NFL Mock Draft 2015: Projections for Top Prospects After Wild Card Weekend
Slowly, the official order of the 2015 NFL draft continues to take shape.
This means mock season is in full swing, folks. The Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions all own official spots after exits in the Wild Card Round of the postseason.
Around that same period, high-profile prospects such as Florida State's Jameis Winston and Alabama's Amari Cooper took nosedives out of the inaugural College Football Playoff.
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As a way to check out the updated draft order and how the league feels about the top prospects, below is an updated mock. The order through the first 24 picks is official, with playoff teams' slots based on record for the time being.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
As if the globe needed any more proof that Marcus Mariota is the No. 1 overall pick, he tallied three total scores in a 59-20 rout of Winston's Seminoles in the CFP semifinal.
Tampa Bay knows, of course. The plan all along has to have been quarterback, as the Mike Glennon and Josh McCown show needs a cancellation.
It helps that Mariota continues to make the decision easier.
2. Tennessee Titans: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Winston's season is over after just 348 yards with a single touchdown and interception in the loss to Oregon. Of course, this in no way will stop him from being one of the top players taken on draft day.
The Tennessee Titans will not mind the putrid performance. This is the chance to grab a franchise quarterback regardless of the promise Zach Mettenberger showed last season.
Avoiding quarterback purgatory is always the top objective.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
Randy Gregory is officially a member of the class:
Gregory forms a wicked inside-out combo for the Jacksonville Jaguars with Sen'Derrick Marks (8.5 sacks).
For Jacksonville, the Blake Bortles pick last year makes this a possibility. As the teams above will learn, this is how things need to go when it comes to rebuilds.
4. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DL, USC
Owners of the 22nd-ranked rush defense, the Oakland Raiders need plenty of help on that side of the ball. Especially with quarterback Derek Carr on the opposite side.
Also, especially when Leonard Williams seems to want to don the Silver and Black:
Williams is a major upgrade who frees up the linebackers behind him.
5. Washington: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
Alabama safety Landon Collins may be out of the CFP, but his name remains close to the top of most big boards.
To be fair, other safeties can and will rise up the board as the process continues, but right now, Collins is a sure thing as an in-the-box safety who can act as an enforcer against the rush.
Washington needs youth and talent in the secondary, so the proverbial shoe indeed fits.
6. New York Jets: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Joining Collins is Cooper, a Heisman finalist.
The New York Jets need a coach, quarterback and more, but the front office will be unable to pass on the nation's top wideout.
Cooper is one of a few players who can make game-changing plays as a rookie and beyond. All that remains is the new staff in place to use him properly.
7. Chicago Bears: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller notes, Shane Ray is one of the few traditional 4-3 ends in the draft:
It makes sense that the Chicago Bears would pull the trigger on the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, then.
Jared Allen will not get any younger, and the team can only lean on players like Willie Young for so long.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
A miserable 22 sacks on the season suggests that the Atlanta Falcons cannot go wrong with Ray or any other pass-rusher who falls down the board.
The best prospect is Dante Fowler Jr., who played all over the line at Florida and can provide a strong rotational rush right away.
For Atlanta, it is just the start of a defensive overhaul.
9. New York Giants: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
The New York Giants must continue to invest in the beef in front of Eli Manning. After all, the veteran wound up on the turf 28 times last year. He threw only 14 picks in the process, but his health is key to the future of the team.
To that end, Brandon Scherff is a smart pick that the Giants can place in the lineup right away to upgrade the unit.
10. St. Louis Rams: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
With Cooper off the board, it is only a matter of time before a run on wideouts begins.
After last year's historic class, teams like the St. Louis Rams will be quick to gobble up prospects such as Louisville's DeVante Parker.
Parker caught 43 passes for 855 yards and five scores last season and is very much an upside-based pick.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Scheme or not, 109 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 scores is difficult to ignore.
Kevin White simply produces, and as CBS Sports' Dane Brugler points out, he remains one of the top overall prospects:
Sign the Minnesota Vikings up, then. The team needs to do whatever it takes to help Teddy Bridgewater along in his development.
12. Cleveland Browns: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
Dorial Green-Beckham is a mystery, in large part because he likely could have challenged Cooper for the top slot in the class if it were not for off-field issues.
Regardless, some team will pull the trigger if he declares.
Look for that team to be the Cleveland Browns, owners of two picks in the first round.
13. New Orleans Saints: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
Alvin Dupree is the other 4-3 end mentioned by Miller above, but the Kentucky product is athletic enough to fit in a hybrid scheme and wreak havoc too.
This will of course capture the attention of the New Orleans Saints, a team that surely believes its 34 sacks last season is not a great number.
Dupree joins a number of talented names, including Cameron Jordan, to counteract a pass-happy league.
14. Miami Dolphins: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
The Miami Dolphins must place an eye on the future when it comes to defense.
Cameron Wake posted 11.5 sacks last season, but he will be 33 years old by next season.
Shaq Thompson is the top rusher on the board and a name who will help the Dolphins continue to stand a chance against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots twice a season.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
After his dismissal from Washington, Marcus Peters is a polarizing name in the class.
That will not stop the San Francisco 49ers, though.
The 49ers need more talent in the secondary and get just that with the top corner the class has to offer. A defense led by Patrick Willis and others must believe it has a strong environment that can handle Peters too.
16. Houston Texans: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Despite the best efforts of J.J. Watt up front, the Houston Texans still finished 21st against the pass.
Even worse, the secondary is not exactly young.
The front office needs an infusion of young talent right away. Trae Waynes, leader of Michigan State's strong defense, is a good candidate for the Texans in the first round.
17. Kansas City Chiefs: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
Those in the know have Jaelen Strong as a first-round pick.
Experts like Miller see the upside in a 6'3", 215-pound receiver who catches almost anything thrown his way:
Andy Reid needs weapons on the edges of his offense in a bad way. Strong comes off the board a tad early, but the early run on receivers helps.
18. San Diego Chargers: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
Call it boring, but the San Diego Chargers must upgrade the offensive trenches.
Philip Rivers is 33 years old and on the wrong side of 36 sacks last year. The team also ranked 30th in rushing.
A.J. Cann, the top interior lineman in the class, come on down.
19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
With the second of as many picks, look for the Browns to get more athletic up front on the defensive side of things.
Shilique Calhoun fits quite well.
At 6'5" and 256 pounds, Calhoun can pressure quarterbacks with his hand in the dirt or standing up. The Cleveland staff knows how to put this versatility to good use.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
The Philadelphia Eagles forced 49 sacks in 2014, but the future of players such as Trent Cole remains a question mark for the time being.
For now, the addition of another rusher is a smooth way to help along a defense that is continually under attack through the air. Arik Armstead is arguably the next best player on the board in this regard and can come in on a rotational basis right away.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
The Cincinnati Bengals have plenty of holes to address in the trenches on both sides of the football.
A chief concern is the future at offensive tackle, though, as Andrew Whitworth continues to age (despite continued great play) and Andre Smith went down for the season this year.
La'el Collins is a quality insurance pick who can someday take over at left or right tackle.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
Despite the major run on rushers, the Pittsburgh Steelers still land a great prospect with Vic Beasley. The Clemson product's stock is a tad down in comparison to last year, but the versatile rusher can make a huge difference at the professional level right away.
Had the Steelers won a playoff game, they might have missed out. So it goes when it comes to the draft.
23. Detroit Lions: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
Space-eaters who weigh in at 6'2" and 339 pounds do not come around often. The Detroit Lions understand both this and the fact that the future with Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley is shaky at best.
Danny Shelton is a nice insurance grab as someone who can come in right away and clog run lanes to help the Detroit defense remain consistent.
24. Arizona Cardinals: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals cannot afford to wait at quarterback.
CBS Sports' Rob Rang puts it best:
If Carson Palmer goes down again, the team cannot afford to turn to Ryan Lindley and others. Brett Hundley is a bit of a project, but one with extreme upside.
25. Carolina Panthers: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
At 6'5" and 305 pounds, Texas A&M senior Cedric Ogbuehi has most everything pro scouts look for in a prototypical tackle.
The Carolina Panthers continue to trot out an offensive line that surrendered 38 sacks of Cam Newton this year. That cannot continue to occur if the franchise wishes to keep the star quarterback for a long time.
26. Baltimore Ravens: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
A season-ending injury to Ifo Ekpre-Olomu hurts his stock to a degree, but likely not so much that he falls out of the first round.
The Baltimore Ravens know defensive talent when they see it and also understand loud and clear that the current secondary ranks 23rd against the pass.
Even if Ekpre-Olomu does not contribute right away, landing arguably the top corner in the class late in the first round is a strong way to build a foundation for the future.
27. Indianapolis Colts: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
Benardrick McKinney is the name to know when it comes to inside linebackers in the 2015 class.
Miller concurs:
The Indianapolis Colts need another run enforcer and leader in the middle, so the upgrade only makes sense.
28. Dallas Cowboys: Charles Gaines, CB, Louisville
The Dallas Cowboys tout a top-10 rush defense, but the secondary is still a mess, considering it ranks 26th against the pass. A simple upgrade in depth is the remedy at this point, so look for the front office to grab Charles Gaines out of Louisville.
A converted wide receiver, Gaines is an intriguing, versatile prospect who can contribute in a number of ways right out of the gates.
29. Denver Broncos: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
While Peyton Manning took just 17 sacks this year, his health and the overall future of the quarterback position needs to be a focal point for the Denver Broncos.
This is especially the case with Stanford's Andrus Peat still on the board.
Peat is a prospect who can contribute right away before taking over an edge spot for years to come.
30. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
A Green Bay Packers defense that ranks 23rd against the rush needs versatile beef up front for things to take a turn for the better.
Florida State's Eddie Goldman takes a tumble in this scenario, but his ability to generate a consistent, unorthodox rush up the middle, as well as clog running lanes, makes him the obvious selection.
31. Seattle Seahawks: Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
Scouts and analysts seem split on Utah's Nate Orchard.
Rang captures this best:
The Seattle Seahawks do not mind an increase in versatile defensive talent that can rush the passer, so look for the marriage to come to fruition near the end of the first round.
32. New England Patriots: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
This may turn out to be one of the more stereotypical fits of mock season by the time the draft rolls around, but the shoe just fits.
Devin Funchess is a bit of a project with no true position, but that sounds like a perfect match for the Patriots and Bill Belichick.
Belichick and Brady love their versatile weapons who can move at the line of scrimmage and create confusion, so look for Funchess to come off the board in the first round.
Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of Jan. 5 at 9 a.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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