2016 NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015. Major changes.
Next update: Next week. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

The order of this 2016 NFL Mock Draft based on the NFL Power Rankings.

NFL Draft Recent Links:
2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 3/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/25)
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/23)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)


    *** 2016 NFL MOCK DRAFT (3 rounds) updated Oct. 14. This NFL Mock Draft will be updated occasionally for important events. Check out old versions of this 2016 NFL Mock Draft in the archived mock section. Follow @walterfootball for NFL Draft updates. ***
  1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
    Can the Jaguars give up on Luke Joeckel yet? It may seem soon, but remember, he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. By the time the 2016 NFL Draft rolls around, that’ll be three disappointing seasons, and Joeckel will be entering his contract year, anyway. So, yeah, I think Jacksonville will draft an elite left tackle, given the opportunity. Joeckel simply can’t protect Blake Bortles, so the Jaguars need to find a better option before they ruin their quarterback, much like the Texans did with David Carr.

    There’s some strange off-the-field issue going on with Laremy Tunsil right now, but what that is exactly is unclear. I’ll move him down in my mock if it turns out to be bad, but for now, he stays up here because he’s so talented.

    Follow @walterfootball for updates.

  2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
    The Buccaneers moved into the top spot after their dreadful showing against the Titans. They’ve been able to climb out of it after defeating the Jaguars. However, Tampa has major problems everywhere, including the defensive line, which needs someone to complement Gerald McCoy’s pass rush and help out against the run. Joey Bosa seems like the obvious solution.

    Charlie Campbell recently reported that Joey Bosa is regarded by some as a 5-7 overall player; not a top prospect as many believe he is. You can read all about it in the NFL Draft Rumor Mill. However, the one caveat is that Bosa could rise in a weaker class, and I have to think the Buccaneers would love to grab him in an attempt to improve their underwhelming defense.

  3. Kansas City Chiefs: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
    The Alex Smith experiment has to end now. Smith’s struggles haven’t all been his fault, but it’s clear by now that he’s not the answer. He is a weak-armed quarterback who never takes chances downfield. Kansas City needs to move on from him.

    I keep bouncing back and forth between Connor Cook and and Jared Goff as the No. 1 quarterback. Goff just had a poor showing, so I’ll move Cook into the top spot, though it’s 50-50 right now. Cook has some accuracy and consistency issues that NFL teams are legitimately worried about.

    Pick change; previously Jack Conklin, OT



  4. Chicago Bears: Jared Goff, QB, California
    It’s either a quarterback or a blue-chip defender like Jalen Ramsey for the Bears. The conservative John Fox may push for Ramsey or another defensive player, but I think Chicago ultimately has to take a potential franchise signal-caller. Jay Cutler’s days in Chicago are numbered, so the Bears need to start over and rebuild. They can do that by drafting Jared Goff.

    With Cardale Jones struggling at times, and Christian Hackenberg falling off, Jared Goff has become the top signal-caller in this class along with Connor Cook, despite the weird offense he plays in. Goff has actually been pretty decent thus far prior to this past Saturday. There are concerns with him, but Charlie Campbell noted that NFL personnel weren’t too concerned with his recent showing.

  5. Houston Texans: Jalen Ramsey, S, Florida State
    The Texans spent last year’s first-round pick on a cornerback, but they could go with a safety this time, as they have major issues at that position. Adding some talent on the back end would make their pass rush even more potent, and they’re taking the best player available with this selection anyway.

    As Charlie Campbell reported, some teams are concerned about Ramsey moving to cornerback this season, but he’ll ultimately find a home at safety in the NFL, given that he’s seen as such a special talent at that position.

  6. Detroit Lions: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
    The Lions upgraded the guard position in the 2015 draft, but they still have a huge hole at right tackle. Riley Reiff is playing poorly as well on the blind side. I can’t imagine them failing to address this void two years in a row, and they are now in position to grab one of the top two tackles in this class.

    Pick change; previously Taylor Decker, OT



  7. San Francisco 49ers: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
    The 49ers lost a ton of talented players on the defensive side of the ball this past offseason. This included their top two cornerbacks. As a consequence, they haven’t been able to stop any passing attacks. Eli Manning even had success throwing to no-name scrubs Sunday night.

    Pick change; previously Ronnie Stanley, OT

  8. New Orleans Saints: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
    I’m sure I won’t have Laquon Treadwell dropping to No. 8 very often, given how talented he is, but it was difficult to find a spot for him, given that the other teams addressed greater needs with other very talented prospects.

    The Saints won’t complain. Drew Brees has absolutely nothing to work with right now outside of Brandin Cooks. Willie Snead? Come on. The front office will have to surround Brees with way more talent than he currently possesses at the moment.

  9. Tennessee Titans: Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT, Ole Miss
    The Titans have bigger needs in the secondary, but they’re going with the top player available in this scenario. Robert Nkemdiche has some off-the-field and work ethic issues that concern teams, but Tennessee could take a chance on him, given that they used its second-round pick in the previous draft on Dorial Green-Beckham. There’s no denying Nkemdiche’s talent, and he would combine with Jurrell Casey to create a formidable duo up front.



  10. Miami Dolphins: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
    The Dolphins haven’t trusted Lamar Miller in the past, and now that they were willing to give him more touches this season, he has disappointed them. Miller, consequently, may not be back next year, as he’s set to hit free agency in March.

    Ezekiel Elliott is a first-round prospect despite the fact that the running back position has been devalued. Elliott, who was amazing in Ohio State’s championship run, has drawn comparisons to Fred Taylor.

  11. Cleveland Browns: Cardale Jones, QB, Ohio State
    You know those Geico “It’s What You Do” commercials? Well, they could easily do one for desperate NFL teams because they reach for quarterbacks. It’s what they do. And it’s hard to blame them, either, given the state the league is in. If you don’t have a quarterback, you’re screwed.

    The Browns most certainly don’t have one, and no, Johnny Manziel is not the answer. Cardale Jones could be, and I’m sure the Browns would be interested in having a local kid be their savior, though I’m not sure that’s the best idea. Jones has been through an up-and-down season thus far, and I didn’t even include him in my mock updates the past couple of weeks because I thought he’d go back to school. However, he has put together some solid performances recently, so I think he’s back in top-15 discussion based on his potential.

    Pick change; previously Connor Cook, QB

  12. Oakland Raiders: Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
    The Raiders have some solid building blocks on defense, but they still need lots of help on this side of the ball, particularly at linebacker. Jaylon Smith would provide a big boost in the lacking middle of Oakland’s stop unit, and he also happens to be one of the best prospects available at this juncture, so he makes sense for multiple reasons.



  13. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
    Tyler Boyd has some off-the-field concerns, which is why he has dropped in recent mock updates. So… a talented receiver with character issues falls to Dallas… I wonder what’s going to happen? The Cowboys need help across from Dez Bryant anyway, so this selection definitely makes sense in that regard as well.

    Pick change; previously Nate Andrews, S

  14. St. Louis Rams: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
    The Rams reached on Rob Havenstein in the second round last year and are paying the price, as neither he nor Greg Robinson have been able to protect Nick Foles. The front office needs to atone for this by actually finding a solid edge blocker. Moving one inside could help if St. Louis spends an early choice on a tackle who’s actually talented.

    Pick change; previously Tyler Boyd, WR

  15. Baltimore Ravens: Leonard Floyd, DE/OLB, Georgia
    An overreaction to Terrell Suggs’ injury? Perhaps, but Suggs may never be the same coming off his second Achilles tear. Pernell McPhee is also long gone, so Baltimore could look into obtaining a pass-rusher in the first round this April.

  16. Philadelphia Eagles: Scooby Wright, LB, Arizona
    The offensive line is obviously Philadelphia’s greatest issue, but the pass rush is also a major concern. Excluding Fletcher Cox, no one on the Eagles is getting to the quarterback consistently. That could change with this selection, and Scooby Wright is a Pac-12 player, so that could excite Chip Kelly, if he’s still coaching Philadelphia by April. I personally think that he won’t be able to turn down a huge contract offer from either USC or Texas, but we’ll see.


    Go to 2016 NFL Mock Draft: Picks 17-32

    Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I’ve received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwidth.

Go to 2016 NFL Mock Draft: Round 2 | Go to 2016 NFL Mock Draft: Round 3


Fantasy Football Rankings







2024 NFL Mock Draft - March 26


NFL Power Rankings - Feb. 22


Fantasy Football Rankings - Feb. 19


NFL Picks - Feb. 12






NFL Draft Links:

My 2003 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/24): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2003 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/8/08)
My 2004 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/24): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2004 NFL Draft Prospects/ 2004 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/6/08)
My 2005 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2005 NFL Draft Prospects
2005 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/4/08)
My 2006 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2006 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 4/28)
2006 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded on 7/3)
My 2007 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3/ Round 4/ Round 5/ Round 6/ Round 7
Other 2007 Mock Drafts:April Fools
2007 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 4/24)/Kenny Ortiz's Top 40 Prospects
2007 NFL Combine and Pro Day Results
2007 NFL Draft Grades
2008 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3/Round 4/Round 5/Round 6/Round 7
Alternative 2008 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/7): Round 1 /Round 2
2008 NFL Re-Draft - Round 3 (UPDATED 4/27)
2008 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 8/5)
Other 2008 Mock Drafts: Matt McGuire (4/25)/ Craig Smith (4/22)/ Emmitt Smith (4/21)/ Matt McGuire Shocker (4/21)/ Matt McGuire Backwards (4/19)/ Forum Mock (4/15)/ April Fools (4/1)
2009 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
Other 2009 Mock Drafts: Re-Draft (4/26) /Matt McGuire (4/25) /Reader Mock (4/25) /Hunter Ansley (4/24) /Backward Mock (4/19) /Emmitt Smith (4/16) /Celebrity Mock (4/9) /April Fools (4/1) /Experts (3/30) /KFFL (3/14)
2010 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/22): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2010 NFL Mock Re-Draft Day 3 (4/24): Round 4 (Walt's) / Round 4 (Matt's)
2010 NFL Mock Re-Draft Day 2 (4/23): Round 2 (Walt's) / Round 3 (Walt's) / Round 2 (Matt's) / Round 3 (Matt's)
Other 2010 Mock Drafts: Matt McGuire (4/22) /Backward Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Celebrity Mock (4/8) /Experts (3/17) /Reader (4/13) /Consensus (2/25)
2011 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2011 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 2 /Round 3
Other 2011 Mock Drafts: Free Agency (5/9) /Greg Cox (4/28) /Backward Mock (4/22) /Emmitt Mock (4/21) /Team Big Boards (4/21) /Celebrity Mock (4/13) /Experts (4/7) /Not Mock (4/6) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Greg Cox's 2012 Mock (2/22) /Matt McGuire (1/8)
2012 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2012 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2012 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Pick History (4/23) /Emmitt Mock (4/19) /Not Mock (4/19) /Backward Mock (4/17) /Celebrity (4/15) /Goals (4/10) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Greg Cox (9/9)
2013 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2013 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2013 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /GM Mock (4/21) /Charlie's Trade Mock (4/20) /Goals (4/19) /Rapid Reader Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/14) /Not Mock (4/13) /Pick History (4/5) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Archived 2013 NFL Mock Drafts
2014 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATE 5/8): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2014 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/10): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2014 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/8) /Goals (5/3) /Not Mock (4/27) /Emmitt Mock (4/20) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Celebrity Mock (4/11) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2015 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2015 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/2): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2015 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/30) /Goals (4/25) /Not Mock (4/19) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/3) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/5) /Overreaction Mock (12/29)
2016 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2016 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2016 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Combo (5/8) /Goals (4/23) /Not Mock (4/22) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/16) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2017 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2017 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2017 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Combo (5/7) /Goals (4/22) /Not Mock (4/21) /Emmitt Mock (4/16) /Backward Mock (4/9) /Celebrity Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Overreaction Mock (1/2)
2018 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2018 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2018 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Combo (5/6) /Goals (4/21) /Not Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Backward Mock (4/8) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/11) /Senior Bowl (1/27)
2019 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2019 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2019 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /Combo (5/5) /Goals (4/20) /Not Mock (4/18) /Witten Mock (4/14) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Emmitt Mock (4/7) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/10) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/26) /Video Mock (1/8) /Overreaction Mock (12/31)
2020 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2020 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2020 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/23) /Combo (5/3) /Goals (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/12) /Trades Mock (4/8) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/16) /Corey Long (3/13) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/27) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2021 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2021 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/1): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2021 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/17) /Goals (4/23) /Backward Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/11) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/30) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2022 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2022 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2022 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Goals (4/22) /Backward Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/5) /Overreaction Mock (1/10)
2023 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2023 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2023 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Backward Mock (4/19) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/4) /Overreaction Mock (1/9)
2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 3/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/25)
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (3/23)
2018 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2017 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2016 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2015 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2014 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2013 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2012 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2011 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2010 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2009 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2008 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2007 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2006 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2005 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2004 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2003 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2002 NFL Draft Re-Mock