2015 NFL Mock Draft: Projections for Most Polarizing Big-Name Prospects

Now that the top 20 picks in the 2015 NFL draft are set in stone, mock season is a full go. 

Not that much changes, though. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota still figures to go No. 1 overall. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston continues to lead a long line of polarizing prospects who will run through a gauntlet of hurdles on the path to the draft.

In this sense, polarizing can mean a number of things. Prospects scouts simply cannot figure out qualify, as do sheer elite talents with off-field questions in need of vetting.

Below is where the most polarizing high-profile prospects figure to end up, although keep in mind that the draft order after pick No. 20 will continue to change, as will the slotting of all players as the draft creeps closer.

Prospects in italics are the most polarizing names to watch moving forward as the path to the draft begins.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Lovie Smith's debut is mercifully over, which means the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can go out and grab this year's Heisman winner.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller puts it best:

Mariota is a prototypical quarterback who will feast with a weapon such as Mike Evans, which gives the team a strong foundation for the future.

2. Tennessee Titans: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Thanks to off-field trouble and what many consider a down year (17 interceptions), Winston is as polarizing as it gets this season. 

Some, such as Eric Rosenthal of HoundSports.com, will not touch the former Seminoles star:

Others will see the value in his pro upside, which might just be better than Mariota's. The Tennessee Titans may have something in Zach Mettenberger, but it is difficult to see how they pass up on a prospect who could be one of the best quarterbacks taken in the last decade if the team can help him mature off the field.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska

Quietly, the Jacksonville Jaguars have 45 sacks on the season and even got eight from Chris Clemons and 6.5 from Ryan Davis. 

Thanks to the selection of Blake Bortles, though, the team is in a position of luxury to further upgrade the defensive side of things.

This means Randy Gregory comes to town. With another versatile edge presence, the Jaguars take another step toward competing with Indianapolis in the AFC South.

4. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DL, USC

Thanks to a scheme-versatile skill set with an ability to generate unorthodox interior pressure, Leonard Williams may go even higher on draft day.

For now, Oakland gets a game-changing presence in the trenches that does much to free up Khalil Mack and others behind him.

Like Jacksonville, Oakland's success at quarterback last year has a ripple effect on the roster foundation.

5. Washington: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Safety continues to morph slowly into a position teams want no part of early in the draft. 

Despite a stellar career at Alabama, the same sort of talk continues to surround Landon Collins. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler sums it up:

Collins is an in-the-box hitter who can shut down the run, which is exactly what Washington needs. Owners of one of the worst safety duos in the league, the team cannot afford to pass on the position.

Some figure this is too high, but it is hard to assign value when a need is so glaring.

6. New York Jets: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

Things continue to change rapidly in New York, but one thing that looks to remain the same is the quarterback position. 

The Jets played themselves out of a top quarterback prospect, although it is hard to complain about Amari Cooper as a consolation prize.

One of three Heisman finalists, Cooper will help along whoever lines up under center next year in a big way.

7. Chicago Bears: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri

Were it not for a surprise 10 sacks by Willie Young, the Chicago Bears pass rush would have been an even bigger disappointment this past season.

The staff in Chicago have plenty of work to do, but one of the chief concerns is a miserable rush that puts the secondary in coverage for too long.

To that end, look for the front office to grab SEC Defensive Player of the Year Shane Ray. The Missouri product has great explosion off the edge and helps as a rotational piece.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa

The Atlanta Falcons hit the lottery by losing the NFC South title game in Week 17.

Now the team can either grab more help on defense or better protection for Matt Ryan.

The latter makes the most sense. While the team grabbed a top tackle last year, getting another in Brandon Scherff solidifies the line in all phases moving forward.

9. New York Giants: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The future is a bit cloudy around New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. 

Just look at this note from Around The NFL:

Even if JPP stays for a long time, the Giants know a thing or two about the value of a deep rotational rush, hence the addition of Dante Fowler Jr.

10. St. Louis Rams: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

Quarterback is an unknown in St. Louis at this point, so for the time being the Rams need to do more in order to ensure the position succeeds. 

DeVante Parker is the next wideout off the board. A total of 35 grabs for 735 yards and five scores do not do his extreme pro upside justice, either.

Parker is the type of wideout the Rams need on the outside to further free up Tavon Austin and Tre Mason out of the backfield.

11. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

Let the run on receivers begin. 

This is what happens after a draft class that contained Kelvin Benjamin, Odell Beckham Jr. and others. Kevin White is worthy of a top pick, even if his 102 catches for 1,318 yards and nine scores are somewhat a product of scheme.

White is one of the most explosive weapons in the class and will help quarterback Teddy Bridgewater along.

12. Cleveland Browns: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Controversy is the name of the game when it comes to Dorial Green-Beckham. 

So is extreme talent and high upside.

Many understand the tough journey ahead for DGB, as CollegeFootball 24/7 captures:

Cleveland will not mind the risk though, as they own two picks in the first round. If it helps Johnny Manziel succeed, the risk is always worth it.

13. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky

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For a team loaded with defensive talent such as Junior Galette and Cameron Jordan, the New Orleans Saints were a major disappointment with just 34 sacks this year. 

A prospect in the secondary is ideal, but it certainly does not hurt to grab another talented rusher such as Alvin Dupree. 

While not a household name, Dupree is a versatile rusher the scheme in New Orleans needs. 

14. Miami Dolphins: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington

The Miami Dolphins succumbed to injury on the defensive side of the ball as the season wore on to its .500 conclusion. 

Look for the Dolphins to not hope for a healthy 2015, though, as the unit could use more in the way of rotational rushers.

Shaq Thompson accomplishes this and keeps an eye on the future.

15. San Francisco 49ers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Remember the two things that surround DGB? 

The same applies to former Washington corner Marcus Peters, although Miller notes that his troubles may not be a major red flag:

Regardless, it is hard to argue against Peters as the most talented corner in the class.

With that in mind, look for the San Francisco 49ers to make a move in the mid-round. The team needs talented bodies in the secondary and gets that in a big way with Peters.

16. Houston Texans: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State

Houston is either upset Peters is off the board or happy the decision is out of its hands. 

Either way, the league's 21st-ranked pass defense needs young talent in the secondary to turn things around.

Trae Waynes is a great start and a pro-ready corner who can learn from Johnathan Joseph.

17. Kansas City Chiefs: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

One of the most obvious outcomes of the 2015 draft is what Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs will do in the first round. 

The team needs a talent at wideout who can catch touchdown passes, so Jaelen Strong makes sense.

Strong posted 82 catches for 1,165 yards and 10 scores this season, a strong indicator that he will be a reliable target for Alex Smith.

18. San Diego Chargers: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina

The San Diego Chargers are owners of one of the worst interior offensive lines in the league. 

Philip Rivers was sacked 36 times this season, a ridiculous number as he continues to age.

While boring, look for the Chargers to take the health of their franchise centerpiece very seriously. A.J. Cann is the top interior lineman in the class and is an upgrade right away.

19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State

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Look for the Browns to get more athletic up front with the second of two picks in the round. 

Shilique Calhoun is a versatile presence up front with an alarming amount of upside, something the staff surely wants as it looks to keep pace with the other deep lines of the AFC North.

Calhoun can act as a rotational piece to start, where he will make his presence known.

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon

A former basketball standout, Arik Armstead will be in hot demand on draft day.

Like Calhoun, he is a potential-based pick with situational impact that most teams will find difficult to pass up. 

The Philadelphia Eagles will not mind another athletic presence up front, especially with Trent Cole now 32 years old.

21. Carolina Panthers: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M

Cedric Ogbuehi is one of the most difficult tackle prospects to figure out in this year's class.

Ogbuehi bounced around the Texas A&M line this year, as Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski notes:

Carolina played its way out of a top pick, but gets what may turn out to be a steal in this scenario.

Cam Newton needs better protection up front, so a top tackle that tumbles down the board seems to be the obvious choice.

22. Baltimore Ravens: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon

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Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is in the midst of recovery from a knee injury, but big-time talent has a way of eventually trumping injury.

For the Baltimore Ravens, a team that ranks 24th against the pass this year, that would be the case.

Baltimore needs more talent in the secondary to keep pace with a pass-happy league, especially in the same division as Josh Gordon, Antonio Brown and A.J. Green.

23. Cincinnati Bengals: La'el Collins, OT, LSU 

Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth may be in the middle of his best career season—he ranks No. 2 overall at Pro Football Focus (subscription required)—but the front office will not ignore the tackle spot. 

The Bengals let Anthony Collins walk last offseason and paid the price at right tackle when Andre Smith went down for the year.

Lesson learned, look for the Bengals to grab a teachable talent such as La'el Collins.

24. Detroit Lions: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington

The future of Ndamukong Suh and others is cloudy in Detroit, so it only makes sense that the Detroit Lions use a first-round pick to shore up the spot. 

Detroit owns the league's top run defense, but that is not an accolade that will carry over to next season if talent leaks.

Look for the Lions to grab Danny Shelton, a run-stuffing presence who can at least contribute on a rotational basis if everyone returns next year.

25. Arizona Cardinals: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

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The third quarterback behind Mariota and Winston is very much up for grabs. 

From an upside standpoint, the honor goes to Brett Hundley for the time being.

For his part, Hundley just wants a chance, per Ryan Kartje of the Orange County Register:

He gets that in Arizona, a team that cannot escape injury issues under center. Bruce Arians knows a thing or two about quarterback development, too.

26. Indianapolis Colts: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State

A run defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league needs some help. 

The Indianapolis Colts get that with Benardrick McKinney, an interior linebacker who takes proper angles and makes backs regret carrying the ball.

Interior linebacker is a tough sell in the age of flashy rushers, but McKinney is worth the investment.

27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson

Vic Beasley is the owner of a wild journey, as last year he projected as a top-10 pick before returning to school.

Now the Clemson product is a bit lost in a very deep class, not that the Pittsburgh Steelers will complain.

The Steelers tallied just 33 sacks this season and need more young talent to pair with Jarvis Jones and others. Beasley is the perfect fit.

28. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State

Eddie Goldman is tough to figure out.

On one hand, he is part of what has been a wildly disappointing 30th-ranked Florida State defense this year. On the other, experts such as ESPN's Kevin Weidl see the value he brings on each down:

The Green Bay Packers cannot afford to roll the dice on B.J. Raji again, so look for Goldman to be the pick late in the first round.

Besides, tackles who can provide a strong rush along with run-clogging traits do not usually last this long.

29. Seattle Seahawks: Nate Orchard, DE, Utah

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

What does a team with everything draft? 

More rushers in a pass-happy league, of course.

The Seattle Seahawks generated just 37 sacks on the year and need to get younger in the trenches. To that end, Nate Orchard makes sense as a rotational piece while he develops into an every-down player.

30. Denver Broncos: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford

Everything in Denver pales in comparison to the health of Peyton Manning. 

Once considered a top prospect in the class, Andrus Peat may still wind up there after scouts have a look at him in the coming months. For now, he slots in with Denver and plays wherever the unit needs the most help.

31. Dallas Cowboys: Charles Gaines, CB, Louisville

Many things are better in Dallas this year, but pass defense is not on the list. 

The Cowboys still rank close to the bottom of the league in that regard, so more talent in the secondary is the obvious path.

So late in the opening round, Louisville's Charles Gaines is the smart play.

32. New England Patriots: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan

Tony Ding/Associated Press

There is plenty of debate as to whether or not Devin Funchess is a wideout or tight end. 

In today's league, does it really matter?

Nick Baumgardner of MLive Media Group provides a word of caution to those who point out iffy stats by Funchess this year:

Bill Belichick seems like the type of coach who would take a gamble on a versatile weapon at the end of the first round. Funchess can line up at any number of spots and contribute.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of Dec. 29 at 4 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).