros.

Or maybe it's that whether it's Zierlein or Dane Brugler of CBS Sports, the refrain is the same: Doctson has the potential to be a solid No. 2 receiver at the NFL level.

In other words, while Doctson may have one of the highest floors of this year's wide receiver prospects, it comes with a low ceiling.

"

Well sure enough, Doctson did go on the first day of the draft—ahead of Michael Thomas of Ohio State, the top wideout on the Bleacher Report big board.

This may be splitting hairs in a draft with no clear No. 1 wideout. After all, Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss, the top wide receiver prospect in 2016 according to Rang, went one pick later to the Minnesota Vikings.

But when Washington made Doctson the 22nd pick, they made a move smarter writers than I said they shouldn't. I agreed with them.

So it's worth mentioning.

The Rich Get Richer (Steal)

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

It's a mystery that isn't a mystery at all.

The teams in the NFL that remain successful year after year do so in large part because they draft well. The mysterious part is how they manage to do that season after season despite picking at the back of the first round.

Of course, sometimes it's where a team picks at the back of the round that makes all the difference.

Such was the case Thursday night, when the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos sent a third-rounder to the Seattle Seahawks to move from No. 31 to No. 26.

With that pick, made by a 16-year-old thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Broncos selected the quarterback everyone's been wringing their hands about them not having.

It's a dream come true for Paxton Lynch of Memphis, too. Rather than playing for one of the NFL's bottom-feeders, the 6'7", 244-pounder will don the orange and blue of the world champions.

Granted, Lynch doesn't solve Denver's problems under center in the short-term. For all the athleticism, the arm that may be the strongest of this year's class, Lynch is still a raw prospect who spent his entire collegiate career running the spread from the shotgun.

Still, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com wrote, at least two NFL GMs told colleague Bucky Brooks it's Lynch, and not Goff or Wentz, who has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this year's draft.

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He may come in and it may take him some time to get on the field, but in terms of his long-term potential and talent, he has more talent than some of the other guys in the class. Because of that, he could pass them. But it may not be in year one or two, it may be in year three or four when he finally realizes that potential.

"

That ceiling is now a Mile High.

Oh quit groaning. It wasn't that bad.

Boom or Bust in the Desert (Steal)

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

There are any number of players every year hit with the label of "boom or bust." In 2016, the poster child for that label is Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche.

Pop in the right tape of the 6'3", 294-pounder, and he looks unstoppable. From an athleticism and physical talent standpoint, he's a top-10 prospect who looks like he was built from a kit.

Pop in the wrong tape, and he completely vanishes. Or shows up on the police blotter after falling off a hotel balcony.

Production that never met potential. Horrible interviews at the combine followed by strong workouts. Possibly the hardest player to get a read on in the first round of this draft.

At least, that's what one defensive line coach told Zierlein:

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I still don't know if I have a great read on him. I'm usually big on production and he doesn't have it like you want it, but we get paid to coach players up. There is a lot there to coach. I think he'll either drive you crazy or make you look like a genius. Probably not a lot of middle ground is my guess.

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Apparently the Arizona Cardinals, who rolled the dice on Nkemdiche at No. 29, are betting on looking like geniuses. 

It's a hard pick not to like. The Cardinals have one of the most unified coaching staffs and locker rooms in the NFL under the leadership of Bruce Arians, who isn't going to tolerate any nonsense.

Nkemdiche is also more than big and physical enough to play the 5-technique in the Redbirds' 3-4, and he'll be able to ease in while learning from a pro's pro in Calais Campbell.

The Cardinals already addressed their pass rush this spring with the acquisition of Chandler Jones, and that makeover continued Thursday night.

It's a risk worth taking at the back end of Round 1 and the sort that's paid off in a big way in the past with the likes of Tyrann Mathieu.

Jacked Up (Surprise)

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

I've talked at length about many of the players who were selected Thursday.

Now it's time to talk about one who wasn't.

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is the No. 2 overall prospect on the Bleacher Report big board. Despite tearing his meniscus last year, Jack was considered a relatively safe bet to be drafted inside the top 10.

Until, that is, Jack gave a brutally honest interview (per Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post) earlier this week:

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[The degenerative problems are] there, but it’s nothing extreme. Down the line, possibly I could have microfracture surgery — potentially. Who knows what will happen?

Nobody knows how long anybody is going to play in this league. To play three years in this league would be above average.

I would understand if I fell. This is a talented draft class, so if I was to fall, I wouldn’t take it personally.

"

However, even with rumors swirling that some teams had removed Jack from their draft boards, the belief still remained that Jack would go some time Thursday. The 6'1", 245-pounder was a wildly athletic disruptive force at UCLA. He did it all: stuffed the run, rushed the passer—he played offense, for heaven's sake.

But drop Jack did. Out of the top 10. Through the teens. Past the top 20...

And out of Round 1 altogether.