Mel Kiper NFL Mock Draft 2016: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru’s 3-Round Mock

As the 2016 NFL draft draws closer, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. released his most comprehensive mock yet Tuesday, as he projected every pick over the first three rounds. 

Kiper acted as the general manager for all 32 teams in his latest ESPN.com mock draft, and attempted to piece together the opening two days of the 2016 draft in Chicago. While many of the early picks were fairly obvious, there were plenty of shockers that could shake up the draft landscape significantly if they come to fruition.

Here is a complete rundown of Kiper’s three-round mock, along with further analysis regarding the teams that came away with the greatest abundance of talent.

 

Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns haven’t reached the playoffs since 2002, but if Kiper’s mock selections for the organization come to fruition, a big step toward ending that drought could be taken.

After mocking California’s Jared Goff to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 1, Kiper gave Cleveland the other top signal-caller in Carson Wentz of North Dakota State. Wentz is viewed as a player who has all the tools needed to be a star at the next level, but the fact that he played FCS ball creates some concern regarding whether he can make the leap.

As seen in this chart courtesy of Pro Football Focus, though, he excelled in areas of the field that suggest he has a skill set that should translate well to the NFL:

Carson Wentz’s best work came at the intermediate level last year, completing 33 of 48 for 565 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs pic.twitter.com/XbR1S9d9jO

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 16, 2016

One person who is especially impressed with Wentz is Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

If you haven’t spent time with a guy like [Wentz], it’s hard to evaluate him, given that North Dakota State is an FCS school and plays against less-than-top competition. When you finally get him and get him in your building, get your hands on him, have a chance to visit with him and just break it down, this kid’s pretty impressive. I’m excited to see where he goes, and then excited to kind of follow his career. … You dive into him as a person, his work ethic, his off-the-field attitude … how he handles his teammates, puts him in kind of an elite status when it comes to quarterbacks.

With veterans Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown on the roster, Cleveland is fortunate in the sense that it can allow Wentz to develop and it doesn’t have to play him until he is truly ready.

In terms of a more immediate impact, Kiper gave the Browns Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed in the second round and Ohio State wide receiver Braxton Miller in the third.

Reed is a fantastic run-stuffer who could easily land in the latter part of the first round, and he would be a great fit for the Browns along with the mountainous Danny Shelton up front.

Cleveland is also in desperate need of playmakers on offense, and Miller proved to be precisely that at both quarterback and wide receiver with the Buckeyes.

He doesn’t have a ton of experience as a wideout, but former Pro Bowl pass-catcher Chad Johnson recently revealed that he is set to work with the explosive prospect:

Just talked to the kid @BraxtonMiller5, he’s coming down to Miami to work w/ the boy, feet & routes gonna be ???????????? in rookie camp.

— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) April 15, 2016

Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Browns this season, they need additional options in the passing …

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