The 2016 NFL Draft is just days away! So myremARCs though we'd bring in one of my good friends to give the rundown on who's going when, where, and why. A little background before we dive on in... Braden Mason is a longtime friend and ODU Sports Management major. In full disclosure, he is a Rams and a Yankees fan... but we'll try not to hold that against him. We hope to feature more articles by him from time to time in the future, if he's so inclined. So, let's see what he has to say!... The 2016 NFL Draft Well, that escalated quickly. In the past week, we have seen two monster trades sending a plethora of picks flying in opposite directions. Incredibly, the Rams jumped from the 15th pick to the top of the draft, then the Eagles made another splash by trading up from 8th to the 2nd overall pick. At this point, there is only one possible reason these two teams would mortgage future picks to move up in the draft... The Rams and Eagles will be picking the top two quarterbacks in succession. Let's take a look at how this could play out. Round 1 Los Angeles Rams- Jared Goff, QB, Cal Philadelphia Eagles- Carson Wentz, QB, NDSU Goff is the pro-ready quarterback of the two, making him the most desirable pick for a Rams team growing more and more desperate. Wentz is a bit more of a project, but will have time to grow behind the $40 million in guarantees to the other quarterbacks on the Eagles roster. The first two picks were easy enough. This is where the draft starts to get interesting though. Rounding out the top five is: 3. San Diego Chargers- Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss 4. Dallas Cowboys- Jalen Ramsey, DB, FSU 5. Jacksonville Jaguars- Myles Jack, LB, UCLA San Diego desperately needs to improve an offensive line that was decimated with injuries last year, and protecting Philip Rivers’ blindside will only extend his career. The Cowboys, meanwhile, need help all over the defense, and no there's better place to start than grabbing the top overall rated defensive player in the draft. Finally, the Gus Bradley led Jaguars will look to improve their front seven by landing a dynamic player in Myles Jack (currently recovering from a knee injury). With the top five off the clock, we turn to the remaining top 10: 6. Baltimore Ravens- DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon 7. San Francisco 49ers- Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis Baltimore grabs the much needed pass rush help in Buckner, who in my unpopular opinion has more of an upside than Joey Bosa. San Fran gets their QB of the future. You might be thinking, “Isn’t 7th a little high for Lynch?” And you would be correct. In fact, all of the quarterbacks already taken are going above their projections, but most quarterbacks do. With the run on quarterbacks in the first two picks, the Niners find themselves the biggest loser coming out of the two mega-deals. Drafting Lynch will give the Niners the flexibility they need to deal with Kaepernick and restart the franchise. 8. Cleveland Browns- Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame 9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Leonard Floyd, DE, Georgia 10. New York Giants- Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State The Browns are in the process of rebuilding... shocking I know! However, their recent trade has landed them with the 8th pick and plenty more. It would be wise for the Browns to start developing their offensive line for a future quarterback. Tampa Bay has found its centerpiece on the offense. Besides offensive line, Tampa seems to be set on that side of the ball. With Bosa still on the board, I think Tampa will choose to go another direction and take Floyd who will ultimately have a greater impact. Finally, Joey Bosa’s slide down the draft board comes to a halt at the 10th pick. The Giants spent a ton of money in the free agency trying to improve their defense, but their work is far from over. Jason Pierre-Paul resigned to a one year deal, so drafting Bosa gives them flexibility on the defensive line going forward. 11. Chicago Bears- Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson 12. New Orleans Saints- Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss 13. Miami Dolphins- Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida 14. Oakland Raiders- Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville 15. Tennessee Titans- Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State The Bears add to an uninspired pass rush, and the Raiders try to bolster the middle of their defensive line. You might be surprised to see Treadwell land in the Big Easy, but with Brees’ career winding down, the Saints could very easily grab the WR to compliment Brandin Cooks. The Saints have holes throughout the roster, but don’t act surprised come draft day if Sean Payton gives Brees a shiny new toy. Sitting on the 13th pick, after a trade early in the offseason with the Eagles, that also brought in Byron Maxwell, the Dolphins could give him a running mate. Keeping Vernon Hargreaves in the sunshine state. The Titans have a treasure trove of draft picks after trading the 1st overall pick, and they should be quick to add a positional play, as offensive line help can be had later in the draft. Eli Apple is a top defensive back and could contribute immediately to one of the worst secondaries in the league last season. 16. Detroit Lions- Jack Conklin, OT, Mich State 17. Atlanta Falcons- Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State 18. Indianapolis Colts- Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State 19. Buffalo Bills- Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama 20. New York Jets- Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama Two offensive tackles, two buckeyes, two Alabama players round out the top 20. Detroit needs to protect Stafford, likewise the Colts need to do the same for Luck. The Falcons and Bills find the centerpieces of their defenses, with the Falcons opting for the athletic Lee, and the Bills choosing the traditional ILB, Ragland. The Jets can add to a stout front seven, but with Wilkerson likely headed for free agency next season, Reed can step in and fill the void once it opens. 21. Washington Redskins- Andrew Billings, NT, Baylor 22. Houston Texans- Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor 23. Minnesota Vikings- Josh Doctson, WR, TCU 24. Cincinnati Bengals- William Fuller, WR, Notre Dame 25. Pittsburgh Steelers- William Jackson, CB, Houston 26. Seattle Seahawks- Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Ole Miss 27. Green Bay Packers- Jonathan Bullard, DL, Florida 28. Kansas City Chiefs- Kendall Fuller, CB, VT 29. Arizona Cardinals- Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama 30. Carolina Panthers- Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson 31. Denver Broncos- Vernon Butler, DT, LA Tech Summarizing the last half of the first round, there could be a run of receivers between 22-24, and help on the defensive line could be coming for several teams in the late 20s. The signing of Josh Norman could greatly impact the cornerbacks in this draft, and the Panthers would be fortunate to see Norman’s replacement fall to them at 30th. Finally, the defending Champs saw a multitude of their defense walk in the free agency, and Vernon Butler could be a suitable replacement for the departed Malik Jackson. There you have it! The first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Each year, the draft becomes more and more difficult to predict as trades have become a frequent occurrence. We have already seen franchise changing trades in the weeks leading up the draft, and it's very possible the first round could see another volley of trades on draft day. A few guys that I think have the potential to slide in the first round are Joey Bosa, Laquon Treadwell, Mackensie Alexander, and Ezekiel Elliot. The draft is less than a week away. Plenty can and will change by the time April 28th rolls around. Only two things are certain, however, and that's the first two picks. Chalk those up as my stone cold locks for this year’s draft. **Note that the Patriots do not have a 1st rounder due to Deflate Gate.
