Dan Levine 2016 NFL Mock Draft – 25 April 2016
April 25, 2016 · Dan Levine
1. Jared Goff 2. Carson Wentz 3. Laremy Tunsil 4. Joey Bosa 5. Jalen Ramsey
| Round 1 | |||||
| 1 |  |
Los Angeles (From Tennessee) | Jared Goff | QB | California |
| L.A. made the blockbuster trade a few weeks ago, and this selection does not change. The Rams take the guy who is most ready to play now. Hopefully with a new QB and a new city this opportunity takes the Rams to the next level. | |||||
| 2 |  |
Philadelphia (From Cleveland) | Carson Wentz | QB | North Dakota State |
| Philadelphia, despite re-signing Sam Bradford, made a move to jump up and grab a quarterback of the future. They obviously must like both guys since they know that L.A. is taking one of them. They have the luxury of sitting Wentz for a year behind Bradford as well. | |||||
| 3 |  |
San Diego | Laremy Tunsil | OT | Ole Miss |
| I still think Tunsil is the best option for the Chargers. Philip Rivers is getting older and he was pestered each time he dropped back last season. Tunsil will be a great player for a decade protecting Rivers and whomever will take snaps when Rivers moves on. | |||||
| 4 |  |
Dallas | Joey Bosa | DE/LB | Ohio State |
| There is a lot of chatter about whether the Cowboys take Ezekiel Elliott with this pick. Jalen Ramsey is also high on their board. Bosa is the best defensive player in the draft, so I will stick with him going to Dallas. | |||||
| 5 |  |
Jacksonville | Jalen Ramsey | CB | Florida State |
| This represents good value for Jacksonville, and hopefully Ramsey provides them with a playmaker on the back end of the defense. His interception production was very low in college, but he’s an athletic freak. Myles Jack is a popular pick here, but Ramsey is healthier. | |||||
| 6 |  |
Baltimore | Ronnie Stanley | OT | Notre Dame |
| There are a lot of health concerns with Myles Jack, so instead of taking the athletic linebacker the Ravens select the second-best tackle in this class to help bolster a line that is aging and has lost some players to free agency. | |||||
| 7 |  |
San Francisco | DeForest Buckner | DL | Oregon |
| Buckner would be a great fit for a San Francisco team that is under a new regime. This is still their pick. San Francisco needs to some toughness and youth up front. They need to find a way to pressure quarterbacks, and Buckner is a great addition. | |||||
| 8 |  |
Cleveland (From Philadelphia) | Myles Jack | LB | UCLA |
| With opinions of Jack varying, this may end up being a bit high. But Cleveland needs a shot in the arm on defense and especially in the front seven. Jack immediately adds production to an average unit. A trade opportunity might also be in the cards as well. | |||||
| 9 |  |
Tampa Bay | Vernon Hargreaves III | CB | Florida |
| Tampa still gets the corner that they need. This pick has been locked in for weeks. I think this is what the Buccanneers will do as long as one of the players ahead of him does not fall to them at No. 9. | |||||
| 10 |  |
New York Giants | Jack Conklin | OT | Michigan State |
| I had them taking Stanley last time, but since he rose up the board the Giants can take the next best tackle in Jack Conklin. One way or another they need to find a way to solidify the line since Ereck Flowers struggled at times last year. Not a glamour pick, but Conklin will help. | |||||
| 11 |  |
Chicago | Shaq Lawson | DE | Clemson |
| Lawson still makes a lot of sense for Chicago. Their defense is still rebuilding and they need to be able to get after Aaron Rodgers, Teddy Bridgewater and Matthew Stafford. Lawson wreaks havoc behind the line of scrimmage. He’s a nice fit here. | |||||
| 12 |  |
New Orleans | Sheldon Rankins | DT | Louisville |
| New Orleans needs help with all things defense, and Rankins is still the player that fits best. He’s a big guy up front who can defend the run but also rush the passer. Adding Rankins will hopefully help the secondary as well. | |||||
| 13 |  |
Miami (From Philadelphia) | Ezekiel Elliott | RB | Ohio State |
| This is the first of three straight Ohio State players going off the board. Miami could be a wild card and trade up to get this guy. This would be a gift if Elliott drops to No. 13. Ryan Tannehill needs a bellcow back he can count on to take some pressure off of him. | |||||
| 14 |  |
Oakland | Eli Apple | CB | Ohio State |
| Oakland sticks with Eli Apple to add to a defense that needs to catch up with the offense. Apple makes the most sense here to add to a defense that already has Khalil Mack as their star. Apple will be able to disrupt opposing receivers. | |||||
| 15 |  |
Tennessee (From L.A.) | Taylor Decker | OT | Ohio State |
| I had a receiver here on the last mock, but protecting Mariota up front is more important at this point. Remember, they were likely to take Tunsil had they stayed at the top of the draft. Decker is a significant piece to a line in rebuild mode. | |||||
| 16 |  |
Detroit | A’Shawn Robinson | DL | Alabama |
| Offensive line is definitely a consideration here, and it seems like Detroit always needs a lineman. But with some losses on defense, and especially upfront, Robinson is a complete tackle that will add some toughness to the Lions. | |||||
| 17 |  |
Atlanta | Leonard Floyd | LB | Georgia |
| This is likely too low for Floyd as his star has been rising in recent weeks, but I think he would be exactly what the Atlanta Falcons need. If Vic Beasley gets better, then the pass rush for the Falcons improves dramatically. | |||||
| 18 |  |
Indianapolis | Ryan Kelly | C | Alabama |
| This is definitely high for a center, but with Taylor Decker off of the board the Colts hands are tied. They need to protect Andrew Luck after what happened last year. Kelly is a linchpin at the center of the line. | |||||
| 19 |  |
Buffalo | Reggie Ragland | LB | Alabama |
| As I said last time, Ragland would be a steal if he is here for the Bills. In this scenario, he still is so I think Buffalo pulls the trigger. Ragland is a tackling machine that affects the run as well as anybody. Rex Ryan will love him. | |||||
| 20 |  |
New York Jets | Laquon Treadwell | WR | Ole Miss |
| The Jets have a strong wide receiver corps, but since Treadwell did not go at No. 15, I think the Jets decide to take one of the best players still available and really make the air attack something special. Plus, it adds some youth to that unit. Of course, who will the QB be? | |||||
| 21 |  |
Washington | Jarran Reed | DL | Alabama |
| The best run stuffer in the draft is still here for the Redskins. After the huge cornerback signing last week, Washington can really concentrate on filling in the middle of the defense. Reed is an instant impact player for them. | |||||
| 22 |  |
Houston | Josh Doctson | WR | TCU |
| This could be any receiver, but I’ll stick with Doctson since he’s a great red zone threat. He’s not as fast as some of the other guys, but he can snatch anything out of the air. Brock Osweiler would have an excellent corps to throw to with Doctson joining the fray. | |||||
| 23 |  |
Minnesota | Will Fuller | WR | Notre Dame |
| Like Houston ahead of them, Minnesota will definitely be looking for some outside threats in the passing game. Stefon Diggs is a heck of a player, but there needs to be an additional option. Fuller is still the choice here to help out Teddy Bridgewater. | |||||
| 24 |  |
Cincinnati | Corey Coleman | WR | Baylor |
| This would be great for Cincinnati to get someone opposite AJ Green. The third wide receiver in a row goes off the board. They now have a speed guy on the outside that can help Andy Dalton have another 30+ touchdown season. | |||||
| 25 |  |
Pittsburgh | MacKensie Alexander | CB | Clemson |
| This would be great for Cincinnati to get someone opposite AJ Green. The third wide receiver in a row goes off the board. They now have a speed guy on the outside that can help Andy Dalton have another 30+ touchdown season. | |||||
| 26 |  |
Seattle | Robert Nkemdiche | DT | Ole Miss |
| Again, Nkemdiche has a lot of red flags, but this is the type of pick that the Seahawks would make. They believe they have the right coach and locker room to provide him with a positive environment so that he can thrive. His talent is through the roof. | |||||
| 27 |  |
Green Bay | Andrew Billings | DT | Baylor |
| Billings still makes the most sense here since B.J. Raji is taking a year off. With such a big hole to fill, Green Bay should definitely look at a defensive tackle. Any position on defense is likely the target for Green Bay. | |||||
| 28 |  |
Kansas City | Kevin Dodd | DL/LB | Clemson |
| Dodd is still a great pick for Kansas City simply because he would be the best player available. They would have a heck of a pass rushing rotation with Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. It’s easy to see them going in a different direction, but this is a value pick. | |||||
| 29 |  |
Arizona | Vernon Butler | DT | Louisiana Tech |
| Arizona is a good team without any glaring holes. They always seem to have injuries up front and could use another rotation player. Butler is a productive guy who would be great for their defensive depth. | |||||
| 30 |  |
Carolina | William Jackson III | CB | Houston |
| After losing Josh Norman unexpectedly, Carolina should take Jackson to fill the void. Even if Jackson takes a season or two to become a great player, he fits a need right away. Receiver is a consideration here as well as are Karl Joseph or Vonn Bell. | |||||
| 31 |  |
Denver | Paxton Lynch | QB | Memphis |
| I am sticking with Lynch here simply because no trade for Kaepernick has happened yet. It would be great for Elway to get a quarterback in the locker room that can sit for a year or two and get used to a prostyle offense. | |||||
| 32 |  |
New England | Pick Forfeited | ||
