NFL Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft Prior to Scouting Combine

The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine is just days away, and while prospect workouts will surely change the landscape of the draft's first round, ongoing rumors regarding a certain franchise's interest in a particular prospect will do the same.

Of course, the most difficult part of such buzz is to decipher whether it's genuine or a clever smokescreen.

In the days leading up to the combine, there have been reports and gossip that could impact on the top of the draft. As we know, everything flows downhill from there, so an early first-round alteration will affect many following picks.

With that in mind, here's the latest look at how the draft's opening round is likely to shake out.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DT, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
10	St. Louis Rams	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
11	Minnesota Vikings	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
15	San Francisco 49ers	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
16	Houston Texans	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
17	San Diego Chargers	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Bud Dupree, DE, Kentucky
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
23	Detroit Lions	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
24	Arizona Cardinals	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
25	Carolina Panthers	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
26	Baltimore Ravens	Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (OH)
27	Dallas Cowboys	Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
28	Denver Broncos	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
29	Indianapolis Colts	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
30	Green Bay Packers	Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
31	Seattle Seahawks	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
32	New England Patriots	Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn

Analyzing Changes Atop the Draft

Since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially gained the draft's first pick, many analysts immediately began predicting Oregon standout Marcus Mariota would be the team's choice. After all, he comes without baggage and appears to have the type of skill set a fledgling Buccaneers team would enjoy.

Not so fast.

According to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, head coach Lovie Smith favors the idea of Jameis Winston being the team's quarterback of the future:

"

I've heard that coach Lovie Smith prefers Winston over Oregon's Marcus Mariota. When Smith chose Dirk Koetter as the Bucs' offensive coordinator over Marc Trestman, the logic was simple. Although Smith and Trestman have similar philosophies about how to run an offense, they disagreed on the quarterbacks. Trestman preferred Mariota.

"

So if Winston is going No. 1 overall to Tampa Bay, here's a glance at the potential logic behind the draft's early selections.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

So here we have it: The Buccaneers grab Winston at No. 1 overall. Of course, this could change depending on how the quarterback fares during interviews and performs in workouts, but it looks as though the 6'4", 232-pound signal-caller and his rocket arm will head to Tampa Bay following the draft. Considering his experience in a pro-style offense, his skill set should translate nicely to the NFL.

2. Tennessee Titans: Leonard Williams, DT, USC

This selection may change depending on what the Titans do in free agency, but the team doesn't know what it has in Zach Mettenberger just yet and may be willing to pass on Mariota to gain the services of Williams. Tennessee needs help along its defensive front, and the 6'5", 298-pound defensive tackle has a blend of power and athleticism that makes him the draft's most NFL-ready prospect.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa

Jacksonville invested heavily in the offensive side of the ball in 2014, and now the team must protect that investment by upgrading the offensive line. Brandon Scherff comes in as the draft's top offensive tackle. The 6'5", 320-pound Iowa product has an impressive frame, powerful base and quick feet. His combination of power and agility makes him a force when blocking for the run and in pass protection.

4. Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

This is possibly the draft's most logical selection. The Raiders offense began to show signs of life behind quarterback Derek Carr, but without a true No. 1 option, the young signal-caller's development will be hindered. Adding the 6'1", 210-pound Amari Cooper immediately gives Carr a top-notch weapon, as the receiver comes equipped with great acceleration, soft hands and a huge catch radius.

5. Washington Redskins: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska

If the Redskins are going to make strides on the defensive side of the ball, they must begin by adding capable pass-rushers. Randy Gregory is listed as a defensive end, but he'll stand opposite Ryan Kerrigan in Washington's base 3-4 defense. At 6'6" and 245 pounds, Gregory is highly athletic, explosive off the line and has the speed necessary to burn offensive tackles around the edge.

6. New York Jets: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

The Jets' prayers have been answered, as Mariota falls to No. 6 overall. New York has a solid core and talent at many positions, but the team's quarterbacks have been holding it back for quite some time. Now, with the 6'4", 215-pound Mariota in the fold, it can make strides. The Oregon product makes smart decisions on the field, is extremely accurate, has a big arm and can make plays with his legs.