Gary Heinrich 2016 NFL Mock Draft – 18 April 2016

April 18, 2016 · Gary Heinrich

1. Carson Wentz 2. Jalen Ramsey 3. Myles Jack 4. Joey Bosa 5. DeForest Buckner

Round 1
1	Los Angeles (From Tennessee)	Carson Wentz	QB	North Dakota State
The Rams make a block buster trade to get this pick. They get their choice of QBs to become the face of the franchise as they open business in the Golden State. Wentz is the choice due to his upside. He is much more prepared for the pro style vs. Goff.
2	Cleveland	Jalen Ramsey	CB/S	Florida
The Browns cannot believe what just happened with the trade. They do not believe that Goff is worthy of this spot in the draft. The new analytics guy opt for improving the defense with who may be the best player in the draft.
3	San Diego	Myles Jack	LB	UCLA
The Chargers take their top player on the board. Jack will give them flexibility to move linebackers all around to confuse the offense every week. Teams will need to prepare for him as a safety, ILB or Web. He has too much value to leave on the board.
4	Dallas	Joey Bosa	DE	Ohio State
The Cowboys opt for Joey Bosa due to all of the issues on the D-line. He has the most upside as a complete end in their system. He should be an instant starter.
5	Jacksonville	DeForest Buckner	DE	Oregon
The signing of Malik Jackson makes Buckner fill a major need for the Jaguars. They need D-tackles and Buckner fits their approach best of all those available. He is an interior force that disrupts plays before they develop. He had an outstanding senior season and was the best lineman at the Senior Bowl.
6	Baltimore	Laremy Tunsil	OT	Mississippi
The Ravens get their man. They get the best offensive lineman in the draft. He has the tools to be a effective in either run or pass blocking. His length, strength and size allow him to toss aside defensive linemen and make plays at the second level.
7	San Francisco	Jared Goff	QB	California
The 49ers are thrilled to have their preferred QB on the board when they pick. The question is NFL ready vs. long term upside. With the pressure on Chip to perform early and turn the team around, Goff is the clear choice. He should challenge in camp to be the starter and should get the job be the middle of the year.
8	Philadelphia	Shaq Lawson	DE	Clemson
The Eagles need defensive help. As they look at who is available, they choose to work on the D-Line over the secondary. Lawson is best when he uses a variety of moves against his opponents. He displays speed to get around the edge and a spin move when the tackle overcompensates to get the passer. He also sets a strong edge against the run.
9	Tampa Bay	Vernon Hargreaves	CB	Florida
The Bucks take defense over offense with the first pick. Hargreaves will win one of the corners for a defense that gave up 417 points last year. He is a great athlete that is aggressive at the catch point, has excellent closing speed after a catch and is effective against the run.
10	New York Giants	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Ohio State
The Giants choose to strengthen their offense by getting the most complete running back to come out in years. He will open up the play action game and is excellent on swing passes. He is an exceptional pass blocker, which will take some heat off of Eli this year, giving him time to find Odell down the field.
11	Chicago	Leonard Floyd	LB	Georgia
The Bears take an edge rusher. Floyd provides the speed to bend the corner, while offering the ability to drop into coverage. He is strong at the point of attack and will be a strong force allowing Coach Fox to flip linebackers in the 3-4 approach.
12	New Orleans	Corey Coleman	WR	Baylor
The Saints want to capitalize on the remaining years of Drew Brees. Coleman gives them a speed wide out that will win contested catches. His excellent body control allows him to make the difficult catch. This, coupled with his vertical speed and quickness, will add a new dimension to their offense.
13	Miami	Ronnie Stanley	OT	Notre Dame
With both top cornerbacks off the board, the Dolphins go with the top player on their board. Stanley gives them an option as Albert approaches free agency next year. He will be the swing tackle that will give them a strong player for the future.
14	Oakland	Jack Conklin	OT	Michigan State
The Raiders decide to work on keeping their investment in Derrick Carr upright. Conklin is a hard nosed blocker that uses his athletic feet to sustain his blocks. He may need to start on the right side and grow into being the left tackle, but he offers too much upside for them to pass on at this point in the draft.
15	Tennessee	Taylor Decker	OT	Ohio State
The Titans find a right tackle in Decker to pair with Lewan. He is a tall, strong blocker that loves to finish plays. He will improve the run blocking and open holes to take pressure off of Mariota in the passing game. This is a good start to building with the picks from the trade.
16	Detroit	Eli Apple	CB	Ohio State
The Lions need a tackle, but the early 1st round talent has been selected. They opt for a CB. Apple is a tall press corner that ran a 4.4 40 at the combine. He brings exceptional value at this point in the draft and will be a likely starter early in the year.
17	Atlanta	Kevin Dodd	DE	Clemson
The Falcons find a partner for Beasley to rush the passer. Dodd is a very effective edge rusher. He has the strength and drive to win the play. He matches up well with power blockers and make plays in the backfield.
18	Indianapolis	Darron Lee	LB	Ohio State
With all the top tackles off the board, the Colts take a run and chase linebacker. Darron Lee missed very few tackles last year and is a true hybrid that makes plays few linebackers can make. He can slide back to safety and also is a very good blitzer, which gives the coaching staff ability to confuse the offense.
19	Buffalo	A’Shawn Robinson	DT	Alabama
The Bills take Robinson to be a force inside. A’Shawn will provide pressure up the middle to disrupt the quarterbacks in East. This is one of the keys for the Bills to get back to the excellence they showed during the 2014 season on defense.
20	New York Jets	Paxton Lynch	QB	Memphis
The Jets go for their franchise quarterback with a swing for the fences. Lynch offers height, arm strength, mobility and pass velocity while hitting the deep ball. His pro day was excellent and he has greatly improved his foot work since the combine.
21	Washington	Reggie Ragland	LB	Alabama
The Redskins take a hammer for the inside of their defense. Ragland plays an aggressive game that depends on his speed to the hole. He takes on blockers with his strength and is an excellent tackler.
22	Houston	Will Fuller	WR	Notre Dame
The Texans take a speed receiver to complement D. Hopkins. With the investment in Osweiler, they need to find him some tools. Fuller has the ability to get open deep and Brock can get him the ball. With Hopkins working the sidelines and middle of the field, this addition will give them ability to open up their running game.
23	Minnesota	Laquon Treadwell	WR	Mississippi
The Vikings have their pick of the top two receivers on their board. They opt for Treadwell over Josh Doctson due to his strength at the point of the catch. Doctson has more speed, but Treadwell has a larger catch radius. With Bridgewater’s lack of effectiveness on the deep ball, he is a better choice that the faster Doctson.
24	Cincinnati	Josh Doctson	WR	TCU
The Bengals could not be happier with the way this draft has played out. They needed an effective complement to AJ Green. Doctson will make catches all over the field. He gives them the option to send him or Green deep or anywhere on the route tree, making crafting defenses much more difficult.
25	Pittsburgh	William Jackson	CB	Houston
The Steelers look at their options of Jackson or MacKensie Alexander and opt for the longer, faster corner back. Jackson has shown awareness and vision to play both the receiver and the ball. He is an excellent press corner that will fit the Steelers defensive approach. He is also very comfortable defending the run.
26	Seattle	MacKensie Alexander	CB	Clemson
The Seahawks are the surprised to find Alexander available. He fills a need for them at cornerback. He is a competitive corner that plays larger than his 5-10 frame. Alexander is one of the best tackling corners in this draft, which fits the Seahawk mold.
27	Green Bay	Andrew Billings	DT	Baylor
The Packers find the perfect replacement for BJ Raji on the board in Billings. He can play in all the gaps and alignments. He wins both at the line and in the backfield. His speed, power and tenacity will make him a DT that opposing offenses will need to game plan for.
28	Kansas City	Jonathan Bullard	DE	Florida
The Chiefs need help on the D-Line. Bullard tested like a great athlete at the combine. He is excellent against the run and has an impact on pass plays by moving inside. He will be effective at the point of attack with his power and uses his length to shed blocks and make tackles
29	New England	Pick Forfeited

30	Arizona	Emmanuel Ogbah	DE	Oklahoma State
The Cards look to improve their defensive ine. With both Rucker and Redding slowing down, they need to address this area of need. Looking at their board, there are no O-Linemen or CB’s that offer value at this point.
31	Carolina	Shon Coleman	OT	Auburn
The Panthers need a new O-Tackle and Coleman is the best on their board. He brings size and power the their line. He will be asked to push Michael Oher during came at left tackle. Coleman has good technique and foot work. They considered a safety, but could not see value at this point.
32	Denver	Cody Whitehair	G	Kansas State
The Broncos do not see value in any QB at this point in the draft. They decide to take the best offensive lineman on their board. Whitehair has played both guard and tackle and will compete for playing time from the opening whistle.
Round 2
33	Cleveland	Connor Cook	QB	Michigan State
The Browns said they would take a quarterback in this draft and decide to take a more FBS tested product. Cook is battle tested at the highest levels of FBS and has shown the ability to bring a team back to win in the closing seconds. He does bring baggage about his leadership skills, but the Browns believe it is a manageable issue.
34	Tennessee	Artie Burns	CB	Miami (FL)
The Titans select a fast, productive defensive back to help the backend of the defense. Burns had six interceptions to go with 36 tackles last year. He had an impressive time at the combine and was effective in the position drills.
35	Dallas	Jarran Reed	DT	Alabama
The Cowboys need help in the middle of their D-line. Reed will give them a new and powerful addition to the rotation. He brings a powerful burst at the line and effective moves into the backfield.
36	San Diego	Hunter Henry	TE	Arkansas
The Chargers look for help at tight end after Green left in free agency. Henry will give Rivers a new tool over the middle and will give the offensive coordinator a chance to pick spots to use Antonio Gates.
37	Baltimore	Noah Spence	DE	Eastern Kentucky
The Ravens get one of the best pass rushers in the draft. He has fallen to this point due to his interviews and past issues. He will be a good rotational end in their defense.
38	San Francisco	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
The 49ers add a big strong wide receiver. Thomas can go up and snatch the ball from the CB. He has run a complete route tree at OSU and will be able to get on the field early in his career. He gives Goff a large option to throw to.
39	Jacksonville	Ryan Kelly	C	Alabama
The Jaguars get a versatile offensive lineman that can play guard or center. Kelly is great at calling the protections, reaching gaps and has an excellent second push. He has a chance to crack the line-up early this year.
40	Tampa Bay	Keanu Neal	S	Florida
Tampa Bay get a safety from just up the road in Neal. He had a good combine with an effective year. He recorded 85 tackles, with a pass breakup and an interception last year. He should be in contention to start early while being a contributor on special teams early as well.
41	New York Giants	Deion Jones	LB	LSU
The Giants get speed for their line backing crew with Jones. He recorded 100 tackles with 13.5 of them behind the line last year for the Tigers.
42	Chicago	Shilique Calhoun	LB	Michigan State
The Bears get a versatile player that can stand up on the outside or put his hand in the dirt. Calhoun had 10.5 sacks, 49 tackles, 15 for a loss and three pass breakups last year. He has the potential to see the field early in the 3-4 in Chicago.
43	Miami	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana
The Dolphins work on the O-line with this pick. Spriggs really caught a lot of eyes with his play at the Senior Bowl. He had a very good game against Joey Bosa and improved a lot during the season. He had an excellent 40 time at the combine and scored near the top in his splits.
44	Tennessee	Tyler Boyd	WR	Pittsburgh
The Titans work on their skill players with this pick. Boyd is an effective route runner that had 91 catches last year with six tds. He wins with quickness rather than speed and has above average hands. He will give Mariota a new option at split end.
45	Oakland	Jaylon Smith	LB	Notre Dame
The Raiders are building a defense and matching Smith with Mack will be something to watch. They believe that he will get on to the field late this year but are willing to give him a redshirt year if his knee needs the time.
46	Tennessee	Karl Joseph	S	West Virginia
The Titans continue to reap the benefits of the trade. They get a safety in Joseph that might have gone in the first round without an injury late in the year. He was leading the nation with five interceptions, along with 20 tackles through 4 games, when he hurt his knee in practice. He has good cover skills to go with an enforcer attitude on the field.
47	Detroit	Kendall Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
Detroit takes a flyer on a player that was hurt during 2015, but was a true lock down corner during the 2014 campaign. A few teams had given him a first round grade based on that tape. If he passes his physical recheck, this could be one of the steals of the draft.
48	New Orleans	Sheldon Rankins	DT	Louisville
The Saints get a true interior disruptor. Rankins gets up the field at the snap with explosion and agility. He has a variety of moves that make O-linemen’s heads spin.
49	Indianapolis	Germain Ifedi	OT	Texas A&M
The Colts get some protection for Andrew Luck in the second round. Ifedi was very effective for the Aggies this past year. He was a very good at opening holes in the run game and kept the QB upright most of the year. He should challenge for the right tackle position during training camp.
50	Buffalo	Le’Raven Clark	OT	Texas Tech
The Bills need offensive tackle help and opt for Clark. He has shown a ton of potential with quick feet and speed. He needs to be coached up to meet that potential he displayed at the combine. He may need to slide inside early in his career, but has the potential to fill the right tackle spot for years.
51	Atlanta	Su’a Cravens	S	USC
The Falcons try to fill two spots with one pick. Cravens will give them defensive flexibility to move him in the box, back in coverage or other places in the defense. He had 86 tackles, 15 for a loss, 5.5 sacks and six pass breakups last year.
52	New York Jets	Kenny Clark	DT	UCLA
The Jets find a replacement for Damon Harrison in the second round. Clark had an excellent combine as he was outstanding in the drills on the field. He is flying a bit under the radar though. He had 75 tackles with 11 for a loss, six sacks and five batted passes.
53	Houston	Nick Martin	C	Notre Dame
The Texans need a center with the loss of Ben Jones. Martin has excellent blood lines and should step into the starting line-up during camp. He is excellent in pass protection, which will be important to their investment in Osweiler.
54	Washington	Robert Nkemdiche	DE	Mississippi
The Redskins take a risk on the massive potential of Nkemdiche. He is a boom or bust prospect, but he plays like he did against Alabama and Mississippi State, they will have hit. Nkemdiche brings great athletic ability, speed and power to the defensive line. He may be worth the risk at this point in the draft.
55	Minnesota	Austin Johnson	DT	Penn State
The Vikings need a better back-up for Linval Joseph. When he was hurt last year, the run defense suffered. Johnson had 78 tackles with 6.5 sacks. He can be the rotational nose tackle this year.
56	Cincinnati	Yannick Ngakoue	DE	Maryland
The Bengals look to improve their front line with a combo player in Ngakoue. He can slide to backer and be a pass rushing end when needed. He had 38 tackles with 15 for loss with 13.5 sacks. Ngakoue is just the type of player that fits the defensive approach.
57	Seattle	Derrick Henry	RB	Alabama
The Seahawks find a replacement for “Beast Mode” in the Heisman Trophy winner. Henry will come in and get the tough yards and be hard to bring down. He may run a little upright, but his power and speed will make him a load to tackle. He was impressive at the combine and will fit nicely into the running back rotation.
58	Green Bay	Beniquez Brown	LB	Mississippi State
The Pack take a very productive linebacker hoping to move Clay Mathews back to the outside. Brown totaled 99 tackles last year with 11 for a loss. He also had 4 sacks, two passes broken up and an interception. He is a quick to the hole, keeps his feet clean at the line and wraps up the ball carrier.
59	Pittsburgh	Vonn Bell	S	Ohio State
The Steelers get a safety to train in for Will Allen. Bell had a good 2015 with 65 tackles, nine passes broken up and two interceptions. He is a very good defending the run with some pass coverage ability. He fits as a free safety with the ability to play the nickel cornerback if needed.
60	Kansas City	Kyle Fackrell	LB	Utah State
The Chiefs look for a backup to Tamba Hali. Fackrell is versatile enough to contribute in both run and pass defense. He had a very good week at the Senior Bowl. He has the ability to drop into coverage or blitz off the edge.
61	New England	Carl Nassib	DE	Penn State
The Patriots move to replace Jones on the D-line. Nassib led the FBS with 15.5 sacks last year. He had 46 tackles with 19 of them behind the line. He also forced six fumbles. He has good strength combined with excellent closing speed. Nassib should be in the D-line rotation from day one.
62	New England	T.J. Green	S	Clemson
The Patriots work on their secondary with a player that can fill the center field role. Green is tall and fast with skills to play deep cover safety. He amassed 95 tackles with three passes defensed, while causing two fumbles. Green is a typical Patriot find.
63	Carolina	Darian Thompson	S	Boise State
The Panthers look for a high impact safety with pick. Thompson will be the strong safety after a slightly slower 40 at the combine. He had a strong season in 2015 with 65 tackles, four passes broken up and five interceptions.
64	Denver	Adolphus Washington	DE	Ohio State
The Broncos look to replace Malik Jackson with this pick as there is no second round value quarterback on the board. Washington uses his size and speed to make an impact on the line. His 45 tackles, seven for a loss, four sacks and a pick six playing opposite of Bosa show he is a value. Washington had an excellent Senior Bowl and NFL Combine. He has lasted to this point in the draft due to his solicitation charges.

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Gary Heinrich 2016 NFL Mock Draft – 18 April 2016

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