2015 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions Before Week 13
Want the easiest way to keep up with both the NFL and college football this time of year?
Grab a mock draft off the newsstand (or out of magical search engines) and digest the info within.
Mock drafts not only keep tabs on how each NFL team is performing and where current and future holes will crop up, they provide a measuring stick for the best prospects in the nation.
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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 an update on how the top potential first-round pros have fared lately and which teams may hit what holes on draft day.
1. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DL, USC
At this point, the only way that USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams falls out of the top spot is if the team that holds the slot does not have a need there.
Williams seems destined to go to Oakland, where he can better clog lanes and, in tandem with Khalil Mack and Sio Moore, help to form one of the better young defenses in the league.
Really, teams cannot go wrong with Williams or Randy Gregory at this point.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller points out, Randy Gregory seems to be a lock to be in the conversation as the top player off the board next year:
It is not hyperbole to suggest that the Nebraska star can do it all.
Jacksonville certainly needs such a talent and would get an elite combo if Gregory lines up with Sen'Derrick Marks on each down.
3. New York Jets: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Many may scoff at Jameis Winston going so high.
Winston has had a down year this season, with 19 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, and his team has needed a number of late comebacks to stay alive.
Criticism of Winston is fair at this point, but NFL franchises see the upside that is a long-term answer under center with the right coaching. The New York Jets need to start over and will surely pull the trigger.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
The Winston vs. Marcus Mariota debate is another that will rage right up until one of them walks to the podium next year.
As Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports points out, Mariota has proved to be quite reliable over the years:
Mariota has the character and alarming upside that makes him the pick for the bumbling Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
5. Tennessee Titans: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
There is little debate that the Tennessee Titans need help setting the edge on defense.
The defense ranks dead last against the rush this year and has an erratic ability to get to quarterbacks to boot.
To help solve the riddles that plague Ken Whisenhunt's unit, look for the Titans to add an elite rusher such as Shaq Thompson early in the first round. Thompson's versatile skill set provides the rebuilding team another strong block.
6. St. Louis Rams: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Offensive line is a need in St. Louis, but passing on Amari Cooper would be downright silly.
Cooper is easily the best wideout in the nation, if not the best player overall. The man has 1,349 receiving yards and 11 scores for good reason, as his game, which translates well to the pros, has left collegiate defenses shaking their heads.
The Rams can pair Cooper with Tavon Austin to great effect.
7. Washington: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
It truly writes itself.
Washington trots out Brandon Meriweather and Ryan Clark at safety each week, but both rank 59th or worse over at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The latter ranks 84th.
Landon Collins is far and away the best safety in the class and one of the best prospects at the position in the past decade.
8. New York Giants: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
Dante Fowler Jr. himself took to Twitter to reveal he is headed to the pros:
A team like the New York Giants certainly hit the "favorite" button.
The Giants rank 24th or worse against the pass and rush this season and need to hit the reset button on defense. Getting a solid all-around player is a great way to start.
9. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Kevin White is one of the hottest names in the world of college football right now, as a note from SI College Football explains:
White is a supreme talent who projects well to the pros thanks to his alarming athleticism and great hands. For a team that needs a counterpart to Cordarrelle Patterson to help Teddy Bridgewater along, White is the perfect option.
10. Houston Texans: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
It was only a matter of time before the first corner came off the board, although right now it is impossible to tell who that will actually be on draft day.
Trae Waynes is a great candidate, though. Free from the shadow of Darqueze Dennard, Waynes has emerged as the glue that holds the elite Michigan State defense together.
Considering the Houston Texans have little outside of Johnathan Joseph in the secondary and rank 31st against the pass, corner is an obvious pick.
11. Carolina Panthers: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
The Carolina Panthers have allowed 33 sacks this season, which goes a long way toward explaining why Cam Newton is in the midst of a down year.
Carolina surprisingly needs a ton of help on the defensive side of things, but first and foremost is the health of Newton. To that end, the front office needs to grab Cedric Ogbuehi and plug him in to fill some of the leaks. Things will not always be perfect, but it sure beats what the team has going on now.
12. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor
The Cleveland Browns are in a bit of a luxurious position thanks to owning a pair of first-round picks this year.
With that in mind, look for Cleveland to beef up on the defensive side of things even further with Shawn Oakman.
Oakman continues to be overshadowed by his complementary high-profile offense, but without him, the Baylor Bears are much worse for the wear. His abilities in all facets will see him get plenty of playing time as a rookie.
13. Chicago Bears: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
Shane Ray was the other rusher mentioned by Miller above, and for good reason.
While a bit undersized at 6'3", 245 pounds, Ray has the motor and versatility that a team such as the Chicago Bears covets in the first round. Ray does not fix a number of issues at linebacker and in the secondary, but he certainly makes the jobs of those spots easier.
14. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
The Atlanta Falcons have surrendered 23 sacks this season and rank 26th in terms of rushing.
Part of the problem is a refusal to upgrade at running back and instead lean on backs such as Steven Jackson, who can only get what is blocked.
Regardless, the line needs some new talent in a hurry. Brandon Scherff comes to mind as a versatile piece who can fill in at any number of spots and have a positive impact.
15. Miami Dolphins: Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
At 6'5" and 256 pounds, Shilique Calhoun is a dominating presence.
Many will clamor for the Miami Dolphins to grab some offense in the middle of the round, but Calhoun is hard to pass on, even for a defense that ranks fourth against the pass and 11th against the rush.
Calhoun is the type of forward-looking move who can contribute right away and keeps contenders as contenders for years.
16. Cleveland Browns: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
As Kyle Meinke of MLive Media Group points out, some big names are quite the fans of Devin Funchess' versatility:
Josh Gordon is back for Cleveland, but a weapon like Funchess to go along with Andrew Hawkins and Jordan Cameron is quite scary, to say the least—regardless of who lines up under center.
17. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
Say hello to a name that will be of the household variety sooner rather than later.
ESPN's Mel Kiper put it best back in October (subscription required):
"A big-time athlete at 6-4 and 260-plus pounds, [Alvin] Dupree is going to test well at the combine, where he will run in the 4.68 range. He has explosive quickness off the snap and the ability to turn that into power and drive tackles back. I think how he's valued will be in part based on how NFL teams see him as a fit and how well he shows he can play in space. But the guy is a tremendous kid, a tremendous worker and a special athlete, so I'm betting teams will be excited to get him in.
"
Dupree is a rare prospect who defensive minds such as Rob Ryan in New Orleans covet. The rush in Ryan's amoeba look would certainly get a major boost.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
Vic Beasley's name does not ring out as much as it used to on the path to last year's draft, but the Pittsburgh Steelers will not complain about his deflated stock.
The Steelers rank 16th or better against the pass and rush this season, but for fans who know Pittsburgh, that is simply not good enough.
The offense is fine. Getting yet another talented rusher to continually pummel quarterbacks is the smart play.
19. San Diego Chargers: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
The full list of guards over at PFF ranks 79 players this season. San Diego's Chad Rinehart comes in at 74. Johnnie Troutman is No. 78.
To be succinct, that is unacceptable in front of Philip Rivers.
Look for San Diego to grab A.J. Cann, the draft's top interior lineman.
20. Detroit Lions: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
It is hard to know how next year's free agency will play out, but Detroit holding on to both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley does not sound realistic.
Those two will be hot-ticket items on the market, but the Lions can recoup the losses with Danny Shelton.
At 339 pounds, Shelton is the run-stuffing force the Lions need in order to counteract potential losses.
21. Baltimore Ravens: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Controversy surrounds Marcus Peters, but questions about his play most certainly do not.
Peters might just prove to be the best overall corner in the class, something the Baltimore Ravens are surely aware of at this point.
Considering the Ravens rank 29th against the pass this year, the front office will be willing to take a risk.
22. Kansas City Chiefs: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
DeVante Parker is not far behind other top wideouts who have already come off the board.
An injury derailed the Louisville star's season, or at least attempted to—Parker has 29 grabs for 555 yards and two scores.
He is a gifted player who makes loads of sense in Andy Reid's offense, especially considering his wideout corps might just be the worst in the league.
23. Cincinnati Bengals: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
Tackle was the smart play for the Cincinnati Bengals long before the team lost right tackle Andre Smith for the season.
Now it makes even more sense, as the recovery time on Smith is difficult to discern. With Andrew Whitworth getting up there in age and the only viable backup, Marshall Newhouse, doing his best turnstile impersonation, the Bengals need to have an eye on the future.
La'el Collins makes sense as a prospect the veterans can groom.
24. Indianapolis Colts: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
D'Qwell Jackson is one of the most underrated players in the league on an annual basis, but he needs some help in the middle of the Indianapolis Colts defense.
With that in mind, Benardrick McKinney is a great choice near the end of the first round.
McKinney has the leadership, nose for the football and sideline-to-sideline speed that will allow him to one day become the focal point of the Colts defense.
25. Philadelphia Eagles: Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
The Oregon connection is strong with this one.
Chip Kelly is a well-connected man in that part of the country, so it makes sense that his attempt to rebuild the Philadelphia defense would get some infusion of talent from there.
Arik Armstead goes a long way in helping to turn around the 30th-ranked pass defense thanks to his ability to consistently put pressure on passers.
26. Dallas Cowboys: P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
The Dallas Cowboys quietly rank 19th against the pass this season.
Yes, that is a positive.
Dallas has been laughably bad in that department for years, but a slight improvement does not mean the front office can turn away from the issue. Instead, grabbing P.J. Williams to get another contributor for now and years down the line makes tons of sense.
27. San Francisco 49ers: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is already hard at work attempting to cement his status as a top-32 pick, as illustrated by Reese's Senior Bowl:
It sounds strange to say, but the Oregon star's stock has taken a dive in comparison to last year.
San Francisco will not mind, though, as the secondary is in need of a talent infusion more than any other unit on the team.
28. Arizona Cardinals: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
Brett Hundley seems to be on his way to the draft, as NBC Sports captures:
Hundley is viewed as a bit of a project, which is something Arizona coach Bruce Arians would love.
Carson Palmer is not going anywhere, but grooming a potential franchise quarterback who is a great dual-threat option sounds like a great course of action, no?
29. Seattle Seahawks: Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State
The Seattle Seahawks will remain one of the deepest teams in the league regardless of how this season plays out thanks to moves such as this.
Seattle has the third-ranked pass defense at the moment, but getting Richard Sherman some more help down the road is a smooth move.
Ronald Darby comes to mind as the next best corner on the board. His physical play fits well with the Legion of Boom.
30. Denver Broncos: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Ryan Clady and Chris Clark have had their fair share of issues this season on the edges, so look for the Denver Broncos to add a high-upside talent such as Andrus Peat near the end of the round.
Peat does not have to start right away, but getting groomed by players such as Clady and Peyton Manning bode well for his pro prospects. As a luxury pick, insurance for the future is a great get.
31. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
The Green Bay Packers quietly have a solid pass defense but rank 30th against the rush.
Even for a Super Bowl favorite led by Aaron Rodgers, it starts in the trenches.
Letroy Guion and Mike Pennel have shown flashes, but the time to get an every-down upgrade is now. Eddie Goldman, through his rushing and lane-clogging abilities, is the obvious choice.
32. New England Patriots: Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
Figuring out what Bill Belichick is going to do each draft is just as difficult as figuring out what he is going to do on a weekly basis. Belichick loves his versatile players with high motors, so look for him to roll with Markus Golden out of Missouri.
Golden can complement a pass defense led by Darrelle Revis with a quality rush, making New England an even scarier opponent in the coming years.
Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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