2016 NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Thursday, Dec. 10, 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 10/30): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/1)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 7/24): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (10/26)
(More links to previous NFL mock drafts at the bottom of this page)


    *** 2016 NFL MOCK DRAFT (3 rounds) updated Dec. 9. 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. Cleveland Browns: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
    The Browns are now in full control of the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. There’s no doubt about which position they’ll take. It’s going to be a quarterback for sure, but will it be Paxton Lynch or Jared Goff? Cleveland has four months to decide.

    We haven’t spoken to our NFL sources about Lynch yet, but unless he struggles to close out the year, I have to believe that he’ll grade out as a top-10 prospect, and perhaps the top quarterback in the class. Even if he doesn’t, teams get desperate and reach for players at his position. The Browns obviously need a signal-caller, as Johnny Manziel is an idiot who has no future (or present) in the NFL. Whatever hope Cleveland had for Manziel is now gone, as he won’t stop his partying ways. Perhaps he can fool everyone again with another PR-move trip to rehab, but it’s likely that he’s done with the Browns.

    Follow @walterfootball for updates.

  2. Tennessee Titans: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
    Marcus Mariota has taken an absolute beating thus far, and he hasn’t even played his entire rookie campaign yet. The Titans have to do something about this; they cannot afford to have Mariota transform into David Carr.

    Laremy Tunsil is the best prospect who makes sense for Tennessee, anyway. With Tunsil on the roster, the Titans will have outstanding bookend tackles, allowing Jeremiah Poutasi to slide inside to guard, where he would probably be more comfortable. There’s no way the Titans will pass on Tunsil if they have a chance to obtain him.

  3. San Diego Chargers: Joey Bosa, DE/OLB, Ohio State
    A tackle will be the popular mocked pick here, but with Laremy Tunsil off the board, the Chargers may feel that they can address the position in the second round. Besides, if they go best player available, I’m sure they’ll strongly consider Joey Bosa, who can help their lacking pass rush. Melvin Ingram, who hasn’t been able to stay healthy, is entering his contract year in 2016.

    Charlie Campbell reported that 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 Chargers would love to grab him in an attempt to improve their underwhelming defense.



  4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
    In the past two weeks, Philip Rivers and Marcus Mariota combined to go 49-of-72, 568 yards, eight total touchdowns and one interception. That’s not good, right? The Jaguars desperately need to fix their secondary, which has to see an upgrade at both cornerback and safety.

    Pick change; previously Ronnie Stanley, OT

  5. Baltimore Ravens: Jalen Ramsey, S/CB, Florida State
    Speaking of teams that need upgrades at both cornerback and safety, the Ravens have a notoriously awful secondary that has to be improved. Baltimore could use Jalen Ramsey at either position. Kendrick Lewis can be upgraded next to Will Hill, while one of the disappointing corners can be bounced out of the lineup if Baltimore wants to use Ramsey there.

    As Charlie Campbell reported, some teams were concerned about Jalen 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.

    Pick change; previously Laquon Treadwell, WR

  6. New Orleans Saints: Jared Goff, QB, California
    It’s sounding like Sean Payton won’t be around next year, and he could take Drew Brees with him. It’s a shame that New Orleans could part ways with Brees after all he’s done for the city and organization, but the truth of the matter is, he’ll be a 37-year-old due $19.75 million in a contract season.

    If the Saints bring in a totally new regime, they may want their own guy. Some teams have concerns about the offense in which Jared Goff plays in, but his pocket awareness and movement, as well as his intelligence have stood out. Things could change – and knowing how fluid the draft process is, they probably will – but Goff appears to be the No. 2 quarterback prospect right now.

    Pick change; previously Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT



  7. San Francisco 49ers: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
    The 49ers have been saying that they want Colin Kaepernick back, and with the way Blaine Gabbert has been playing, San Francisco may decide to roll with those two signal-callers again in 2016, opting instead to address some of the other positions in dire need of an upgrade.

    Speaking of Gabbert, he would be playing even better right now if he had better protection. Erik Pears is an abomination at right tackle, so the 49ers definitely need to upgrade that spot this offseason.

    Pick change; previously Jared Goff, QB

  8. Dallas Cowboys: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
    Jerry Jones loves to draft talented receivers who fall to him, and Laquon Treadwell could be his next target. It’s not like the Cowboys couldn’t use Treadwell; they were devoid of talented weapons when Dez Bryant was injured, so even though Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel were terrible, they didn’t really have much of a chance.

    Pick change; previously Jalen Ramsey, S/CB

  9. Detroit Lions: Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT, Ole Miss
    Though Detroit’s defense has been playing better recently, the team still doesn’t have a forceful presence in the interior of its stop unit. Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley have both been missed, so the Lions will definitely consider Robert Nkemdiche if he falls to them.

    And yes, Nkemdiche could easily drop to the No. 10 range. The teams we’ve spoken to aren’t as impressed with Nkemdiche as the national media is, so it wouldn’t be surprising to slip into the 8-14 range.

    Pick change; previously Jalen Ramsey, S/CB



  10. St. Louis Rams: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
    The Rams almost have to pick a quarterback, don’t they? They paid Nick Foles this past offseason, but he’s a lost cause. Jeff Fisher is fed up with him, and I have to believe that this organization will desperately be searching for a new face of the franchise – especially if it makes the move out west to Los Angeles.

    Connor Cook has some accuracy and consistency issues that NFL teams are legitimately worried about, but once again, teams will reach for quarterbacks, so he should end up being a top-15 selection.

  11. Miami Dolphins: Myles Jack, LB/RB, UCLA
    The Dolphins have issues on every level of their defense, and the best player on the board who can help their stop unit is Myles Jack. The linebacking corps is in need of an upgrade. Jelani Jenkins is the only linebacker they have who’s not terrible in coverage, and he’s just OK.

    And yes, Myles Jack is still a first-rounder and a possible top-10 prospect. Jack injured his knee, yet he’s still in play to go this high. 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.

  12. New York Giants: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
    The Giants are ahead of only the Falcons for the fewest sacks in the NFL. Jason Pierre-Paul’s early-season absence obviously had something to do with that, but it hasn’t helped that they haven’t had any sort of pass-rushing presence next to Johnathan Hankins. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if New York grabbed the best lineman available, and that happens to be Andrew Billings, who had a monstrous finish to his 2015 campaign.



  13. Philadelphia Eagles: DeForest Buckner, DE/DT, Oregon
    The Eagles have an outstanding defensive line, but Vinny Curry and Cedric Thornton are impending free agents. It’ll be difficult to keep the two of them, so if one (or both) leaves, Chip Kelly may decide to snatch another Oregon Duck to help him fill a need.

    Pick change; previously Vernon Hargreaves, CB

  14. 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 Leonard Floyd, DE/OLB

  15. Chicago Bears: A’Shawn Robinson, DE/DT, Alabama
    The Bears need as much defensive help as possible as they continue to transition into their new 3-4 scheme. The defensive line is comprised of mediocre players, at best, so this is an area the front office will have to upgrade this offseason. Why not do so by selecting one of the top players available at this juncture?

    Pick change; previously Tre’Davious White, CB

  16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
    Gerald McCoy and Jacquies Smith were called the Buccaneers’ “top two pass-rushers” when they both missed a game recently, which has to be discouraging to any Tampa backer. Smith is a marginal talent who definitely needs to be upgraded. Acquiring more pass-rushers makes sense in a division comprised of Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan.

    Pick change; previously Jaylon Smith, LB


    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







NFL Picks - Nov. 2


2025 NFL Mock Draft - Oct. 30


NFL Power Rankings - Oct. 28


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 10/30): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/1)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 7/24): Round 1 /Picks 17-32
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (10/26)
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