NFL Mock Draft 2016 (22-31)

The final third of my mock draft features all the teams that made the playoffs last season. These teams already have many of the major positions filled up looking to add depth to an already established roster. The Patriots do not own a first round pick due to the ruling of the Deflategate from the year before. The rest of the playoff teams will look to build and hopefully defend off some of the up incoming teams like Jacksonville and Oakland in the AFC and the Giants and the Bucs in the NFC.

22. Houston Texans: Josh Docston, WR, TCU

Houston bought their QB in free agency with giving Brock Osweiler 72M within 4 years after only having 7 starts in his young 4 year career. NFL teams buy in on potential so signing Osweiler eliminates the major need that the franchised has been faced with over the years. Next step, get the man some more weapons to play with on offense. Insert 6'2" wideout Josh Docston. Pairing Docston up with a star wideout like DeAndre Hopkins will be dangerous and difficult to defend. The defense will do their job in Houston, leaving it up to Osweiler and company to take care of theirs in a very weak but rising AFC South division.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame

The Vikings need to get young signal-caller Teddy Bridgewater a guy he can count on. With Mike Wallace getting cut, and saying he needs a "proven QB" shows that the Vikings need to find someone who will work well with Bridgewater. The speedy Irish wideout has the height and size that a NFL wide receiver is supposed to be built like. He is a homerun hitter which will help open the lane up for Adrian Peterson, but can also work the short quick routes turning them into big RAC yards.

24. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh

The run on wide receivers continues as the playoff teams need to continue to add depth to their offesnive arsenal. The Bengals lost Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones in free agency, leaving only all-pro wideout AJ Green and tight end Tyler Eifert to make plays for Andy Dalton. In a passing league, two receiving threats isn't enough. Many analysis believe that this is the weakest WR class in many years, but the demand for pass catchers is at an all time high. Boyd will come in an immediately become a #2 WR for the Bengals. Boyd is a tough kid not afraid of going over the middle, and has smooth routes to find openings. Not to forget that he will have a great mentor in AJ Green to polish him up into a true NFL wide receiver.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State

Another Buckeye comes off the board in the first round. Apple is the best player available and will fill a need for the Steelers defense. Apple is the type of player who is capable of playing defense on a smash mouth style defense that the Steelers are known for. At 6'2" 200 pounds and running a 4.40 shows hes capable of matching up with big bodies on the outside, and capable of running downfield with him. After rival Bengals just drafting a WR, the Steelers will look to counter with defense as they watched the Broncos win a championship based off that philosophy.

26. Seattle Seahwaks: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State

The Seahawks are in a battle with Arizona to be the top dog out in the NFC West. With the recent trade Arizona pulled with New England receiving pass rusher Chandler Jones, the Seahawks will counter with getting a bookend tackle to fight off the dynamic defense that Arizona has. As much as the Seahawks would like to add to their own Legion of Boom, getting the offensive line is the top priority. Conklin is the best player available and Pete Carroll pulls the trigger on him.

27. Green Bay Packers: Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama

The happiest man in the world after this pick is Clay Matthews. He is jumping with joy now that he can get back to strictly chasing down opposing quarterbacks, rather than being in the center of everything. With the offensive line finally addressed, the best quarterback in the league under center, a fat guy running the football, and getting back star wide receiver Jordy Nelson back the offense seems set to strive in the fall. Building a defense to work off the offense is the next step to getting the right of Title Town back in northern Wisconsin. Ragland is a true heat seeking missile that will wreck havoc for the Packers defense.

28. Kansas City Chiefs: Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame

Jaylon Smith is a prospect with many question marks behind him. How bad is his knee? How long will he be out for? Will he get back to his dominant form? If so, how quickly? The list goes on... If the answer to those questions aren't as bad as teams think they are then Jaylon Smith has the talent to be a top 5 overall pick. The Chiefs don't have many team needs to address, so why not take a chance on a once coveted prospect who was projected as a top 5 pick at pick 28.

29. Arizona Cardinals: Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State

The first round seems to be swarmed with Buckeyes. One NFL scout claimed that he would rather have the Ohio State's defense than their own NFL defense. That shows how dynamic every player that comes out of Ohio State is, and the trend continues with Lee to the Cardninals. Their defense already scares teams enough with playmakers at every level, so why not add to the nightmare. Lee is an explosive tackler, with decent speed and range. However, he is versatile enough to blitz up the middle or edge, play man coverage versus tight ends and running backs, and is also dominant in stopping the run. He will join the Cardinal's defense with a lot of expectations for the upcoming season.

30. Carolina Panthers: Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson

The NFC Champions will look to add to the top defense in the NFL by adding a pass rusher like Dodd. They look to be set in almost every area on defense, but you can never have too many pass rusher in the NFL as the Panthers learned the hard way in Super Bowl 50. They could look to reach on a OT, Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry, or ultimately trade away to a team looking to add Henry or a QB before the end Day 1. I think if the keep their pick they will look at best player available, and that's Dodd. He's a Carolina native his whole life from high school to college and the Panthers will keep him right where he belongs.

31. Denver Broncos: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

They say in order to win a Super Bowl championship you need the best quarterback in the NFL. They say to make it to the playoffs you need an elite quarterback. Well the Denver Broncos didn't have the best quarterback in the NFL or even close to an elite quarterback. Peyton Manning threw 9 TDs to 17 INTs completing 59% of his passes for 2,249 yards. Brock Osweiler had 10 TDs to 6 INTs for 1,967 yards. Neither were close to elite this year, but the Broncos found a way to win the Super Bowl based off their defense. One of the greatest QBs of all-time just retired, and John Elway just let his QB of the future walk to Houston. There is no way anyone in the world believes they can repeat with Mark Sanchez under center. Connor Cook is a winner. He is a tough kid from the Mid-West who will come in and do everything he is asked from him. He has much to learn at the NFL level, but with Denver's philosophy, not much is asked out of the QB giving him the time to learn before making strides to become a more developed QB in the NFL. 

NFL Mock Draft 2016 (11-21)

My last post featured the top 10 picks which was relatively balanced between offense and defense. The top two QBs are off the board. The high profiled defensive pass rushers and top 3 secondary players are also gone. There is still some top 10 talent left on the board. This is where predicting the draft gets difficult because of trades and teams reaching on a player based on need rather than going best player available. The next post will feature the final third of the first round.

11. Chicago Bears: A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama

The Bears need to get some defensive line help after addressing glaring needs at LB with the signing of Danny Trevathan from Denver and Jerrell Freeman from Indy. Robinson may be the best run-stuffer in this years draft class, and after switching to a 3-4 front in 2015, the Bears need to look to find another big bodied DT to hold down the front alongside 2015 second-round DT Eddie Goldman. At 307 pounds, he will anchor the Bears front line allowing their newly added LBs openings to attack downfield. 

12. New Orleans Saints: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville

The Saint's biggest need is on the defensive line. The Saint's defense allowed 6.6 yards per play, 8.7 yards per pass attempt and 4.9 yards per a carry. All of those are worst in the league, and what eventually led to the firing of Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan. The Saints main focus should be like the Bears to anchor down their front 7 with a big body in the middle. At 299 pounds he will adjust to being in a 3-4 front just fine with his speed and explosiveness. 

13. Miami Dolphins: Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Ohio State

Many Dolphins fans will be off the walls if Elliot falls to them at #13. After whiffing to resign Lamar Miller (Texans) and losing out on CJ Anderson (Broncos), CJ2K (Cardinals), and James Starks (Packers), the running back position becomes their top priority. According to some reports, the Fins will make a "strong push" to drafting Elliot. That might require a trade up to do so. If he does fall, new head coach Adam Gase and Co. will get the high profiled cutback style running back he has been searching for since his time in Denver. 

14. Oakland Raiders: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

The Raiders were big winners in the first couple weeks of free agency. After signing Kelechi Osemele (OG), Bruce Irvin (OLB) and Sean Smith (CB), the Raiders addressed some major needs. After addressing some of the offensive line with Osemele and resigning Donald Penn, the Raiders will finish fortifying a front that will keep young signal caller Derek Carr upright. The big framed, 6'5" 312 pounds, Stanley can play either side of the line, and will eventually build himself into an OT that will grow up protecting Carr's blindside for years to come. 

15. Los Angeles Rams: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

The QB play has not been enough for the Jeff Fisher led Rams squad. After dumping some of their higher profiled players and moving cities, the Rams desperately need a young playmaker at the QB position. Paxton Lynch will bring the hype to LA and will develop quickly with the talented playmakers who are already on the Rams offense. Priority #1 Draft Lynch, Priority #2 sell tickets. Lynch helps sell tickets by being the young and promising QB the Rams need.

16. Detroit Lions: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

As many teams learn, building through free agency isn't the answer. The Lions signed former Bengals wideout Marvin Jones to replace the retired all pro Calvin Johnson. There's just one thing wrong with that fact... Marvin Jones is nowhere close to replacing Calvin Johnson. The Lions will learn quickly what life without #81 will be like unless they draft a young promising player like Coleman. The Baylor wideout doesn't have the Calvin height or built, but he has 4.37 speed and the hands to be a #1 wideout in this league. He's not Calvin Johnson, but he will give QB Matthew Stafford a smile on game days knowing he has a dynamic young wide receiver to play with.

17. Atlanta Falcons: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson

Pairing Lawson with his former teammate Vic Beasley Jr. will be a nightmare for QBs in the NFC South. Finding another pass rusher is the top priority for the Falcons in this years draft. It makes the most sense to team up Lawson and Beasley to go after quarterbacks. The high-motored junior has great quickness of the edge, and has tremendous strength to play against the run.  Many analysis project him to go as high as into the top 10 so falling to the #17 to the Falcons is a sign to pair the former Tigers together. 

18. Indianapolis Colts: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State

The third Buckeye comes off the board as the Colts look to finally address a glaring need on the offensive front. The lack of quality pass protector caught up with the Colts allowing 37 sacks and went through 5 quarterbacks last year because of injuries. Jim Irsay and Co. finally realize that keeping Andrew Luck healthy rather than giving him playmakers are more important. If Luck is as great as he is projected to be he will create playmakers, but to do so he needs to stay healthy. Decker, 6'7" 310lbs, has the flexibility to play at multiple spots on the line with a little coaching. With Anthony Castonzo on the left side, the Colts will batten down the right side by drafting Decker. 

19. Buffalo Bills: Leonard Floyd, DE, Georgia

The Bills let go of the majority of their pass rushers via free agency. They interior d-line is solidity, and their second and third level has playmakers across the board. Adding a superior specialized pass rusher to fill a hole left by Mario Williams (Dolphins) should be a priority. The Bills may consider other needs at OT or WR, but they won't reach and take the best player available with Floyd filling a lesser need. 

20. New York Jets: Noah Spence, DE, Eastern Kentucky

Noah Spence is a risky draft prospect with character issues after getting dismissed from Ohio State. It seems like the Junior out of Eastern Kentucky got his act together off the field. On the field, there is no question what kind of player the Jets would get out of him. He doesn't have flashy numbers from the combined, but his film shows he's worthy of a first round pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he slipped out of the first round based off the fact that teams are concerned with a troubled past.

21. Washington Redskins: Andrews Billings, DT, Baylor

The nose tackle position is a weak spot on the defending NFC East champs defense after allowing Terrance Knighton to explore the market. Billings is an incredible strong and versatile prospect who will come in an make an immediate impact in any scheme at any spot along the line. At 6'0 311 pounds, Billings has a good mix of speed, explosion, and power. The Redskins will quickly forget about Knighton after Billings comes in to play.

NFL Mock Draft 2016 (1-10)

The NFL Draft is one of the most bizarre unexpected events in all of professional football. The draft is filled with surprise trades, bust, and future faces of the NFL. The first round is one of the most looked at rounds because teams expect these players to make an immediate impact for the following season. Every year I try and break down who I think each team is going to pick based on team needs or best player available. Here is my top 10 picks with an explanation on why I believe each team will take the player I designated them. Next post will feature picks 11-21.

1. Tennessee Titans: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss

The titans will look to add protection for second year signal-caller Marcus Mariota. Tunsil has been rated the #1 overall prospect since the end of the college football season, and will be until April 27th in Chicago. If the Titans want Mariota to grow as a professional Quarterback in the NFL, drafting a bookend tackle to keep him on his mobile feet should be the Titans number one priority in this years draft.

2. Cleveland Browns: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota St

The Browns have been looking for the face of the franchise for decades. The Manziel experiment is over, and most of the talent they did have were cut this off season. Wentz has bigger hands then Goff giving him the edge to play in the cold weather and fierce offensives of the AFC North. Wentz has checked out in nearly everything that has been throw at him thus far. He crushed the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. The only way I see Wentz not going to the Browns is if someone trades up to the top pick to snag him away.

3. San Diego Chargers: Jalen Ramsey CB/S Florida State

Many people view Ramsey as a potential number one draft pick. Ramsey has the flexibility to play corner and safety at a high level in this league which makes him such a coveted player in this years draft class. There is no chance that Ramsey will fall past San Diego because of how athletic and smart of a football player he is. After letting Eric Weddle walk in an ugly divorce, Ramsey will quickly fill that hole in the center of the defense that Weddle left opened. 

4. Dallas Cowboys: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State

This is a question mark for the Cowboys, after allowing Greg Hardy to walk because of character concerns, and having Randy Gregory also in that boat.. Bosa has is character concerns in a different way, he will come in and work to be the best player on the field. He is drawing comparisons to a man right down the road from Dallas, JJ Watt. Jerry Jones has shown that he is not afraid to take a player like Bosa, and he will strive down in Dallas.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA

Myles Jack showed of his athleticism at his pro day after missing most of his final season at UCLA with a knee injury. That injury is 100% behind him, and he will come into Jacksonville with a chip on his shoulder to prove that he is back. The Jaguars already addressed the defensive front, now its time to take the top linebacker to cover the second level. He is athletic enough to play safety or inside and outside linebacker in the NFL. Jack will makes this Jaguars team scary to play come fall.   

6. Baltimore Ravens: DeForest Buckner, DE/DT, Oregon 

The Raven's defensive line needs to be addressed in the wake of Chris Canty's release, and Buckner is a no-brainer as the top defensive lineman  available. At 6'7" 287lbs, he has the ability to play inside or on the edge. The Ravens will hope for Buckner to come in and compete on the first day.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Jared Goff QB California

Even with Chip Kelly taking over in San Francisco, Colin Kaepernick no longer appears to be the 49ers' quarterback of the future and may be traded away. Even if Kelly can "coach the heck out" Kaepernick, Goff is an extremely talented QB who is siting in the 49ers backyard.The 49ers need a quarterback to build around. Goff doesn't have the hand size that NFL teams like to have, but he built his case at his pro day to be the number one QB in this years draft class.

8. Philadelphia Eagles: Vernon Hargreaves, CB Florida

The Eagles traded the Dolphins their expensive starting CB, Bryon Maxwell, and starting ILB Kiko Alonzo. From this trade it left two major holes in the Eagles defense. The cornerback position was already an area of need before this trade happened, so the Eagles will look at the 5'11" corner from Florida. He is the best cover corner in this draft class and will be a perfect fit in the Eagles man defense. The only question that Hargreaves faces is his size to match up with the taller receivers in this league. One thing that's for sure is his speed and ability to find the ball. He has the ability to run hip to hip with receivers, and this will make him a top 10 pick in this draft.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mackensie Alexander, CB Clemson

Back to back top corner backs come off the board here with the Bucs selecting Alexander. He was a key member of Clemson run at the national championship game, and at 5'10" 190 pounds he can still strive in man coverage depsite his size. The Bucs need to address the secondary in the early rounds of this draft, and adding Alexander already fills a large void in the defense, and will excel versus some of the dynamic WR in the NFC south. 

10. New York Giants: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss 

This is a scary pick for defenses facing the G-Men. Pairing Laquon Treadwell with star sensation Odell Beckham Jr. will be a nightmare for opposing teams secondaries. Eli Manning will be one of the most excited veterans in this draft after this selection, and will give him another young playmaker to work with. 

The Madness of March Begins

Each year in college basketball, the month of March is one of the craziest times in all of sports. Filling out blank brackets and following each game closely is one of the most exciting times of years. The tournament is filled with powerhouses like Kansas, North Carolina, and Michigan State, who all seem to be ranked #1 or #2 each year. In fact, the #1 seeds have won 22 titles since 1979, and #2 and #3 seeds are tied with the second most titles out of all seeds having won 5. There has never been a team under the seed of #8 that has won the title. However, there are always people rooting for the Cinderella-like seeds such as #15 Webber State or #16 Hampton. These teams have a 33% chance to upset the #2 seed, and there has never been a #16 seed that has upset the top ranked team. The teams in the middle are where most college bracket tournaments are won and lost. Having to predict the #4 through #13 teams always seems to mess people's brackets up, with various upsets, wins, and losses. In this years tournament, the #4 seeds include Duke and Kentucky, who are normally powerhouse teams with some of the greatest coaches in college basketball. This could help them reach the final four just with the experience they have gained as a team playing this late into the year. Teams such as #5 Maryland, #7 Wisconsin, #5 Baylor and #6 Arizona are mid-ranked seeds that I have going far, with a few upsets along the way. Below I am going to break down the teams that I have in my final four, and why I think they belong there.

South Region #1 Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas (30-4, 15-3) ended the season as the topped ranked team in the nation after capturing the Big 12 championship. They average just over 81 PPG while holding their opponent just under 68 pts. Forward # 34 Perry Ellis (Senior) will dominate this tournament as he looks for one last go at it this March. At 6'8 225lbs, he leads Kansas with 16.7 PPG. He will get some help from his two elite guards back court. #0 Frank Mason III and #1 Wayne Seldon Jr. are both Juniors looking to have a big tournament, and help punch the Jayhawks ticket into the title game. Kansas has played great this year, so I believe with all of their experience and depth on their roster they will no doubt play deep into this tournament. On a side note, the President of the United States has Kansas going the distance.

West Region #3 Texas A&M Aggies

The Aggies (28-6, 13-5) lost in the SEC championship game, but will look to bounce back in the big dance. Having to go through two powerhouse teams like Duke and Oklahoma, the Aggies will set themselves up to play against Kansas to reach the big one. They will be playing lights out throughout this tournament, making the case to knock down the #4, #2, and potential #1 team and make it into the final four in my bracket. Averaging 75 PPG might not be enough to knock out the top seeded Jayhawks, but Seniors #12 Jalen Jones and #23 Danuel House will dance well enough to punch their own ticket to the final four. 

East Region #1 North Carolina Tar Heels

The Tar Heels (28-6, 14-4) won the ACC championship making their case to be the top ranked team in the East region. North Carolina has been a powerhouse throughout the years, and looks to keep a promising title bound season alive. Averaging 82.3 PPG ranks them 10th among all teams in the NCAA. Senior Forward #11 Brice Johnson leads the team with 16.6 PPG, but will get help from his three guards #2 Joel Barry Jr (Sophomore), #44 Justin Jackson (Sophomore), #5 Marcus Paige (Senior) who are all averaging 12 PPG. The downfall of the Tar Heels will be their defense. They are ranked 7th in the ACC and 61st in the NCAA for OPP/PPG. If they can play solid defense throughout the tournament, they will make their way down to Houston.

Midwest Region #2 Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans (29-5, 13-5) won the Big 10 in a close 66-62 game against the #5 seed Purdue, who is also in the Midwest Region. Michigan State also leads the Big 10 in OPP/PPG, with an average of 63.4 pts. With #45 Denzel Valentine (Senior) leading the way for the Spartans. I see them losing to the Tarheels in the final four in a close game 75-73.