NFL Mock Draft 2015: Early Breakdown for Every First-Round Selection
Although the college football season is winding toward its conclusion, the evaluation of prospects entering the 2015 NFL draft is far from over. The months ahead will provide numerous challenges, both mental and physical, they must overcome to solidify their status.
As usual, the most interesting position to watch during the process will likely be quarterback. Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will engage in a battle to become the first overall pick. The rest of the group will try to prove they belong in the first round.
Let's check out an early mock draft to see how things are shaping up at this stage. It will be interesting to see which players rise and fall between now and draft day. At least one prospect usually comes from off the radar to crack the top 10.
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1. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Tennessee has several key needs but none more important than quarterback. Picking first will give the front office its choice between Mariota and Winston. The latter will have to shine during workouts in order to leapfrog the Ducks' signal-caller, though.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
There are a couple concerns with Winston. First, his numbers dropped off this season after a tremendous freshman campaign. Second, he's dealt with some off-field issues teams will want to discuss with him. That said, the talent is undeniable and the Bucs may be willing to take the chance.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
Since the Jaguars probably want to give Blake Bortles more time to prove himself, this alignment would work out perfectly. Let the quarterbacks go right away and it leaves them a wide selection from the other positions. Gregory seems like the best fit right now.
4. New York Jets: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
New York has lost the defensive foundation that made the team successful during the early years of the Rex Ryan era. To get back on track, the Jets must find a way to get more pressure on the quarterback next season. Ray is a start.
5. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DT, Southern California
Williams is perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the class. He's got the potential to become a truly game-changing player on the defensive line. The question is whether a franchise like the Raiders, which loves flash, would use this pick on an interior lineman.
6. Washington Redskins: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
The Redskins have a lot of questions to answer during the offseason. Figuring out what to do at quarterback tops the list, but there isn't another one worth taking this high. Protecting whoever is under center is also an area in need of improvement, and that's where Peat steps in.
7. Chicago Bears: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
Chicago is another team in need of defensive upgrades to support an offense with enough talent on paper to push for the playoffs. Fowler is capable of playing both defensive end or outside linebacker and has shown terrific explosiveness off the edge.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
One year ago the Falcons were a popular projected landing spot for Khalil Mack. The Oakland Raiders ended up grabbing the linebacker out of Buffalo one pick before Atlanta. He's developed into a force while offensive lineman Jake Matthews, who the team got instead, has struggled.
Drafting Beasley would finally give the Falcons the presence on the outside they have been seeking. His athleticism and quickness are off the charts, but Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com worries about whether he's strong enough to have consistent success at the next level:
It's not enough to eliminate the hype surrounding Beasley, though. That's especially true in an era where getting pressure on the quarterback is more important than ever. He'll have to complete the transition from defensive end to linebacker, but the talent is obvious.
9. Minnesota Vikings: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
The Vikings would be ecstatic is Cooper is still on the board at this point. There's still a reasonable chance he eventually pushes himself into the top five. Based on the way things fall right now, however, the Alabama product would give Teddy Bridgewater a go-to target.
10. New York Giants: Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor
The emergence of Odell Beckham Jr. has allowed the Giants offense to show some promising signs during the late portion of the season. In turn, going with the value on the defensive side in the form of Oakman is their best bet.
11. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky
Dupree would be a very nice fit for the Saints. He's shown the ability to contribute against the run while also being able to get after the quarterback. That's exactly what the team needs up front after another lackluster year on defense.
12. St. Louis Rams: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
With the defense making positive strides in 2014, the Rams are likely to focus on offense here. The question is whether they want to upgrade the line or target a skill-position option. Since both are needs, going with the best value in Scherff is the better route.
13. Cleveland Browns: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
The Browns have two first-round picks, giving them the tools to trade up if there's a single prospect they have their eye on. If not, they will probably go for one upgrade on each side of the ball. With plenty of wideouts available for later, Thompson is the best option here.
14. San Francisco 49ers: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
It's fair to wonder whether San Francisco's passing game woes are more about Colin Kaepernick than the receivers. But it's hard to imagine the 49ers giving up on him. So adding another weapon to his arsenal should be the approach.
15. Houston Texans: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
Collins is a well-rounded safety that's capable of stepping right in to help a Texans defense that's struggled against the pass this season. He's a heavy hitter who's only going to improve as he gets coached on how to make quicker reads at the next level.
16. Cleveland Browns (via BUF): DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
The Browns probably thought this pick would be a little higher when they acquired it from Buffalo. Yet, it still puts them in position to add another weapon on the offensive side. Parker is a big target who should excel on third down and in the red zone.
17. Kansas City Chiefs: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
The lack of high-impact plays by the Chiefs' wide receivers is a talking point each week. It shouldn't be a major surprise, though. They simply lack talent on the outside. Strong is skilled enough to help change that outlook as a rookie.
18. Miami Dolphins: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
Taking a running back this early in the draft is becoming increasingly rare. Between the countless success stories of backs taken later or picked up as undrafted free agents and the increased focus on passing games, teams have been shying away.
Gordon could be the exception, though. He's coming off a monster season at Wisconsin. He doesn't have a ton of carries under his belt. And he decided to make the NFL jump because he felt this season proved his status as a top rusher, as noted by Jason Galloway of the Wisconsin State Journal.
"I came out here and achieved the things I wanted to do," Gordon said. "I wanted to rush for the most yards. I wanted to showcase that I was the best running back, and I think this year I showed that."
Pairing Gordon with Lamar Miller would give the Dolphins a tremendous one-two punch and take a lot of pressure off Ryan Tannehill. It's an offense with a lot of promising pieces and this pick could take the unit to the next level.
19. Baltimore Ravens: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Even though Baltimore played well in most phases of the game this season, struggles in pass coverage has kept it on the playoff fringe. Expect Waynes to be among several new members of the secondary when the Ravens arrive to training camp.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
Philadelphia puts a lot of pressure on its defense by playing at a fast pace offensively. In turn, the front office needs to focus on bringing in more playmakers on that side of the ball this offseason. Williams would certainly fit the bill.
21. Carolina Panthers: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
It's tough to make a fair evaluation of the skill players on the offensive side when the line play has been as poor as it's been in Carolina. Collins would provide a much-needed anchor and at least bring some stability up front.
22. San Diego Chargers: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
San Diego cooled off after a red-hot start in large part because it couldn't get the running game going to support Philip Rivers and Co. The struggles started up front, where Ogbuehi could step in and provide a boost by opening some running lanes.
23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
The Steelers have done a nice job over the past five years or so of making a transition to younger players on the defensive side without suffering a major drop-off. Adding Shelton would bring another promising talent into the fold.
24. Indianapolis Colts: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
McKinney to the Colts will probably be a common mock selection in the months ahead. The team could use another field general, and this represents the Mississippi State product's likely range. It's an ideal fit that could very well hold right into the draft.
25. Cincinnati Bengals: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
Goldman is going to need some development time before he becomes an every-down contributor. That said, his skill set is intriguing and the Bengals are in a position where they can bring him along slowly to wait for those long-term dividends.
26. Detroit Lions: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Improvement on defense helped the Lions make noticeable progress this season. Further upgrades are still necessary at cornerback to help the pass defense, though. Peters would represent very good value at this stage of the round.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
The Cowboys still lose too many battles at the point of attack on the defense. Whether it's Calhoun or another prospect, their focus must be finding a hard-nosed defensive lineman who's willing to put in the constant work to get in an opponent's backfield consistently.
28. Green Bay Packers: T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
The Packers are probably going to pick a lineman to complement a strong group of skill players. It just comes down to whether it will be on the offensive or defensive side of the ball. Based on value, Clemmings makes the most sense.
29. Arizona Cardinals: Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
Arizona needs to do a better job of getting pressure on the quarterback if it wants the defense to reach the upper echelon. Hunter isn't a surefire prospect, but few are at this stage of the round. He'd be a good rotational piece before likely carving out a larger role for himself.
30. Denver Broncos: Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State
The outlook for the Broncos' selection may change greatly once some decisions are made regarding potential free agents. Based on the way things set up now, however, adding an offensive lineman like Sambrailo would be a nice pick.
31. Seattle Seahawks: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
Green-Beckham is an interesting case. Teams will be forced to decide whether to take a chance on him based on an incredible amount of potential or shy away due to off-field issues. The draft process is going to help guide that choice.
As for now, it's hard to ignore his talent. He arrived to Missouri as a highly touted recruit and continued to make progress before his dismissal. It illustrates a point about his status furthered by Chris Ross of Rant Sports:
Ultimately, the Seahawks may be a team willing to give him a chance. You aren't going to find a more talented player this deep in the first round and they need more playmakers on offense. If he can avoid the negative spotlight, it could become the best pick of the draft.
32. New England Patriots: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
Since the Patriots don't have any glaring weaknesses they can afford to use this pick to select another target for Tom Brady. Green-Beckham would seem like a usual Pats value pick, but with him off the board Funchess is a nice fallback option.
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