Matt’s 2016 Mock Draft 

The NFL draft is extremely difficult to predict. It’s even tougher to predict when you’re not sure who is going #1 overall. There aren’t as many big name players in this one as we’re used to seeing but there is definitely a lot of talent throughout the early rounds. I did a write-up for the top 10 teams and then also for the Vikings & Packers. I love football, I love writing and I also love making mock drafts. I did beat Mel Kiper in 2014 and 2015 and I’m coming for him again. I’m shooting for 10 picks spot on and 25 of the correct players drafted in the first round. I also appreciate feedback and others’ opinions so let me know who you’re taking! Thanks for the read.

#1 Rams (from Titans)

Jared Goff, QB, California: The Rams traded the 15th overall pick in this year’s draft, two second-round picks (43 and 45), and a third-rounder (76) in 2016. They also gave up their first-round pick in 2017, along with their third-round pick in next year’s draft for the first overall pick. Should they have done this? Absolutely not. However, they did and now the only logical thing to do is draft who they believe to be the top QB in the draft which is Jared Goff. They could go Wentz with this pick but I see them going Goff due to the fact that he’s from California and is already becoming a fan favorite. 

#2 Eagles (from Browns)

Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State: So the Eagles ownership decided this offseason that it would be a good idea to fork over $36 mil to Bradford, another $21 mil to Chase Daniel and then trade their first-round pick (No. 8), a third-round and fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, a first-round pick in next year’s draft and a second-round pick in 2018 for the rights to the second overall pick in this year's draft.. yeahdoesn't make much sense to me either. When I say it doesn't make much sense I'm mainly referring to the fact that Bradford was given a contract extension to begin with. Since being drafted #1 overall in 2010, he has managed to post a career record of 25-37-1. He's failed to break 22 passing touchdowns in a season and has only played a full 16 game schedule twice in his career. The guy is more injury prone than me, and that is saying quite a bit. He’s absolutely crippled two franchises. When you break it down, the reason both the Rams & Eagles had to give up all their draft picks to get #1/#2 this year is because of Sam Bradford. For these reasons exactly, I can see where the Eagles are coming from with trading up to the #2 spot. When a team truly believes they have a chance at their franchise quarterback, the price can never be too steep. All Wentz does is win. Eagles take him.

#3 Chargers

Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss: The first two picks are pretty obvious, might be a different order but we know the players who will be getting selected. Where it gets tricky is the #3 overall pick here with San Diego. Most mock drafts I've seen have Jalen Ramsey going third and their reasons for it are valid. However, he's not the best player in the draft. Two weeks ago the Chargers had no idea what to expect, but with the recent trade-ups they now know that they can select the player of their choice. Insert Tunsil. Last year 12 defensive linemen/pass rushers were drafted in the first two rounds, only one of them had 5 sacks or more in their rookie season. Similarly, three of 13 defensive backs taken in the first two rounds had more than 1 interception. What's my point? Let's keep in mind that this is a Chargers team that just went 4-12 a season ago and coach Mike McCoy is on the hot seat. They need a player that can come in and be a factor from day 1. The organization knows in order to turn things around it needs to start with protecting their QB. Rivers was sacked 40 times last year which was the second most in his career. Tunsil is an athletic freak and will see his name being called 3rd on draft day.

#4 Cowboys

Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida St: Two trades go down, the Chargers get their guy, so what does this mean for the Cowboys? It means they get the best defensive player in the draft in Jalen Ramsey. A lot of rumors out there that Dallas will shake up the draft by taking RB Elliot to run behind the gamesmost dominant offensive line, but I don't see it happening. Experts and Analysts are also going to talk about the fact that Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory are starting the season on a 4 game suspension and that the obvious pick is Joey Bosa. While these are valid points- there's much more that needs to be considered when making this pick. We're talking about a player that has the potential to play a full 10 year career for your franchise.. more than 160 games, so 4 games seems pretty insignificant when looking at the big picture. Morris Claiborne is only signed for one more year, Brandon Carr's contract issues can't be resolved and Orlando Scandrick is coming off an ACL/MCL tear. While Elliot or Bosa is the more exciting pick, I am confident that the best thing this team can do is draft Ramsey and reap the benefits of having a shutdown corner for years to come.

#5 Jaguars

Myles Jack, OLB, UCLA: This is my sleeper pick of the draft- I have yet to see any mock draft have Jack in the top 5. The Jaguars have some big concerns with both their offensive and defensive lines but the truth is they need an OLB more than anything. The Jaguars desperately need to add a dynamic pass rusher. They will be getting Dante Fowler Jr. back from his injury this year but he's still unproven in the NFL. They could very well go Joey Bosa here but I believe they address the bigger need at linebacker. This is a high risk high reward pick. The Jags are a team on the rise and Myles Jack is the perfect player to fit Todd Wash's defensive system. Fans will have mixed reviews about this pick until they see him play.

#6 Ravens

Deforest Buckner, DE, Oregon: The first DE taken off the board is not Joey Bosa. This time last year Bosa was the early favorite to go #1 overall in this year's draft but that is no longer the case. I'm going out on a limb with Buckner being selected #6 overall but I need to do something that differentiates my mock draft from the experts. Buckner is explosive off the endand one of the more athletic big men you will come across. He weighs 300 lbs and stands at a cool 6'6". The guy is an absolute machine and my prediction to lead all DE rookies in sacks this season.

#7 49ers

Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio St: The 49ers waste absolutely no time on this pick as they cannot believe Bosa is still available. As stated earlier, he was predicted to be the #1 overall pick this time last year. Due mainly to the trades he slips to #7. It's very possible that a team will trade up to get Bosa earlier than this and if that happens my mock draft will be a mess. Bosa is beast. As a Freshman he racked up 44 tackles and 7.5 sacks. As a sophomore he was dominant and lead his team to the championship game. As a junior he had a bit of a down season as he only recorded 51 tackles and 5 sacks. Constantly having a second person blocking you will do that to your numbers though. He will be phenomenal in the NFL.

#8 Browns

Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson: The Browns are bad. They’re also bad at drafting. They’ve tried drafting a QB in the first round three different times in the last decade (all pick 22 coincidentally) and have struck out swinging. Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden &  Johnny Football. They’re not selecting a QB unless they’re absolutely positive. If that were the case they would’ve kept their second pick. This eliminates Payton Lynch from the equation. Cleveland seems content with giving RGIII the job with very little competition. They will try to trade down if there are any takers and their likely will be. If they keep this pick they’re going to take Shaq Lawson because that’s just what the Browns do. He’s a high risk/high reward player. I have him going a lot earlier than other mock drafts but honestly the Browns are tough to predict. This franchise cannot afford to keep missing so badly on their first round picks.

#9 Buccaneers

Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida: The Buccaneers have turned things around on offense. Winston has a potential to be an elite quarterback in the league especially with his weapons around him. Evans and Vjax make a great 1-2 for him and Sims and Martin (entering a contract year) also make up a solid backfield. This turns the immediate focus to defense, especially the secondary. If he is still on the board I am as sure of the Bucs drafting VH3 with the 9th pick as any other pick in this draft. 

#10 Giants

Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Ohio St: I don't think I need to try and sellanybody on Elliot's talent. The guy has been compared to Emmitt Smith, LaDanian Tomlinson and Edgerin James in his time at Ohio St.. not bad company. He also finished second inyards all time for Ohio St. The Giants get rid of the fire breathing Tom Coughlin AND draft Elliot... things are looking up for this franchise.

#11 Bears: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

#12 Saints: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville

#13 Dolphins: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio St

#14 Raiders: Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama

#15 Titans: Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech

#16 Lions: Darron Lee, Linebacker, Ohio St

#17 Falcons: A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama

#18 Colts: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

#19 Bills: Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson

#20 Jets: Noah Spence, OLB, Eastern Kentucky

#21 Redskins: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio ST

#22 Texans: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

#23 Vikings

Laquon Treadwell, WR, Mississippi: Even if the Vikings were drafting in the top 10, I'd still want us to take Treadwell. In a dream scenario, he falls all the way down to 23 and the Vikes don't skip a beat. This is a realistic possibility as there are only a few teams that will consider drafting a WR. Colts go Doctson as they believe he’s past his injuries and can contribute right away. He’s also a perfect weapon to equip Andrew luck with. Houston goes Coleman because they need a speed receiver opposite of Hopkins. Back to Treadwell, the 6'3"receiver is exactly the big body this offense needs and should develop into a #1 receiver the Vikings desperately need. I'd like to think we've put our offensive line issues behind us with our offseason moves and Zimmer has already put together a top ten defense in his short time here. I have extreme confidence in Teddy for 2016 and beyond- he needed protection and weapons and now he has both. Time for Teddy and the Vikings to shine. Skol!

#24 Bengals: William Jackson III, CB, Houston

#25 Steelers: Leonard Floyd, Linebacker, Georgia

#26 Seahawks: Jack Conklin, OT, Mich ST

#27 Packers: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor

The Packers need help on the line now that Bj Raji has retired. Inset the strongest man in the draft who broke state records in high school as a power lifter with an amount of 2,010 combined lbs (805 squats, 500 bench, 705 dead lift). He’s a beast, he used to play offensive line and was switched to defensive line in college. He learned quickly as he recorded 5.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2015. He’s explosive and extremely fast for his size. Packers always draft well and they continue that trend with their first pick in the 2016 draft. 

#28 Chiefs: Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama

#00 Patriots: Forfeit Pick

#29 Cardinals: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

#30 Panthers: Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech

#31 Broncos: Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss