2016 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Top Prospects on the Rise

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A couple of big trades have shaken up the 2016 NFL ^[1] draft order and changed the forecast for mock drafts as a result.

The Los Angeles Rams acquired ^[2] the No. 1 overall selection from the Tennessee Titans, and not long thereafter, the Philadelphia Eagles moved into the No. 2 slot through a trade ^[3] with the Cleveland Browns.

Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are the consensus top two quarterback prospects and figure to go to Los Angeles and Philadelphia in some order. There are other elite players in the top-five range, but what happens from then on is anyone's guess.

Let's take a look at a fresh first-round mock, followed by a breakdown of the top prospects who are on the rise ahead of the start of Thursday's draft proceedings.

2016 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1
Pick	Team	Selection
1	Los Angeles Rams	Jared Goff, QB, California
2	Philadelphia Eagles	Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
3	San Diego Chargers	Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
4	Dallas Cowboys	Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State
5	Jacksonville Jaguars	Joey Bosa, DE/OLB, Ohio State
6	Baltimore Ravens	DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
7	San Francisco 49ers	Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
8	Cleveland Browns	Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
9	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
10	New York Giants	Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
11	Chicago Bears	Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
12	New Orleans Saints	Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
13	Miami Dolphins	Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
14	Oakland Raiders	Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
15	Tennessee Titans	Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
16	Detroit Lions	Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
17	Atlanta Falcons	Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama
18	Indianapolis Colts	Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
19	Buffalo Bills	Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
20	New York Jets	Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
21	Washington Redskins	Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech
22	Houston Texans	Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
23	Minnesota Vikings	Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
24	Cincinnati Bengals	Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
25	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
26	Seattle Seahawks	Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
27	Green Bay Packers	A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
28	Kansas City Chiefs	Artie Burns, CB, Miami (Florida)
29	Arizona Cardinals	Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
30	Carolina Panthers	Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
31	Denver Broncos	Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson

Analysis of Rising Prospects

11. Chicago Bears: Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia

Brett Davis/Associated Press

ESPN expert Todd McShay ^[4] listed Floyd as his biggest riser in an extensive Monday draft preview—and for good reason.

Edge players are valuable in a QB-driven league, making Floyd all the more desirable to teams near the top of the draft. Draft Breakdown's Justis Mosqueda heard an update from NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah that suggested Floyd may vault far higher than 11th overall:

"I've heard some buzz that Leonard Floyd can go as high as #5 to Jacksonville."-@MoveTheSticks ^[5] on NFL Network just now
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) April 25, 2016 ^[6]

Although Chicago upgraded its linebacker corps on the inside with Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan this offseason, it could use another pass-rusher.

Pairing Floyd opposite Pernell McPhee would give the Bears a dynamic duo who could terrorize the opposing signal-caller. In the NFC North, that's of paramount importance against opposing QBs like Aaron Rodgers ^[7], Matthew Stafford ^[8] and Teddy Bridgewater.

The Georgia product measured ^[9] at 6'6" and 244 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, somewhat limiting concerns about his lack of strength. He also ran a 4.60-second 40-yard dash, which is quite a time for a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Although critics will point to his lack of production—4.5 sacks in 2015 and six the year before—Floyd has an exotic combination of explosive athleticism and length to be elite at the NFL level.

With a studly linebacker corps to complement him in Chicago, Floyd would be a great fit in the Windy City. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would love to get an athlete of Floyd's caliber and mold him into a perennial Pro Bowler.

20. New York Jets: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

Due to the trades and presumptive picks of Goff and Wentz to lead off the draft, Lynch's stock rises almost by default.

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole ^[13] reported in the above video that the Jets may be targeting Lynch after missing out on Goff and Wentz. They were trying to move up to the No. 1 overall pick before, per Cole, so even though Lynch is slotted at 20th in this mock, that spot doesn't take into account potential draft-night trades.

Legendary San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice advocated for the franchise to take Lynch seventh overall on Monday.

"The big guy, Lynch, out of Memphis, would be an exceptional quarterback," said Rice on NFL Network, per the San Jose Mercury News' Cam Inman ^[14]. "Big guy, strong arm. (New 49ers coach) Chip Kelly had a lot of success with Nick Foles ^[15] (in Philadelphia). He could get Lynch under his belt and develop him into a very good quarterback."

Bleacher Report draft guru Matt Miller has heard rumblings about the Browns being interested in Lynch just behind the Niners:

A lot of smart people are linking the Browns to Paxton Lynch, and yet I keep hearing they want to build the defense.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 25, 2016 ^[16]

Lynch looks the part of a franchise passer at 6'7" and 244 pounds ^[17]—and he even has 4.86-second 40-yard-dash speed to boot. He has a rifle for an arm and could thrive if he winds up with the right team.

Another impressive part of Lynch's resume is his 70.3 percent completion rate while under pressure last season, per Pro Football Focus ^[18]. He's superior to Goff (64.7) and Wentz (54.7) in that key area.

Going to New York would bring about considerable pressure to succeed, yet Lynch would also be helped by a strong supporting cast. Between big, proven receivers in Brandon Marshall ^[19] and Eric Decker ^[20] and second-year speedster Devin Smith, Lynch would have plenty of weapons to step in as a rookie.

The Jets have Bryce Petty and Geno Smith on the roster, but they're hardly viable solutions for the long haul. Lynch has the potential to be just that, whereas Smith has yet to prove himself and Petty is an ongoing project.

For a team that won 10 games last season and can't find common ground in negotiations with prior starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York would be wise to consider Lynch as a sound contingency plan.

21. Washington Redskins: Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech

Bleacher Report's Chris Simms ^[24] compared Butler to Jets star Muhammad Wilkerson in the video above. Lance Zierlein ^[25] of NFL.com made the same pro player comparison in his combine write-up.

If Washington can land someone of Wilkerson's caliber at No. 21 overall, that would be quite the steal. Butler is well worthy of such an investment, and based on his own projections, the Redskins seem like a realistic destination.

Which rising prospect will have the biggest impact as an NFL rookie?

"I'm not worried (about slipping to the second round)," said Butler about his draft expectations, per Omnisport's Ron Clements ^[26] (via Sporting News). "I know I'm going in the first round, probably between picks 14 and 23. I have no doubt. I know I won't get out of the first round."

The 6'4", 323-pounder is indeed uniquely quick and nimble for his size and could either be a productive nose tackle or a load to handle as a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive tackle. His versatility and ability to plug into any front makes him all the more marketable in the 14-23 draft range.

Washington's defensive backfield would have been a good place to assess draft needs not long ago. DeAngelo Hall's move to strong safety ^[27] and the unit's other personnel could've warranted a first-round pick.

Then the Redskins capitalized on unforeseen circumstances and signed ^[28] elite cornerback Josh Norman as a free agent, mitigating the need to upgrade the secondary.

With Norman helping out on the back end and a solid stable of pass-rushers already in place, there's room for Butler to come in and have an immediate impact in the nation's capital. He'd allow the Redskins to get creative with hybrid fronts and upgrade a run defense that ranked 26th last season.