2016 NFL Mock Draft

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

With the 2015 NFL draft come and gone, it’s time to look ahead to 2016–our first glimpse at what the board may look like a year from now. 

If you’re a normal human being, the last three days have exhausted you. They’ve given you enough of your football fix to last at least until late July when training camps open.

But if you’re reading this, you’re obviously desiring more. You’re a junkie and you need to keep feeding your addiction for draft coverage. You need the first scoop on players at least to watch out for in the upcoming college football season, who could develop into first-round picks next year.

That is mainly what this is intended to do.

It’s impossible to know with any precision what teams will be picking where, but it’s also fun to slot players to certain teams, and in some ways helps us clarify our much too early draft board for a year from now.

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Some rules with that in mind: the team that has picked first in the draft has for three straight years finished that regular season with a winning record, according to ESPN Stats & Info. In other words, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers then are slotted in the middle of this draft.

Second, we can look at the schedules and of course look at this year’s draft to get some idea of which teams we think will finish where, though again, it’s a very rough look at the landscape. These shouldn’t necessarily be looked at as early conference championship and Super Bowl picks, but simply trying to line teams up with an approximate ending point.

That said, it seems that no matter what teams do in the offseason, the final four generally includes teams with the best quarterbacks and coaches, hence why the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts are again the final four teams in this way too early mock.

But without further ado, let’s get to the 2016 early mock draft.

Next: First 4