Here we are.
The first day of the 2016 NFL Draft weekend is finally upon us.
It’s time to rejoice because tonight kicks off one of the most glorious and exciting weekends on the sports calendar.
Over the next three days, 253 gifted young athletes will realize their dreams of being drafted by an NFL franchise. They’ll be embraced and celebrated by fan bases who hope they can become key building blocks to a future championship.
It makes perfect sense that the NFL’s annual draft takes place in the Spring — a season of rebirth, renewal and regeneration.
This weekend marks the dawning of a new era for all 32 franchises.
The future begins now.
We’ve known for weeks that the first two picks are guaranteed to be the top two quarterbacks in the class: Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz. However, it’s anybody’s guess who the Chargers will pick at No. 3 (if in fact they don’t trade down) and how the rest of the first round will unfold from there.
All along, we here at Gridiron Perspective have touted Oregon DE DeForest Buckner as the top prospect in this class. We feel he’s deserving to be the first positional player taken and the best prospect to reignite a sluggish Chargers defensive front-seven. Therefore we built the mock around the premise that Buckner will be the third pick and went from there.
Here’s a look at the final 2-round mock draft for the 2016 NFL Draft, which includes projections and predictions for the first 63 picks of this year’s proceedings, along with complete Top 10 prospect power rankings for each individual position.
Round 1
1. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff, QB, California
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Philadelphia Eagles: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
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San Diego Chargers: DeForest Buckner, DL, Oregon
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Dallas Cowboys: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State
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Jacksonville Jaguars: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
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Baltimore Ravens: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
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San Francisco 49ers: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
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Cleveland Browns: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
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New York Giants: Leonard Floyd, LB, Georgia
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Chicago Bears: Shaq Lawson, EDGE, Clemson
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New Orleans Saints: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
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Miami Dolphins: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
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Oakland Raiders: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
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Tennessee Titans: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
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Detroit Lions: Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
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Atlanta Falcons: Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State
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Indianapolis Colts: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
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Buffalo Bills: Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
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New York Jets: Kevin Dodd, EDGE, Clemson
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Washington Redskins: Ryan Kelly, OC, Alabama
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Houston Texans: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
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Minnesota Vikings: Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
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Cincinnati Bengals: Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
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Pittsburgh Steelers: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
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Seattle Seahawks: Germain Ifedi, OT, Texas A&M
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Green Bay Packers: Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
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Kansas City Chiefs: Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech
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Arizona Cardinals: Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia
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Carolina Panthers: Emmanuel Ogbah, DE Oklahoma State
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Denver Broncos: Keanu Neal, S, Florida
Round 2
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Cleveland Browns: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
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Tennessee Titans: Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA
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Dallas Cowboys: Jonathan Bullard, DL, Florida
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San Diego Chargers: Vonn Bell, S, Ohio State
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Baltimore Ravens: Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
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San Francisco 49ers: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
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Jacksonville Jaguars: Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor
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New York Giants: Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State
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Chicago Bears: Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
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Miami Dolphins: William Jackson III, CB, Houston
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Tennessee Titans: Le’Raven Clark, OT, Texas Tech
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Oakland Raiders: Darian Thompson, S, Boise State
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Tennessee Titans: Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State
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Detroit Lions: Shon Coleman, OT, Auburn
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New Orleans Saints: Noah Spence, EDGE, Eastern Kentucky
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Indianapolis Colts: Kamalei Correa, LB, Boise State
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Buffalo Bills: Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
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Atlanta Falcons: Su’a Cravens, S, USC
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New York Jets: Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana
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Houston Texans: A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
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Washington Redskins: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
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Minnesota Vikings: Cody Whitehair, OL, Kansas State
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Cincinnati Bengals: Jihad Ward, EDGE, Illinois
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Seattle Seahawks: Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
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Green Bay Packers: Austin Johnson, DT, Penn State
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Pittsburgh Steelers: Joshua Garnett, OG, Stanford
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Kansas City Chiefs: Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh
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New England Patriots: Artie Burns, CB, Miami
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New England Patriots: Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
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Carolina Panthers: T.J. Green, CB, Clemson
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Denver Broncos: Bronson Kaufusi, DE, BYU
The Top 10 Quarterbacks
1 – Jared Goff, California (1-1, St. Louis Rams)
- Carson Wentz, North Dakota State (1-2, Philadelphia Eagles)
- Paxton Lynch, Memphis (2-32, Cleveland Browns)
- Connor Cook, Michigan State (2-37, San Francisco 49ers)
- Christian Hackenberg, Penn State (2-49, Buffalo Bills)
- Kevin Hogan, Stanford
- Cardale Jones, Ohio State
- Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
- Jacoby Brissett, NC State
- Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech
Honorable Mention: Nate Sudfeld, Indiana
The Top 10 Running Backs
1 – Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (1-13, Miami Dolphins)
- Derrick Henry, Alabama (2-56, Seattle Seahawks)
- Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech
- Devontae Booker, Utah
- Kenyan Drake, Alabama
- Jordan Howard, Indiana
- Tyler Ervin, San Jose State
- C.J. Prosise, Notre Dame
- Alex Collins, Arkansas
- Paul Perkins, UCLA
Honorable Mention: Josh Ferguson, Illinois
The Top 10 Wide Receivers
1 – Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss (1-12, New Orleans Saints)
- Corey Coleman, Baylor (1-22, Houston Texans)
- Josh Doctson, TCU (1-23, Minnesota Vikings)
- Will Fuller, Notre Dame (1-24, Cincinnati Bengals)
- Tyler Boyd, Pittsburgh (2-59, Kansas City Chiefs)
- Michael Thomas, Ohio State (2-40, New York Giants)
- Braxton Miller, Ohio State (2-45, Tennessee Titans)
- Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma
- Leonte Carroo, Rutgers
- DeMarcus Robinson, Florida
Honorable Mention: Pharoh Cooper, South Carolina
The Top 10 Tight Ends
1 – Hunter Henry, Arkansas
- Austin Hooper, Stanford
- Nick Vannett, Ohio State
- Jerell Adams, South Carolina
- Devon Cajuste, Stanford
- Tyler Higbee, Western Kentucky
- Ryan Malleck, Virginia Tech
- Temmarrick Hemingway, South Carolina State
- David Morgan, UTSA
- Ben Braunecker, Harvard
Honorable Mention: Glenn Gronkowski, Kansas State
The Top 10 Offensive Tackles
1 – Laremy Tunsil, Ole Miss (1-6, Baltimore Ravens)
- Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame (1-7, San Francisco 49ers)
- Jack Conklin, Michigan State (1-9, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Taylor Decker, Ohio State (1-18, Indianapolis Colts)
- Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M (1-26, Seattle Seahawks)
- Jason Spriggs, Indiana (2-51, New York Jets)
- Le’Raven Clark, Texas Tech (2-43, Tennessee Titans)
- Shon Coleman, Auburn (2-46, Detroit Lions)
- Jerald Hawkins, LSU
- Brandon Shell, South Carolina
Honorable Mention: Willie Beavers, Western Michigan
The Top 10 Interior Linemen
1 – Ryan Kelly, Alabama (1-21, Washington Redskins)
- Cody Whitehair, Kansas State (2-54, Minnesota Vikings)
- Joshua Garnett, Stanford (2-58, Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Rees Odhiambo, Boise State
- Nick Martin, Notre Dame
- Evan Boehm, Missouri
- Caleb Benenoch, UCLA
- Max Tuerk, USC
- Denver Kirkland, Arkansas
- Vadal Alexander, LSU
Honorable Mention: Graham Glasgow, Michigan
The Top 10 Defensive Tackles
1 – Sheldon Rankins, Louisville (1-14, Oakland Raiders)
- Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (1-16, Detroit Lions)
- Jarran Reed, Alabama (1-19, Buffalo Bills)
- Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech (1-28, Kansas City Chiefs)
- Kenny Clark, UCLA (2-33, Tennessee Titans)
- Chris Jones, Mississippi State (2-38, Jacksonville Jaguars)
- A’Shawn Robinson, Alabama (2-52, Houston Texans)
- Andrew Billings, Baylor (2-53, Washington Redskins)
- Austin Johnson, Penn State (2-57, Green Bay Packers)
- Maliek Collins, Nebraska
Honorable Mention: Sheldon Day, Notre Dame
The Top 10 Defensive Ends
1 – DeForest Buckner, Oregon (1-3, San Diego Chargers)
- Joey Bosa, Ohio State (1-8, Cleveland Browns)
- Shaq Lawson, Clemson (1-11, Chicago Bears)
- Kevin Dodd, Clemson (1-20, New York Jets)
- Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State (1-30, Carolina Panthers)
- Jonathan Bullard, Florida (2-34, Dallas Cowboys)
- Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky (2-47, New Orleans Saints)
- Jihad Ward, Illinois (2-55, Cincinnati Bengals)
- Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State (2-61, New England Patriots)
- Bronson Kaufusi, BYU (2-63, Denver Broncos)
Honorable Mention: Carl Nassib, Penn State
The Top 10 Linebackers
1 – Myles Jack, UCLA (1-5, Jacksonville Jaguars)
- Leonard Floyd, Georgia (1-10, New York Giants)
- Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
- Darron Lee, Ohio State (1-17, Atlanta Falcons)
- Reggie Ragland, Alabama (1-27, Green Bay Packers)
- Kamalei Correa, Boise State (2-48, Indianapolis Colts)
- Deion Jones, LSU
- Josh Perry, Ohio State
- Jordan Jenkins, Georgia
- Kyler Fackrell, Utah State
Honorable Mention: Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
The Top 10 Cornerbacks
1 – Jalen Ramsey, Florida State (1-4, Dallas Cowboys)
- Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida (1-15, Tennessee Titans)
- Eli Apple, Ohio State (1-25, Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Mackensie Alexander, Clemson (2-36, Baltimore Ravens)
- William Jackson III, Houston (2-42, Miami Dolphins)
- Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech (2-41, Chicago Bears)
- Xavien Howard, Baylor (2-39, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Artie Burns, Miami (2-60, New England Patriots)
- T.J. Green Clemson (2-62, Carolina Panthers)
- Zack Sanchez, Oklahoma
Honorable Mention: Deiondre’ Hall, Northern Iowa
The Top 10 Safeties
1 – Karl Joseph, West Virginia (1-29, Arizona Cardinals)
- Keanu Neal, Florida (1-31, Denver Broncos)
- Vonn Bell, Ohio State (2-35, San Diego Chargers)
- Darian Thompson, Boise State (2-44, Oakland Raiders)
- Su’a Cravens, USC (2-50, Atlanta Falcons)
- Jayron Kearse, Clemson
- Sean Davis, Maryland
- Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah
- Jeremy Cash, Duke
- Justin Simmons, Boston College
Honorable Mention: Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee State
Top Placekicker: Roberto Aguayo, Florida State
Top Punter: Drew Kaser, Texas A&M