2016 Mid-Season NFL Mock Draft

Trust me, a lot is going to change between now and the NFL Draft but let’s have some mid-season fun! Enjoy the first of many of my mock drafts!

*The draft order was determined prior to week 10

1. Detroit Lions —OT from Notre Dame — Ronnie Stanley — If I had to choose between Ronnie Stanley or Laremy Tunsil, I’d obviously go with Stanley. He’s got great size at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds but he’s also just as athletic as any offensive lineman in the draft. Tunsil has some durability concerns and to me the safer pick is Ronnie Stanley. Now with the pick, the Lions clearly will move Riley Reiff to the right tackle position giving them one of the youngest offensive lines in the NFL.
2. San Diego Chargers —OT from Ole Miss — Laremy Tunsil — The Chargers do have some defensive needs but overall, they need a left tackle. Tunsil falls to them and they will not hesitate to get some additional blocking for Melvin Gordon and Phillip Rivers.
3. Cleveland Browns —QB from California — Jared Goff — I get it that Paxton Lynch is a baller and Connor Cook looks like the most “pro-ready” quarterback. However, Goff has the best football IQ of any of the quarterbacks and is smart with the football. He’s shown comparisons to Aaron Rodgers (more so because of the same college) but also Goff has been comparable to Eli Manning. He’s made poor decisions with the football but what quarterback hasn’t? I think Goff is the safest quarterback in the draft and that’s what the Browns need.
4. Tennessee Titans —DE from Ohio State — Joey Bosa — This kid is legit coming off the edge for any defense. He’s had some struggles this year but he’s got the most value of any player coming into the draft. He has first overall pick written all over him but due to what previous teams in the draft need, Bosa falls to this spot. It’s a good spot for him though because he will become the difference maker for a defense that’s starting to get better.
5. Baltimore Ravens —CB from Florida — Vernon Hargreaves III — I absolutely love this kid. He’s my favorite player in the first round and I think he’s comparable to Patrick Peterson. He might not be as athletic as Peterson but he’s got the same skill set on the defensive side of the ball. The Ravens have the worst pass defense in the league and Hargreaves is an instant upgrade.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars —DT from Ole Miss — Robert Nkemdiche — It doesn’t seem ideal for the Jaguars to take another defensive lineman but this is the safest pick at this position in the draft. Nkemdiche is very similar to Leonard Williams out of USC last year who went to the Jets at this exact same position. Nkemdiche can get after the quarterback but is better known for filling the gap and stopping the run.
7. Dallas Cowboys —OLB from Notre Dame — Jaylon Smith — With so many injuries to Sean Lee, the Cowboys start getting thin at linebacker. Their defense isn’t terrible but it lacks an outside linebacker since DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer left. Many believe Myles Jack is the player to get at OLB but I like Jaylon Smith. He doesn’t have off the field issues and is a consistent three-down football player.
8. San Francisco 49ers —QB from Michigan State — Connor Cook — I’ve been saying it for years, Colin Kaepernick is awful. The 49ers need a quarterback and the most pro-ready quarterback is Connor Cook. He’s looked like Matthew Stafford at times by missing a lot of throws and then he’s looked like Phillip Rivers with quick passes and just moving down the field quickly. Either way, the 49ers get an upgrade at the most important position in football.
9. Washington Redskins —CB from Florida State — Jalen Ramsey — The Redskins are thin in the secondary and have been plagued by injuries. Some consider Jalen Ramsey the best cornerback in the draft. I don’t think he’s as good as Vernon Hargreaves but he’s got top 15 talent written all over him.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers —OT from Michigan State — Jack Conklin — You have Mike Evans catching the ball, Doug Martin is back to his old ways and Jameis Winston has been better than expected. All that’s left to complete your offense is getting a blind side protector for your young quarterback. Conklin is a consistent player despite some durability concerns but I think he’s very comparable to Taylor Lewan from Michigan.
11. Houston Texans —QB from Memphis — Paxton Lynch — Brian Hoyer is clearly not the answer and I’d be shocked if Bill O’Brien gets retained after this season. Whoever the coach will be will want a new quarterback. Paxton Lynch has first round talent written all over him but I’ve seen a lot of inconsistent throws by the young quarterback. Statistically though, he’s a legit quarterback. Completing 69 percent of his throws with 19 touchdowns and two interceptions. At best, Lynch can be a Tom Brady but with some of the struggles I’ve seen, I think he can be a Joe Flacco.
12. Chicago Bears —OLB from UCLA — Myles Jack — I fear for any team that takes this kid. I get he’s an athletic freak but in all honesty, what player isn’t? He’s got off the field issues but I’d be shocked if he slipped out of the first round. The Bears got rid of Jared Allen and Jon Bostic this season. They need more players on defense and they need someone at outside backer. I wouldn’t be shocked if Jack was the guy they took.
13. Miami Dolphins —ILB from Alabama — Reggie Ragland — You have a good defensive line and there’s no reason why the Dolphins are terrible at stopping the run. The only thing that I see hurting this defense, is not having a legit middle linebacker. Reggie Ragland is for real as he’s already got 74 tackles and 2.5 sacks this year.
14. Kansas City Chiefs —WR from Ole Miss — Laquon Treadwell — Jeremy Maclin has been a nice addition and Travis Kelce has been a consistent threat at tight end, however this team needs a number two option. Laquan Treadwell is a difference maker at wide receiver and he could help right away.
15. Indianapolis Colts —DT from Baylor — Andrew Billings — The Colts could go in various directions but their defensive line has been plagued by injuries. They haven’t been great against the run this year and they need someone to fill the middle of their defensive line. Billings is a big and strong body who can stuff the run. He’s already got eight tackles for a loss this year and he should be a first round pick.
16. New Orleans Saints —DT from UCLA — Kenny Clark — No way is this kid going to last this long. He’s comparable to Aaron Donald and he’s got the stats to back him up. Through nine games this year for the Bruins, Clark has 47 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He’s a legit defensive tackle and would be a great addition to the Saints’ defense.
17. St. Louis Rams —OLB from Georgia — Leonard Floyd — Floyd has had some inconsistent play this year but his statistics are nice. Through nine games, Floyd has 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He’s more a pass rusher than a coverage backer but he’s got the ability to become a nice fit for any defense.
18. Oakland Raiders —CB from LSU — Tre’Davious White — The Raiders won’t have Charles Woodson on their roster next year and that’s going to hurt this defense. Grabbing a cornerback is huge for the Raiders who already have nice pieces with Curtis Lofton and Khalil Mack.
19. Seattle Seahawks —OT from Ohio State — Taylor Decker — If the Seahawks don’t grab an offensive lineman, then they don’t care about their future. Russell Okung is set to hit the free agent market and I doubt he returns. Taylor Decker is a big body who can play both left tackle and right tackle.
20. Philadelphia Eagles —DE from Clemson — Shaq Lawson — It seems odd to have the Eagles taking another defensive lineman but Philly only has 14 sacks on defense this year. Fletcher Cox is a nice player on one side of the defensive line but adding someone opposite to him is a key to this defense. Shaq Lawson is a nice player with a long frame and it shows with his 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.
21. Buffalo Bills —WR from Baylor — Corey Coleman — I know they have Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods but this would give the Bills a legit third option for Tyrod Taylor. I really like this pick, especially since Sammy Watkins has had some injury concerns this year.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers —DE from Florida — Jonathan Bullard — I really like the players coming out of Florida this year and here’s one of the players I like. Bullard already has 13.5 tackles for loss and he’s got a legitimate shot of moving up draft boards. Right now, I like him going to the Steelers to help revamp their pass rush with Bud Dupree.
23. New York Jets —RB from Ohio State — Ezekiel Elliot — Elliot has to go somewhere in this first round. I would be shocked if he falls this far but the Jets could use a nice compliment to an aging back in Chris Ivory.
24. New York Giants —DE from Oklahoma State — Emmanuel Ogbah — When the draft officially gets here, I have a feeling that Emmanuel Ogbah will be the first defensive end taken. Right now, he’s sitting here but he’s comparable to Ezekiel Ansah and already has nine sacks this season.
25. Atlanta Falcons —OT from Texas A&M — Germain Ifedi — The Falcons have a defensive minded coach but they need help on their offensive line. Ifedi is one of those offensive lineman who could fall into the second round or crack the end of the first round.
26. Minnesota Vikings —WR from Ohio State — Michael Thomas — Stefon Diggs has been a nice player for the Vikings but Mike Wallace has been hit or miss. The Vikings need another option at receiver and Michael Thomas is a big receiver who would be a viable option at the second wide receiver spot.
27. Arizona Cardinals —DE from Oregon — DeForest Buckner — I’m not the biggest fan of Buckner as some experts are. He has some nice stats at 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks but at 6-foot-7 I think Buckner is comparable to last years product from the Ducks, Arik Armstead.
28. Green Bay Packers —SS from Clemson — Jayron Kearse — This player is a monster for the Clemson Tigers. He’s 6-foot-4 and already has 5.5 tackles for loss. He also has one interception on the year but he’s never afraid to hit someone in the mouth.
29. Denver Broncos —OG from LSU — Vadal Alexander — The Broncos are thin at their offensive guard positions and it’s been that way over the last two season. Adding a guard would be a smart move and going with an offensive lineman from the SEC is always a good idea.
30. Cincinnati Bengals —CB from Virginia Tech — Kendall Fuller — Adam “Pacman” Jones can’t play forever can he? I know they have Leon Hall but he’s about to be 31-years old and Dre Kirkpatrick has been too inconstant to be considered a legit number one cornerback.
31. Carolina Panthers —WR from TCU — Josh Doctson — When your receivers are Ted Ginn and Corey Brown, you need to get another receiver. Josh Doctson doesn’t have the best size at receiver but he would compliment Kelvin Benjamin nicely for the Cam Newton led offense.
32. New England Patriots —OLB from USC — Su’a Cravens — Who knows what the Patriots are going to draft… They could legitimately take any position on the board. They might trade out of this pick but lets just go with an outside linebacker as Dont’a Hightower gets set to hit the free agent market.