2016 NFL Draft Goals – Picks 17-32

Posted April 23, 2016.
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What does every team need to accomplish in the 2016 NFL Draft? We’ll look at each team’s goals on this page, as well as possible selections for each squad. Also see how the goals are being addressed in the 2016 NFL Mock Draft (will be updated tomorrow).

Back to 2016 NFL Draft Goals: Picks 1-16.

Atlanta Falcons:
Atlanta’s defense was pathetic this past season, so the team needs to add help to every level of its stop unit. Additionally, Matt Ryan needs assistance. Better interior blocking and tight end play could help his red-zone woes.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
17. Myles Jack, LB
50. Justin Simmons, S
81. Bronson Kaufusi, DE/DT
115. Connor McGovern, G
Indianapolis Colts:
The Colts’ top priority is an obvious one – Andrew Luck’s pass protection must improve. A repeat of 2015 would be disastrous. Unfortunately for Indianapolis, it also has other dire needs; its defense is a mess, as it needs help at nose tackle, linebacker, cornerback and safety.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
18. Andrew Billings, NT
48. Hunter Henry, TE
82. KeiVarae Russell, CB
116. Jordan Howard, RB
Buffalo Bills:
The Bills appear close to being a playoff team, but they need to shore up their front seven, which was a major issue last year. Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Nigel Bradham were all major disappointments, and they all must be upgraded. Elsewhere, the Bills have to find a new No. 2 receiver.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
19. Darron Lee, LB
49. Yannick Ngakoue, DE
80. Adolphus Washington, DT
117. Alex Collins, RB
139. Jalin Marshall, WR

New York Jets:
The Jets don’t have a quarterback, so finding one is obviously the top priority. I don’t think they’ll take Paxton Lynch at No. 20, so a second-day signal-caller is more likely. New York also has some other glaring needs, particularly at linebacker and right tackle.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
20. Reggie Ragland, ILB
51. Jason Spriggs, OT
83. Cardale Jones, QB
118. Alex McCalister, DE/OLB
Washington Redskins:
The Redskins seem to have figured out their quarterback situation, so they can now focus on improving the defense. Help is needed on all three levels, particularly the defensive line and secondary. Multiple early selections should be used to bolster those areas.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
21. William Jackson, CB
53. Hassan Ridgeway, NT
84. T.J. Green, S
120. Graham Glasgow, C
Houston Texans:
Houston appears to have solved its quarterback problems in the wake of the Brock Osweiler signing. Now, the main issue is not having enough talent around Osweiler. A No. 2 receiver, a tight end and a new center all have to be obtained. On the other side of the ball, Houston needs to consider adding talent to the defensive end and safety positions.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
22. William Fuller, WR
52. Nick Martin, C
85. T.J. Green, S
119. Jonathan Williams, RB

Minnesota Vikings:
The Vikings appear close to making a Super Bowl run; they just need a few more pieces, and they don’t have many major areas of weakness. Some of the few problems they have are at receiver and safety, but they should be able to plug those holes in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
23. Laquon Treadwell, WR
54. Robert Nkemdiche, DT
86. Sean Davis, S
121. Eric Murray, CB
Cincinnati Bengals:
The Bengals did a good job of retaining most of their free agents this offseason, but a couple of positions that got away from them were receiver and safety. I expect those spots to be addressed early in the 2016 NFL Draft. Elsewhere, Cincinnati still needs to fix defensive tackle, which has been an area of weakness for a while now.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
24. Laquon Treadwell, WR
55. Karl Joseph, S
87. Javon Hargrave, DT
122. Briean Boddy-Calhoun, CB
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers appear to have the fire power on offense to make a Super Bowl run. The problem has been their defense, particularly their secondary. The cornerback and safety spots must be shored up early in the 2016 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh also needs a couple of upgrades in the trenches, and a new backup quarterback wouldn’t hurt either.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
25. Kendall Fuller, CB
58. Karl Joseph, S
89. Hassan Ridgeway, DT
123. Jerald Hawkins, OT

Seattle Seahawks:
Seattle’s No. 1 weakness is well-publicized; the offensive line is a mess. However, the Seahawks don’t value protection as highly as other teams, so it seems like they’ll be focusing on other areas of need, particularly their defensive line, which struggled to put heat on Cam Newton in the playoff defeat. That said, I expect the blocking unit to be addressed at some point.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
26. Vernon Butler, DT
56. Emmanuel Ogbah, DE
90. Connor McGovern, G
97. C.J. Prosise, RB
Green Bay Packers:
The Packers have been focusing on adding more speed to their defense in previous years, and I expect them to continue that trend. They’ll have to address the defensive line and linebacking corps early and often. Later on, finding depth on the offensive line is crucial, considering what happened to them in 2015.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
27. Andrew Billings, NT
57. Jihad Ward, DT
88. Jaylon Smith, LB
125. Jordan Howard, RB
131. Anthony Zettel, DE/DT
137. Avery Young, OT
Kansas City Chiefs:
The Chiefs have a loaded roster, save for a few spots. The one glaring hole is at quarterback, and it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if Paxton Lynch happened to be the pick at No. 28. Otherwise, Kansas City needs to focus on the trenches, as help is needed on both the offensive and defensive lines. A second receiver should be acquired as well, and it wouldn’t hurt if the Chiefs found someone to replace the departed Sean Smith.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
28. William Jackson, CB
59. Cody Whitehair, G
126. Pharoh Cooper, WR

Arizona Cardinals:
The Cardinals probably have the best roster in the NFL. They have to make sure Carson Palmer is well protected, however, which means an offensive lineman almost has to be chosen early. Elsewhere, Arizona has a couple of holes at cornerback, safety and linebacker that need to be addressed.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
29. Ryan Kelly, C
92. Will Redmond, CB
128, Alex McCalister, DE/OLB
Carolina Panthers:
In a surprising turn of events, the Panthers lost Josh Norman after franchising him earlier in the offseason. They already needed a cornerback, so now two should be drafted. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll take one in the first couple of rounds. With so other few needs, Carolina can focus on taking the best player available, though a tackle should be obtained at some point.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
30. Taylor Decker, OT
62. Su’a Cravens S
93. Will Redmond, CB
129. Alex Collins, RB
Denver Broncos:
The Broncos don’t have a quarterback, so finding one is obviously the top priority. The problem is that Paxton Lynch might be long gone by No. 31. If so, Denver will have to find a solution on Day 2, such as Dak Prescott or Connor Cook. The Broncos also need to address the guard, defensive end and linebacker positions – the three non-quarterback areas that were hit the hardest by free-agency departures.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
31. Paxton Lynch, QB
63. Christian Westerman, G
94. Adolphus Washington, DT
97. Joshua Perry, LB
New England Patriots:
The Patriots don’t have a first-round pick, so it’ll be difficult for them to address their top needs. For instance, obtaining a tackle is crucial, but unless someone like Jason Spriggs falls, there probably won’t be anyone who fits their prospect profile at the position. The same goes for defensive tackle. Elsewhere, New England could use a defensive end, wide receiver and interior offensive lineman.

Ideal 2016 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):
60. Jason Spriggs, OT
61. Chris Jones, DT
91. Jalin Marshall, WR
96. Connor McGovern, G