2016 NFL Mock Draft

Last update: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. Changes for bowl results.
Next update: Next week. Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

The order of this 2016 NFL Mock Draft based on the current NFL Draft Order.

NFL Draft Recent Links:
2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 11/6): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/8)
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 (4 rounds) updated Jan. 2. This mock draft will be updated each week. Check out old versions of this 2016 NFL Mock Draft in the archived mock section. Follow @walterfootball for NFL Draft updates. ***
  1. Tennessee Titans: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
    Marcus Mariota has taken an absolute beating thus far, and now he’s been knocked out for the season. The Titans have to do something about this; they cannot afford to have Mariota transform into David Carr.

    In the wake of San Diego’s senseless victory over the Dolphins, it appears as though Tennessee has won the Laremy Tunsil sweepstakes. 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.

    Follow @walterfootball for updates.

  2. Cleveland Browns: Joey Bosa, DE/OLB, Ohio State
    As I wrote in my previous update, I was beginning to wonder about the quarterback selection. There aren’t any overwhelming quarterbacks in this class, and Johnny Manziel has shown enough in his past few starts – against some very strong defenses like Seattle and Kansas City – to warrant another chance next year. Of course, this all goes out the window if he continues to drink himself into oblivion.

    I’m sure the Browns would appease their fans with this selection anyhow. Save for their victory over the 49ers, they’ve struggled to rush the passer, and that’s something Joey Bosa specializes in.

    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 Browns would love to grab him in an attempt to improve their middling defense.

    Pick change; previously Paxton Lynch, QB

  3. San Diego Chargers: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
    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 Vernon Hargreaves.

    The Chargers had issues at cornerback in 2015, as Brandon Flowers struggled mightily. Owed a ton of money going forward, Flowers may not be on the roster much longer. Meanwhile, Patrick Robinson, who filled in nicely for Flowers, is an impending free agent.

    Pick change; previously Joey Bosa, DE/OLB



  4. Dallas Cowboys: Myles Jack, LB/RB, UCLA
    The Cowboys have been awful defensively this year when they’ve lost either Sean Lee or Rolando McClain to injury during a game. Well, McClain happens to be an impending free agent, while Lee’s durability history is quite dubious. Dallas will be searching for linebacker help and could possibly pull the trigger in the top 10, maybe even in the top five if Vernon Hargreaves is off th board.

    And yes, Myles Jack is still a first-rounder and a likely 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.

  5. San Francisco 49ers: Jared Goff, QB, California
    I shied away from the 49ers taking a quarterback a couple of weeks ago after seeing Blaine Gabbert put together some quality performances. Gabbert, unfortunately, looked like an abomination in an embarrassing losses to Cleveland and Cincinnati. Inept owner Jed York won’t be able to sell his fans of another year of Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick, so he’ll green light the front office selecting a quarterback in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

    It was very close between Jared Goff and Paxton Lynch heading into the bowls, but the former may have edged ahead because of his brilliant performance in his postseason exhibition game.

  6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Ramsey, S/CB, Florida State
    In a 2-week stretch recently, 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. Jalen Ramsey can play both positions.



  7. Miami Dolphins: DeForest Buckner, DE/DT, Oregon
    The Dolphins have a couple of impending free agents at defensive end in Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby. I imagine Vernon will be franchised, but that might mean that Wake, who is coming off a torn Achilles, could be cut for financial purposes. If so, DeForest Buckner would make a ton of sense as a replacement.

    Pick change; previously Jaylon Smith, LB

  8. Baltimore Ravens: A’Shawn Robinson, DE/DT, Alabama
    Ozzie Newsome selecting an Alabama player… has that happened before? A’Shawn Robinson makes a ton of sense here, as the Ravens started Chris Canty when he was healthy. Canty was fine, but he was clearly in regression mode, as he turned 33 in November. Baltimore will be looking for a new defensive lineman to go along with Brandon Williams and Timmy Jernigan.

    Pick change; previously Jalen Ramsey, CB/S

  9. 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 during the middle of the season, 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.



  10. New York Giants: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
    I don’t think the Giants will go out of their way to use another first-round pick on an offensive lineman, but they’re just going with value with this selection, taking the best player available. Ronnie Stanley is definitely the top talent remaining, and he does make sense for the Giants. Will Beatty cannot be trusted to stay healthy, while Ereck Flowers would probably be more comfortable on the right side.

    Pick change; previously Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT

  11. New Orleans Saints: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
    We all know how bad New Orleans’ secondary is, but part of the problem is that the team isn’t getting any sort of push up front. It’s especially dire at defensive tackle, where 80-year-old Kevin Williams is the team’s best player. Something absolutely needs to be done about that.

  12. Philadelphia Eagles: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
    If you’ve been living under a rock, Chip Kelly has been fired – click the link for the Eagles’ grade – so the team is going to start over with a new general manager and head coach. New regimes mean new quarterbacks, so I expect Philadelphia to target one of the signal-callers in this class.

    It’s sounding like Paxton Lynch could be the top quarterback in this class, as he has the most upside. It’s close between him and Jared Goff though, as neither is anywhere close to a can’t-miss prospect. However, both should be chosen in the top 15, given how quarterback-starved most of the NFL is.

    Pick change; previously DeForest Buckner, DE/DT



  13. Detroit Lions: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
    There’s no question that upgrading the offensive line has to be a priority for Detroit this upcoming offseason, and the front office can start by finding an upgrade across from Riley Reiff.

    Pick change; previously DeForest Buckner, DT

  14. Chicago Bears: Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame
    Jaylon Smith sustained what appeared to be a serious ankle injury in his postseason exhibition game. It’s a shame, as Smith probably would’ve been a top-10 prospect. I’m slotting him here for now, but I’ll move him down more if he is, in fact, ruled out for a while and unable to be prepared for the 2016 season opener.

    Pick change; previously Jack Conklin, OT

  15. Indianapolis Colts: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU
    There’s no interior lineman worth taking this high. The Colts have other pressing needs, including cornerback. Vontae Davis is having one of his worst seasons in a while, yet he’s still the best corner the Colts have. That tells you how the dire the situation is for Indianapolis at the position.

  16. Buffalo Bills: Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT, Ole Miss
    I think this is the most natural spot for Robert Nkemdiche. Even before his latest off-the-field issues, the teams we spoke to believed that he was overrated. Both Charlie and I had him in the teens before his recent incident, but he could fall to around 20 or so.

    The Bills might snatch him up in a heartbeat. Rex Ryan has shown that he doesn’t care about character concerns, and defensive tackle is a big need. Kyle Williams, who turns 33 this offseason, is due $7 million in 2016, so the Bills could part ways with him.

    Pick change; previously Laquon Treadwell, WR


  17. 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


Go to 2016 NFL Mock Draft: Round 4 | Go to 2017 NFL Mock Draft


Fantasy Football Rankings







NFL Picks - Nov. 10


2025 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 6


NFL Power Rankings - Nov. 5


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 11/6): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (11/8)
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