2016 NFL Mock Draft: End of the 2015 NFL regular season edition

The 2015 regular season is finally over. Take a deep breath. It was fun... In a weird, sadomasochist kinda sorta way. Anyway, us Eagles fans and 19 other fan bases don't have to worry about any silly playoff games and can look toward the 2016 NFL Draft. The Eagles, after stupidly winning yesterday's meaningless game, will be picking 13th overall in a few months. Hey, that might not have the sex appeal (?) of a top ten pick, but it's knocking on the door! (Excuse me. I am trying to find silver linings here. I am miserable.) Though the draft process is long from over and a million different things can happen in the next few months, here is what directions I think teams should go with their draft picks now, in early January.

1. Tennessee Titans: Laremy Tunsil, Tackle, Ole Miss- The Titans are lucky to have the premier pick in the draft despite having their franchise quarterback (who I am still salty over), talented pass rushers and a young, athletic tackle in Taylor Lewan. The team suffered from awful coaching in 2015, but there is plenty to be excited about going forward. Tunsil is an elite talent at offensive tackle and can completely change the makeup of an offensive line. Giving the Titans offense bookends of Taylor Lewan and Laremy Tunsil would yield excellent results and keep Marcus Mariota very happy.
   
   
2. Cleveland Browns: Joey Bosa, Defensive Lineman, Ohio State- Though the Browns will inevitably screw up this pick and we will never hear from the player again after five seasons, there is no point in being pessimistic now. The Browns, despite having the most expensive unit in the league, fielded the worst defense in the NFL. Joey Bosa is a difference maker with great upside and versatility. He would be a step in the right direction to mending the Browns porous and vanilla front seven.
   
   
3. San Diego: Jalen Ramsey, Defensive Back, Florida State- The Chargers were one of the
   more disappointing teams in the league this year and it had almost entirely to do with their awful defense. To make matters worse, star safety, Eric Weddle is almost surely leaving in free agency. The team needs play makers on the back end. Jalen Ramsey is a potentially generational talent at defensive back. His world class athletic ability and instincts make him a dangerous defensive player who could dominate at safety or corner. This seems like a no brainer for San Diego.
   
   
4. Dallas: Paxton Lynch, Quarterback, Memphis- Dallas lost their season because their quarterback, albeit incredibly good, is also incredibly injury prone. If Jerry Jones is smart, and god knows if that's true, the Cowboys will make an investment into the quarterback position. Lynch is talented and has the tools to be a franchise quarterback. Also, he has the luxury of sitting behind Romo as long as Tony is healthy. This might not be the flashy, win now type of move that Jerry Jones likes to make, but it is the move he needs to to protect the future of the team.
   
   
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Noah Spence, EDGE, EKU- The Jaguars enjoyed a prolific season offensively but were plagued with atrocious defensive play at every level of the unit. It didn't help that their 2015 first round pick, Dante Fowler, missed the entire year, but the unit is overall bereft of talent. Noah Spence is a freaky athletic edge rusher who could give the Jaguars the type of pass rusher they have not had in a very long time. If Fowler can come back healthy from his ACL tear, he and Spence would give the Jaguars a dynamic duo on the edges of their defense.
   
   
6. Baltimore Ravens: Mackenzie Alexander, Cornerback, Clemson- The Ravens completely fell apart this season. The whole team was seemingly snakebitten from week one, losing key players on a weekly basis. That, paired with a largely putrid secondary, spelled the demise of their season. Mackenzie Alexander is one of the cleanest cornerback prospects I have seen coming out of college. Though he is smaller, he has excellent foot quickness and great technique. He plays very big for his size and is a very smart player. The Ravens are in desperate need of defensive backs and Alexander would give them an outstanding young player in their secondary.
   
   
7. San Fransisco 49ers: Ronnie Stanley, Tackle, Notre Dame- The 49ers roster is full of holes and there are plenty of questions surrounding what will happen in their coaching staff. However, it is a sure thing that the team needs hep along their offensive line. Ronnie Stanley may not be as pro ready as Laremy Tunsil, but he has an excellent skill set. The Niners are in dire need of an infusion of talent on their offensive line and Stanley's athletic ability would be a sight for sore eyes.
   
   
8. Miami Dolphins: Vernon Hargreaves, Cornerback, Florida- The Dolphins were plagued by bad defensive play in 2015 and need talent in their secondary. Brent Grimes underperformed and is not getting any younger and the guys behind him are incredibly green. Hargreaves, though he lacks great upside, is incredibly polished and could step in and make a positive impact from day one. This is the smart and safe pick for Miami to make.
   
   
9. Tampa Bay: Kenny Clark, Defensive Lineman, UCLA- The Buccaneers look to have their future set at quarterback, as Jameis Winston shone as a rookie. However, their defense is still far off from being a stout unit. Because there isn't a defensive back available that I would draft this high, the Bucs could stand to add more athletes to their defensive line. Kenny Clark is incredibly talented and has the ability to play various positions along the line. He would be an excellent pairing with Gerald McCoy inside the defense and would give the Buccaneers a dynamic and disruptive duo.
   
   
10. New York Giants: Ezekiel Elliot, Running Back, Ohio State- The Giants have a ton of potential on offense, largely due to the presence of Odell Beckham Junior. Defenses preparation for Beckham often leaves other players available to make plays where defenders are focused on stopping Odell from making the big play. What the Giants need is another playmaker and Ezekiel Elliot would be deadly running the ball for the G-Men. Elliot is as complete a back as they come, possessing great vision, footwork and a hard running style. The Giants offense would be terrifying with Elliot carrying the rock
    
    
11. Chicago Bears: Myles Jack, Linebacker, UCLA- The Bears saw an uptick this season under John Fox, but there defense still needs a lot of work. Myles Jack is an incredibly physically gifted linebacker who could completely change the tone of a defense. He has great coverage ability and flies around, attacking the line of scrimmage. The Bears lack that dynamic on their defense and it is one they greatly need.
    
    
12. New Orleans Saints: Shaq Lawson, Defensive Lineman, Clemson- The Saints gave up a billion passing touchdowns this season (No citation found). This may be simplistic, but they need to add as many impact players to their defense as possible and figure out what to do with them later. Lawson is a nasty, athletic defensive lineman with great strength and ability to be moved around. Who knows who will be calling the Saints defense a year from now, but they will definitely appreciate Lawson disrupting offenses.
    
    
13. Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Spriggs, Offensive Tackle, Indiana: There are a million different directions Philly could go in with this pick and it would make sense. Though I am tempted to give the team a receiver, it seems incredibly important to add an athlete to the offensive line. The line was a liability this season and Jason Peters looks like a shell of his former self. Spriggs could start day one at right tackle and the team would kick Lane Johnson to the left side. This would give the Eagles two athletic tackles to hold down their offense for the foreseeable future.
    
    
14. Oakland Raiders: Laquon Treadwell, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss- This feels excessive giving Oakland another receiver after they took stud, Amari Cooper, last season and got a very good year out of Michael Crabtree. However, despite what Karl Marx may tell you, excess is good and can be fun sometimes. Treadwell would make their receiving corps even deadlier with his ability to dominate the catch point and it would give the team a ton of different looks they could give defenses. Most importantly, he pairs perfectly with Derek Carr's aggressive style and would make the young quarterback a very happy man.
    
    
15. St. Louis Rams: Taylor Decker, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State: The Rams' offensive line sucks and because of that, the rest of their offense cannot consistently maintain a decent output. Decker is a very polished player who plays with attitude. He would fit perfectly into what the Rams want to do on offense and would help them achieve their yearly quest for 8-8 more efficiently.
    
    
16. Detroit Lions: Corey Coleman, Wide Receiver, Baylor- There are some rumblings that Calvin Johnson may be on his way out in Detroit due to financial reasons. Sad as that may be, the Lions would have an excellent chance to add a talented wide receiver in Corey Coleman. Though he may not have superb polish, he is an athletic freak with a nose for the end zone. Throw the ball his way and good things will happen, which has been Matt Stafford's philosophy with Calvin Johnson for the last six years.
    
    
17. Atlanta Falcons: Reggie Ragland, Linebacker, Alabama- The Atlanta defense took some really nice strides under Dan Quinn, but there was only so much his coordination could mask. There is a talent deficiency at the mid level of that defense and the Falcons desperately need an impact player at middle linebacker. Enter Reggie Ragland. Ragland is the smartest defender in the draft, hands down and is a decent athlete to match. He is as clean as linebackers come and could be the key for the Falcons defense to take the next step.
    
    
18. Indianapolis Colts: Jarran Reed, Defensive Line, Alabama- The Colts suffered a rough season with Andrew Luck's back finally breaking after years of carrying an awful roster. Hopefully they use this offseason to bolster both sides of the ball. On the whole, the team lacks physicality and could stand to add a player like Jarran Reed to their defensive line. Reed can play ll the interior positions and disrupt the running and passing game. A physical athlete like him is exactly the type of player the Colts need to strengthen their line.
    
    
19. Buffalo Bills: Cody Whitehair, Offensive Lineman, Kansas State- The Bills had an up and down first season under Rex Ryan, but at the least, there is plenty to be excited about in terms of their offense. Tyrod Taylor and Sammy Watkins developed a great chemistry, which bodes incredibly well going forward. However, the team needs to add some more talent to their offensive line. Cody Whitehair is not a great athlete, but he is incredibly technically sound and plays nasty. He is perfect for the Bills offensive line.
    
    
20. New York Jets: Jaylon Smith, Linebacker, Notre Dame- Jaylon Smith suffered a horrific leg injury the other day and the extent of the damage isn't known yet. However, if he were to enter into the draft, he is too talented a player to pass up this late in the first round. Smith is very athletic and aggressive, with excellent coverage skills. The Jets had issues at linebacker this season, and even if it takes a redshirt year, adding this kind of speed to that defense could do wonders going forward.