JACKSONVILLE – Sixteen days remain.
So, as time ticks inevitably but oh-so-slo-o-o-o-o-o-o-wly towards the 2016 NFL Draft, we wait … and we wait … and we wait …
And of course, we mock.
Indeed, those of us who follow the NFL Draft tend to over-mock during these weeks leading to the real thing. We do so … well, because what else is there to do? So, because we haven't rolled out a version of the 2016 jaguars.com mock draft in about a month – since mid-March, just after the first wave of unrestricted free agency – we figure it's time for another version.
In the month or so since jaguars.com mock draft version 3.0, we have seen the Pro Day season come to an end – and those who talk Jaguars have talked ad nauseam of Myles Jack, Jalen Ramsey, Joey Bosa and others. We'll talk more in the coming weeks, but to those who follow the Jaguars closely, those undoubtedly have become the names of interest – a Big Three, if you will.
So, will it be Bosa? Jack? Or Ramsey? Or someone else?
The guess here is it's indeed one of the Big Three, and the guess here – and we emphasize the word, "guess" – is that Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell's ideal wish list/pecking order is:
1.Jack.A linebacker? No. 1 on the wish list? Normally, no – but Jack isn't normal. He's an elite talent. He also would give the defense an infusion of speed it needs on the middle level of the defense.
1a.Ramsey.This is "1a" and not "2" because the case for Ramsey is pretty much as good as the one for Jack. You wouldn't normally have defensive back at No. 1, but Ramsey has a combination of size/athleticism rare at the position. The guess here is he won't be available at No. 5, but if he is, he's hard to pass.
3.Bosa.Is he a pure edge rusher? No, not in the Von Miller mold, but all pass rush doesn't have to be in that mold.
Now, onto mock draft v 4.0. …
Although the guess here is that the Tennessee Titans take Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil at No. 1, we've mocked Tunsil to the Titans there in the first three mocks. So, the question: What if it's not? What if the Titans surprise much of the NFL world and go, say, Ramsey?
That's what we wanted to explore.
Under that scenario, we mocked Tunsil to the San Diego Chargers at No. 3 and … well, read on to find out.
So, with that, here's version 4.0 of the 2016 jaguars.com mock draft:
1.Tennessee | Jalen Ramsey, CB/FS, Florida State
2.Cleveland | Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
3.San Diego | Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
4.Dallas | Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
5.Jacksonville | Myles Jack, OLB, UCLA
6.Baltimore | DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
7.San Francisco | Jared Goff, QB, California
8.Philadelphia| Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
9.Tampa Bay | Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
10.New York Giants | Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
11.Chicago | Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
12.New Orleans | Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
13.Miami | Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
14.Oakland | Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
15.Los Angeles | Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
16.Detroit | A'Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
17.Atlanta | Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
18.Indianapolis | Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
19.Buffalo | Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
20.New York Jets | Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
21.Washington | Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama
22.Houston | Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
23.Minnesota | Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
24.Cincinnati | Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
25.Pittsburgh | Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
26.Seattle | Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
27.Green Bay | Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech
28.Kansas City | William Jackson III, CB, Houston
29.Arizona | Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
30.Carolina | Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana
31.Denver | Noah Spence, DE, Eastern Kentucky
