The 2016 NFL Draft
If you’re like most Ravens fans, you’re passionate and educated, and you have a good idea of who the team will draft on April 28. You’ve likely narrowed the selection down to a possibility of two to three players.
But if you’re like me, though you concentrate on the Ravens, you have a big interest in what all the others teams will do in the draft (at least for the first couple of rounds).
You’re in luck. The following is my “big board” for 2016. I’ve ranked the top 50 players in the draft as I see them in terms of overall talent, past performance, and the importance of their position at the next level.
To be clear, this isn’t a mock draft for the first 50 picks. This is a list of who I believe are the 50 best players in this draft.
- Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
- Myles Jack, OLB, UCLA
- Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State
- Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
- Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida
- Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
- Jared Goff, QB, Cal
- Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
- DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon
- Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
- Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
- Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State
- Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
- Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
- Reggie Ragland, LB, Alabama
- Cody Whitehair, OG, Kansas State
- Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
- Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss
- Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
- Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia
- Andrew Billings, NT, Baylor
- Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
- Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
- A’Shawn Robinson, DT, Alabama
- Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State
- Le’Raven Clark, OT, Texas Tech
- Josh Doctson, WR, TCU
- Darron Lee, OLB, Ohio State
- Noah Spence, DE, Eastern Kentucky
- Keanu Neal, SS, Florida
- Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville
- Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas
- Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
- Scooby Wright III, ILB, Arizona
- Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State
- Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State
- Will Fuller, WR, Notre Dame
- Su’a Cravens, OLB, USC
- Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
- Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech
- Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma
- Kyler Fackrell, OLB, Utah State
- Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
- William Jackson III, CB, Houston
- Willie Henry, DT, Michigan
- Tyler Boyd, WR, Pitt
- Jordan Jenkins, OLB, Georgia
- Christian Westerman, OG, Arizona State
- Artie Burns, CB, Miami
- Kentrell Brothers, OLB, Missouri
There you have it. My big board is made up of 30 defensive players, 20 offensive players, and eight players that played in the CFP National Championship in January (Alabama 5, Clemson 3).
I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait until the 2016 NFL Draft is officially underway.
