2016 NFL Mock Draft
By Will Osgood
21. Miami Dolphins–Tyler Johnstone, OT, Oregon
The Miami Dolphins look like a team on the rise, and will now look to the 2016 draft not to fill holes where they once were–guys who could get open and catch the ball for Ryan Tannehill–but to protect their franchise quarterback.
Johnstone helps them do that, and is able to open holes for their running back-by-committee backfield.
22. Philadelphia Eagles–Mike Matthews, C, Texas A&M
The “Mad Scientist”, or whatever we’re calling him, Chip Kelly, was right. Sam Bradford is in fact–at least in Kelly’s system–a franchise-caliber quarterback. He gets them back into the playoffs and gives Kelly another year to add talent through the draft and free agency.
In choosing Matthews, he goes bloodlines over maybe more succulent talent in eschewing USC center Max Tuerk or Isaac Seumalo. And “The Mad Scientist” again makes all look like fools.
23. Denver Broncos–Wayne Lyons, CB, Stanford
The Denver Broncos earn the Wild Card in these not so exact projections (they are very loose projections) and decide they need to help their defense. Though they are still not sure who eventually replaces Peyton Manning they wait at least one more round to figure that out.
24. Dallas Cowboys–Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
The poor Dallas Cowboys, no matter how hard they try just can’t get to the NFC Championship Game, much less the Super Bowl, with Tony Romo under center (and it’s really not his fault).
They look to improve in the first-round of the 2016 draft their defensive line by taking the productive Shilique Calhoun who some scouts are already worried is more a product of great talent around him and scheming by the coaching staff. That doesn’t bother the Jones’s though.
Imagine a DeMarcus Lawrence, Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory and Shilique Calhoun quadrant of pass-rushers. That’s scary to picture moving forward.
Next: The divisional round losers