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The collegiate season hasn't yet ended, with the Clemson Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide still needing to play for the title, but NFL draft season has kicked into high gear.

It's the infancy of the process in a way as 20 teams look toward the offseason while the rest look at the NFL playoff bracket. What this does, though, is begins to give observers a better idea of how things might play out in a few months.

Much can change, of course, such as the unfortunate injury to Notre Dame star linebacker Jaylon Smith perhaps impacting things down the line.

Below, let's look at how things stand right now as the globe beings to wrap its mind around another draft season. Better to move forward armed with knowledge than to get blindsided.

2016 NFL Mock Draft

Pick Team Player Position School 1 Tennessee Titans Laremy Tunsil OT Ole Miss 2 Cleveland Browns Joey Bosa DL Ohio State 3 San Diego Chargers Ronnie Stanley OT Notre Dame 4 Dallas Cowboys Jaylon Smith LB Notre Dame 5 Jacksonville Jaguars Jalen Ramsey CB/S Florida State 6 Baltimore Ravens Mackensie Alexander CB Clemson 7 San Francisco 49ers Jared Goff QB California 8 Miami Dolphins Myles Jack LB UCLA 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers DeForest Buckner DE Oregon 10 New York Giants Reggie Ragland LB Alabama 11 Chicago Bears Jack Conklin OT Michigan State 12 New Orleans Saints Paxton Lynch QB Memphis 13 Philadelphia Eagles Taylor Decker OT Ohio State 14 Oakland Raiders Vernon Hargreaves III CB Florida 15 St. Louis Rams Connor Cook QB Michigan State 16 Detroit Lions Ezekiel Elliott RB Ohio State 17 Atlanta Falcons Shilique Calhoun DE Michigan State 18 Indianapolis Colts A'Shawn Robinson DT Alabama 19 Buffalo Bills Jarran Reed DL Alabama 20 New York Jets Shaq Lawson DE Clemson 21 Pittsburgh Steelers Tre'Davious White CB LSU 22 Seattle Seahawks Noah Spence DE/LB Eastern Kentucky 23 Green Bay Packers Robert Nkemdiche DL Ole Miss 24 Kansas City Chiefs Corey Coleman WR Baylor 25 Washington Laquon Treadwell WR Ole Miss 26 Houston Texans Sheldon Rankins DT Louisville 27 Minnesota Vikings Michael Thomas WR Ohio State 28 Cincinnati Bengals Emmanuel Ogbah DE Oklahoma State 29 Denver Broncos Jason Spriggs OT Indiana 30 Arizona Cardinals Leonard Floyd LB Georgia 31 Carolina Panthers Eli Apple CB Ohio State Author's projections.

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Mock Draft Notables

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DeForest Buckner, DE, Oregon

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Know what a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needs?

More versatile playmakers to massage a defense that allowed 26.1 points per game on average. With the offense developing around Jameis Winston, it only makes sense for head coach Lovie Smith to go after guys who can make a difference on defense.

DeForest Buckner of Oregon certainly qualifies. The 6'7", 290-pound monstrosity terrorized the Pac-12 this past year and earned high praise from many, including Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo:

Chandler Jones, a guy who by Palazzolo's own rankings this year came in as the No. 15 4-3 defensive end in the NFL with 13 sacks, eight quarterback hits and four hurries.

The Buccaneers tallied 38 sacks, but the points allowed speaks for itself. William Gholston isn't scaring anyone on one side of the line, though Jacquies Smith was one of the league's quietest breakout stars with his seven sacks.

Adding Buckner to the mix only creates a positive ripple effect on the unit.

15. St. Louis Rams: Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State

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Folks can argue for days and days about whether a quarterback will turn out right, but nobody really knows—see recent examples such as Robert Griffin III, EJ Manuel and Johnny Manziel.

It's Connor Cook's time to earn the "polarizing" label. He passes the eye test at 6'4" and 220 pounds, but he never completed better than 58.7 percent of his passes in a season. This past year, he hit 56.1 percent with 3,131 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Then he gets comparisons like this from new Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post:

That sound? It's the St. Louis Rams rubbing their collective hands together. Nick Foles didn't work out, tossing seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions while watching Case Keenum steal some playing time.

There are other issues in St. Louis, especially at wideout. Potential franchise quarterbacks only come around so often, though, and pairing Cook with a strong running game might provide the Rams the foundation they desperately need to escape middling territory and begin to climb the mountain.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tre'Davious White, CB, LSU

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It's not a secret what way the Pittsburgh Steelers will look in this year's draft.

Ben Roethlisberger can only prop up a struggling defense for so long. He's great, but much of what he does helps to gloss over the fact that the defense ranks 30th while allowing 271.9 passing yards per game.

Granted, the unit generated 48 sacks and plays the run well, but it doesn't mean much when corners such as William Gay and Antwon Blake, among others, struggle to shut down opposing receivers.

Tre'Davious White is the latest LSU cornerback to potentially hit the pros and make a difference. He can return punts, but the real allure here is the sheer upside he brings with his 5'11", 191-pound frame.

CBS Sports' Dane Brugler summed up the allure to White's obvious upside well:

He isn't quite as big as Jalen Collins and isn't the fastest player on the LSU roster, but he has the foot quickness and fluid athleticism to blanket receivers on the outside, using his instincts and ballskills to disrupt the catch point. White will take some unnecessary chances and fall victim to coverage lapses, but his football future is bright.

Some might argue drafting upside isn't the way to go, but an organization like Pittsburgh always has an eye on the future. White won't be the perfect prospect out of the gates, but with the proper coaching he can morph into an every-down starter sooner rather than later.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of January 6. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.