The 2015 regular season is over, and that means it's time for legit 2016 NFL Draft analysis and predictions for the top 20 picks, which are now set. The other 12 picks will be in place following the Super Bowl, of course, but never mind that. For my third mini mock draft, I'll be predicting pick Nos.11-15, which include the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams.
First, let's recap the first two mini mocks that had picks 1-5 and 6-10, respectively:
1. Tennessee Titans: Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
2. Cleveland Browns: Jared Goff, QB, Cal
3. San Diego Chargers: Laremy Tunsil, OT, Ole Miss
4. Dallas Cowboys: Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon (amended from Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame)
6. Baltimore Ravens: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
7. San Francisco 49ers: Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Ole Miss
8. Miami Dolphins: Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneeers: Jalen Ramsey, DB, Florida State
10. New York Giants: Shaq Lawson, DE, Clemson
Now let's begin with the new content. The Bears are on the clock...
11. Chicago Bears: Paxton Lynch, QB, Memphis
This will be a tough decision for the Chicago Bears, as it was for me, especially if Memphis' Paxton Lynch is indeed still there. GM Ryan Pace is committed to the draft style of taking the best player available -- meaning highest on the team's big board -- regardless of position. But there will be quite a few talented defensive linemen available, and they could really use one.
That said, the prospect of bring in a quarterback of the future who they can groom under Jay Cutler for a few seasons may be too great to pass up here. Lynch is the perfect QB who isn't quite pro ready yet, but has an enormously high ceiling. It could be a perfect situation for the Bears to set up the most important position on the team for success for years to come.
12. New Orleans Saints: Andrew Billings, DT, Baylor
If there was one phrase to describe the Saints' defense in 2015 perfectly, it's "historically bad." They really were, allowing quarterbacks passing against them to have an otherworldly 116.2 passer rating against them. That unit allowed the second most passing yards, second most rushing yards and had the most points scored against them -- the Saints were atrocious on that side of the ball.
Enter Andrew Billings.
This defense needs to start at the front and work their way back. Until they have a respectable defensive line, it's not going to matter who's behind them (which is part of the reason why signing star safety Jairus Bird, among others, has been relatively pointless). Bringing in Billings will give them a truly disruptive and dominant force who commands double teams in the middle of their defensive line. It's only one step in the right direction, but a pretty big one at that.
13. Philadelphia Eagles: Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
It's tough to say exactly what the Eagles will do as they still need to bring in a new head coach, and things will definitely be different than they were under Chip Kelly. However, when you're the worst run defense in the league and just pretty pitiful overall on that side of the ball, it makes a lot of sense to select the top run-stuffer in 2016's draft.
Reed, at 6-foot-3 and 313 pounds, takes up a lot of space. Many analysts consider him the most important part of Bama's stout defense, as he plays low and can actually move pretty well for a man with his type of power.
14. Oakland Raiders: Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
The only player in Pac-12 history to be named the offensive and defensive Freshman of the Year is a talent to behold. He doesn't exactly fit the prototypical frame of an NFL linebacker at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds, but there is one report that says he's put on weight since going out with a season-ending knee injury during the 2015 season, bulking up to around 245 pounds. If that's the case, then adding Jack would be a no-brainer for the Raiders here.
Draft Khalil Mack was a spectacular decision a couple of years ago, and adding Jack to the mix would give them a player who is one of the most instinctually gifted football players coming out of the draft in recent years. He knows how to make plays, has tremendous ball skills and tracks down running backs with ease. His speed is second to none as far as linebackers are concerned this year, and it'll be interesting to see what kinds of things an NFL team would do with his versatility.
15. St. Louis Rams: Carson Wentz, QB, North Dakota State
This is my boldest prediction for the first round, but I think there's a legitimate shot of it happening. Top FCS quarterback prospect Carson Wentz out of NDSU has a fantastic shot to be a first-round pick, the first since Joe Flacco did coming out of Delaware; except I think he can be better.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound signal caller was a receiver heading into college, and has immense athleticism. However, his arm ability has been phenomenal since making the switch, and if he played the position in high school, Wentz likely would have been recruited by top programs. I think he'll benefit greatly from the Senior Bowl that he's expect to play in, as well as the Combine and such, and he'll move up. NFL analyst Mike Mayock and others also believe he has a real shot to be the first quarterback taken, and not just a first rounder, which would be greatly impressive.
St. Louis is in desperate need of a quarterback for the future because Case Keenum and Nick Foles certainly aren't capable enough. Wentz could be a great pick here -- assuming he's still available.
