2015 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions Before Week 17
Lost in the mess that is NFL playoff positioning is the fact that each outcome creates a staggering ripple effect on the 2015 NFL draft order.
Of course, this is what late-season mocks before draft season begins are all about.
Mocks not only take the temperature of each top prospect at the collegiate level, but they also provide insight as to how the latest happenings in the pros affect the order and final destinations of all.
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With Week 17 on the horizon, below is an updated mock (using Odds Shark's latest odds to win this year's Super Bowl) to accomplish those things in one swoop.
1. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DL, USC
Las Vegas dislikes the Oakland Raiders.
To each their own, but this approach destroys the notion that a quarterback will go No. 1 overall.
Instead, look for Oakland to grab Leonard Williams, a game-changing presence in the trenches who will free up space for Khalil Mack and others.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
Gus Bradley's rebuild continues to move along at a decent pace.
With Blake Bortles under center, the coach can continue to focus on a defense that ranks 20th against the pass and 27th against the rush.
The only proper pick in this scenario is Nebraska's Randy Gregory. As an elite edge prospect who can play all phases at a high level, it is only a matter of time before he creates an every-down impact.
3. New York Jets: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
The New Jets fall in a good position to again start over under center.
Marcus Mariota is the obvious pick. This year's Heisman winner is already drawing lofty grades, per CollegeFootball 24/7:
This is an opportunity for the Jets to do the right thing. Mariota certainly looks like more of a sure thing coming out in comparison to Geno Smith.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Really, though, neither New York nor the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can go wrong.
Jameis Winston gets hit with a lot of "down year" talk due to 17 interceptions this year, but in terms of pro upside, few come close.
Tampa Bay has exciting weapons such as Mike Evans for Winston to utilize, so it figures to be a strong fit for all involved.
5. Tennessee Titans: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
A young offense with a hint of upside in Tennessee needs a strong complementary defense to help turn the Titans around.
Given the fact the Titans, owners of 38 sacks, need a strong edge player, it is good news that SEC Defensive Player of the Year Shane Ray is still on the board.
Ray is versatile in where he can line up, which allows the staff in Tennessee to get creative in order to mask other weaknesses.
6. Washington: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
The accolades for Alabama safety Landon Collins continue to roll in, as illustrated by Aaron Suttles of TideSports.com:
Collins is a perfect fit with Washington. Jay Gruden's defense is in dire need of an in-the-box monster who shuts down the run. Collins does that and then some right away.
7. New York Giants: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
Robert Ayers (5.0 sacks) has been a nice surprise for the New York Giants this season, but there is nothing wrong with grabbing another talented rusher.
The New York Giants know all about the valuable commodity a stable of deep rushers is, so look for the team to reinforce the line in order to make the lives of those behind it much easier.
8. Chicago Bears: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
A line led by Jared Allen in Chicago will not get younger in the coming years.
There are a wealth of problems in Chicago, but quarterback is not one that will be solved at this point in the draft. Look for the front office to address issues up front with a talented piece such as Shaq Thompson.
As a rotational piece, Thompson is a great add. As a player who can develop into an every-down force, Chicago is an ideal location.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
This really writes itself.
Amari Cooper brought in a whopping 115 receptions this year and was a Heisman finalist.
Kansas City wideouts have yet to record a touchdown reception this year.
Andy Reid needs more weapons, and a late-season skid appears to have him in range for the top wideout in the draft.
10. St. Louis Rams: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
DeVante Parker is not yet a household name, but experts such as Bleacher Report's Matt Miller are high on the Louisville product:
St. Louis struggles at times to get players such as Tavon Austin involved, but it is quite difficult to prohibit Parker from making an impact.
Whoever lines up under center will be quite happy with the decision.
11. Miami Dolphins: Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
With the offense rather young and in need of the injury bug to go away, the Miami Dolphins can look to reinforce the trenches on the defensive side of the football.
Nate Orchard is one of the most dominant rushers in the college game right now.
Orchard fits in a rotational sense and makes a fourth-ranked pass defense even scarier. He will surely own a starting gig in time.
12. Cleveland Browns: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
The verdict is still out on Dorial Green-Beckham.
CollegeFootball 24/7 puts it best:
DGB might just have the most upside as a receiver in the class, albeit with some baggage. For a team with two picks in the round, the Cleveland Browns will not mind the gamble.
13. Houston Texans: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Bill O'Brien's Houston Texans are once again out of the quarterback race at this point.
Really, that can be a blessing in disguise. The league's 24th-ranked pass defense will not get any younger over the offseason.
Trae Waynes is the top corner in the draft as the cornerstone of a Michigan State defense that ranks 13th overall. His transition to the NFL will be quite smooth.
14. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Kevin White is another wideout whose stock will only rise in the coming months.
White has a gaudy 102 catches for 1,318 yards and nine scores this year. The brass in Minnesota are certainly well aware of the noise coming from West Virginia, too.
In an effort to make the life of Teddy Bridgewater easier, look for the front office to scoop up White, who pairs nicely with Cordarrelle Patterson.
15. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor
Now the Browns can take somewhat of a sure thing.
Look for the front office in Cleveland to mimic their rivals from Cincinnati by getting as athletic as possible in the defensive trenches.
Baylor's Shawn Oakman is 6'9" and 280 pounds with no real weaknesses at the collegiate level. His athleticism only makes the Cleveland defense scarier.
16. San Francisco 49ers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Former Washington corner Marcus Peters remains one of the draft's most polarizing players.
Regardless, he is a surefire entrant in the 2015 draft:
Peters is one of the better prospects to come out at the position in years in terms of upside, which means a team such as the San Francisco 49ers will be willing to roll the dice.
If it pays off, everybody in the front office is a genius.
17. Philadelphia Eagles: Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
Philadelphia has a whopping 49.0 sacks on the season.
Why stop there?
Chip Kelly prefers the quick-twitch, aerial approach. This means his defense is on the field and going against the pass a ton as other teams take to the air in an effort to catch up.
Arik Armstead is yet another rotational piece that will keep opposing quarterbacks on the run or, more preferably, on the ground.
18. Carolina Panthers: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
The men in front of Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton are in need of a good shuffle.
Newton has been sacked 37 times this season. Some of these are on the quarterback himself, but an upgrade in the trenches goes a long way in ensuring the future of the franchise.
To that end, Cedric Ogbuehi makes sense as a piece who can move around and help problem spots.
19. Baltimore Ravens: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
Overall, things went from bad to worse as of late for Oregon corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu:
One of the draft's top talents, it is hard to imagine the NFL will allow Ekpre-Olomu to fall very far.
Even if the returns on the investment come at a delay while he recovers, Ekpre-Olomu is not the type of player a team such as Baltimore—which ranks 28th against the pass—will skip on draft day.
20. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
Matt Ryan has been sacked a ho-hum 25 times this year.
While not an otherworldly amount, it only makes sense that the staff in place continues to upgrade in the trenches.
This is especially the case with Brandon Scherff on the board. A consensus All-American, Scherff can be a cornerstone to most any line in the NFL, including the one in Atlanta.
21. Arizona Cardinals: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
Bruce Arians is an offensive genius, but even he can only do so much with Drew Stanton, Ryan Lindley and Logan Thomas.
Carson Palmer is around, yes, but for how long remains to be seen. The smart move is to grab a project player such as Brett Hundley and let him learn the ropes for a few seasons.
Besides, with the injury luck of Cardinals quarterbacks as of late, Arians will need Hundley sooner rather than later.
22. San Diego Chargers: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
The San Diego Chargers are owners of one of the league's worst interior offensive lines. Philip Rivers has been sacked 29 times, but more importantly, the team averages just 3.4 yards per carry.
To remedy this issue, the front office needs to take it seriously.
This means expending a first-round pick on the top interior lineman in the draft, A.J. Cann. It will not sell a ton of jerseys, but it is a necessary move.
23. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
Should he still be around, New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will want to get his hands on Alvin Dupree.
While not from a top SEC power, Dupree has the attention of many, including Miller:
Dupree can get to the passer with his hand in the dirt or upright, a valuable trait for coaches who love to disguise their rushes.
24. Cincinnati Bengals: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
So far, so good for the Cincinnati Bengals with Eric Winston in place of Andre Smith, who was lost for the season with an injury.
That is still no excuse not to build for the future.
The Bengals are sold on Andy Dalton, Jeremy Hill and others on a young offense, so an investment such as La'el Collins will ensure stability in the trenches for years to come when guys such as Andrew Whitworth decide to depart.
25. Indianapolis Colts: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
As the Chargers did with an interior lineman, some team has to go the unconventional route and grab an interior linebacker in the first round.
That does not happen a ton as of late, but like linemen in the middle, the high picks usually pan out.
Look for the Indianapolis Colts to get an upgrade with Benardrick McKinney, a tackling machine with good sideline-to-sideline speed. While not as flashy as an edge-rusher, leaders such as McKinney in the middle still mean a lot in today's NFL.
26. Detroit Lions: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
In order to remain ranked No. 1 overall against the run, the Detroit Lions need to grab a young talent in the trenches such as Danny Shelton.
The future of both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley is a question mark, so Shelton is a good way to plug holes along the line until things are sorted out.
He may not provide as much of a pass rush in comparison, but Shelton will eat multiple blockers on each play and suffocate running lanes consistently.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to continue the youthful trend on the defensive side of the football.
Vic Beasley is a good way to do that. One of the draft's most talented edge-rushers, Beasley has the framework that scouts such as NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah seek:
An every-down impact so late in the first round is not always this easy to find.
28. Dallas Cowboys: Charles Gaines, CB, Louisville
Brandon Carr and others in the Dallas Cowboys secondary have turned some heads this year.
There is no need to stop investing, though, as the secondary will get no younger this offseason. Charles Gaines is an athletic talent who reinforces the position.
The best part about the pick is that Gaines does not need to get thrown to the wolves as a rookie. In time, he can become an every-down starter.
29. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
The return of B.J. Raji did not exactly pan out, so look for the Green Bay Packers to head back to the drawing board.
Eddie Goldman awaits the Packers near the end of the first round.
The athletic tackle provides a consistent rush and clogs rushing lanes, otherwise known as what a 22nd-ranked rush defense needs.
30. New England Patriots: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
Devin Funchess has seen his stock dip in a big way lately.
Put things into perspective, though, as Nick Baumgardner of MLive Media Group does:
If there is one man who can get the most out of Funchess, it is Bill Belichick.
31. Denver Broncos: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
A team constructed around a 38-year-old Peyton Manning needs to focus attention toward ensuring his health.
Manning has been hobbled with an injury as of late, too. This only reinforces the notion that the Denver Broncos need to grab an offensive lineman prospect such as Andrus Peat.
Peat can play right away at certain spots. If not, he provides insurance for the future.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
The Seattle Seahawks prefer the rush to pass, but there is no reason the defending champions should rank 29th through the air.
Russell Wilson needs better targets in the passing game. Jaelen Strong solves some of those issues and becomes the No. 1 wideout upon arrival.
Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of December 23 at 4 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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