2016 NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 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:
2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 12/4): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/29)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 11/29): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/23)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)


    *** 2016 NFL MOCK DRAFT (2 rounds) updated Sept. 29. 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. Chicago Bears: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
    It’s either a quarterback or a blue-chip defender like Joey Bosa at No. 1 for the Bears. The conservative John Fox may push for Bosa, 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 Connor Cook.

    NFL teams are concerned with Cook’s accuracy and inconsistency, but with Cardale Jones struggling at times, and Christian Hackenberg falling off, he has to be considered the favorite to be chosen No. 1 overall right now, though Jared Goff may have something to say about that.

    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 beat the Saints, but the victory was less impressive once it was revealed that Drew Brees was injured. The Houston game was pitiful, with Alfred Blue trampling all over them. 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. 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.

    Pick change; previously Ronnie Stanley, OT



  4. Cleveland Browns: Jared Goff, QB, California
    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. If the NFL awarded six points for rolling $20s in bathrooms, he would be a Pro Bowler, but sadly, that is not the case. Manziel seems to have gotten better lately, but only marginally. He made three great plays versus Tennessee, but was very mediocre otherwise. He’s not a starting-caliber quarterback.

    I expect Cleveland to target a signal-caller in the 2016 NFL Draft. In a previous update, that would’ve been Christian Hackenberg, but he has dropped considerably after some horribly ridiculous performances. Cardale Jones, meanwhile, sunk his draft stock with a poor start. Jared Goff has been better, and he could end up being the top signal-caller chosen even though NFL teams were critical of him going into the season.

  5. San Francisco 49ers: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
    The 49ers endured a number of surprise retirements this past offseason, one of which was to Anthony Davis. Poor protection – in addition to the massive downgrade in coaching – has transformed Colin Kaepernick into a turnover machine. Jim Harbaugh’s not coming back, but the 49ers can at least find a replacement for Davis with one of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft.

    Pick change; previously Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT

  6. St. Louis Rams: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
    The Rams had interest in DeVante Parker as a candidate for No. 10 overall, but they opted to go with Todd Gurley instead. Perhaps they’ll find a top receiver next spring because they absolutely need to get Kenny Britt out of the starting lineup. I’m not quite sure why Brian Quick isn’t playing, but Jeff Fisher would probably be forced to start a top wideout if the front office spent a high draft pick on one.

    Pick change; previously Tyler Boyd, WR



  7. Washington Redskins: Jalen Ramsey, S, Florida State
    Washington’s defense has been so much better under Joe Barry, who has been an enormous upgrade over Jim Haslett thus far. However, the Redskins could still use an upgrade at safety, which Jalen Ramsey can certainly provide.

    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.

  8. Houston Texans: Myles Jack, LB/RB, UCLA
    The Texans spent a third-round pick on Benardrick McKinney, but they’ll be in the market for another inside linebacker next offseason once they release Brian Cushing, who has struggled in recent years. Myles Jack figures to be an upgrade.

    Jack tore his ACL, yet he’s still in play as a top-10 pick. Todd Gurley was chosen No. 10 overall despite his knee injury, and Jack got hurt so early that he’ll be ready for the 2016 NFL season opener.

  9. New Orleans Saints: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
    I don’t need to explain that the Saints desperately need help in their secondary. They haven’t been able to cover anyone thus far this season. They signed Brandon Browner in the spring, but he’s a turnover-prone player who shouldn’t be starting. It’s worth noting that New Orleans has very little at the position outside of Browner and Keenan Lewis.

    Pick change; previously Laquon Treadwell, WR



  10. 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.

    Pick change; previously Vernon Hargreaves, CB

  11. 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.

    Pick change; previously Laremy Tunsil, OT

  12. Detroit Lions: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
    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.



  13. 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.

    Pick change; previously Cameron Sutton, CB

  14. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
    The Steelers almost have to make this pick, don’t they? The front office has avoided upgrading the cornerback position in the first round for quite some time now, but that could change, given how dreadful the defense looked in the season opener versus Tom Brady.

  15. New York Giants: A’Shawn Robinson, DE/DT, Alabama
    Johnathan Hankins is a very talented defensive tackle, but that’s all the Giants have at the position. They need to fill the huge void they have next to Hankins, so I expect that to be a priority for them next offseason.

  16. 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.


    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.

Back to 2016 NFL Mock Draft: Round 2 | Fantasy Football Rankings







NFL Picks - Dec. 9


NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9


2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 4


2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29


Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4






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 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /April Fools Mock (3/31)
2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 12/4): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/29)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 11/29): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/23)
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