2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Round 1 Prospects Ahead of Veteran Combine

The NFL veteran combine is on Sunday, and seeing as it's a new event on the NFL offseason calendar, there's really no telling how it will impact the draft.

It's likely that it will have no impact at all. There are few players in the 100-man field who still have enough potential left in the tank to fill a role that a first-round stud prospect might, but it will certainly be interesting to observe throughout the course of the 2015 season.

Envision the 100 players as the ultimate low-risk, high-reward candidates. Consider a team's selection in Round 1 a high-risk, high-reward candidate. Not much can go wrong if an organization signs a veteran to a one-year deal without much success in recent seasons. Conversely, an entire front office can get the blame for a failed pick in the draft.

There are multiple outside linebacker hybrids who could go very early in the draft (possibly within the first 10 picks). They don't look like high-risk prospects, but the potential is always there to bust. Will they? Read on to find out more about each of the four prospects.

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

Dante Fowler, OLB/DE, Florida

The key to tapping into Dante Fowler's incredible raw potential is reining him in. The Florida Gator is known for his one-speed motor. This aggressiveness shows in his speed and physicality off the line, but it also gets him into some trouble.

Because Fowler relies so much on his aggressiveness, there are times when he fails to make plays when other techniques are called for. He sometimes misses tackles in the backfield—whether it be on a sack or a tackle for a loss—and that won't fly in the NFL.

Closing on the ball-carrier is not the issue. Fowler gets there in a hurry. But he doesn't slow down to compose himself and set his feet before going in for the kill. Therein lies the problem.

It's an instinct issue, but it isn't one that can't be coached out of him. That's why NFL coordinators and position coaches are for.

This shouldn't hinder his draft stock. If this is the biggest issue with Fowler's game, then NFL scouts must be clamoring to their respective general managers to take this guy. So much raw talent rarely goes to waste when the main flaw is so small.

His impact on the Gators cannot be understated. This from Antonya English of the Tampa Bay Times and Richard Johnson of Jacksonville.com:

"

"you don't replace a Dante Fowler".."what you do is the positions around that guy have to elevate their play to make up for that production"

— Richard Johnson (@RagjUF) March 10, 2015"

Fowler is a potential defense-altering prospect given his versatility and motor. When he learns to contain his aggressiveness at the point of attack, he'll force quarterbacks to take notice.

Randy Gregory, OLB/DE, Nebraska

Similarly to Fowler, Randy Gregory has few glaring problems. He's an excellent pass-rusher despite his 235-pound frame. That lean frame aids in his athleticism, though one would assume that he'd still be a freak athlete if he added 20 pounds.

In the nearly-impossible-to-predict world of NFL prospects, Gregory is one of the closest things to a guarantee that teams can get.

"He’s an in-between mixture of Jadeveon Clowney and Jevon Kearse," one scout told Pete Thamel and Thayer Evans of SI.com. "He’s got Kearse’s freaky athlete ability. Clowney is much stronger, but he’s much tighter than Gregory. Gregory has disgusting bendability much like Barkevious Mingo."

Kearse, a nominee for the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, is a pretty good comparison for Gregory, though Kearse was a bit larger (265 pounds) during his playing days.

Size plays a factor in the Nebraska product's biggest problem ahead of the draft. Stopping the run can be a problem for him, as his 235-pound frame isn't conducive to stuffing holes and preventing runners from finding gaps.

Sure, he'll get into the backfield and prevent runs before they materialize, but runners that get to the line often make their way around him. This lends to the idea that he might become someone like Von Miller, who the Denver Broncos use on the line against the pass and as a linebacker against the run.

That's a role that Gregory could find success in.

Shane Ray, OLB/DE, Missouri

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

Shane Ray is somewhat of an enigma.

He didn't participate in the NFL combine, so scouts had to wait until his pro day at Missouri on Thursday to grade the hybrid pass-rusher. His numbers from the showing might not scream first-round material, but CBSSports.com's Rob Rang writes that his drills were a success:

"

Measuring in at a shade under 6-foot-3, 249 pounds, Ray was clocked between 4.55-4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash and posted a 33-inch vertical jump and 10-foot broad jump. While those numbers aren't extraordinary, Ray looked "explosive" during pass rush drills, according to a high-ranking scout who attended the workout.

"

NFL analyst Mike Mayock was quoted as saying that the tape is indeed better than the numbers, echoing the scout's opinion:

But there are still folks out there who believe Ray will slide. He's certainly a candidate to go within the first 10 picks, but Bleacher Report's Scott Carasik is still holding out that he'll go in Round 2:

Tape should be the deciding factor for teams. More can be taken from in-game action than from watching a prospect run 40 yards a few times, but there will still be scouts and organizations who would rather see off-the-chart times, measurements and the like.

Ray's fate is in the hands of all 32 NFL organizations. A team will take a chance on him at some point, and it's probably one it won't forget.

Vic Beasley, OLB/DE, Clemson

Vic Beasley might be the first hybrid player taken on draft night. That's if all goes according to rankings, as NFL.com's Bucky Brooks tweeted that Beasley's at the top of his position:

He has unparalleled wheels off the line, using his first step to quickly get past offensive linemen and penetrate the backfield. But he also has a flurry of moves at his disposal to use against smaller linemen who are quick enough to inhibit his advance into the backfield.

Look for his future defensive coordinator to put him in a position to do one thing—get to the quarterback. His power and speed make him one of the most complete defenders in the draft.

There was once a gripe against Beasley, and it was that he was too small for the position. He finished the season with Clemson at roughly 235 pounds, though he checked into the NFL combine at 246. The increased weight didn't hinder his marks at the combine, showing NFL teams that adding size won't impact the way he plays the game.

Beasley has a lot of Aldon Smith in him. He profiles more as an outside linebacker who can get into the backfield at will, but don't be surprised if he lines up as a defensive end several times per game as well.

Of the four prospects named here, Beasley has the tools to have the brightest future.

Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.