Round 1 of the 2016 NFL draft is complete, so time to look ahead to Friday night with a mock draft for the second round, which kicks off at 7 p.m. ET in Chicago.
32. Cleveland Browns – Jason Spriggs, T, Indiana: Lots of upside given his size (6-6, 301) and athleticism. Cleveland has an open job at right tackle after letting Mitchell Schwartz go in free agency and putting extra protection around oft-injured QB Robert Griffin III only makes sense.
33. Tennessee Titans – A’Shawn Robinson, DL, Alabama: His build (6-4, 307) and ability to stuff the run makes him a good fit as a two-gapping five-technique in Dick LeBeau’s defense. And at 21, Robinson could be a cornerstone for years to come.
34. Dallas Cowboys – Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State: Seems like a good scenario for everyone. Dallas gets the young passer it wants to stash for the future, while Cook is provided the chance to hone his game and leadership skills while serving as Tony Romo’s understudy.
35. San Diego Chargers – Su’a Cravens, LB/S, Southern California: He fits the mold of the linebacker/safety hybrid that’s become all the rage in the NFL and could step into the void created when S Eric Weddle signed with Baltimore.
36. Baltimore Ravens – Myles Jack, LB, UCLA: His unfortunate free fall could end here. GM Ozzie Newsome may not be able to bypass the talent and value Jack represents at this point, given his ability should have dictated a selection at least 30 spots sooner. But what a great destination this would be for Jack, even if his career does turn out to be abbreviated by his troublesome knee. Still, he could step into a starting role for a franchise that preaches defense and would allow him to immediately compete for Super Bowls.
37. Kansas City Chiefs (from San Francisco 49ers) – Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama: It would appear questions about his ability to stay on the field during passing downs might have dropped him to Round 2. But playing next to ILB Derrick Johnson in the near term would show Ragland what it takes to be a three-down player while filling a gap in the K.C. defense.
38. Jacksonville Jaguars – Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson: The Jags continue upgrading the AFC’s worst scoring defense, which also managed just 36 sacks last year. Pairing Dodd, who has tremendous potential, with 2015 first-round DE Dante Fowler Jr. could cause some sleepless nights for Andrew Luck, Marcus Mariota and Brock Osweiler in the AFC South.
39. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Emmanuel Ogbah, DE, Oklahoma State: The Bucs are another team that needs to generate more pressure, especially off the edge considering many of their sacks come from Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy.
40. New York Giants – Michael Thomas, WR, Ohio State: Keyshawn Johnson’s nephew also lands in the Meadowlands. Thomas has an impressive array of tools that would make him a mismatch as a No. 3 receiver if Victor Cruz recaptures his form. But ultimately, Thomas and Odell Beckham could be a provide a nice set of targets to serve QB Eli Manning for the remainder of his career.
41. Chicago Bears – Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson: A gifted corner who would give the Bears a nice tandem by teaming him with Kyle Fuller, the team’s first rounder in 2014. Alexander will have to figure out how to better track balls in the air after failing to pick off a single pass at Clemson.
42. Miami Dolphins – Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama: The Fins finally deal with their backfield dilemma by snagging the workhorse Heisman Trophy winner, who’s ready for 20-25 touches per game.
43. Titans (from Philadelphia Eagles through Los Angeles Rams) – Vonn Bell, S, Ohio State: He’s not the second coming of Troy Polamalu, but LeBeau will appreciate the addition of this rangy Buckeye to his secondary, especially after the Titans parted with longtime S Michael Griffin after last season.
44. Oakland Raiders – Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama: GM Reggie McKenzie continues to address the guts of his defense with Reed, who can swallow up running backs and tie up blockers so guys like DE Khalil Mack and LB Bruce Irvin can have an easier time hunting quarterbacks.
45. Titans (from Rams) – Cody Whitehair, G, Kansas State: The reconstruction of the offensive line continues as the Titans team Whitehair with first-round T Jack Conklin in front of QB Marcus Mariota.
46. Detroit Lions – Chris Jones, DT, Mississippi State: After ranking 19th against the run last year, it’s clear how much this defense missed former DTs Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. Jones may not quite be on their level, but he and Haloti Ngata would be more than serviceable inside – especially if Jones learns how to prevent his motor from stalling.
47. New Orleans Saints – Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech: He’ll be the fourth Fuller brother to play in the NFL. If not for a knee injury, he might have heard his name called in Round 1. Regardless, he’d be a welcome addition to a Saints defense that allowed the most points in the league last season and just made an aggressive, if unsuccessful, bid to lure CB Josh Normans to The Big Easy.
48. Indianapolis Colts – Shilique Calhoun, OLB/DE, Michigan State: As badly as the Colts need to protect QB Andrew Luck in 2016, they also need to unleash some mayhem on opposing passers. OLBs Robert Mathis and Trent Cole are way past their primes.
49. Buffalo Bills – Christian Westerman, G, Arizona State: One way for to sustain a top-ranked running game is to continue supplying talent to the O-line. Westerman and Richie Incognito could instantly become one of the league’s better guard duos.
50. Atlanta Falcons – Noah Spence, OLB/DE, Eastern Kentucky: No one had fewer sacks in 2015 than Atlanta’s 19. But coupling Spence with last year’s top pick, Vic Beasley, would be a good way to ensure that’s a problem of the past, not the future.
51. New York Jets – Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor: They couldn’t afford to keep NT Damon “Snacks” Harrison on their second-ranked rush defense. But enlisting Billings would actually represent an upgrade not only to the position but to an already imposing New York D-line.
52. Houston Texans – Nick Martin, C, Notre Dame: The brother of Cowboys star G Zack Martin, Nick Martin should have little trouble plugging into the middle of a Houston line that didn’t retain C Ben Jones during free agency.
53. Washington Redskins – T.J. Green, S, Clemson: The overhaul of a pass defense that ranked 25th a year ago continues, with Green joining newly acquired Norman in the revamped secondary.
54. Minnesota Vikings – Deion Jones, LB, LSU: At 6-1, 222, he’s almost an oversized defensive back. But that’s OK in today’s NFL as long as Jones continues covering large swatches of turf. He’d be a nice successor to declining veteran WLB Chad Greenway.
55. Cincinnati Bengals – Sterling Shepard, WR, Oklahoma: He’d give QB Andy Dalton an instantly reliable target out of the slot while replenishing a depth chart that was raided during free agency behind star No. 1 WR A.J. Green.
56. Seattle Seahawks – Le’Raven Clark, T, Texas Tech: GM John Schneider took Texas A&M OL Germain Ifedi in Round 1, but this depleted O-line would also gladly welcome an experienced and talented blind side tackle like Clark after Russell Okung opted to sign with the Broncos.
57. Green Bay Packers – Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas: The premier player at the position in this draft, Henry could be a long-term fix to a problem spot for the Pack, who only signed free agent Jared Cook for one year.
58. Pittsburgh Steelers – Shon Coleman, T, Auburn: Best known for surviving his bout with leukemia, Coleman's considerable talent would be a great fit for Pittsburgh. The Steelers lost Kelvin Beachum in free agency but could get the most out of Coleman with Hall of Famer Mike Munchak shepherding him along.
59. Chiefs – Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh: A productive player who rewrote Pitt’s record book, Boyd is exactly what the Chiefs could use to relieve pressure from No. 1 WR Jeremy Maclin.
60. New England Patriots – Kamalei Correa, OLB, Boise State: He’s got a nose for quarterbacks, and the Patriots need to reload on the edge after shipping leading sacker Chandler Jones to Arizona.
61. Patriots (from Arizona Cardinals) – Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame: If any team can afford to redshirt Smith for a year as he recovers from nerve and ligament damage and in his knee, it’s New England, which would ultimately emerge stronger with this ultra-talented, scheme-diverse and highly intelligent player. A year from now, Smith could be manning the middle retired Jerod Mayo used to patrol so well while showing everyone why he just might be this draft's premier talent.
62. Carolina Panthers – Devontae Booker, RB, Utah: Eventually, he could be a nice three-down back for the NFC champs. But initially, he’d provide a nice alternative to Pro Bowl Jonathan Stewart, who’s 29 and always seems to be nicked up.
63. Denver Broncos – Jonathan Bullard, DL, Florida: He can play inside and out, which is exactly the skill set departed free agent Malik Jackson brought to the table for the league’s No. 1 defense.
***
Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
