NFL Draft 2016: Updated Mock Draft for Nation's Top Prospects

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland leads current NFL draft talk.

The NFL ^[1] draft remains the most necessary gamble of all time in sports.

Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn't have a choice but to pick between quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Early returns suggest both will work out. Other top-tier prospects such as defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and wide receiver Kevin White, though, got off to rough starts thanks to the injury bug.

Those guys have plenty of time to turn it around, sure. But it serves as just the latest example of the draft being the ultimate gamble, even after all that research, scouts zipping around the nation and lack of sleep.

The 2016 class will feature all the same things, which isn't a bad thing by any means for an outsider looking in at the action. In the early throes of the process, here's how the draft projects to shake out.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

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

Author's projections.

Breaking Down Notable Picks

1. Tennessee Titans: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss

Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Laremy Tunsil has the traits of a No. 1 pick.

The Tennessee Titans were the team to land Mariota.

Great, but they didn't do much for him. None of Mariota's wideouts eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, and the offensive line let up 38 sacks. Taylor Lewan did well on the left side, but Byron Bell started eight games at right tackle and ranked as Pro Football Focus ^[2]' 43rd tackle in the league. Jeremiah Poutasi started the other eight and ranked 46th.

So while it might be boring, the Titans need to draft the top tackle in the class. This year it's Laremy Tunsil from the Ole Miss Rebels, a 6'5", 305-pound mauler who looks every bit the part of a pro tackle on either side of the line.

Rarely are offensive linemen as good looking out of the gates as Tunsil. Believe it or not, offensive tackle continues to suffer by the year from the same spread offenses that make most rookie quarterbacks ill-prepared for the pro level.

Not with Tunsil, though. He's old school, a freak athlete for his size who recognizes stunts and combos and more in pass protection and can get to the second level to punish linebackers in the running game.

Maybe it's boring. But having top-tier players on both edges of the line will do nothing short of ensure Mariota's peace of mind.

8. Miami Dolphins: Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Ragland looks like one of the best inside linebackers to enter the draft in recent memory.

Linebackers in the top 10 have mixed reactions most years.

Expect this to be the case with the Alabama Crimson Tide's Reggie Ragland, the 2015 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Ragland doesn't have the most impressive numbers from a testing standpoint. He's not some versatile linebacker who will blow you away with numbers, nor will he flash some vast array of pass-rushing moves before slamming into quarterbacks.

As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller noted, though, sometimes it goes beyond the numbers:

I hope NFL GMs don't overthink Reggie Ragland's 40 time (prob 4.8). He's a missile at ILB. Top 15 talent. (CC: @ChicagoBears ^[3])
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 18, 2016 ^[4]

Numbers don't seem to apply to Ragland, who projects to fit well on the inside of any scheme. He rarely takes a bad first step and is one of those linebackers who somehow, someway, is always around the football.

The Miami Dolphins understand what a linebacker like that can do for a defense. While the line up front boasts Ndamukong Suh and others, the linebackers look like a hodgepodge of names in need of a few upgrades, if not a leader outright.

Ragland can be all of these things at once and right out of the gates.

14. Oakland Raiders: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida

John Raoux/Associated Press

Vernon Hargreaves isn't far from being the best defensive back in the class.

This continues to shape up as a tough, tough year for defensive backs to break through.

There are three main names at the top, with Mackensie Alexander from the Clemson Tigers, Jalen Ramsey of the Florida State Seminoles and former Florida Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III all seemingly fighting for the top slot.

Not that the Oakland Raiders will complain.

Oakland's losing the legendary Charles Woodson this offseason. Even with him, the defense only ranked 26th against the pass while allowing 24.9 points per game. The unit doesn't have a surefire player stepping in at safety and the depth outside of DJ Hayden and David Amerson at corner could use a boost.

It's Hargreaves who falls in this scenario, which isn't such a bad thing based on a writeup by CBS Sports' Rob Rang ^[5]. After praising his ability to read a quarterback's eyes and coverage traits, Rang detailed Hargreaves' willingness to shutter the run:

Scouts will also appreciate that unlike some of the other highly regarded defensive backs throughout the country, Hargreaves is far from just a cover corner. He's very aggressive in run support, fighting his way through blocks and showing zero hesitation in taking on bigger ballcarriers. On most occasions, Hargreaves makes the effective stop, often significantly cutting short the yards gained in impressive fashion.

Hargreaves seems like the complete package. At one point during the season, folks didn't bat an eye at considering him a top-five pick.

Maybe a 5'11", 199-pound frame has something to do with the hesitation. But like Ragland above, numbers only mean so much when looking at NFL prospects. Hargreaves has instant contributor with high upside written all over him.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com ^[6] and are accurate as of January 20. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.^[7]