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Re-drafting first round of 2016 draft: NFL Nation makes each pick

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Before last year's draft, we had NFL Nation reporters play general manager for the team they cover and project a first-round mock draft.

Now they're back playing GM again, this time re-drafting the first round of the 2016 draft. A few notes before we get started:

  • The draft order is from before the draft started, so we're not taking into account any draft-day trades.

  • Trades that took place before draft day are accounted for.

  • The Patriots forfeited their first-round pick due to Deflategate punishment.

Now, to the re-draft, starting with a new quarterback at No. 1 ...


1. Los Angeles Rams (from Titans)

Re-draft pick: Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State

Actual pick: Jared Goff, QB, Cal

The Rams went into the 2016 draft in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, but the ideal candidate might have been the guy taken in the fourth round. With the Cowboys, Prescott benefited from a dominant offensive line, a dynamic running back in Ezekiel Elliott and an impressive collection of pass-catchers. But he also showed great poise, accuracy, athleticism and decision-making ability. -- Alden Gonzalez

2. Philadelphia Eagles (from Browns)

Re-draft pick: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

Actual pick: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State

The Eagles will be glad to know the Rams once again passed on Wentz, allowing their guy to fall to them. Wentz did not have Prescott's numbers in Year 1, but he also did not have close to the same quality of talent around him. The coaching staff and front office remain very confident they have hit on a franchise quarterback. -- Tim McManus

3. San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers

Re-draft pick: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State

Actual pick: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State

If it isn't broke, don't fix it. One of the surprise picks of the first round last year, Joey Bosa proved he was worth the perceived risk by the Chargers at No. 3, finishing with 10.5 sacks in 12 games. With a full offseason to learn new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's scheme and at only 21 years old, Bosa should be even better in Year 2. -- Eric Williams

4. Dallas Cowboys

Re-draft pick: Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State

Actual pick: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State

As Eric said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Expectations were high for Elliott, who was playing behind the best line in football. He exceeded expectations, leading the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards, and he scored 16 touchdowns. As great as Dak Prescott was, Elliott's production took some of the burden off the rookie quarterback and it's a formula the Cowboys will continue to follow in 2017 and beyond. -- Todd Archer

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Re-draft pick: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State

Actual pick: Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State

The Jaguars were ecstatic when Ramsey fell to them at No. 5 last April and it happened again in the re-draft. Ramsey didn't have gaudy statistics but he was one of the league's better cover corners. He took the opponent's best receiver one-on-one each week -- not exclusively, but the majority of the time -- and that allowed the Jaguars to roll coverages and help out elsewhere. Ramsey's mix of size (6-foot-2), speed, athleticism and technique will make him an elite player. -- Mike DiRocco

6. Baltimore Ravens

Re-draft pick: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

Actual pick: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

Even in the re-draft, the Ravens weren't lucky enough for Ramsey or Elliott to fall out of the top five. The Ravens will stick with Stanley even though Titans offensive tackle Jack Conklin had a better rookie season. There is more upside with Stanley. With his intelligence and quick feet, Stanley has a chance to be a premier left tackle. He allowed only three sacks all season while blocking Joe Flacco's blind side. Stanley also was the NFL's best left tackle over the last four weeks of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. -- Jamison Hensley

7. San Francisco 49ers

Re-draft pick: DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon

Actual pick: DeForest Buckner, DL, Oregon

It's tempting to take local boy Jared Goff to give the Niners a potential franchise quarterback, but this way new coach Kyle Shanahan can pick the guy he wants to develop to lead the franchise into the future. Buckner quietly put together a strong rookie season while playing the role of defensive iron man. Despite missing a game because of injury, he played 963 snaps, second only to the New York Giants' Olivier Vernon among defensive linemen and his 73 tackles ranked second. He also had six sacks, fourth among NFL rookies. With San Francisco expected to transition to a 4-3 under front, Buckner should have the chance to further unlock his pass-rushing ability by moving to the 3-technique. -- Nick Wagoner

8. Cleveland Browns

Re-draft pick: Jared Goff, QB, Cal

Actual pick: Traded to Titans; Tennessee selected Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State

This may seem illogical based on Goff's rookie season. But given the Browns' woes at quarterback, the pick holds water. The Browns traded out of the second spot because Hue Jackson liked Goff over Carson Wentz. Jackson felt Goff was the better quarterback. Though it didn't look that way in 2016, he still could be. With this scenario, the Browns trade out of the second spot and still get the quarterback they like. -- Pat McManamon

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Re-draft pick: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida

Actual pick: Traded to Bears; Chicago selected Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia

Hargreaves filled a huge need on one of the worst secondaries in the league, playing 991 snaps, second most on the Bucs and among NFL rookies and eighth among cornerbacks. A starter from day one, he lined up on the outside and inside in nickel situations, so he had a lot to absorb and it impacted his development. He struggled against Oakland's bigger receivers, had an INT in the Bucs' win over the Saints and tipped a pass against the Panthers. The Bucs like where he's at, and he'll continue learning from Brent Grimes. -- Jenna Laine

10. New York Giants

Re-draft pick: Jack Conklin, OT, Michigan State

Actual pick: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State

This is what the Giants expected last year, minus the whole Laremy Tunsil gas-mask thing. They were hoping to land Conklin or linebacker Leonard Floyd with the 10th overall selection. They thought it was likely to happen. Instead, Tunsil unexpectedly plummeted and the Titans and Bears traded up to steal Conklin and Floyd right in front of the Giants' pick. Well, with no trades here, the Giants are sitting pretty. Conklin, Floyd, Tunsil, Apple (whom the Giants settled for in the draft) and linebacker Deion Jones all look good. But given their struggles at offensive tackle this past season and Conklin's All-Pro performance, he's the selection this time around. -- Jordan Raanan

11. Chicago Bears

Re-draft pick: Leonard Floyd, OLB, Georgia

Actual pick: Traded to Bucs; Tampa Bay selected Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Florida

The Bears liked Floyd enough to trade up two spots and draft him ninth overall last year. Their opinion of Floyd hasn't changed much after a full season. Although Floyd suffers from durability issues, he finished tied for second on the club in sacks (7.0). Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio perfectly described Floyd as someone occasionally overmatched because of his slight build, but a player who also can perform athletic feats no one else on the roster is capable of. It's highly unlikely the Bears have any buyer's remorse, so re-drafting Floyd at No. 11 seems acceptable. -- Jeff Dickerson

12. New Orleans Saints

Re-draft pick: Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State

Actual pick: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville

The Saints were happy with their actual first-round choice, Rankins. And if they were drafting solely for need, they would have to consider defensive players such as Rankins, LB Deion Jones or an edge rusher. However, Thomas is the best available player -- and the Saints know that better than anyone after stealing him in the second round. He is a big, sure-handed target whose 92 catches were the second most of any rookie receiver in NFL history (behind only Anquan Boldin's 101 in 2003). Thomas also had 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns. -- Mike Triplett

13. Miami Dolphins (from Eagles)

Re-draft pick: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss

Actual pick: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss

I'm shocked 12 teams passed on Tunsil for a second time, knowing that he quickly moved past the gas-mask incident and was every bit the top-five prospect the Dolphins expected on the field. He started 14 games between left guard and left tackle to help solidify Miami's offensive line, and now with the expected release or trade of Branden Albert, Tunsil will be the Dolphins' full-time left tackle for the foreseeable future. Nailing this pick was a key reason the Dolphins finished 10-6 last season and made the playoffs for the first time since 2008. -- James Walker

14. Oakland Raiders

Re-draft pick: Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville

Actual pick: Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia

The Raiders went with an undersized ball-hawking free safety in the 5-foot-10, 207-pound Joseph in the real draft last year and were more than happy with the results after he was named to PFWA's all-rookie team with an interception, six passes defensed, a fumble recovery and 76 tackles (51 solo) in 12 games, 10 starts. So why am I changing the pick, especially for a guy who was injured in training camp and missed the Saints' first eight weeks with a fractured fibula? Because Rankins, who still had four sacks and a forced fumble in nine games, addresses a more pressing need for the Raiders, who were last in the league with 25 sacks. -- Paul Gutierrez

15. Tennessee Titans

Re-draft pick: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State

Actual pick: Traded to Browns; Cleveland selected Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor

The Lions grabbed Decker 16th in the actual draft. Tennessee traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams for a giant package in advance of the draft. Then, when the Browns were on the clock, the Titans traded up to No. 8 to nab Jack Conklin. This re-draft shows why. They nailed the Conklin pick: He was a rookie All-Pro right tackle. But here the Giants got the Titans' man at 10. In this scenario, the Titans retain this pick, the 2016 third-rounder and the 2017 second-rounder they gave the Browns in exchange for No. 8. They also get Decker, a solid right tackle who started 16 games as a rookie. -- Paul Kuharsky

16. Detroit Lions

Re-draft pick: Deion Jones, LB, LSU

Actual pick: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State

With the Titans taking Detroit's actual first-round pick from a year ago, Decker, I focused on defense. Jones would immediately increase Detroit's defensive speed and he has the coverage skills to stay with tight ends and running backs after making 106 tackles with six pass breakups and three interceptions last year. It came down to Jones, Chicago offensive lineman Cody Whitehair and Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones, but Deion Jones' playmaking ability made the difference for me. -- Michael Rothstein

17. Atlanta Falcons

Re-draft pick: Keanu Neal, S, Florida

Actual pick: Keanu Neal, S, Florida

The re-draft doesn't change the Falcons' thoughts on how to solidify the defense and play the fast and physical style coach Dan Quinn preaches daily. The Falcons were on the hunt for a player who could fill the Kam Chancellor-type role in Quinn's scheme: a hard hitter capable of stopping running backs in their tracks and making receivers second-guess coming across the middle. Neal, No. 2 in the NFL among rookies with 105 tackles, along with a rookie-best five forced fumbles, certainly gives the Falcons stability at strong safety and that intimidation factor on defense for years to come. -- Vaughn McClure

18. Indianapolis Colts

Re-draft pick: Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama

Actual pick: Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama

The last good move former GM Ryan Grigson made happened nine months before he was fired when he picked Kelly in the first round. The move stopped a revolving door at center for the Colts since their selection of Andrew Luck in 2012. Kelly became the sixth -- and hopefully the last -- player to start at center since 2012. Luck said Kelly took "ownership of that position" the moment he stepped on the practice field. Kelly, just the ninth center taken in the first round since 2000, started all 16 games. -- Mike Wells

19. Buffalo Bills

Re-draft pick: Karl Joseph, S, West Virginia

Actual pick: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson

Joseph made a pre-draft visit to the Bills last year and would have been a much-needed addition to a secondary that let down Rex Ryan for much of the season. After Miami's Jarvis Landry knocked Aaron Williams out for the season in October with a neck injury, Ryan was so desperate for help at safety that he moved veteran Corey White to the back end and later signed James Ihedigbo off the street. With Williams' playing future tenuous and fellow starting safety Corey Graham turning 32 this summer, Joseph would have been a great long-term fit. -- Mike Rodak

20. New York Jets

Re-draft pick: Eli Apple, CB, Ohio State

Actual pick: Darron Lee, LB, Ohio State

I'm taking the BAB (Best Available Buckeye), opting for Apple over the Jets' actual choice, Lee. All-purpose dynamo Tyreek Hill, taken all the way down in the fifth round by the Chiefs, also is a consideration because the Jets desperately need a playmaker on offense and special teams. Apple gets the nod because the Jets have reached the crisis stage at cornerback. They were hurting before Darrelle Revis' legal troubles and now ... well, it's bleak. They don't have a No. 1 corner or a No. 2, for that matter. -- Rich Cimini

21. Washington Redskins

Re-draft pick: Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State

Actual pick: Traded to Texans; Houston selected Will Fuller V, WR, Notre Dame

The Redskins received zero help from WR Josh Doctson because of a nagging Achilles issue. If he comes through this year, he will have been a good pick. But the bottom line is they'll be looking hard for defensive line help, a too-long-neglected area in the draft by the Redskins. In fact, they haven't selected a D-lineman before the fifth round since 2011. The 6-foot-6, 308-pound Jones blossomed with Kansas City, after a draft process in which his desire was often questioned. But by the second half of the season he was playing at a high level, providing something the Redskins need: a big, athletic player who can collapse the pocket. -- John Keim

22. Houston Texans

Re-draft pick: Tyreek Hill, WR/KR, West Alabama

Actual pick: Traded to Redskins; Washington selected Josh Doctson, WR, TCU

With the top quarterbacks and wide receiver off the board, I'll take the best playmaker available: Hill. While Will Fuller also would be a fine choice here, Hill was a threat any time he touched the ball as a rookie. The Texans obviously would have benefited from his special-teams prowess, but he would have been a useful weapon for quarterback Brock Osweiler as well. Houston is fine on defense, and an offensive tackle wouldn't be out of the question here, either. But Hill proved too impactful as a rookie for the Texans to pass up in the later part of the first round. -- Sarah Barshop

23. Minnesota Vikings

Re-draft pick: Cody Whitehair, G/C, Kansas State

Actual pick: Laquon Treadwell, WR, Ole Miss

The Vikings struggled to run the ball with and without Adrian Peterson; their 1.86 yards-before-contact average was the second worst in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Anyone who watched the Vikings will tell you their problems started up front. In the re-draft, I'll pass on Treadwell and make Whitehair just the third offensive lineman the Vikings have drafted with a pick in the first two rounds since 2009. He started at center for the Bears in 2016, but was initially projected as a guard. Whitehair would give the Vikings a piece in their rebuilding effort along the line. -- Ben Goessling

24. Cincinnati Bengals

Re-draft pick: Will Fuller V, WR, Notre Dame

Actual pick: William Jackson III, CB, Houston

The Bengals' actual pick, Jackson, was injured during preseason and never played. Jackson might turn out to be a fine pick for Cincinnati, but in this re-draft, the Bengals pick a receiver who could have helped them right away. Fuller was a popular projection to Cincinnati in the original 2016 draft, but went off the board before the Bengals selected. They took WR Tyler Boyd in the second round, but they still need a receiver with elite speed to play alongside A.J. Green. -- Katherine Terrell

25. Pittsburgh Steelers

Re-draft pick: Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas

Actual pick: Artie Burns, CB, Miami (Fla.)

Cornerback help is tempting here, including actual pick Burns, who acquitted himself well last season. As a rookie, Henry tied for ninth in the league with eight touchdown catches for the Chargers. Tight end Ladarius Green, who signed a $20 million contract with Pittsburgh last offseason, has eight touchdowns in five NFL seasons. Under this plan, the Steelers can load up on defensive help in the second and third rounds while grabbing a tight end for the long term who blocks and catches with efficiency. -- Jeremy Fowler

26. Seattle Seahawks

Re-draft pick: Joe Thuney, G, NC State

Actual pick: Traded to Broncos; Denver selected Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

Seattle could really use help at tackle, but there's not an attractive option. Instead, the Seahawks add Thuney, who played the second-most snaps of any rookie last year and showed promise at left guard. Before last year's draft, Thuney displayed the type of athleticism the Seahawks covet from their offensive linemen. In 2016, Seattle drafted Germain Ifedi but moved him from tackle to guard, and he struggled through injuries and inconsistency. Instead, the Seahawks go with Thuney, who showed more in his first season. -- Sheil Kapadia

27. Green Bay Packers

Re-draft pick: Jordan Howard, RB, Indiana

Actual pick: Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA

The Packers haven't taken a running back in the first round since 1990 and GM Ted Thompson never has taken one higher than pick No. 61. But Howard's 1,313-yard rookie season for the Bears would have fit nicely with a Packers team that lost Eddie Lacy after just five games and had to convert receiver Ty Montgomery to running back at midseason. If the Packers don't re-sign Lacy this offseason, they'll be in the market for a running back anyway. Howard, who finished second in the NFL in rushing yards behind only Ezekiel Elliott, would have filled that need one year earlier. -- Rob Demovsky

28. Kansas City Chiefs

Re-draft pick: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis

Actual pick: Traded to 49ers; San Francisco selected Joshua Garnett, OL, Stanford

The Chiefs thought enough of Lynch last year that they would have drafted him in the first round had the Broncos not traded up to get him two spots ahead. Lynch has more potential than any of the several developmental quarterbacks who have come through Kansas City since the arrivals of John Dorsey as general manager and Andy Reid as coach in 2013. Another consideration here would have been running back Jordan Howard, but he went to the Packers with the previous pick. The chance to acquire their quarterback of the future is too good for the Chiefs to pass up. -- Adam Teicher

29. Arizona Cardinals

Re-draft pick: James Bradberry, CB, Samford

Actual pick: Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss

Nkemdiche was a top-five talent who fell into Arizona's lap, but didn't pan out during his rookie year as expected. Cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson was the Cardinals' liability all season long, even with consistent starter Marcus Cooper in the lineup. Bradberry had the unenviable task of replacing Josh Norman as the Panthers' No. 1 corner. With the Cardinals, he would've transitioned to the NFL from an FCS school without the spotlight. He had two interceptions, six pass breakups and six passes defensed, which would've given the Cardinals the peace of mind they needed as quarterbacks stayed away from Peterson. -- Josh Weinfuss

30. Carolina Panthers

Re-draft pick: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson

Actual pick: Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech

General manager Dave Gettleman never thought Lawson would be available here. When the Bills passed on Lawson in the re-draft, Gettleman couldn't pass on the potential of an every-down pass-rushing end. Although Lawson had issues with his shoulder that forced him to spend the first six games on PUP, the long-term impact he could make for an organization that hasn't had an impactful every-down end since Greg Hardy in 2013 makes the most sense. It also takes the pressure off in free agency this year with ends Charles Johnson, Mario Addison and Wes Horton all unrestricted free agents. -- David Newton

31. Denver Broncos

Re-draft pick: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA

Actual pick: Traded to Seahawks; Seattle selected Germain Ifedi, OL, Texas A&M

The Chiefs grabbed Lynch, so that puts Broncos executive vice president of football operations/general manager John Elway into his normal draft mode of picking the best player available. In five of his six drafts for the team, Elway has used the team's first pick on a defensive player -- Lynch was the first player on offense Elway has selected during his tenure with the team's first pick. And even if the Broncos knew then what they know now, the uber-talented Jack would be the pick. Several talent evaluators in the league believed, athletically, Jack was the top player on the board last year, even with his knee injury. -- Jeff Legwold