2016 NFL Draft Analysis -- I Hope This Is Helpful

[Maxie the Taxi]

The following breakdown of the 2016 NFL Draft is from NFL Draft Tracker (http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-position/dt-by-position-input:s). The FAR RIGHT numbers are Grades assigned to each player by Draft Tracker. In a nutshell a Grade in the 5's = Starting Caliber Player; 6's = Good Starting Player; and 7's = Pro Bowl Starting Player. ONLY STARTER CALIBER PLAYERS ARE LISTED.

[Yes, there are other rating websites and the evaluations are one man's opinion. However, this site has a credible track record and is as good as any. "Sleeper" prospects are not included.]

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
Buckner, DeForest DE 6'7" 291 Oregon 7.2
Bosa, Joey DE 6'5" 269 Ohio St. 6.7
Robinson, A'Shawn DT 6'4" 307 Alabama 6.5
Dodd, Kevin DE 6'5" 277 Clemson 6.3
Nkemdiche, Robert DT 6'3" 294 Mississippi 6.3
Rankins, Sheldon DT 6'1" 299 Louisville 6.2
Billings, Andrew NT 6'1" 311 Baylor 6.2
Lawson, Shaq DE 6'3" 269 Clemson 6.2
Jones, Chris DT 6'6" 310 Mississippi St. 6.2
Reed, Jarran DT 6'3" 307 Alabama 6.1
Ogbah, Emmanuel DE 6'4" 273 Oklahoma St. 6.1
Ridgeway, Hassan DT 6'3" 303 Texas 6.1
Butler, Vernon DT 6'4" 323 Louisiana Tech 6.1
Spence, Noah DE 6'2" 251 Eastern Kentucky 6.1
Bullard, Jonathan DT 6'3" 285 Florida 6.0
Henry, Willie DT 6'3" 303 Michigan 6.0
Johnson, Austin NT 6'4" 314 Penn St. 5.8
Clark, Kenny NT 6'3" 314 UCLA 5.8
Calhoun, Shilique DE 6'4" 251 Michigan St. 5.7
Nassib, Carl DE 6'7" 277 Penn St. 5.6
Oakman, Shawn DE 6'8" 287 Baylor 5.6
Washington, Adolphus DT 6'3" 301 Ohio St. 5.6
Collins, Maliek DT 6'2" 311 Nebraska 5.6
Correa, Kamalei DE 6'3" 243 Boise St. 5.5
Ioannidis, Matthew DT 6'3" 299 Temple 5.5
Ward, Jihad DE 6'5" 297 Illinois 5.5
Day, Sheldon DT 6'1" 293 Notre Dame 5.5
Kaufusi, Bronson DE 6'6" 285 BYU 5.5
Blair, Ronald DE 6'2" 284 Appalachian St. 5.5
Gotsis, Adam DT 6'4" 287 Georgia Tech 5.5

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
Tunsil, Laremy OT 6'5" 310 Mississippi 7.7
Stanley, Ronnie OT 6'6" 312 Notre Dame 6.7
Whitehair, Cody OG 6'4" 301 Kansas St. 6.4
Conklin, Jack OT 6'6" 308 Michigan St. 6.4
Clark, Le'Raven OT 6'5" 316 Texas Tech 6.0
Ifedi, Germain OG 6'6" 324 Texas A&M 5.8
Decker, Taylor OT 6'7" 310 Ohio St. 5.8
Garnett, Joshua OG 6'4" 312 Stanford 5.8
Coleman, Shon OT 6'5" 307 Auburn 5.8
Kelly, Ryan C 6'4" 311 Alabama 5.8
Westerman, Christian OG 6'3" 298 Arizona State 5.7
Martin, Nick OG 6'4" 299 Notre Dame 5.6
Turner, Landon OG 6'4" 330 North Carolina 5.6
Odhiambo, Rees OG 6'4" 314 Boise St. 5.6
Tuerk, Max C 6'5" 298 USC 5.6
Spriggs, Jason OT 6'6" 301 Indiana 5.5
Greene, Darrell OG 6'3" 321 San Diego St. 5.5
Allen, Jack C 6'1" 294 Michigan St. 5.5
Glasgow, Graham C 6'6" 307 Michigan 5.5
Hawkins, Jerald OT 6'6" 305 LSU 5.5

WIDE RECEIVERS
Fuller, Will WR 6'0" 186 Notre Dame 6.2
Treadwell, Laquon WR 6'2" 221 Mississippi 6.2
Coleman, Corey WR 5'11" 194 Baylor 6.0
Doctson, Josh WR 6'2" 202 TCU 5.9
Shepard, Sterling WR 5'10" 194 Oklahoma 5.9
Boyd, Tyler WR 6'1" 197 Pittsburgh 5.9
Peake, Charone WR 6'2" 209 Clemson 5.8
Thomas, Michael WR 6'3" 212 Ohio St. 5.8
Cooper, Pharoh WR 5'11" 203 South Carolina 5.6
Robinson, Demarcus WR 6'1" 203 Florida 5.6
Miller, Braxton WR 6'1" 201 Ohio St. 5.6

TIGHT ENDS
Henry, Hunter TE 6'5" 250 Arkansas 6.3
Hooper, Austin TE 6'4" 254 Stanford 5.7
Vannett, Nick TE 6'6" 257 Ohio St. 5.7
Higbee, Tyler TE 6'6" 249 Western Kentucky 5.6

LINEBACKERS
Jack, Myles OLB 6'1" 245 UCLA 7.5
Ragland, Reggie ILB 6'1" 247 Alabama 6.5
Floyd, Leonard OLB 6'6" 244 Georgia 6.5
Smith, Jaylon OLB 6'2" 223 Notre Dame 6.4
Lee, Darron OLB 6'1" 232 Ohio St. 6.0
Cravens, Su'a OLB 6'1" 226 USC 5.8
Fackrell, Kyler OLB 6'5" 245 Utah St. 5.8
Jenkins, Jordan OLB 6'3" 259 Georgia 5.7
Wright III, Scooby ILB 6'0" 239 Arizona 5.7
Brothers, Kentrell OLB 6'0" 245 Missouri 5.6
Jones, Deion OLB 6'1" 222 LSU 5.5
Alexander, Dominique ILB 6'0" 232 Oklahoma 5.5

RUNNING BACKS
Elliott, Ezekiel RB 6'0" 225 Ohio St. 7.2
Henry, Derrick RB 6'3" 247 Alabama 6.1
Howard, Jordan RB 6'0" 230 Indiana 6.1
Perkins, Paul RB 5'10" 208 UCLA 5.7
Booker, Devontae RB 5'11" 219 Utah 5.7
Dixon, Kenneth RB 5'10" 215 Louisiana Tech 5.7
Collins, Alex RB 5'10" 217 Arkansas 5.6
Williams, Jonathan RB 5'11" 220 Arkansas 5.5
Prosise, C.J. RB 6'0" 220 Notre Dame 5.5

CORNER BACKS
Ramsey, Jalen CB 6'1" 209 Florida St. 6.8
Hargreaves, Vernon CB 5'10" 204 Florida 6.6
Apple, Eli CB 6'1" 199 Ohio St. 6.0
Alexander, Mackensie CB 5'10" 190 Clemson 5.9
Jackson III, William CB 6'0" 189 Houston 5.9
Zamort, Ronald CB 5'10" 174 Western Michigan 5.9
Burns, Artie CB 6'0" 193 Miami 5.7
Robinson, Rashard CB 6'1" 171 LSU 5.6
Fuller, Kendall CB 5'11" 187 Virginia Tech 5.6
Howard, Xavien CB 6'0" 201 Baylor 5.6
Redmond, Will CB 5'11" 182 Mississippi St. 5.6
Miller, Harlan CB 6'0" 182 Southeastern Louisiana 5.5
Russell, KeiVarae CB 5'11" 192 Notre Dame 5.5
Jones, Cyrus CB 5'10" 197 Alabama 5.5
White, D.J. CB 5'11" 193 Georgia Tech 5.5
Sanchez, Zack CB 5'11" 185 Oklahoma 5.5

SAFETIES
Neal, Keanu SS 6'0" 211 Florida 5.8
Joseph, Karl S 5'10" 205 West Virginia 5.7
Bell, Vonn FS 5'11" 199 Ohio St. 5.6
Killebrew, Miles SS 6'2" 217 Southern Utah 5.6
Cash, Jeremy SS 6'0" 212 Duke 5.6
Houston-Carson, DeAndre FS 6'1" 201 William & Mary 5.5
Green, T.J. FS 6'2" 209 Clemson 5.5
Thompson, Darian S 6'2" 208 Boise St. 5.5

[Maxie the Taxi]

Based on Draft Tracker's 2014 and 2015 prospect Grades/Draft Position, the Packers' 1st Round Draftee will be among the prospects rated 6.0 or higher. (In 2014 the Packers 1st Round pick, Clinton-Dix, was graded 5.9. Last year our 1st Round pick, Damarius Randall, was graded 5.6. This indicates Dix and Randall were drafted because of need, and not BPA.)

Similarly, the Packers' 2nd Round Draftee will be among the prospects rated 5.5 or higher. (2014 Devante Adams graded at 5.7. In 2015 Quinton Rollins also graded 5.7, probably meaning picks were combination of need and BPA.)

If TT can choose Draftees rated 5.0 and above in all 7 rounds, he will have had a very good draft indeed. Few players ranked below 5.0 contribute though some may make the roster.

[pbmax]

^ Randall's grade might have ben hurt by the position switch from college.

[Maxie the Taxi]

No doubt. Position change really affects grading. Some position changes are reflected in Draft Tracker's grades. Some are not.

It's amazing to me how Draft Tracker has 90% or so of the prospects rated more or less correctly. On the other hand, it's more amazing how different GM's grading of an individual can vary from Draft Tracker's. It's what makes the Draft fascinating IMO.

[Maxie the Taxi]

Player Rankings By Grade Regardless of Position, Likely 1st Round Prospects
Tunsil, Laremy OT 6'5" 310 Mississippi 7.7
Jack, Myles OLB 6'1" 245 UCLA 7.5
Buckner, DeForest DE 6'7" 291 Oregon 7.2
Elliott, Ezekiel RB 6'0" 225 Ohio St. 7.2
Ramsey, Jalen CB 6'1" 209 Florida St. 6.8
Bosa, Joey DE 6'5" 269 Ohio St. 6.7
Stanley, Ronnie OT 6'6" 312 Notre Dame 6.7
Hargreaves, Vernon CB 5'10" 204 Florida 6.6
Robinson, A'Shawn DT 6'4" 307 Alabama 6.5
Goff, Jared QB 6'4" 215 California 6.5
Ragland, Reggie ILB 6'1" 247 Alabama 6.5
Wentz, Carson QB 6'5" 237 North Dakota St. 6.5
Floyd, Leonard OLB 6'6" 244 Georgia 6.5
Whitehair, Cody OG 6'4" 301 Kansas St. 6.4
Conklin, Jack OT 6'6" 308 Michigan St. 6.4
Smith, Jaylon OLB 6'2" 223 Notre Dame 6.4
Henry, Hunter TE 6'5" 250 Arkansas 6.3
Dodd, Kevin DE 6'5" 277 Clemson 6.3
Nkemdiche, Robert DT 6'3" 294 Mississippi 6.3
Fuller, Will WR 6'0" 186 Notre Dame 6.2
Rankins, Sheldon DT 6'1" 299 Louisville 6.2
Billings, Andrew NT 6'1" 311 Baylor 6.2
Treadwell, Laquon WR 6'2" 221 Mississippi 6.2
Lawson, Shaq DE 6'3" 269 Clemson 6.2
Jones, Chris DT 6'6" 310 Mississippi St. 6.2
Reed, Jarran DT 6'3" 307 Alabama 6.1
Ogbah, Emmanuel DE 6'4" 273 Oklahoma St. 6.1
Lynch, Paxton QB 6'7" 244 Memphis 6.1
Ridgeway, Hassan DT 6'3" 303 Texas 6.1
Henry, Derrick RB 6'3" 247 Alabama 6.1
Butler, Vernon DT 6'4" 323 Louisiana Tech 6.1
Spence, Noah DE 6'2" 251 Eastern Kentucky 6.1
Howard, Jordan RB 6'0" 230 Indiana 6.1
Bullard, Jonathan DT 6'3" 285 Florida 6.0
Lee, Darron OLB 6'1" 232 Ohio St. 6.0
Clark, Le'Raven OT 6'5" 316 Texas Tech 6.0
Coleman, Corey WR 5'11" 194 Baylor 6.0
Henry, Willie DT 6'3" 303 Michigan 6.0
Apple, Eli CB 6'1" 199 Ohio St. 6.0
Doctson, Josh WR 6'2" 202 TCU 5.9
Alexander, Mackensie CB 5'10" 190 Clemson 5.9
Jackson III, William CB 6'0" 189 Houston 5.9
Shepard, Sterling WR 5'10" 194 Oklahoma 5.9
Boyd, Tyler WR 6'1" 197 Pittsburgh 5.9
Zamort, Ronald CB 5'10" 174 Western Michigan 5.9

[Carolina_Packer]

Maxie, if the NFL teams had to follow that big board to select BAP, the Packers would miss out on some really good prospects, including the guy I want, Andrew Billings. Right at #27 on your list is Emmanuel Ogbah a 4-3 DE from OK State. I don't know if he's projected as a stand-up linebacker at the next level or not. Look at some of the names after Ogbah. Good luck to TT and Co. trying to decide. Look how many ways you could go. Vernon Butler? Perhaps. It fills a position of need, certainly. Noah Spence? He could be special, he could be fool's gold, ala Bruce Irvin. Darron Lee? Could he be converted to a chase/cover ILB? Josh Doctson? That is not TT's MO to take a receiver 1st, but is he compelling enough to change his mind?

I tend to think get the big guys early. They are hard to find. If Andrew Billings is there, I hope TT considers what a ripple affect a player like this can be. He's extremely disruptive, and between him and Mike Daniels and Guion, you might not be able to run on the Packers defense. This would also make the job of any ILB a little easier. Plus Billings has some pass rush ability.

[HarveyWallbangers]

NFL.com has terrible rankings. You'd think otherwise, but the rankings come out before the draft process and don't change. I prefer CBS Sports rankings the most. Then, ESPN. There aren't many free rankings that you can trust. A lot of the sites are fan boy sites. NFL.com does have some good write ups, I like that they show NFL comparisons (that often aren't all that accurate), and they have the scouting combine and Pro Day measurables, so it's a resource I use.

[Fritz]

So Darron Lee is listed as an OLB but projects as an ILB, and he's pretty light in the shorts at that.

Can he cover people? Can he tackle or do he drag people down?

[Maxie the Taxi]

Carolina, taking Ogbah might be a mistake. The rap on him is that he's low effort. I've never seen him play so I don't know.

Billings may fall to GB, but not likely. I hope TT takes a big name Left Tackle prospect. When your O-line is in such bad shape you've got to move your guard out to LT, you need help. I think TT could get a premier LT and a really good guard out of this draft. The D-line group is deep so you could get a really good DT as well, someone like Sheldon Day, Willie Henry or Hassan Ridgeway further down.

You're right, though. TT is gonna have a bunch of really good options in Round 1.

[Maxie the Taxi]

NFL.com has terrible rankings. You'd think otherwise, but the rankings come out before the draft process and don't change. I prefer CBS Sports rankings the most. Then, ESPN. There aren't many free rankings that you can trust. A lot of the sites are fan boy sites. NFL.com does have some good write ups, I like that they show NFL comparisons (that often aren't all that accurate), and they have the scouting combine and Pro Day measurables, so it's a resource I use.

CBS rankings are good, but I still prefer NFL Tracker. This year the reports on each player have been regularly updated and have changed. It's uncanny how accurate they've been projected compared to actual draft positions, etc.

I find CBS and NFL to be fairly similar. When you use the Fanspeak mock draft, the CBS board seems most realistic.

So who would you draft one and two if you were TT?

[Maxie the Taxi]

So Darron Lee is listed as an OLB but projects as an ILB, and he's pretty light in the shorts at that.

Can he cover people? Can he tackle or do he drag people down?His forte is supposed to be his ability to cover man-to-man. As for tackling, not so much IMO. There's a Youtube video of him out there and if you ask me he does his best to avoid contact. Deion Jones is a much better tackler, much more aggressive.

[Carolina_Packer]

His forte is supposed to be his ability to cover man-to-man. As for tackling, not so much IMO. There's a Youtube video of him out there and if you ask me he does his best to avoid contact. Deion Jones is a much better tackler, much more aggressive.

If TT agrees with you, my dream scenario would be to get Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor, in the first round and then Deion Jones in the 2nd round. I know our defense was the better of the two units last year, but I think the offensive struggle was an anomaly. Raji may be gone for good, so Billings would be just what the doctor ordered, as would Jones. The rest of the draft could be TE, OL, WR, OLB, RB in whatever order you'd like. That would be a home run to me.

[Maxie the Taxi]

If TT agrees with you, my dream scenario would be to get Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor, in the first round and then Deion Jones in the 2nd round. I know our defense was the better of the two units last year, but I think the offensive struggle was an anomaly. Raji may be gone for good, so Billings would be just what the doctor ordered, as would Jones. The rest of the draft could be TE, OL, WR, OLB, RB in whatever order you'd like. That would be a home run to me.We're on the same page sorta. Here's one stab at it, assuming Jones is still there in the 3rd (which I doubt):
27: R1P27
OT LE'RAVEN CLARK 6.0
TEXAS TECH
57: R2P26
DT CHRIS JONES 6.2
MISSISSIPPI STATE
88: R3P25
OLB DEION JONES 5.5
LSU
126: R4P27
RB TYLER ERVIN 5.1
SAN JOSE STATE
132: R4P33
TE TYLER HIGBEE 5.6
WESTERN KENTUCKY
138: R4P39
WR CHARONE PEAKE 5.8
CLEMSON
164: R5P24
G JOE DAHL 5.4
WASHINGTON STATE
201: R6P25
OLB AARON WALLACE 5.3
UCLA
249: R7P27
DE RON THOMPSON 5.2
SYRACUSE