2016 NFL Mock Draft: 5th Edition

Here is my fifth edition of my 2016 NFL Mock Draft.

1. Los Angeles Rams (via Tennessee Titans)- Jared Goff, Quarterback, California: The Rams sold the farm to get their quarterback. The only question remaining, who is their quarterback? Goff is the best passer in this class, and he makes the most sense with this pick.

 2. Philadelphia Eagles (via Cleveland Browns)- Carson Wentz, Quarterback, North Dakota State: The Eagles have mortgaged the future on Wentz. It's a bold move that could pay off, but only time will tell. It's a great situation for Wentz because he can sit and learn and won't be forced to start from Day 1.

3. San Diego Chargers- DeForest Buckner, Defensive End, Oregon: They bypass a need at safety to grab a versatile defender with the size, length and athleticism to upgrade the pass rush at the five-technique position.

4. Dallas Cowboys- Jalen Ramsey, Cornerback/Safety, Florida State: Joey Bosa or Jalen Ramsey? An argument can be made for both for Dallas – a pass rusher to take pressure off the secondary or a playmaking defensive back who gives the Cowboys' front more time to attack. Maybe Dallas will surprise and just take Ezekeil Elliott.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars- Myles Jack, Outside Linebacker, UCLA: Yes, the speculation won't stop about the medical reports on his knee, but the Jaguars are a team that needs to win NOW. If they feel good about the final analysis from their team doctors, they select this multi-purpose playmaker and take aim at Houston and Indianapolis within their division.

6. Baltimore Ravens- Laremy Tunsil, Offensive Tackle, Ole Miss: It would be tough for Ozzie Newsome to bypass the No. 1 player in the draft despite having a serviceable player at the position.

7. San Francisco 49ers- Ronnie Stanley, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame: Chip Kelly could push the front office for an athletic edge blocker to help his offensive line get back on track in 2016.

8. Cleveland Browns (from Philadelphia Eagles via Miami Dolphins)- Joey Bosa, Defensive End, Ohio State: The Browns have a lot of holes, so expect them to take the best player available approach, and Bosa would be that for sure and would give the Browns a great pass rusher and a steal at this selection.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Vernon Hargreaves, Cornerback, Florida: Tampa needs to address the cornerback position this draft and Hargreaves is a tough-minded, instinctive cover man who is ready to start from Day One in the NFL.

10. New York Giants- Jack Conklin, Offensive Tackle, Michigan State: The Giants spent nearly $100 million beefing up their defense in free agency with pass rusher Olivier Vernon, cornerback Janoris Jenkins, and defensive tackle Damon Harrison. Now it’s time to give Eli Manning some help, and while he could use another receiver across from Odell Beckham, he badly needs an upgrade at right tackle, and Conklin, a three-year starter at Michigan State, would be a great fit.

11. Chicago Bears- Leonard Floyd, Outside Linebacker, Georgia: Entering year two of the transition to a 3-4 base scheme, the Bears are still searching for an impact edge rusher. Floyd has plenty of question marks, but his flexibility and pass rush potential for an athlete his size will have him overdrafted, possibly this early.

12. New Orleans Saints- Sheldon Rankins, Defensive Tackle, Louisville: New Orleans has some solid pieces on the defensive line, but need to continue and add depth. Rankins isn't only depth, but he has difference-maker potential, also adding versatility to play multiple spots for the Saints' front.

13.  Miami Dolphins (via Philadelphia Eagles)- Ezekiel Elliott, Running Back, Ohio State: They've sniffed around running backs all summer, so why not take the best back in this draft? Elliott would fit nicely on this team and give someone to take pressure off of Ryan Tannehill.

14. Oakland Raiders- Eli Apple, Cornerback, Ohio State: Former first-round pick D.J. Hayden didn’t work out so Eli is the Apple of the Raiders 'eye. He would make the secondary better.


15. Tennessee Titans (via Los Angeles Rams)- Taylor Decker, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State: Whether picking first or 15th, the top priority in Tennessee should be helping young quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mississippi left tackle Laremy Tunsil was the popular pick while the Titans held the No. 1 pick but some believe the depth at tackle in the first round is one of the primary reasons why general manager Jon Robinson felt comfortable in dropping so far down. Pairing Decker with former first round pick Taylor Lewan would give Mariota a "taylor made" set of bookend tackles with which to grow.

16. Detroit Lions- Jarran Reed, Defensive Tackle, Alabama: The Lions boast one of the NFL's better young edge rushers in Ziggy Ansah, whose 14.5 sacks last season led the NFC. Reed would add a strong interior presence and give the Lions a solid young tandem on the defensive line.

17. Atlanta Falcons- Darron Lee, Outside Linebacker, Ohio State: The Falcons have made an effort to get faster and more explosive (see Vic Beasley last year), and Lee is an outstanding athlete. Dan Quinn would like Lee's skill set and what he brings to the table.

18. Indianapolis Colts- Shaq Lawson, Defensive End, Clemson: The Colts need a young pass rusher to groom behind Robert Mathis and Trent Cole. He would make an immediate impact.

19. Buffalo Bills- Reggie Raggland, Linebacker, Alabama: The Bills first and foremost need to figure out their quarterback situation — whether the answer is Tyrod Taylor or someone else (Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook are wild cards). But coach Rex Ryan needs some linebackers and pass-rush help for his defense, and can’t do much better than Ragland, the latest instinctive, three-down linebacker to come out of Alabama.

20. New York Jets- Paxton Lynch, Quarterback, New York Jets: If Lynch is still available at this point in the first round, pick No. 20 could be the sweet spot for a trade... unless the Jets, who brought the Memphis quarterback in for a visit, see the future of the franchise with Lynch.

21. Washington Redskins- A'Shawn Robinson, Defensive Tackle, Alabama: The Redskins pluck a big-bodied space eater to plug in at nose tackle. He will help a mediocre pass rush in Washington.

22. Houston Texans- Will Fuller, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame: Given the huge investments made in Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller, the Texans might look to add to their defense with this selection but Coleman just makes too much sense to ignore. The Texas native won the Biletnikoff Award last season by catching 20 touchdowns and possesses the speed and agility to serve as an ideal complement to star DeAndre Hopkins.

23. Minnesota Vikings- Laquon Treadwell, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss: True No. 1? Debatable considering his timed speed isn't there, but he shows up on tape and is a devastating red-zone threat. Teddy Bridgewater needs more help.



24. Cincinnati Bengals- Josh Docston, Wide Receiver, TCU: With Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu leaving via free agency, wide receiver is a realistic option for the Bengals with this pick. Doctson has the size, speed and ball-skills that will complement A.J. Green and give Andy Dalton another downfield threat.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers- William Jackson III, Cornerback, Houston: The size and the speed the Steelers covet in an eventual No. 1 corner. He would make a great impact for a team that's needy in the secondary.

26. Seattle Seahawks- Ryan Kelly, Center, Alabama: This feels like a good landing spot for a team coming back up into the first to take someone like Connor Cook. But the Seahawks would probably settle for filling an important role on the front of their offensive line. Kelly would fit nicely in Seattle since they traded away Max Unger last season.


27. Green Bay Packers- Andrew Billings, Defensive Tackle, Baylor: The loss of starting nose guard B.J. Raji to a "hiatus" creates quite literally a massive hole in the middle for the Packers. Stout, strong and surprisingly athletic, Billings would seem to be a logical replacement.

28. Kansas City Chiefs- Mackensie Alexander, Cornerback, Clemson: First-round pick on a cornerback worked out well for the Chiefs last year and they take another dip in the pool after losing Sean Smith in free agency.

29. Arizona Cardinals- Noah Spence, Defensive End, Eastern Kentucky: Carson Palmer isn’t going to play forever, so the Cardinals need to start thinking about drafting a quarterback, perhaps as soon as this year. But they have more immediate needs with their first-round pick, most notably at 3-4 edge rusher, even with the addition of Chandler Jones. Spence had drug suspensions in college but is high-risk/high-reward after playing great at the Senior Bowl.

30. Carolina Panthers- Kevin Dodd, Defensive End, Clemson: Last year’s NFC champions have a surprising number of holes, especially at cornerback after they dumped Josh Norman last week. But if that taught us anything, it’s that the Panthers value the front seven the most, and the 6-foot-5-inch Dodd, who happens to be a local kid, would be a great fit for a team that needs another edge rusher opposite Kony Ealy.


31. Denver Broncos- Robert Nkemdiche, Defensive End, Ole Miss: Nkemdiche will cause more problems for opposing quarterbacks than for himself if he winds up with the Broncos. He'll replace Malik Jackson on that defensive line.