2016 NFL Mock Draft: Complete 1st-Round Predictions for Top Prospects and More

While none of the prospects in the 2016 NFL draft class have the hype of an Andrew Luck or even a Jameis Winston, teams have made up for it with a historic build.

The first two picks have been traded for the first time since 1983. That season, the first five picks were somehow involved in a trade. That draft also included John Elway and Eric Dickerson going with the first two selections. Four of the top five players in the class wound up making at least one Pro Bowl.

This year’s class isn’t quite as touted. It’s apparent now that Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will go off the board with the first two picks. Teams don’t mortgage their futures for defensive backs or offensive linemen. These moves made by the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles will shape at least the next half-decade of their trajectories—possibly longer.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how things will fall Thursday night.

Mock Draft

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Addressing the QB Debate

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It’s becoming readily apparent that Goff and Wentz will be the first two picks Thursday. The Rams didn’t mortgage two years’ worth of draft capital to take a tackle, and a quarterback has been earmarked for Philly since its trade.

But which player will come off the board first? ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Rams were leaning toward Goff but that both have met with the team before the draft. Jordan Raanan and Mark Eckel of NJ.com talked to a source who called Goff to L.A. a “done deal.” Head coach Jeff Fisher discussed both quarterbacks, via Schefter:

We’ve also done private workouts with Jared and with Carson already. We did those at the end of February, early March. We were the first ones in. We’re familiar with both of them, in addition to those other prospects on this roster. So, the skill sets are different, the personalities are different, the background is different, the competition is different, and that’s what makes this such a challenge.

Of the two, Goff is the safer option. He arrived at California with a ton of fanfare and became a star despite an often-lacking supporting cast. There are issues with his arm strength, and he doesn’t have prototypical size (6’4″, 215 lbs). But this …

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