NFL Mock Draft 2015: Early Projections for Nation's Top Prospects

Now a week removed from Super Bowl XLIX, the focus of the NFL is almost entirely on the 2015 NFL Draft.

While not until April, the draft is worth analyzing immediately. With so many talented prospects taking part in the NFL Scouting Combine and various pro days, organizations have multiple opportunities to view the players they think will change (or add to) the culture of their franchises.

Drafts rarely shake out as the mock drafts predict. Draft-day trades and head-scratching picks often make mocks moot before even 10 picks are made. That said, mocks are still a great way to get a feeling for when certain players will come off the board.

As things stand today, this is how Round 1 of the draft should look.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DE, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
9	New York Giants	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
10	St. Louis Rams	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
11	Minnesota Vikings	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
14	Miami Dolphins	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
16	Houston Texans	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
17	San Diego Chargers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
23	Detroit Lions	Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Carl Davis, DL, Iowa
25	Carolina Panthers	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
26	Baltimore Ravens	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
27	Dallas Cowboys	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
28	Denver Broncos	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
29	Indianapolis Colts	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
30	Green Bay Packers	Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma
31	Seattle Seahawks	Alvin "Bud" Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
32	New England Patriots	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Analyzing First-Round Quarterbacks

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, Florida State

The No. 1 quarterback in the draft is undoubtedly Jameis Winston. Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy and brought his Oregon Ducks to the national championship game, but Winston is NFL-ready. Mariota still has question marks as a pocket passer.

Florida State enjoyed a ton of success with Winston over the past two seasons, both during his Heisman-winning 2013 campaign and his slightly less impressive 2014. Take a look at his numbers from each season:

	Yards	Completion %	TD/INT	Yards per Attempt
2013	4,057	66.9	40/10	10.57
2014	3,907	65.3	25/18	8.37

Winston has the frame (6'4", 230 pounds), arm strength, poise and decision-making skills (on the field, anyway) to excel at the next level. He might need a year or two to sit and learn the ins and outs of the NFL, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can offer him that with Josh McCown under contract for one more season.

Tampa Bay hasn't had a truly successful quarterback since Brad Johnson in the early 2000s, as Josh Freeman was a bust during his three-plus-year tenure as the starter.

Winston probably won't lead the Bucs right away. If Tampa Bay is smart, they'll let him sit for a year. Winston's off-field shenanigans are a potential concern for NFL teams. Keeping him on the bench would allow the coaches and organization to monitor his progression both as a player and as an adult.

That said, his off-field headlines don't detract from the talent he displays on the playing field. Winston is a future 4,000-yard passer. Mike Evans will quickly become a personal favorite for the 21-year-old. If you recall, Winston enjoyed throwing to Kelvin Benjamin during the 2013 season, a receiver of similar size to Evans.

Evans has the speed to go after Winston's deep ball and the hands to haul in passes that may be a bit erratic because of his live arm.

This is a great fit for both parties involved and the most logical selection to kick off the 2015 draft.

6. New York Jets: Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Mariota goes to the New York Jets at No. 6 for now, but keep in mind that hyped quarterbacks tend to fall as the draft inches closer and the college football season fades into the rear-view mirror.

Remember how Teddy Bridgewater seemed to be the consensus No. 1 pick in last year's class? He ended up falling to the last pick of Round 1 to the Minnesota Vikings, who had to trade up to No. 32 to secure the quarterback. He, of course, enjoyed a fairly successful first season in the NFL.

But back to Mariota.

The Jets have several needs on the offensive side of the ball. Wide receiver is a glaring weakness, as Eric Decker didn't prove to be the No. 1 the Jets thought they were getting. That's really no surprise, though. Quarterback is a controversial need, as Geno Smith—the incumbent—is still under contract and sits atop the depth chart as things stand today.

But the new regime might not be too keen on allowing Smith to continue as the starter. New head coach Todd Bowles and new general manager Mike Maccagnan could look to Mariota to usher in the next era of Jets football.

The best fit is still to draft Mariota and sign a veteran—perhaps Brian Hoyer or Matt Moore—to start for a year or two to allow Mariota to develop. He isn't ready for the NFL. He's explosive, sure, but that'll only get you so far in today's NFL (see: Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel).

His skills as a pocket passer are not nearly as polished as Winston's, and the last thing the Jets want is another quarterback who struggles throwing the ball with ample protection in front of him. ESPN New York's Robin Lundberg tweets that Mariota could bring about a familiar sight if this situation isn't handled correctly:

Smith, of course, has made the pick-six infamous among Jets fans.

It's obvious that a change is necessary, but the Jets need to be patient. Mariota isn't a quick fix. He's a work in progress who needs time to develop under a veteran. The veteran doesn't have to be a superstar, but it needs to be someone other than Geno Smith.

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Brett Hundley, UCLA

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

There may not be a third quarterback in Round 1, but if there is, it's going to be UCLA's Brett Hundley.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller thinks he could jump in the draft given the lack of depth at the position:

Where he'll go is a bit of a mystery. The Chicago Bears really need a No. 2 quarterback, and the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals could nab him in order to groom him for the starter's job when either Tony Romo or Carson Palmer, respectively, retire.

Yet the Philadelphia Eagles remain the most intriguing landing spot for multiple reasons. For one, quarterback is a potential need. Mark Sanchez is a free agent and wasn't overly impressive as the starter down the stretch in 2014. Nick Foles will probably never recreate his ridiculous 2013 season, and his 2014 was cut short by injury.

Hundley is an ideal fit for head coach Chip Kelly's system, one that favors mobile quarterbacks with big arms who can connect with the offense's speedy wide receivers down the field. Hundley has an enormous arm and is agile when tucking the ball to run. He ran for 1,747 yards in three seasons at UCLA.

Kelly is also somewhat familiar with Hundley. He recruited the quarterback when he came out of high school in Chandler, Arizona. It's clear that there could be serious interest as Hundley jumps to the next level.

ESPN's Cecil Lammey tweeted that Philly has indeed shown interest, though as a Plan B of sorts:

It's unclear as to whether or not the team's stance on Mariota has changed since the tweet was sent on Jan. 22, but both players are project types who need time to develop. Hundley's arm may allow him to progress just a bit faster, however.

The Eagles could easily go with a defensive back or outside linebacker in Round 1 given their glaring needs on defense. Hundley could end up being a steal, though, if Kelly truly wants to commit to him moving forward.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn