Just two weeks remain in the 2015 NFL regular season. In a short while the playoffs will be here and soon after we’ll be knee deep in draft season. All-Star games, the combine and pro days will then follow and before you know it, we’ll be talking about the new stars and where they might go in the 2016 NFL Draft.
All of that is worth our attention, but the big draw continues to be that top overall pick that gets the insanity going. Which team will end the year with the number one overall pick and who should they take? Two more weeks are in the way of deciding the former, but the latter is something we can think about right now. Let’s break down the top options that could go number one in the 2016 NFL Draft, depending on who sits at that spot when the clock starts:
Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
Go ahead and toss Connor Cook and Jared Goff in the mix here, too, but by all accounts most agree that Lynch is the best quarterback prospect going into the 2016 NFL Draft. Of course, if the Tennessee Titans end up securing the top overall pick, we can forget about any of those guys, as Marcus Mariota is clearly their franchise quarterback.
This only really becomes a discussion if the Cleveland Browns end up with a worse record, and even then it doesn’t seem like such an easy call. Johnny Manziel definitely needs to prove to the Browns that he’s the real deal and is done being a distraction off the field, but his play as the starter in recent weeks suggests he could actually potentially be the answer. Two weeks from now, if Cleveland agrees with that sentiment, then taking a quarterback with the top pick (if they ended up getting it) would not be a guarantee.
Joey Bosa, DL, Ohio State
With the Browns and Titans the most likely teams to hold the #1 overall pick in this year’s draft, I’m predicting a quarterback will not be taken first off the board. My guess is it’s Ohio State defensive lineman Joey Bosa, who could greatly help the pass rush of either team. He’d be a hometown favorite in Cleveland and would go a long way in shoring up a struggling defense – specifically in putting pressure on the quarterback. After adding defensive tackle Danny Shelton last year to help improve the run defense, the Browns could be inching closer to boasting an elite defense a year from now. Bosa is less likely to go at the top pick if the Titans are there.
Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
The other big name in the fold for the top pick is Ole Miss offensive tackle, Tunsil. He’s definitely in play for the Browns or Titans and if some other team craters themselves into this spot before the season ends, he’d be near the top of their list, as well. Easily this year’s top tackle prospect, Tunsil is a legit left tackle prospect that can play either side due to adequate size, strength and athleticism. He’s not the most explosive athlete in the world, but he’s otherwise fairly technically sound and has all the tools of an elite left tackle. Seen as probably the safest pick in the draft, he may be the early favorite to hear his name called ahead of anyone else this year.
There are a few other names anyone can toss into the mix, but cornerbacks don’t go number one and these three prospects are by and large the top overall options at the moment. With the Browns and Titans likely being the two teams the #1 pick comes down to, there’s a good chance Tunsil sticks as the top pick favorite going into the 2016 NFL Draft.
Got another big prospect you think is a lock to be picked first? Tell us about them in the comments below!
