2016 NFL Draft: Sky Sports NFL expert Richard Graves makes his picks – SkySports
By Richard Graves, Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 25/04/16 1:47pm
Richard Graves is out in Chicago for Sky Sports, running the rule over the 2016 NFL Draft class, and where they might end up.
1. LA Rams – QB Jared Goff (Cal)
For me, the best quarterback in this year’s class. An intelligent player, calm in the pocket and doesn’t panic when it’s collapsing around him. He has a strong arm, and has shown precision accuracy with long throws.
The one knock on Goff is his slight frame, but his mobility and awareness enables him to avoid pressure. Coming out of California, he appears a perfect fit for the new LA franchise.
2. Philadelphia Eagles – QB Carson Wentz (North Dakota State University)
Wentz has the frame you look for in an NFL quarterback. Standing 6’6″ tall and 231lbs, he’s well equipped to handle himself and has the skill set to match.
Calm in pressure situations, with an ability to keep his eyes down field, Wentz has experience of taking snaps under centre but comes from a relatively small football program in North Dakota. I’ve heard some compare him to Ben Roethlisberger. It’s too early for that but it’s not a bad thing at this stage.
3. San Diego Chargers – OT Laremy Tunsil (Mississippi)
Arguably the best player in this draft class and would almost certainly have gone No 1 overall if the the Titans hadn’t traded that pick to the Rams.
He’s a 6’5″, 305lb giant who possesses strength, size and a proven ability to stonewall the best pass rushers in college football, along with slick footwork and speed that belies his size. The Chargers know QB Philip Rivers is their best player and Tunsil will be his protector for years to come.
4. Dallas Cowboys – DE Joey Bosa (Ohio State)
This defensive end was a one man road block in college football, to the point where some opponents literally stopped running the ball in his direction. He doesn’t possess a great burst but he has a tremendous motor.
Capable of playing anywhere along the defensive line and able to beat blockers, Bosa hails from good footballing stock, as both his father and uncle were drafted to the NFL in the late 1980s.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars – LB Myles Jack (UCLA)
Jack has the speed and explosive power to disrupt plays on the field. He has a great nose for the ball and invariably finds himself in the right place to make a play.
Played on both offence (running back) and defence during his time at college but missed the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL. At 6’1″ and 245lbs he has the build to play in the NFL right now and, health permitting, will be a huge addition to whichever team takes him.
6. Baltimore Ravens – S Jalen Ramsey (Florida State)
I’ve heard comparisons to the Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor, but Ramsey doesn’t have the same imposing frame. Despite that, Ramsey is a physical, hard-hitting safety, more than capable of playing the same type of role.
He’s adaptable to any position in the secondary and has a natural ability to shed blockers and avoid traffic in pursuit of the ball. Ramsey defends the pass well and is terrific against the run.
7. San Francisco 49ers – DT A’Shawn Robinson (Alabama)
A man mountain in the hugely impressive defensive line of the national champions. A’Shawn Robinson regularly commanded double team blocking and was the anchor that allowed team-mates to make highlight catching plays.
He’s not flashy but that isn’t what you want from a defensive tackle. He’s a hard-working, 3-down player with a strong bull rush who applies pressure up the middle.
8. Cleveland Browns – WR Laquon Treadwell (Mississippi)
This entire receiving class has been knocked for the lack of speed but if Cleveland select Laquon Treadwell, they are getting a physical beast of a playmaker, in the mould of Dez Bryant.
Treadwell has fantastic hands, capable of making unbelievable catches and, unlike Bryant, would draw comparisons to Hinds Ward in the physical way he blocks for team-mates. In my opinion, he is the best wide receiver in this class.
2016 NFL Draft: Beginners guide
All you need to know ahead of Thursday’s showpiece
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CB Vernon Hargreaves (Florida)
Hargreaves’ height may be a concern for some NFL teams. He’s just 5’11” but he more than makes up for it in his style of play.
Hargreaves has great awareness and vision on the field, locates the ball well and has good body control. An instinctive back, Hargreaves didn’t give up a single touchdown during his last two years at college.
10. New York Giants – RB Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State)
Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry grabbed the headlines with his size and play for Alabama in college football, but Ezekiel Elliot is the standout back in this class.
Quite simply, he’s better at everything – running the ball, catching the ball out of the backfield and blocking. Elliott has it all. He’s a 3-down back, elusive in the open field and able to make tacklers miss. An exciting addition with game-changing, playmaker potential.
11. Chicago Bears – DE DeForest Buckner (Oregon)
12. New Orleans Saints – DT Sheldon Rankins (Louisville)
13. Miami Dolphins – CB William Jackson III (Houston)
14. Oakland Raiders – LB Leonard Floyd (Georgia)
15. Tennessee Titans – OT Ronnie Stanley (Notre Dame)
16. Detroit Lions – OT Jack Conklin (Michigan State)
17. Atlanta Falcons – LB Darron Lee (Ohio State)
18. Indianapolis Colts – C Ryan Kelly (Alabama)
NFL Draft 2015
Looking back at the top players selected outside the first round of the 2015 draft
19. Buffalo Bills – DE Kevin Dodd (Clemson)
20. New York Jets – OT Taylor Decker (Ohio State)
21. Washington Redskins – DE Kamalei Correa (Boise State)
22. Houston Texans – TE Hunter Henry (Arkansas)
23. Minnesota Vikings – WR Corey Coleman (Baylor)
24. Cincinnati Bengals – WR Josh Doctson (TCU)
25. Pittsburgh Steelers – S Karl Joseph (West Virginia)
NFL Draft 2016
Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson talks to Sky Sports ahead of the 2016 NFL draft
26. Seattle Seahawks – DT Jarran Reed (Alabama)
27. Green Bay Packers – LB Reggie Ragland (Alabama)
28. Kansas City Chiefs – OG Cody Whitehair (Kansas State)
29. Arizona Cardinals – S Keanu Neal (Florida)
30. Carolina Panthers – CB Mackensie Alexander (Clemson)
31. Denver Broncos – QB Paxton Lynch (Memphis)
*The New England Patriots will not select from the first round following a penalty for deflating footballs.
NFL Draft 2016: Previous QB No1 picks
Looking back at the good and not so good of previous QBs to go first pick
You can follow the 2016 NFL Draft on Sky Sports 1 from midnight on Thursday and with us here all week on www.skysports.com/nfl