2016 Madden NFL 16 Mock Draft

The 2016 NFL Draft will take place in Chicago for the 2nd year in a row on April 28-30. Here is a 2016 NFL First Round Mock Draft with the order loosely based on projected finishes.

1. Cleveland Browns – Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

The Browns are (still) a mess. Prayers go out to Paxton Lynch because his career might be over before it’s even started if he gets drafted by the Browns. It’s not a shot at the Browns, they just seem to have some of the worst luck of any major sports franchise. Hopefully, this is the player/pick they need to finally turn things around. Johnny Manziel was not a good pick for this franchise. He was too immature to be drafted by a team with no strong leaders or role models for him. This team needs to hit the reset button one more time for a chance at success: new Coach, new QB, new WRs, etc.

2. Tennessee Titans – Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State

The Titans secured their franchise QB in the 2015 NFL Draft with Marcus Mariota, so their focus needs to turn towards the defense. Despite being back with the 2nd pick of the draft in the 2016 NFL Draft, the arrow is definitely pointed up for the Titans. They will have a new coaching staff in 2016 (maybe Chip Kelly??), but Joey Bosa could be the pick regardless of the defensive scheme; he’s just that dominant.

3. San Francisco 49ers – Jared Goff, QB, California

After Jed York kicked out Jim Harbaugh, everything about the 49ers went to sh!t. Colin Kaepernick was no longer put in a position for him to succeed and the 49ers offense went stagnant. Kaepernick’s contract is an easy one for the 49ers to get out of (basically, they knew they weren’t going to keep him long term from the day he signed it but he was their best option) and now they need to grab one of the best QB prospects in the 2016 NFL draft to give their franchise a new “Cali-boy” face they can get behind. Jared Goff can be great, but he’s got to prove that he can cut down on the turnovers and face adversity on a regular basis.

4. Baltimore Ravens – Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida

The Ravens had a nightmare of a 2015 season, most will say they were plagued by injuries (which is true) but their roster lacks the same level of talent from a few years ago. Although the Ravens drafted Breshad Perriman in 2015, don’t be surprised if they reach for the top WR in the 2016 NFL Draft here. As of right now, the Ravens bigger need is to worry about covering all the WRs in the AFC North (ok, just the Steelers and Bengals WRs).

5. Miami Dolphins – Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

The Dolphins offense needs more stability along the offensive line and Ronnie Stanley is the safer pick at OT right now with Ole Miss OT Laremy Tunsil, while superior in talent, facing off the field issues.

6. San Diego (LA?) Chargers – Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss

Whether the Chargers are in LA or San Diego in 2016, they need more bodies to give Philip Rivers time and open up running lanes for last year’s top pick, Melvin Gordon. Laremy Tunsil is the most talented tackle in the 2016 NFL Draft, but teams are avoiding players with legal issues more than ever, evidenced by La’el Collins plummet in 2015. If the Chargers do move to LA, they may look for a “cleaner” pick to start their new chapter in the City of Angels.

7. Dallas Cowboys – Jalen Ramsey, CB/S, Florida State

The Cowboys fall from grace was due to injuries to Tony Romo & Dez Bryant, but a top-10 draft pick is the silver lining in their disaster season. The Cowboys defense is a few pieces away from being great. It’s likely that Brandon Carr becomes a cap casualty and Morris Claiborne won’t be re-signed leaving last year’s first round pick, Byron Jones, as the top returning CB. Jalen Ramsey has corner/safety flexibility, similar to Byron Jones, giving the Cowboys secondary a plethora of options to fit each player in at their best position, respectively.

8. Philadelphia Eagles – Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT, Ole Miss

The Eagles are a mess offensively, but if Chip Kelly is still the head coach they’ll probably end up with Robert Griffin III or Colin Kaepernick as a re-tread QB. The Eagles defense hasn’t been able to get much pressure from anyone up front, minus Fletcher Cox. Robert Nkemdiche hasn’t scratched the surface and will be a disruptive force in any defensive scheme.