2015 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions Before Week 12
Think the NFL postseason and inaugural College Football Playoff races are wild?
Imagine the impact the two combined are having on the 2015 NFL draft.
The latest example is an unfortunate one, as Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley suffered a torn ACL as his team pushes for an SEC East title and beyond. The injury means a drop out of the first round for Gurley and the position as a whole and a major shuffling in the entire first round.
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Below, let's use a mock (using Odds Shark's latest odds to win this year's Super Bowl) to get a better idea of how the happenings in both races have shaped the upcoming draft.
1. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DL, USC
As the Oakland Raiders charge toward 0-16, Leonard Williams continues to look like a lock for the No. 1 overall spot.
A note from NFL.com's Bryan Fischer sums it up best:
The Raiders need to build in the trenches above all else, which is something Williams would help the team accomplish in a big way.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
The Jacksonville Jaguars have quietly amassed 28 sacks this season, but more help in the form of an elite rusher who can set the edge on every down would help the team.
Randy Gregory is the ideal man for the job. While there is a negative stigma around Nebraska at the moment after the Cornhuskers got blown out last week, Gregory continues to look like the best player on the field.
He is a solid building block on the defensive side of things, as the Jags already have a nice foundation on the offensive side.
3. New York Jets: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Jameis Winston has looked like a distant contender for the Heisman with 18 touchdowns to 12 interceptions this season, but his on-field upside is simply too difficult to pass up in the top five.
This is especially the case for a team that has to choose between Geno Smith and Michael Vick each week.
The Jets are a floundering mess in need of that coveted franchise quarterback. Few excuses exist to pass on Winston's upside.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Lovie Smith also needs a quarterback after his gamble on Josh McCown paid off miserably.
Luckily for the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Marcus Mariota is sure to be on the board at this slot. The Mariota-Winston debate could drag on for hours, but a team in need could do no wrong with either QB.
The talent is certainly in place for Tampa Bay. Mariota to Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans, among others, has a nice ring to it.
5. Tennessee Titans: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
Clemson's Vic Beasley is a tad undersized at 6'3", 235 pounds, but his productivity off the edge over the course of the past two seasons is nearly unrivaled.
Teams in serious need at that area have been paying attention. One such team is the Tennessee Titans, a franchise on the hunt for wholesale changes.
With the top quarterbacks off the board and Zach Mettenberger playing somewhat well, it makes sense for the Titans to go best player available with a combination of need.
6. St. Louis Rams: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Little needs to be said about Alabama's Amari Cooper at this point.
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller hits the nail on the head:
The St. Louis Rams have more than a few needs with a high pick in 2015, but grabbing one of the best players in the draft to flesh out the offense is a smooth move. Kenny Britt is certainly not the long-term answer at wide receiver.
7. Washington: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
Perfect.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Washington safety Brandon Meriweather comes in as the No. 49 overall safety this season on a list that grades 85 players at the position.
Ryan Clark is No. 85.
Landon Collins is one of the best safeties to come out in years. Easy choice. Move along.
8. New York Giants: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
Over the course of the past decade, few teams have justified the necessity of elite depth when it comes to pass-rushers as much as the New York Giants have.
In order to get Jason Pierre-Paul even more help in this regard, look for the Giants to grab Dante Fowler Jr. out of Florida.
The Gators star can contribute right out of the gates, which would do much to further help the wobbly unit behind the line.
9. Chicago Bears: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
The Chicago Bears tout a miserable defense this season that could get blown over by a light wind.
It makes sense that the front office would want to upgrade in the trenches to help mask an iffy set of linebackers and developing secondary.
Shane Ray comes to mind. An efficient rusher with a high motor, the Missouri product adds a spark and identity the unit has been sorely missing.
10. Houston Texans: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
A decent performance from Ryan Mallett has given those who think the Houston Texans are thinking quarterback in the first round a slight pause.
Fair enough, although the jury in regard to the dilemma under center remains out.
In the meantime, look for Bill O'Brien to make the life of any potential quarterback easier with Cedric Ogbuehi, one of the better overall tackles in a relatively deep draft.
11. Carolina Panthers: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Those faithful to the Carolina Panthers will scream about more help for Cam Newton, but one of the better ways to help the man is to fix what is surprisingly a weak defense.
Carolina has a ton of talent up front, but the secondary seems to cave in on itself more often than not.
With that in mind, look for the Panthers to make Trae Waynes the first corner off the board. A key cog in the Michigan State defense, Waynes is as pro-ready as they come this season at the spot.
12. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor
The hype for Shawn Oakman has been growing at a steady pace, as an illustration from CBS Sports notes:
Look for the Cleveland Browns to model their defensive line a bit after the lanky and athletic unit the Cincinnati Bengals trot out each week.
Oakman is a critical addition to a budding front seven.
13. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
Matt Ryan has been sacked 20 times over the course of what has been a rocky season for the Atlanta Falcons.
The defense could use some help, but more important in the minds of the front office has to be the health of the franchise quarterback.
Brandon Scherff makes sense, then. Even if he kicks inside to guard for a few years, Scherff is a long-term investment to prevent much bigger issues down the line.
14. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
With 91 catches for 1,207 yards and eight touchdowns to his name, Kevin White is quietly second behind Cooper on the wideout list this season.
For the Minnesota Vikings, White is one heck of a consolation prize.
To further help Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings will look to pair Cordarrelle Patterson with another great weapon on the outside. White fills the void nicely, to say the least.
15. Miami Dolphins: Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
Shilique Calhoun is a defender all offenses fear:
More importantly, he is a great all-around player who is ready for the pro game. Given that the already sound Miami Dolphins could use some depth and insurance for the future on the line, the Spartans standout is an obvious choice about halfway down the board.
16. Cleveland Browns: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
Devin Funchess has been dragged down a bit by Michigan's joke of a season and has just 50 grabs for 595 yards and four scores.
That said, he remains one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the draft who can contribute at a high level in any number of ways when used well by a coaching staff.
With the second of two picks in the first round, Cleveland would love to add a talent such as Funchess to pair with a budding offense.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
The Cincinnati Bengals would love an edge player such as Calhoun to shore up the line opposite Carlos Dunlap, but the front office will not have an issue shoring up the line in front of Andy Dalton, either.
Depth is a weak point for the Bengals in the trenches right now. Andrew Whitworth (32) is aging, and Kevin Zeitler and Andre Smith cannot stay healthy.
An addition such as La'el Collins not only gives the Bengals a quality spot-starter but provides an option down the road when departures occur.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
Things are bad when a team resorts to signing formerly retired James Harrison for help.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will eventually get Jarvis Jones back and are younger than most people realize, but more talent at linebacker to help bring pressure is nothing but a good thing.
That is where Shaq Thompson comes into play. One of many talented rushers in this class, he fits the scheme in Pittsburgh well and can contribute on a rotational basis right away.
19. Baltimore Ravens: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Red flags now surround Marcus Peters, but as CBS Sports' Dane Brugler points out, his play may keep him in the first round:
As it should, really. NFL teams are willing to take a gamble on risky players at times, and there is a large chunk of space between now and the draft for teams to do their homework.
Baltimore needs some serious help in the area, so expect Peters' slide to stop.
20. San Diego Chargers: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
How bad has the interior of the San Diego Chargers offensive line been this year?
Chad Rinehart ranks No. 66 out of 76 guards over at PFF. Johnnie Troutman is No. 75.
With the continued health of Philip Rivers in mind, look for the Chargers to add the draft's top interior lineman, A.J. Cann.
21. Kansas City Chiefs: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
The Kansas City Chiefs have the league's most boring—and arguably ineffective—set of wideouts.
That does not sound like a unit led by Andy Reid, right?
DeVante Parker could come off the board much higher in the minds of many, and he just might as scouts pick apart his game. For now, though, he sticks in red with the Chiefs.
22. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
The New Orleans Saints continue to struggle with most things on the defensive side of the ball, including getting consistent pressure on quarterbacks.
Again, this draft is deep for rushers. Alvin Dupree is still on the board, and as Brugler notes, he shares traits with another big name:
Dupree is a smart addition in a pass-happy division.
23. Dallas Cowboys: P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
Believe it or not, the Dallas Cowboys actually rank in the top half of the league against the run and pass this season.
Now is not the time to take the foot off the pedal, though.
With Tony Romo and the offense set, the Cowboys can add more talented depth to a budding secondary with P.J. Williams. He does not need to contribute right away as things stand but most certainly could if asked.
24. Detroit Lions: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
The common thought process is that Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley will hit free agency this offseason, so look for the Detroit Lions to address the interior of the line.
Danny Shelton is the top name on the board late in the draft. At 6'2" and 339 pounds, he figures to have few issues making the leap to the pro game.
Regardless of whether or not the Lions get to keep either of their big names in the middle, Shelton is a great add who commands respect on each down.
25. San Francisco 49ers: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
In search of more help in the secondary, the San Francisco 49ers could do much worse than Ifo Ekpre-Olomu late in the draft.
Outside of getting healthy, the 49ers need more talent in the back end of a unit that has struggled at times with various passing attacks.
Ekpre-Olomu's stock has dramatically fallen in comparison to where it was last year but not enough to take him out of the first round. Especially not if San Francisco examines his full body of work and then pulls the trigger.
26. Arizona Cardinals: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
Brett Hundley might just be the most polarizing player in the 2015 class.
Just look at a note from ESPN's Adam Caplan:
For Arizona, the time is now to start slowly thinking about the future under center. Carson Palmer has come back from knee issues before, but he is getting up there in age (34).
27. Philadelphia Eagles: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
Chip Kelly's defense continues to lag behind a potent offense that somehow spurts out production with anyone under center.
With that in mind, Benardrick McKinney is a smart addition to help turn around a unit that ranks 28th against the pass and 20th against the rush.
Sometimes, a strong leader in the middle is all a defense needs. McKinney gives the Eagles yet another, and he has plenty of talent to go along with it.
28. Indianapolis Colts: Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
With Robert Mathis out of the picture, the Indianapolis Colts have had issues at times getting to opposing passers.
To help prevent this problem and craft a better foundation for the future, the front office can look to grab Oregon's Arik Armstead.
While perhaps not the biggest name on his own defense this season, Armstead is a talent worth grooming who can contribute in a rotational capacity to keep the entire unit fresh.
29. Seattle Seahawks: Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State
The Seattle Seahawks have been a maddening team this year, but are still good enough to land a late pick and a luxury shot at any number of positions.
Look for cornerback to be the call late.
If any team knows that stacking talent in the secondary is the best way to win, it would be Seattle. Ronald Darby is already plenty talented, but getting brought along by Richard Sherman is a great bonus.
30. New England Patriots: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Nate Solder has been a liability for the New England Patriots this season on Tom Brady's blind side, coming in at No. 44 at PFF.
To counteract the developing issue, look for Bill Belichick and Co. to get boring late in the first round by going with offensive tackle Andrus Peat.
Not that Peat is boring, though. In time the Stanford product could blossom into a solid pro.
31. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
While Mike Pennel has been a decent surprise for the Green Bay Packers this season, adding more beef up front is never a bad thing.
This is especially the case with the secondary playing at an elite level.
Eddie Goldman can play multiple spots and contribute at the next level in Green Bay's defense. An uptick in talent would only further help a surging secondary.
32. Denver Broncos: Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
Great teams make sure luxury picks are ways to future-proof themselves from issues, so watch for the Denver Broncos to add more when it comes to rushing the passer.
Markus Golden is a top talent who comes to mind at the end of the first round, especially after this note from Mihir Bhagat of KOMU-TV:
Golden can help in a rotational capacity until needed as an every-down starter. At the end of the first round, it is hard to complain about such upside at a key area of today's game.
Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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