Forecasting the Draft: 1.0

With the conclusion of the 2015 NFL season on Sunday, teams are now looking ahead to next season and the 2016 NFL Draft in April.

Prior to the draft, prospective players will work out at the NFL Scouting Combine (Feb. 23-29 in Indianapolis) and their own on-campus pro days in hopes of improving their draft stock.

Mock drafts have started popping up from various experts and a pair of former UF players appear to be on track to shake the commissioner's hand on stage in Chicago during the first round on April 28.

After compiling 14 mock drafts from various sites, cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III has a good chance to stay at home in Florida as eight of the 14 have him being selected by either the Miami Dolphins (No. 8 overall) or Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 9 overall). Two projections have Hargreaves being chosen as early as No. 6 to the Baltimore Ravens.

Defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard (pictured below) is projected as high as No. 24 by Pro Football Focus due to his strong grade against the run. Two experts expect the Chiefs to select him at No. 28 overall and three more think he will be taken one spot later by the Arizona Cardinals.

Here's a look at all the projections and what the experts have to say about each player.

Walter Football (Updated 2/4)

8. Hargreaves (Miami Dolphins)
Miami's secondary is a mess, as everyone took note in the Monday night loss to the Giants. The front office will have to find help at both cornerback and safety, and the former can be addressed here via the top pure cornerback in the 2016 NFL Draft. The opinions on Hargreaves are mixed - one team in the top 10 that needs a corner won't draft him - but perhaps the Dolphins will like him enough to pull the trigger at No. 8.

29. Bullard (Arizona Cardinals)
Outside of Calais Campbell, the Cardinals aren't all that talented on their defensive line. Plus, Campbell isn't getting any younger, as he'll turn 30 this upcoming offseason.

Rob Rang, CBS Sports (Updated 2/8)

8. Hargreaves (Miami Dolphins)
Despite fielding one of the more gifted defensive lines in the NFL, the Dolphins surrendered 31 passing touchdowns in 2015, more than any team which made the playoffs. Brent Grimes was the only cornerback to intercept a pass for Miami last year. The Dolphins won't have to look far for a playmaker with Hargreaves, a three-time All-SEC pick, recording 10 interceptions for the Gators over his career.

Dane Brugler, CBS Sports (Updated 2/8)

9. Hargreaves (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Tampa will address the cornerback position this off-season, either in free agency or the draft, possibly both. Hargreaves is a tough-minded, instinctive cover man who is ready to start from day one in the NFL.

Dan Kadar, SB Nation (Updated 2/8)

14. Hargreaves (Oakland Raiders)
Oakland has needs at both safety and cornerback, and Hargreaves would help improve the latter. Hargreaves is a talented cornerback who may not measure well during the offseason process. On the field though, he's a shutdown No. 1 corner who can play the outside and out of the slot.

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com (Updated 1/22)

8. Hargreaves (Miami Dolphins)
This might be a little early for Hargreaves, who is a little shorter than teams like as an outside cornerback, but his twitch and coverage talent is undeniable.

28. Bullard (Kansas City Chiefs)
Right tackle could be the pick here, but I don't see a fit for what the Chiefs like. Instead, let's go with a hybrid lineman with penetration and pass-rush ability.

Bucky Brooks, NFL.com (Updated 1/17)

6. Hargreaves (Baltimore Ravens)
The Ravens' cornerback woes could lead Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh to grab the a confident playmaker with exceptional cover skills.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com (1/17)

11. Hargreaves (Chicago Bears)
The Bears need to address several holes on defense, and Hargreaves has the ability to play outside and in the nickel.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com (Updated 1/29)

9. Hargreaves (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Buccaneers find a playmaker in the secondary ... throw Vernon Hargreaves III's way at your own peril.

28. Bullard (Kansas City Chiefs)
Jonathan Bullard gives the Chiefs a versatile performer on the defensive line, as he's able to hold his own between the A-gaps but also step outside to challenge tackles with a quick first step.

Peter Schrager, Fox Sports (Updated 1/26)

6. Hargreaves (Baltimore Ravens)
The Ravens don't typically have top 6 picks. They'll be happy to see either Ramsey or Hargreaves III on the board. Hargreaves is a star who held two of the top wideouts in the country -- Travin Dural and Laquon Treadwell -- under 100 receiving yards this year. He lacks ideal size (5-foot-11), but has the instincts to be a star.

29. Bullard (Arizona Cardinals)
The Cardinals defensive line isn't a young one. Bullard is 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, and can get to the quarterback. Smart player, too. He's a first-round guy.

Mel Kiper, ESPN.com ($) (Updated 1/14)

9. Hargreaves (Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is just a truly gifted cover man, with the ability to press or play off and really just mirror a pass-catcher all over the place. He's been doing it since he arrived in Gainesville. The Bucs do have a need at cornerback, but there isn't a team in the NFL that wouldn't want this kind of talent on the roster.

Todd McShay, ESPN.com ($) (Updated 2/3)

8. Hargreaves (Miami Dolphins)
At 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Hargreaves has adequate size to go along with outstanding suddenness, body control and deep speed. He thrives in man-to-man coverage, and with CB Brent Grimes turning 33 this summer, Hargreaves would be a good fit in Miami. The other option would be Oregon DE DeForest Buckner if free-agent-to-be Olivier Vernon leaves town.

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report (2/8)

12. Hargreaves (New York Giants)
The New Orleans Saints would love to find Jaylon Smith here, but with no weak-side linebacker worth drafting, their focus can go to cornerback, where they struck gold with Delvin Breaux from the CFL but swung and missed on Brandon Browner. As good as Breaux was and can be, the misses on Browner and 2014 draft pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste have left the Saints thin at cornerback. Adding a top-tier player like Vernon Hargreaves sets the team up for 2016 in a division loaded with wide receivers, but it also builds for the future, as the Saints look to bolster the defense for life after Drew Brees.

29. Bullard (Arizona Cardinals)
The Arizona Cardinals are close to contending for a Super Bowl, and while some may want to blame quarterback Carson Palmer for the team's late-season slide, the defense has to play better, too. Getting Tyrann Mathieu back healthy in 2016 should help, but the lack of talent in the pass-rush department is surprising. It's time for general manager Steve Keim to find a pass-rusher opposite rookie Markus Golden to build the defense around. Jonathan Bullard is tailor-made for Arizona's defense. He's big enough to play as a 3-technique defensive tackle, but his quickness allowed him to play defensive end at times with the Gators. He's a powerful rusher, and while he doesn't have the speed to bend the edge in the NFL, he'll attack the backfield in his own way and shows the tools to be productive there immediately.

Pro Football Focus (Updated 2/4)

8. Hargreaves (Miami Dolphins)
Hargreaves was outstanding in 2014, our best cornerback in the nation, but he took a step back in 2015. Still, he's sound fundamentally and can play a variety of coverages while staying with even the shiftiest of receivers. Not that division rivals should dictate draft picks, but he's a good fit to match with the Patriots' receiving corps. He's sure to run into concerns about his size, and perhaps his speed, during the process, but few other cornerbacks can match his two-year body of work on the field in our system.

24. Bullard (Cincinnati Bengals)
Alabama DT Jarran Reed was the pick in the last two mock drafts, and I'd love to give the Bengals a nose tackle here, but with Bullard still on the board there's too much production and versatility to pass up. He can play base defensive end while sprinkling inside at times, bringing excellent play against the run as he led all interior defensive linemen at +50.5 in 2015. He's not as productive as you'd like as a pass rusher, but he did improve to +7.7 last season.

Nate Davis, USA Today (Updated 2/8)

10. Hargreaves (New York Giants)
GM Jerry Reese knows he better fix a defense that allowed the most yards overall and most through the air in 2015 if he wants to keep his job. Hargreaves is a sensible option in a division where the ball's in the air so much. And with Prince Amukamara heading for free agency, the Giants need to reload at corner.

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