10 things to watch heading into 2016 NFL Draft

Posted by on Apr 27, 2016 08:00

The 2016 NFL draft offers more captivating storylines than most years.

Seriously, this is an odd year—which is a good thing. There’s a lack of must-have quarterback talent right at the top of the draft, only one can’t-miss running back, a hodgepodge of wideouts and enough defensive talent to make the past three years worth of prospects blush, not to mention the usual high-risk, polarizing players at each position.

It’s only right a draft headlined by two major trades at the top of the order gets crazier as the big day approaches. Rest assured the wild ride will continue without slowing throughout the first round and beyond, too.

Before the commissioner walks to the podium and gets a healthy dose of boos, here’s a look at the top storylines to watch.

 

The Quarterback Dilemma at 1-2

The Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles traded up to No. 1 and No. 2 respectively for a reason, folks.

As most know, there are two quarterbacks headlining this draft, even if it isn’t saying much compared to the recent classes to enter the league. One is the suave California product Jared Goff, a pro-style gunslinger who looks ready to start right out of the gates. The other is rugged Carson Wentz from North Dakota State, who also looks like he could step in and run an offense while learning.

Which way the Rams start the draft remains a big question. According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, Goff is the pick:

Interesting, but crazier things have happened. Should the Rams go with a surprise, the ripple effect on the rest of the first round is hard to quantify. As it should be, the No. 1 pick, again a quarterback, remains the most interesting point of all.

 

San Diego’s Choice

Presuming a quarterback comes off the board with each of the first two picks, the San Diego Chargers will find themselves in quite the interesting position.

At No. 3, do the Chargers grab an elite tackle such as Laremy Tunsil to help protect Philip Rivers? Or how about a coveted linebacker like Myles Jack, one of the best prospects to hit the draft in years, knee injury or not? And don’t forget Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey—San Diego added Reggie Nelson to replace Eric Weddle, but adding an elite, versatile secondary defender and the best in class by more than a mile couldn’t hurt.

It’s hard to imagine San Diego trades out of the slot with so many options, but keep that in mind too.

Perhaps moreso than the first two picks, it’s the Chargers who will really decide how the rest of the first round plays out.

 

Does Cleveland Have Another Surprise in Store?

The Cleveland Browns already shocked the globe once by trading out of a top pick.

It’s not such a normal Browns move. Maybe, though, new head coach Hue Jackson is already having a strong impact on the front office. And maybe he’s not one of the many drinking the Kool-Aid on Wentz and Goff.

Or maybe the Browns just want options. Sitting on the eighth pick, Cleveland could go a huge number of ways, maybe getting a top offensive lineman or a top defender such as DeForest Buckner. Heck, maybe the Browns want to pull the trigger on project quarterback Paxton Lynch or grab Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott.

The scenarios seem endless, which is what a rebuilding team like the Browns need. Jackson could also opt to trade down again, acquiring more assets and building blocks. Cleveland sits just behind San Diego as the second-most interesting team to watch on draft day.

 

The Polarizing Noah Spence…

Noah Spence is one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2016 class for good reason.

The elite pass-rushing talent got kicked from Ohio State after battles with off-field problems, took his talents to Eastern Kentucky and downright dominated the competition, as expected.

Now Noah hits the draft after a strong rehabbing of his image through workouts and interviews and has been on the receiving end of praise such as this from Around The NFL:

It’s not an exaggeration, either.

The problem with Spence is some teams never look away from past issues and won’t even have him on the draft board. Watch where Spence goes, though, because if it’s outside of the top 10 the team drafting him could have the biggest steal of all on its hands.

 

…And Robert Nkemdiche

Only Robert Nkemdiche matches Spence in the polarizing department.

Few prospects ever receive the hype Nkemdiche did entering the collegiate level, but it’s clear on film the Ole Miss star just didn’t have his heart in it at all times and then he went and had an ugly close to his collegiate career thanks to an off-field incident.

Alas, experts such as Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller hear the NFL seems in a forgiving mood:

How could it not be? Had Nkemdiche displayed a consistent motor and avoided trouble, he might have been in the conversation as a top-five pick. Like Spence, the team willing to take a risk is indeed taking a huge one—but the upshot is a player with top-five talent.

 

Who Takes a Shot on Paxton Lynch?

Lynch got a mention earlier because he’s by far the most attractive quarterback in the class after Goff and Wentz.

A quarterback who can make plays with his feet, the former Memphis star comes in at 6’7″ and defines the word “project.” It’s not such a bad thing, though, if he lands in the right environment, one that eases him along instead of throwing him right to the fire.

Besides Cleveland, locales such as the New York Jets have popped up, per Mike Mayock:

It’s not so much if Lynch comes off the board in the first round—he will. More interesting is where he lands and if a team will let him slowly develop while learning from the bench, delaying the instant gratification to nurture a guy who could very well end up as the best quarterback from this class.

 

The Order of Wideouts

Good luck figuring out how the wideouts come off the board Thursday.

Seriously. There’s Laquon Treadwell, whose best comparison is Dez Bryant. Then there’s Corey Coleman, a DeSean Jackson lookalike with the speed to match. Don’t forget about Josh Doctson, a guy who can go up and attack the ball at its highest point like DeAndre Hopkins. Oh, and how about Michael Thomas? Though a project, he’s got the upside of a No. 1 wideout when he refines his routes.

Much of how the wideouts fall off the board will come down to team need. A team needing a speedy slot guy isn’t going to grab Treadwell.

No matter how it falls, there’s no debating this is one of the more interesting wideout classes in recent memory. And it’s also locked in that the defensive depth in this class will help some of these guys and more fall down into the second round, making a run on wideouts after an overnight bevy of trades quite the interesting scenario.

 

Fate of the Late-Risers

Late risers always seem to come out of nowhere and shock those watching the NFL draft.

This year three major names come to mind as guys who haven’t received a ton of hype until the past week and change. One is Notre Dame wideout Will Fuller, another is Clemson safety T.J. Green and the most notable is Michigan State offensive lineman Jack Conklin.

Fuller has received recent hype because he’s a speed demon who can make a difference at the next level right away while also developing into a more robust player. In that same vein, Green gets a ton of recent hype thanks to his insane athleticism.

Then there’s Conklin, who just got slotted as the No. 4 overall player on Mel Kiper Jr.‘s latest big board:

A throwback player, Conklin is a great technician with a physical edge you rarely find in today’s game. There are reasonable questions about whether he ends up as a left tackle or a right tackle, but he’s a top-10 talent in this class wherever he ends up.

Remember, guys riding a hype train this late in the process will push others down into the second round.

Did anyone stop to mention a flurry of trades at the top of the second round seems like a sure thing?

 

Saints Hunting Drew Brees Replacement?

The New Orleans Saints aren’t getting rid of Drew Brees by any means, but it appears the front office has its mind on finding an eventual successor in this draft.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Saints seemed to flirt with the idea of moving up to No. 1 and are now a team to watch when it comes to the aforementioned Lynch:

Remember how the Lynch section suggested he needed to land in a place allowing him to learn on the bench for a few years?

New Orleans would be the perfect locale, folks.

There are few better players to learn from than Brees. Odds are he sticks around a few more years in New Orleans, meaning one of the highest-upside guys in the draft takes over a few years into his lessons. Given the degree of difficulty in finding franchise quarterbacks, the Saints trading up would be a smart move.

 

Trades Galore

It’s fitting the last section talked more about trades and several mentioned the top of the second round as a target for deal after deal.

With teams like Cleveland, Buffalo and the New York Jets possibly after quarterbacks, more trades in the top 15 seem like a sure thing. Keep in mind if an injury risk like Myles Jack falls far enough, some team might make the leap as well.

More than anything, though, keep in mind the draft is a hotbed for NFL teams to deal current pros. The headline act in this regard, of course, is Sam Bradford. According to Mike Klis of 9News, the Denver Broncos are one of presumably a few teams interested in dealing for the disgruntled quarterback:

It seems silly now, but all it takes is Philadelphia seeing a prospect they like fall to No. 31 and decide to swing a deal, especially if it means avoiding a controversy and dumping Bradford’s contract.

That’s par for the course with most draft trades. Bradford leads the way, but odds are he won’t be the only player dealt once 32 front offices start picking up the phones.

About Chris Roling

Chris is an Ohio University E.W. Scripps School of Journalism graduate and associate editor here at TSD. He also covers breaking news and the NFL at Bleacher Report and resides in Athens (OH) with his wife and two dogs.

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