Leading up to the 2016 NFL Draft I will periodically be updating our Pac-12 Perspective Mock Draft which focuses on the Pac-12 players I think will be selected early. With the NFL and college football seasons a little bit underway, I thought this would be the perfect time to update for the first time since May.
*Note, I choose the draft order based on how I think the NFL season will play out.
1. Tampa Bay - Joey Bosa DE Ohio State
2. Jacksonville - Laremy Tunsil T Mississippi
3. San Francisco - Jared Goff QB Cal
There is no question to me that Goff should be the first quarterback taken in the draft. It's only a matter of him declaring early and how early a QB-needing team pops up in the draft. He has a rare to find these days, elite NFL QB skillset and I like him more than the guys who went one and two in the 2015 draft.
The 49ers are stuck with a horrible contract with Colin Kaepernick that will play a part in 2015 being a disaster for them. I think if they get the chance to draft a Bay Area born and raised player from across the bay with star potential at quarterback, I think they will do whatever they can to make Goff a reality.
4. Chicago - Connor Cook QB Michigan State
5. Detroit - Ronnie Stanley T Notre Dame
6. Miami - Vernon Hargreaves CB Florida
7. Cleveland - Jalen Ramsey S Florida State
8. Houston - Jaylon Smith LB Notre Dame
9. Philadelphia - Robert Nkemdiche DE Mississippi
10. Washington - LaQuon Treadwell WR Mississippi
11. Kansas City - Taylor Decker T Ohio State
12. New Orleans - Tyler Boyd WR Pittsburgh
13. San Diego - Leonard Floyd LB Georgia
14. St. Louis - Jack Conklin T Michigan State
15. Baltimore - Ezekiel Elliott RB Ohio State
16. Tennessee - Michael Thomas WR Ohio State
17. Oakland - A'Shawn Robinson DT Alabama
18. Dallas - Tre'Davious White CB LSU
19. Minnesota - Kendall Fuller CB Virginia Tech
20. Buffalo - Myles Jack LB UCLA
Jack's injury hurts his stock, but not too much. Teams are all too familiar now with how well players can come back from injury and I am sure they love Jack's tape. He seems like the kind of pure defensive playmaker Rex Ryan would love to add.
21. Indianapolis - Max Tuerk C USC
Tuerk came back for his senior season and has continued to be the best offensive lineman in the Pac-12. He's versatile enough to play anywhere along the line and would be the best available option for the offensive line-starved Colts here.
22. Pittsburgh - Nate Andrews S Florida State
23. Giants - DeForest Buckner DE Oregon
The Giants could use a new big scary presence on the defensive line and there aren't any bigger and scarier than the 6'7 295 Buckner. He at times has seemingly been the entire Oregon defense in 2015 as he shuts down opponents up front.
24. Carolina - Vadal Alexander G LSU
25. Jets - Derrick Henry RB Alabama
26. Arizona - Shilique Calhoun DE Michigan State
27. Cincinnati - Scooby Wright LB Arizona
Wright seems like the kind of player that could come back from his senior year, but I would bet he leaves after an injury-plagued year with a sophomore season that he probably could never top. He has cemented himself as a player that a team in the first or second round who could use a linebacker will snag.
28. Atlanta - Su'a Cravens LB USC
Cravens is one of the biggest tweeners I can ever remember, but he could use that to his advantage as a guy who could play linebacker or safety very well, it just matters where you want him. The Falcons are a team that would be a perfect fit for that conundrum.
29. Seattle - Dan Voltz C Wisconsin
30. Denver - Emmanuel Ogbah DE Oklahoma State
31. Green Bay - Shawn Oakman DE Baylor
