The opening round of the 2016 NFL Draft lived up to the billing with plenty of drama and intrigue as the top players from across the country were selected. The top two picks were pretty much a lock following a couple of big trades but after that there were plenty of surprises including a former consensus No. 1 overall pick freefalling down the draft board after a ridiculous experience in social media. One interesting aspect of the opening round is who will replace the absolute best of the best at the college level after they were selected at the top of the opening round. Here is a look at the replacements for the first five picks in the 2016 NFL Draft.
QB: Chase Forrest, California
Jared Goff started all 37 games while he was at California so we have a very small sample size off which to base what we know about his replacement in Forrest. The sophomore quarterback completed 10-of-18 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown in relief of Goff last season. He was a 3-star prospect and the 52nd-best pro-style passer in the 2014 recruiting class according to 247Sports so he will certainly have a lot to prove with big shoes to fill as the starting quarterback for the Bruins.
QB: Easton Stick, North Dakota State
The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to grab Carson Wentz one pick after the Los Angeles Rams drafted Goff and both teams hope they have found the franchise quarterback that can lead their team for years to come. Wentz was the first-ever first round pick out of North Dakota State and there is a good chance he will remain their lone first round pick for some time. That said, Stick appears to be a very capable replacement for the Bison after he went 8-0 following Wentz’s wrist injury in 2015. Stick threw for 1,144 yards and 13 touchdowns with an additional 49 rushing yards and five scores. His live arm and dual-threat ability make him the perfect fit for the North Dakota offense so expectations are very high for Stick.
DE: Sam Hubbard, Ohio State
No team took a bigger hit at this year’s NFL Draft than Ohio State, which lost nine underclassmen and had a record 12 players selected in the first four rounds. Joey Bosa was the first non-quarterback off the board and his production will be very difficult to replace on the edge. Hubbard has added 35 pounds with the intention of stepping in to a full-time role at defensive end and he showed potential last season with 6.5 sacks and eight tackles for a loss along with an interception in a limited role. Hubbard is already being talked about as a player that could be selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft but for now he will be tasked with filling the void left by Bosa’s departure at defensive end.
RB: Mike Weber, Ohio State
The Dallas Cowboys couldn’t resist Ezekiel Elliott’s explosive ability at the running back position so they made him the fourth-overall pick with the hope that he can help take their offense to another level. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes will turn to Weber with the hope that he can step in and be their workhorse running back. The former Michigan commit flipped to Ohio State in December of 2014 but a knee injury last August forced him to have surgery and redshirt his freshman season. Weber has all of the intangibles to be a star in the Buckeyes’ offense so keep an eye on him as Elliott’s replacement.
CB: Tarvarus McFadden, Florida State
The fact that arguably the best player on the board in cornerback Jalen Ramsey slid to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5 is pretty incredible. He will be hard to replace at Florida State but all signs point towards McFadden being capable. The big-bodied defensive back was a huge steal for the Seminoles when he was recruited in 2015 and he is poised to prove his worth as a starter at FSU. McFadden logged just four tackles in seven games last season but another year of experience should help him as a potential star at Florida State this season.
