2016 NFL Draft: Doc’s First Round Mock Draft 1.0

Tunsil
Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil has franchise left tackle potential.

Its been a week since the combine and now that I have evaluated all of the numbers and each players performance, here is my first of four first round mock drafts.

1. Tennessee Titans: Laremy Tunsil, Offensive Tackle, Ole Miss: The Titans could go in a myriad of directions with this pick but Tunsil makes the most sense. He is the best player in this draft and he gives the Titans a blindside pass protector for Marcus Mariota.

2. Cleveland Browns: Carson Wentz, Quarterback, North Dakota State:
The Browns need a franchise quarterback and Wentz seems to be the best fit. He’s big, athletic and can really spin it. Hue Jackson runs a diverse offense which utilizes the quarterback in the running game. Wentz could be the big, dual threat pocket passer Jackson wants to run his offense.

3. San Diego Chargers: Jalen Ramsey, Free Safety, Florida State: The Chargers would love to trade down but if they stand pat and draft a player, Ramsey makes the most sense. He can replace Eric Weddle as the do it all safety in John Pagano’s defense.

4. Dallas Cowboys: Myles Jack, Outside Linebacker, UCLA: Jack suffered a major knee injury early last season but by all accounts he’s healthy and ready to get back on the field. Jack is a tremendous athlete who can play all three downs and in all packages. He would fill the Derrick Brooks role as the will linebacker in Rod Marinelli’s 4-3 defense.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Joey Bosa, Defensive End, Ohio State: Bosa is not the next J.J Watt but he’s a good player who plays with a high motor and gets consistent pressure on the quarterback. Bosa can play both the 9 technique and the 5 technique in a 4-3 defense and he’s big enough on long down situations to kick inside and play the three technique defensive tackle position. He’s an impact player, something the Jags need along their front seven.

6. Baltimore Ravens: DeForest Buckner, Defensive End, Oregon: Buckner is massive! At 6-7 290, he has the size and the length to be the ideal five technique defensive end in a 3-4 defense. Buckner offers front versatility in that he can kick inside and play the three technique defensive tackle in sub packages. He is active and disruptive, something the Ravens lacked on defense last season. Buckner would be a great fit in Dean Pees defense.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Ezkiel Elliot, Running Back, Ohio State: Call me crazy but I think things will work out with Colin Kaepernick. That’s why I have the Niners taking Elliot with this pick. Can you imagine how good San Fran’s running game could be with a back field of Kaepernick and Elliot? It’s scary! Elliot would be a tremendous fit in Kelly’s offense and he would make an instant impact.

8. Miami Dolphins: Vernon Hargreaves, Cornerback, Florida: Yeah, I know Hargreaves is on the short side but he is a terrific bump and run cover corner who has good ball skills and can consistently play the back shoulder fade. The Dolphins need a number corner. Hargreaves is a local kid who would fill that need.

9. Tampa Bay Bucanneers: Shaq Lawson, Defensive End, Clemson: I like Lawson a tad more than his Clemson teammate Kevin Dodd. Lawson would be a great fit in Tampa’s 4-3 scheme as five technique defensive end. He is an explosive pass rusher who can get up the field, plant, re-direct and make plays from the back side. He’s a natural bender who plays with good lean. Lawson can play in space so he would be effective in zone blitz packages. Tampa needs an elite pass rusher. Lawson is the guy.

10. New York Giants: Kevin Dodd, Defensive End, Clemson: The run on defensive ends continues as Dodd goes after his former teammate. Long term, I think Dodd has more upside than Lawson. At 6-5 275, Dodd is stout against the run and he is a bull and rip pass rusher who can get around the edge with speed. The Giants will probably add a veteran pass rusher through free agency but it wouldn’t surprise me if they still drafted Dodd.

11. Chicago Bears: A’Shaun Robinson, Defensive Tackle, Alabama: John Fox wants to win with defense in Chicago. Robinson would be an ideal fit as a nose tackle in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense. At 6-4 307, Robinson is strong at the point of attack and eats up blockers. Robinson has the ball snap quickness to play all three downs.

12. New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Rankins, Defensive Tackle, Louisville: Rankins is a short, stout shade tackle gets off the ball quickly and can re-establish the line of scrimmage. He is a disruptive pass rusher who can collapse the pocket and can chase and finish from behind. The Saints interior pass rush was atrocious last season. Rankins will help in that area.

13. Philadelphia Eagles: Laquon Treadwell, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss: Some teams are downgrading Treadwell because they don’t feel he did enough at the combine. The Eagles are fine with that. They need a legit number one receiver and Treadwell is the only one in this draft. He’ll step in and make an immediate impact from day one. Treadwell will complement Jordan Matthews, Zach Artz and Nelson Agholar well.

14. Oakland Raiders: Ronnie Stanley, Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame: Stanley has top ten pick written all over him but the athletic left tackle will slip slightly because teams in the top ten have other needs. Oakland really likes veteran Donald Penn and they want to re-sign him. Even if they do, Penn is better suited to play on the right side at this point in his career. Stanley could slide into the left tackle spot and protect Derek Carr’s blindside for the next ten years.

15. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff, Quarterback, Cal: Goff could go to the Niners at seven. If he slips, L.A would be the ideal landing spot for him. The Rams need a franchise quarterback to round out their young skill group. Goff could be that guy. Forget about the small hands. Goff can throw the football and he’s smart. He can easily transition from Tony Franklin’s spread offense at Cal to a pro-style offense. Rams GM Les Snead and Jeff Fisher would do cartwheels if Goff was still on the board at this point.

16. Detroit Lions: Eli Apple, Cornerback, Ohio State: Apple is a big, rangy corner who fits the mold of today’s “big corner”. He has good ball skills and the size to match-up with today’s bigger receiver. Detroit needs to replace the recently retired Rashaun Mathis. Apple is similar in size to Mathis and he could step in and start opposite Darius Slay right away.

17. Atlanta Falcons: Reggie Ragland, Inside Linebacker, Alabama: The Falcons need a linebacker that they can build their defense around. Ragland has the size, physical ability and smarts to anchor Dan Quinn’s defense for a long time. Bobby Wagner is perhaps the most important player in the Seahawks defense. Quinn  is hoping Ragland could be his Bobby Wagner and fill a similar role.

18. Indianapolis Colts: Jack Conklin, Offensive Tackle, Michigan State: Keeping Andrew Luck up right moving forward is priority number one for the Colts. Conklin isn’t your traditional left tackle in that he is more of a mauler but he’s a good pass blocker who could play either right or left tackle. Conklin will give Indy’s offensive line some much needed attitude.

19. Buffalo Bills: Robert Nkemdiche, Defensive End, Ole Miss: Nkemdiche has a lot of baggage attached to him but Rex Ryan has never been afraid of taking a chance on players like him. From a scheme standpoint, Nkemdiche is a good fit in Buffalo’s 3-4 defense. He reminds a little bit of Quinton Coples. Ryan drafted Coples out of North Carolina a few years ago. If Ryan can get Nkemdiche to focus and play up to his potential, the Bills will get a great player.

20. New York Jets: Noah Spence, Defensive End, Easter Kentucky: The Jets could go in a myriad of directions with this pick. I could see them trading down but I could also see them reaching for Derrick Henry here if they can’t move down. The Jets will need a running back because both Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell are free agents. If they don’t go running back, they’ll go best player available and take Spence. I know Spence had an awful combine and pro day but he can play and he has a motor. The Jets could use an edge pass rusher and Spence could be that guy.

21. Washington Redskins: Darron Lee, Outside Linebacker, Penn State: Redskins GM Scot McCloughan builds his teams from the inside, out. He wants to run the football offensively and he wants a front that can control the line of scrimmage defensively. Lee is a bit undersized but he is an explosive tackler who can run and play all three downs. He would be a solid scheme fit in the Redskins 4-3 defense. The Redskins haven’t had a linebacker with Lee’s athleticism in a long time. 

22. Houston Texans: Paxton Lynch, Quarterback, Memphis: Lynch has great size and plus arm strength but he is raw and will need time to sit and learn the game at the pro level. I think Lynch has franchise quarterback potential and I’m sure the Texans see him in the same way. The question is, can Billy O go another year with Brian Hoyer as his quarterback? If he can live with Hoyer in 2016, taking Lynch here is a no brainer.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Will Fuller, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame: The Vikings thought that Mike Wallace would give them a deep threat that can take the top off of a defense but he was a disappointment. Minnesota already has Stefon Diggs and now they’ll add Fuller to their young core of skill players to grow with Teddy Bridgewater.

24. Cincinnati Bengals: Josh Doctson, Wide Receiver, TCU: Both Mohammed Sanu and Marvin Jones are free agents. There is a good chance the Bengals could lose both. Cincinnati does a great job of filling needs with the best available player. They could also go safety here as well to replace the soon to be departed George Iloka and Reggie Nelson. If they don’t, they’ll go with the highly productive Doctson who has great size and would be a solid complement to A.J Green.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers: William Jackson III, Cornerback, Houston: The Steelers need a pure cover corner who has the ball skills necessary to match up in man to man. Jackson can be that player. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler likes to bring pressure but he didn’t blitz as much last season because he didn’t have the corners to do it. Jackson will solve that problem. He has the make up of a number one corner.

26. Seattle Seahawks: Jarran Reed, Defensive Tackle, Alabama: I’m not sure Reed will fall this far but if he does, he would be a great value pick here for the Seahawks. Seattle will look to replace veteran free agent Brandon Mebane.

27. Green Bay Packers:  Keanu Neal, Free Safety, Florida: The Packers could go defensive line or tight end here as well. GM Ted Thompson does a great job evaluating his roster, looking what’s on the board and filling positions that could be a problem down the road. Safety is one of those positions for the Packers. Neal is a big hitter with quality range over the top. He is a three down player who can also play down in the box as the eighth defender on run downs. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers likes guys who can fill different roles. Neal is that type of player.

28. Kansas City Chiefs: Germain Ifedi, Guard, Texas A&M: The Chiefs need to address the interior of their offensive line. Ifedi is a big, physical, phone booth type guard who mauls people at the point of attack. Andy Reid wants to get more physical in the running game and wear defenses down. Ifedi will play a part in that.

29. Arizona Cardinals: Mackensie Alexander, Cornerback, Clemson: Alexander is slipping on some teams boards because of his size. Alexander is on the smallish side at 5-10 190, but he’s aggressive and technically sound in coverage. The Cardinals don’t mind smaller corners and safeties as long as they can play man to man coverage and enable the front to be active. Alexander can do that. He would be a good scheme fit in defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s defense.

30. Carolina Panthers: Emmanuel Ogbah, Defensive End, Oklahoma State: The Panthers released long time defensive end Charles Johnson over the weekend. With Johnson gone and Jared Allen retiring, the Panthers need to find a defensive end who can start opposite Kony Ealy. Ogbah fits what the Panthers do defensive to a tee because he can play the five technique defensive end on the weakside and provide a consistent pass rush. Ogbah had a tremendous combine. Between that and what you see on film, he projects as a late first round talent.

31. Denver Broncos: Chris Jones, Defensive Tackle, Mississippi State: The Broncos could lose Malik Jackson in free agency. If they do, the rangy, athletic Jones would be a good fit as five technique defensive end in Wade Phillips defense.