My second mock draft of the year looks a lot like the first, but with one major difference.
Many of the names are the same, but the order of the first 16 picks is different in how I project who the Lions will take with the 16th pick in the first round on April 28.
Mock 16-2.0 is an updated version of Mock 16-1.0. When I posted that on Jan. 18, I projected the Lions taking middle linebacker Reggie Ragland of Alabama at No. 16.
I still like Ragland. He is a stout, determined defender who can be a presence in the middle. However, a lot has changed since Jan. 18. The Senior Bowl and the recent Combine workouts in Indianapolis have given teams valuable additional information on draft prospects.
And the annual roster juggling – with teams releasing some players and re-signing others – has made an impact on team needs.
In the Lions' case, re-signing defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker in advance of the start of free agency might have some impact on whether they take a defensive tackle with the first pick.
The result is what follows in the post-Combine edition of Mock 16-2.0.
As always, feel free to disagree.
1. Tennessee Titans (3-13): Watching Laremy Tunsil do drills at the Combine, NFL Network and former Giants center Shaun O'Hara said he looked like "a Corvette." Park him at left tackle to protect QB Marcus Mariota.
Pick: OT Laremy Tunsil, Mississippi.
Previous pick: Tunsil.
2. Cleveland Browns (3-13): Word from the southern shore of Lake Erie is that they're set on taking a quarterback. But is it Jared Goff of Cal or Carson Wentz of North Dakota State? I like the raw kid from Dakota, but the Browns seem to prefer more polish.
Pick: QB Jared Goff, Cal.
Previous pick: Goff.
3. San Diego Chargers (3-13): They could go for Tunsil if the Titans trade out of the No. 1 spot, but if the Browns and Titans stay put the Chargers get one of the best athletes in this draft.
Pick: CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State.
Previous pick: DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State.
4. Dallas Cowboys (4-12): Owner Jerry Jones will not yield to temptation and draft a quarterback. Or will he? Nope. Defense takes priority over Tony Romo's eventual successor.
Pick: DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State.
Previous pick: DT A'Shawn Robinson, Alabama.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): They get back OLB Dante Fowler, drafted third overall last year but out all season with a knee injury. Adding a versatile, power player up front could help head coach Gus Bradley have his first winning record in four years.
Pick: DE DeForest Buckner, Oregon.
Previous pick: Ramsey.
6. Baltimore Ravens (5-11): Protecting QB Joe Flacco is a priority, and not just because of his new three-year extension.
Pick: OT Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame.
Previous pick: DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson.
7. San Francisco 49ers (5-11): They need a QB for new head coach Chip Kelly, and Colin Kaepernick has made it known that he doesn't want to return to San Francisco. If Kaepernick decides he wants to stay, it changes things. For now, the assumption is he's gone.
Pick: QB Carson Wentz, North Dakota St.
Previous pick: WR Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi.
8. Miami Dolphins (6-10): Former Lions assistant Adam Gase no doubt would like to start his reign as head coach by drafting for offense, but the best option here is defense. The question is which level, front seven or secondary?
Pick: CB Vernon Hargreaves, Florida.
Previous pick: Buckner.
9. Tampa Bay Bucs (6-10): The Bucs hit big in the first round the last two years – WR Mike Evans in 2014, QB Jameis Winston last year. There's a good chance to make it three-for-three, with a shift to defense.
Pick: LB Myles Jack, UCLA.
Previous pick: Hargreaves.
10. New York Giants (6-10): They've moved on from Tom Coughlin to former offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo as head coach after four straight years without a playoff berth, three straight losing seasons and a defense that gave up more than 400 points the last two years. Bottom line: there are a lot of ways to go, but how the defense blew fourth-quarter leads last year points to the major weakness.
Pick: DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson.
Previous pick: Jack.
11. Chicago Bears (6-10): They get back WR Kevin White, their No. 1 pick last year who missed his rookie season with an injury. When the Bears were good on defense they had a presence in the middle. Admittedly, I project Ragland higher than most people.
Pick: MLB Reggie Ragland, Alabama.
Previous pick: DE Kevin Dodd, Clemson.
12. New Orleans Saints (7-9): The way they played defense at the end of last season was like watching the Pro Bowl. Combine performance jumped a much-needed interior defender to this spot.
Pick: DT Sheldon Rankins, Louisville.
Previous pick: DT Robert Nkemdiche, Mississippi.
13. Philadelphia Eagles (7-9): One mock draft has Carson Wentz going in this spot. That must have been before the Eagles re-upped with QB Sam Bradford – or maybe it was buyer's remorse from a previous mock. Whoever plays QB needs protection.
Pick: OT Taylor Decker, Ohio State.
Previous pick: Stanley.
14. Oakland Raiders (7-9): In the last two years the Raiders have drafted a Pro Bowl pass-rusher (Khalil Mack), QB (Derek Carr) and receiver (Amari Cooper). Another stud from Alabama can upgrade the interior defense.
Pick: DT Jarran Reed, Alabama.
Previous pick: Decker.
15. Los Angeles Rams (7-9): The move from St. Louis to Los Angeles did not leave their quarterback problems behind. It's tempting to take a receiver, but quarterback is a much bigger need.
Pick: QB Paxton Lynch, Memphis.
Previous pick: Lynch.
We hit the push button here to survey the draft landscape – what has happened before projecting the Lions' pick at No. 16, what might be coming, and to wonder if my thumb fell asleep on the space bar or if most of the league finished 6-10 or 7-9 last year.
Moving on ... depth up front is showing on both sides of the ball in the first 15 picks. I have five defensive linemen and three offensive tackles off the board. That's more than half of the first 15 picks, and there are more to come in the next 16 – perhaps even one going to the Lions.
Among the quarterbacks, Paxton Lynch is the only chancy pick. The Rams need a quarterback, and he fits there at 15. But not everyone agrees that Lynch is worth going that high.
One man's opinion: drafting any quarterback this year is influenced greatly by need.
In this scenario, nothing has happened in front of the Lions that should cause them any consternation. They can fill any primary need with what's left on the board, with the possible exception of middle linebacker because of the projection that Ragland will go to the Bears at No. 11.
Offensive tackle, defensive line, wide receiver and running back are still in play.
16. Detroit Lions (7-9): They could take a player at any of four positions and feel good about all four. Offensive tackle Jack Conklin of Michigan State and one of the defensive tackles still on the board would add quality up front on both sides of the ball.
Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell of Mississippi and running back Ezekiel Elliott of Ohio State are top prospects at the skilled positions and would provide help or insurance – or both.
For fans and draftniks, the first round of the draft is a one-night event, ideally suited to television.
For teams, it's a moment in time that represents the end product of thousands of man hours of work that has years of ramifications.
There are good, solid choices: beef up the offensive line to protect Matthew Stafford and help the running game, add depth on the defensive line or add talent at receiver or running back.
The receiver position is unsettled because of the uncertainty concerning Calvin Johnson's plans. Whether he returns or retires, the belief here is that it's a position that needs another playmaker.
Pick: WR Laquon Treadwell, Mississippi. He has good size (6-2, 221) and athleticism without elite speed, and he adds immediate insurance and depth plus long-term production.
Previous pick: Ragland.
