2015 NFL Mock Draft: Analyzing Best Round 1 Selections for Every Team
The 2015 NFL draft's prospects will have a hard time living up to the previous class in terms of depth and expected star power.
However, the number of players leaving school early to go pro should only continue to enhance the quality of the talent pool. Finding a quarterback is of optimum importance for every team, and as stacked as this incoming draft class is at other positions, QB isn't one of them.
But the ones at the top, Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston, are potential superstars in the making. They should forgo their remaining college eligibility and fall into the hands of fortuitous franchises.
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Here is an updated mock of the first round. The order is derived from OddsShark.com's Super Bowl odds, which will be refreshed again when Week 13's NFL action concludes and likely shake up the hierarchy.
1. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DL, USC
Another defensive first-round pick for Oakland but a worthwhile investment. Williams can play anywhere along the front four and would add another dynamic dimension to the Raiders front seven, headlined by rising rookie linebacker Khalil Mack.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
The Jags invested a ton on offense in the previous draft, so general manager David Caldwell helps out defensive-minded coach Gus Bradley here.
Adding Gregory to a rotation that already features Chris Clemons, Red Bryant and Sen'Derrick Marks gives Jacksonville the depth up front to execute the defense Bradley wants to see.
3. New York Jets: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Mariota is polite, has all the desired intangibles, absolutely rips the ball, can run as well as any quarterback in recent memory and is a winner to boot.
Those are all characteristics the Jets can only hope to welcome to the fold if Mariota falls to them in the draft. If Michael Vick stays with the team, he would provide Mariota a mentor who has a similar electric athleticism to his game and also an innate understanding of Marty Mornhinweg's West Coast offense.
But given the fact that coach Rex Ryan and GM John Idzik may no longer be with the Jets, perhaps a potential new regime would build a new system around Mariota.
Whether the Ducks stud would see an offense tailored to his skills or endure a steep pro-style learning curve would determine how quickly he can help New York turn things around.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Neither Josh McCown nor Mike Glennon even competes with the NFC South's other QBs in Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan. That necessitates Tampa Bay to seek a new franchise signal-caller.
An in-state collegiate product, Winston is what the organization is looking for to pull it out of the division basement. A recent penchant for turnovers is hurting Winston's stock, but there aren't any better alternatives or a greater position of need in the context of Tampa's divisional climate.
ESPN's Trent Dilfer praised Winston's football IQ, despite the blunders he's committed on the field as of late:
Former NFL GM Phil Savage weighed in about Winston's potential character concerns, per The Washington Post's Mark Maske (h/t NFL.com's Chase Goodbread):
"With Winston, you have to take the off-field considerations and deal with them. You can't ignore them. But in terms of just watching him on film and watching his skill set, you can see it translating to the NFL very easily. The program at Florida State has really responded to him. You can see that. I don't know if you'd take him with the first pick. But [No.] 3 or 5 or 7 or 11, I think he will [be taken in that range]. These NFL teams are so desperate for someone at that position.
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Winston just wins games and has proved that he can overcome adversity, bounce back and lead his team to victory. Combine that with an understanding of a complicated Jimbo Fisher Seminoles offense, and the transition to the NFL may see Winston thrive sooner than perhaps Mariota will.
5. Tennessee Titans: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
It takes a special player to shine on both sides of the ball at the highest level of college football. As a running back and linebacker, Thompson does just that.
The Huskies star's dynamic athleticism is something Tennessee could use on its defense. Derrick Morgan also has a player option entering the final year of his contract (h/t Spotrac.com), so there is a potential void for Thompson to fill in the starting lineup.
6. Washington Redskins: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
An uncertain future in the secondary threatens to derail Washington's defense, with aging free safety Ryan Clark a free agent after this season and cornerback DeAngelo Hall down with a twice-torn Achilles.
That leads to the selection of Collins as a building block in the defensive backfield. There aren't any franchise-caliber QBs to justify choosing this high in the aftermath of the apparent end to Robert Griffin III's turbulent tenure under center.
7. St. Louis Rams: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
Left tackle Jake Long has torn an ACL for the second time in as many seasons, so some insurance on the offensive line is a wise route to go. Ogbuehi is the next great Aggies tackle and should be a perennial Pro Bowler, forming a strong left side along with Greg Robinson.
8. New York Giants: Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa
Getting better on the offensive line has to be a priority in the Big Apple. That leads to Scherff in this scenario, thanks to his collegiate experience at both guard and tackle. The hope is for the run blocking to get better and for Scherff to shore up QB Eli Manning's pass protection.
9. Houston Texans: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
As much of a QB guru as Texans head coach Bill O'Brien is lauded as, reaching for UCLA's Brett Hundley here may be too ambitious. If Houston wants to go that route, it can trade back into Round 1 or wait till Day 2. Instead, Waynes would go well opposite Johnathan Joseph to bolster the Texans secondary.
10. Carolina Panthers: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
To give Cam Newton better blindside protection, Carolina ought to find an established free agent to fulfill that need. With a special wideout like Cooper on the board, the prospect of pairing him with Kelvin Benjamin is too tempting to pass up.
11. Cleveland Browns: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
A 16-catch performance against Texas dispelled any concerns about White amassing just six total receptions in the prior two games. The Browns need another big target on the outside, and White is a deep threat who would be positioned to succeed with Josh Gordon opposite him.
12. Chicago Bears: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
One of the best pure pass-rushers, Ray is thriving with 12 sacks this year (h/t CFBStats.com) and warrants consideration here for Chicago. Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com describes what makes Ray special:
The Bears' rotation at defensive end would feature Ray, Willie Young and Jared Allen in this instance. That is paramount in an NFC North division with vulnerable offensive lines in Minnesota and Green Bay and an explosive offense in Detroit.
13. Minnesota Vikings: La'el Collins, OL, LSU
Similar to what Scherff would do for the Giants in this mock, Collins' versatility makes him an attractive option for Minnesota. A product of coordinator Cam Cameron's complex offense in Baton Rouge, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Collins start as a tackle or guard right away.
14. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
Coach Mike Pettine brought a gaudy defensive reputation with him to Cleveland, and in Week 10, the Browns held Cincinnati to three points at Paul Brown Stadium.
What's still missing to a degree is a consistent pass rush (24th in the NFL in sacks), which is where the speedy Beasley would help as a 3-4 linebacker wreaking havoc off the edge. Jabaal Sheard will be a free agent, and Cleveland hasn't gotten all that much out of 2013 first-round pick Barkevious Mingo.
15. Miami Dolphins: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
Fowler is such a wild card in that he can line up anywhere on the defensive line or even at outside linebacker.
Even though the Dolphins already have Olivier Vernon and Cameron Wake, this luxury pick is a case of depth-building—to give the mighty, AFC East rival New England Patriots offense more to think and worry about.
16. Atlanta Falcons: Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor
This is the time for the Falcons to be aggressive, as their defense has been in utter disarray for most of the year. Free agency will help, but Oakman is a tantalizing talent at 6'9", 280 pounds that deserves top-pick consideration for an Atlanta team ranked last in total defense at the moment.
17. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky
A 6'4", 264-pound defensive end with Dupree's athleticism will look attractive to New Orleans in the first round. Capable of standing up and rushing off the edge or putting his hand in the dirt, Dupree would be a dream addition for Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan to work with.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
One of the draft's top cornerback prospects has been dismissed from the Huskies program, due to reported, repeated clashes with coaches. Ike Taylor has been hurt, is past his prime and is a pending free agent, while Cortez Allen has been benched this year. That makes cornerback a big need in the Steel City.
Presuming Peters can convince teams he won't be a problem, his excellent coverage and ball skills are a good fit in Pittsburgh, which has a stable organization that could help Peters harness his potential.
19. Kansas City Chiefs: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
Even though Donnie Avery is a serviceable No. 2 receiver when in the lineup, he isn't the most imposing presence and has a history of injuries. Look at this stat from ESPN's Kevin Negandhi:
Funchess is a converted tight end with a huge catch radius and can learn the nuances of the position from veteran Dwayne Bowe.
20. Baltimore Ravens: P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
A decimated secondary has contributed to the Ravens' recent struggles. If Baltimore can snag a bump-and-run specialist like Williams in the middle of the first round, that should free up the team's exciting young linebackers to break free as blitzers more often.
21. Detroit Lions: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
It's been a while since the rumblings were heard about Ndamukong Suh leaving town once the 2014 campaign ends. Should that still be the case or not, Detroit will want to make sure it still has its strength on the defensive front, so Goldman makes a lot of sense in that context.
22. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
The spell of no running backs in the first round is broken. For the first time since 2012, someone at the position justifies going off the board this soon. Gordon is a special talent who ran for 408 yards in one game this year and offers San Diego QB Philip Rivers a necessary backfield complement.
23. Cincinnati Bengals: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
Former undrafted free agent Emmanuel Lamur is a decent strong-side linebacker, yet Cincinnati might aim higher and take McKinney.
The nice element to McKinney's game is that he can play either inside or outside, so the Bengals won't be in as much trouble if Vontaze Burfict is banged up next year as he has been in 2014.
24. Philadelphia Eagles: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
As prolific as the Eagles continue to be in Chip Kelly's offense, they still don't have a ton of playmakers on the outside beyond Jeremy Maclin. The acquisition of Strong puts him in a promising mix featuring Maclin and Jordan Matthews.
25. Indianapolis Colts: Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
Ahmad Bradshaw had fared well to mask over the failing Trent Richardson, but Bradshaw has been too bruised throughout his career to be trusted as a long-term backfield solution. A fractured fibula in Week 11 confirmed just that.
Giving someone as explosive as Coleman running lanes off Andrew Luck and the Colts' prolific passing attack makes Indianapolis seem like a wonderful fit on paper. Coleman can also catch passes out of the backfield (25 receptions this season) and should warrant first-round value with someone like Luck under center.
26. Dallas Cowboys: Mario Edwards Jr., DE, Florida State
The Seminoles defense features multiple contributors with NFL-caliber talent. The Cowboys chose Demarcus Lawrence in the second round this year but could use a savvy, lengthy and pure power player like Edwards to serve as a complement.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
For the third time in as many drafts, San Francisco goes for a defensive back. Ekpre-Olomu fills a position of need and is a great value play at No. 27. The tenacity he plays with and ability to help versus the run are just what the Niners need to support a strong front seven.
28. Arizona Cardinals: Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
Injuries have slowed Armstead a bit in 2014, yet he is the prototype 3-4 defensive end the Cardinals need to eat up space in the trenches. The amazing blend of size, athleticism and burst gives Armstead a shot to make an immediate impact for Arizona, whose pass rush isn't good enough to ultimately contend for a Super Bowl.
Cardinals GM Steve Keim turned heads by choosing Deone Bucannon in the first round, and this would be another interesting pick that could pay big dividends as Bucannon already is.
29. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
The losses of Clemons and Bryant to Jacksonville are hurting the defending Super Bowl champions on the defensive front. By acquiring Bennett, a venerable interior pass-rusher, Seattle should enhance its schematic creativity on stunts and help out its Legion of Boom secondary.
30. Denver Broncos: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
Speaking of players departing to the Jaguars, that's what happened to Zane Beadles this last offseason. The Broncos haven't quite filled the hole at left guard since, so Cann is capable of doing just that.
31. Green Bay Packers: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
The NFL's worst rush defense needs a presence like Shelton to clog the middle and command double-teams. Comcast SportsNet's John Middlekauff is a fan:
Huskies sideline reporter Elise Woodward has gotten an up-close look at what Shelton has done to the opposition at times in 2014:
Thanks to Shelton's surprising quickness for his 340-pound size, he figures to be a disruptive force at the next level even as a rookie.
32. New England Patriots: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
It's been hard to ignore Parker since his return to the field, as he's had 35 receptions for 735 yards and five touchdowns in five games. That type of production should spur the Patriots to supply QB Tom Brady with a rare, competent and young offensive weapon.
Now that the heated race that is the College Football Playoff is coming down the stretch, it will be easier to distinguish who can rise to the occasion amid high postseason stakes. This is when the evaluation process and draft thoughts begin to gain steam, as the NFL games also bear more significance.
Some players like Strong and Parker have boosted their draft stocks by thriving in marquee matchups. The same should hold true as the best players in the best programs show they are ready for the real NFL deal.
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