Kris Rogers 2016 NFL Mock Draft

QB. California. Jared Goff . 1. player. 51. The only day 1 starter at QB in this year’s draft, the Rams get their QB of the future, and get to build a new fan base with the Cal Bear as the face of the franchise (next to Todd Gurley, of course). Unfortunately, the Rams only have four other picks in this year’s draft, so they’ll be hard-pressed to find him receiving options outside of Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt.

54. A lot of head scratching going on in the City of Brotherly Love, but the Eagles felt they needed to trade up to get their QB of the future. Wentz rocketed up draft boards after the combine and his pro day, and impressed in his interviews. Despite lesser competition against FCS opponents, Wentz’s tape shows plenty to be excited about after<a href=. QB. North Dakota State. Carson Wentz . 2. player

DeForest Buckner . 3. player. 13. Ideally, the Chargers would like to trade back in this situation with a team like the Ravens and still make this pick, but if they can’t agree on compensation, I still think this is the pick. Buckner has an ideal frame at 6-foot-7, 290 to play the five-tech opposite Corey Liuget, and plays with enough anchor and bend to contribute day 1. He just needs to work on his pad level a bit.. DE. Oregon

123. Arguably the top defensive talent on the defensive side of the ball, Jalen Ramsey has the skillset to play either corner or free safety for the Dallas Cowboys. Combining him with last year’s first round selection Byron Jones, the Cowboys’ secondary will have numerous versatile playmakers. Coming from Florida State, and heading to Dallas will likely draw some comparisons to Prime Time Deion Sanders, but those aren’t completely without merit. With Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence both facing 4-game suspensions, I could also see the Cowboys taking Bosa here.. FS. Florida State. Jalen Ramsey . 4. player

52. The medical information on Jack’s knee is all over the place, causing some to question whether he’ll play ten years or ten games. When healthy, Jack has amazing speed and coverage ability. According to NFL Network reporter Albert Breer, Jack has a <a href=. OLB. UCLA. Myles Jack . 5. player

Ole Miss. Laremy Tunsil . 6. player. 26. Once considered the consensus first-overall pick, Tunsil slips down the draft boards thanks to some trades and falls right into Baltimore’s lap. As mentioned earlier, the Ravens could trade up with the Chargers to third-overall to get Tunsil, but in this scenario, they can stay six and draft their best left tackle since Johnathan Ogden. Tunsil plays with incredible poise and technique and excels at pass protection.. OT

42. Probably the first big difference in this mock compared to others, as most would expect Ronnie Stanley to come off the board here. But there have been rumblings of scouts not happy with Stanley’s upper-body strength. Conklin feels like the safer selection here, and has the athleticism to play in Chip Kelly’s system at right tackle.. OT. Michigan State. Jack Conklin . 7. player

Notre Dame. Ronnie Stanley . 8. player. 53. Okay, I know I was down on Stanley a paragraph ago, but I definitely see tackle in play for Cleveland, and Stanley does have plenty of upside. The question one scout shared with NJ.com is if he has the <a href=. OT

48. If Joey Bosa is still on the board at 9, Tampa Bay will be sprinting to the podium to draft Bosa. Once considered the top prospect in this year’s draft, the Buckeye’s stock took a little bit of a fall when concerns about his position flexibility arose; being much more suited for a 4-3 scheme than a 3-4. That being said, Bosa played all over the line during his time at Ohio State, and is strong against the run and pass. Tampa Bay’s looking at a defense-heavy draft, and Bosa would be a great first pick to play next to Gerald McCoy.. DE. Ohio State. Joey Bosa . 9. player

31. There’s plenty of debate if a running back is worth it this high, especially with the 2017 draft class being loaded with Fournette, McCaffery, Chubb, and Cook. But with Andre Williams averaging under 3 yards a carry in 2015 and Rashad Jennings oft injured and on the wrong side of 30, an upgrade is needed. Elliot had big holes to run through as a Buckeye, but he also excels as a receiver and blocker in pass protection. The Giants need someone to take the pressure off of Eli and OBJ.. RB. Ohio State. Ezekiel Elliott . 10. player

11. player. 57. John Fox’s Chicago Bears don’t have the win-loss record of a contender just yet, but in year one of a rebuild, the team showed some signs of promise. Jay Culter had his best year as a Bear throwing to third and fourth-string receivers, and even with the departure of Matt Forte, the run game should still be talented with Jeremy Langford and Ka’Deem Carey. They added Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan to play inside linebacker (a position they were very weak at in 2015), and added Akiem Hicks for d-line depth.<br />All that’s needed is some help in the secondary, and the top corner in the draft (not counting Ramsey) would do the ticket. Hargreaves has the reflexes and ball skills to excel in man or zone coverage, and with Rodgers, Stafford and Bridgewater in the division, a shutdown corner is mandatory.. CB. Florida. vernon Hargreaves III

Baylor. Andrew Billings . 12. player. 15. The Saints defense has been at the bottom of the league for the past few seasons. Stephone Anthony and Hau’oli Kikaha contributed some as rookies, but they still need someone who can rush from the interior. Nick Fairley was added in free agency, but he’ll be much more useful as a rotational player. Coming from a power-lifting background, Billings has explosive power and surprising quickness for someone of his size.. DT

The Dolphins’ linebacking corps has been needing an upgrade for some time, allowing more than 2,000 yards rushing last season. They made the trade for Kiko Alonso from the Eagles, but after a disappointing season and numerous injury concerns, it’s unclear how well he’ll do back in a 4-3. Darron Lee from Ohio State will give them a bit of a contingency plan, and has the quick reflexes and explosiveness to fly around the football field and rush the passer.. OLB. Ohio State. Darron Lee . 13. player. 59

Houston. William Jackson III . 14. player. 28. The Raiders have made moves to improve their secondary, claiming David Amerson off waivers from the Redskins and signing Sean Smith from the Chiefs to improve the outside. However in today’s NFL, teams need three starter-capable corners, sometimes more. DJ Hayden has been a disappointment, so the Raiders take another corner from Houston in William Jackson III. Jackson led the country with 23 pass breakups in 2015, and is well suited for either a zone or man scheme. Raiders probably need a safety more than a corner, but none of the available safeties are worth the 14th pick.. CB

The Titans trade back and still get their tackle. Decker allows them to keep Taylor Lewann at left tackle, and bring in Decker to open holes on the right side as a mauling run blocker. He’ll need to work on his pad level as most young tackles do, but with proper coaching, his presence will help keep Marcus Mariota upright and rejuvenate Tennessee’s run game.. OT. Ohio State. Taylor Decker . 15. player. 35

50. Lions go best player available at this point, picking up a versatile defensive tackle from Alabama. Haloti Ngata just signed a two-year extension with the Lions, but he just turned 32. Robinson can help lower Ngata’s snap count and keep him fresh while also contributing on the interior. Some question Robinson’s effort, sometimes taking plays off down in Tuscaloosa, but Teryl Austin can get the most out of him.. DT. Alabama. A'Shawn Robinson . 16. player

Dan Quinn’s reputation as a defensive-minded coach took a hit in 2015 when his Falcons ranked dead last in QB sacks at 19. That’s normal for a young team with a rookie head coach, but improvements need to be made. Shaq Lawson looks perfect to play the LEO role in Quinn’s defense opposite Vic Beasley as someone who can set the edge and rush the passer.. DE. Clemson. Shaq Lawson . 17. player. 44

18. player. 46. It might be a little bit early for Spriggs to come off the board, but with the Colts missing out on the run of top tackles, they may have to reach. Andrew Luck has been beaten to a pulp in his four years in the NFL, and the right side of their line desperately needs improvement. With the Colts switching to a<a href=. OT. Indiana. Jason Spriggs

OLB. Georgia. Leonard Floyd . 19. player. 16. If the Bills are serious about playing a 3-4 defense, they’re going to need some speed off the edge, especially with Mario Williams leaving. Leonard Floyd is probably the best stand up speed rusher in this year’s class, and has been slowly moving up draft boards. At 6-foot-6 and 245 lbs, he won’t be an edge setter, but has the explosiveness to get around NFL tackles and shoot gaps with authority.

30. The Jets probably would have liked either Floyd or a quarterback here, but a rookie QB isn’t going to be an upgrade over Geno Smith (assuming they don’t sign Hoyer or Fitzpatrick). Eli Apple excels in man-coverage, and can take over for Antonio Cromarte opposite Darelle Revis. Sometimes a bit too aggressive, Apple is a raw prospect who can develop into a shutdown corner with proper coaching.. CB. Ohio State. Eli Apple . 20. player

WR. Baylor. Corey Coleman . 22. player. 10. And finally, the first receiver comes off the board. Corey Coleman isn’t the best receiver in this year’s class, but he does fit the Texans’ needs the best and the value is good. A smaller guy at 5-foot-11 and 195 lbs, Coleman is probably best suited for the slot where he won’t get jammed. Lightning quick off the line, the Baylor Bear will open things up for Nuk Hopkins and Jaelen Strong, and give Brock Osweiler another capable target.

Ole Miss. Laquon Treadwell . 23. player. 60. Treadwell’s slow 40 time will drop him on some boards, but that will work out great for the Vikings. Norv Turner’s offense does not attack the field vertically, and a big-bodied possession receiver with great hands will help Teddy Bridgewater’s development. It will also give him a target opposite Stefon Diggs, helping both of them get open.. WR

56. As usual, the Bengals pick up a falling prospect and go BPA. The Bengals could use an upgrade at D-tackle next to Geno Atkins. Domata Peko’s play has been declining with his age and he’s only under contract for one more year. Reed would be the one-tech of the future for the Bengals, and take valuable snaps as a rookie rotating in with Peko on run downs.. DT. Alabama. Jarran Reed . 24. player

Karl Joseph . 25. player. 55. Sorry Steelers fans, you’re not getting a corner. Pittsburgh hasn’t taken a corner in the first round since 1997, and have met with 11 safeties on official visits. Not only that, but the six corners they met with were all mid-round prospects. Joseph is the best safety available, and would fit in the Steelers’ cover two look opposite Mike Mitchell. He’s not afraid of contact, and some worry about how long he’ll last the way he throws his body around, and he’s coming off a non-contact ACL tear, but according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Steelers are one of two teams who have <a href=. SS. West Virginia

OT. Texas A&amp;M. Germain Ifedi . 26. player. 36. It’s hard to determine what the Seahawks will do here, because they haven’t had a first round pick since 2012, trading the selections the past three drafts for more picks or veterans. The offensive line needs an upgrade, with former d-tackles and tight ends playing key positions. Ifedi has the athleticism to play in the trenches and gives Russel Wilson some much needed protection. He played tackle at Texas A&M, but his play likely translates better to guard. If nothing else, it’ll be the fourth year in a row an Aggie lineman has been taken in the first round.

Reggie Ragland . 27. player. 49. The Packer’s take advantage of a highly touted player falling into their lap. Alabama linebackers typically come out pro-ready, and Green Bay needs a run-stuffing thumper so Clay Matthews can move back to the outside. He’s an instinctive linebacker with a high football IQ, but needs to work on his pursuit angles at times.. ILB. Alabama

DE. Clemson. Kevin Dodd . 28. player. 124. Dodd came on strong at the end of last season, playing his best football in the National Title game with a three-sack effort against Alabama. Even as a one-year wonder, Dodd can contribute and continue to develop as Andy Reid’s staff brings him along. He may not be ready from day one, but he would definitely be BPA here.

32. Finally, another QB comes off the board. It’s possible the Cardinals or someone else could trade up to grab Lynch, the consensus third-best QB has a powerful arm well-suited for Bruce Arian’s system. The Cardinals drafted a similar, much rawer prospect in Logan Thomas in 2014 who’s no longer on the team. Carson Palmer’s under contract for two more years, giving them time to bring Lynch along slowly in the system.. QB. Memphis. Paxton Lynch . 29. player

CB. Clemson. Mackensie Alexander . 30. player. 87. This isn’t in response to Josh Norman getting released. Okay, it kind of is. But Mackensie Alexander falling to the Panthers would be great. Alexander is a physical corner who has the confidence to challenge top receivers. He got away with a lot of hand play that NFL referees may not let slide, though, so he may have to adjust his game.

31. player. 45. Just what the Broncos need, another pass rusher! Assuming they can’t trade up to get Lynch, I think they take either a tackle or defensive lineman here. Ogbah is a physical defender who may not see the field much in his first year, but could be a part of an important pass-rushing rotation with Shane Ray, Demarcus Ware, and Derek Wolfe. Some have questioned his effort, but his production points towards NFL success.. DE. Oklahoma State. Emmanuel Ogbah