NFL Draft 2015: Latest Expert Mock Drafts and Updated Selection Order

As the NFL postseason gets closer to ending, the buzz that surrounds the 2015 draft will only grow. Experts are already weighing in on how the first round could play out on April 30, as evaluating talent is an ongoing process even for teams occupying the playoffs.

An intriguing situation will present itself towards the top of the order. Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy and led the Ducks to a 59-20 triumph in the Rose Bowl over counterpart Jameis Winston and Florida State.

Mariota and Winston figure to be in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick. However, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah relayed some inside information on Monday that should discourage some fanbases:

Swinging and missing on a potential franchise quarterback can set a franchise back for years. There is a lot of depth in this 2015 class, so it would be unfortunate to miss out on another blue-chip player simply due to need and greed.

Below is an overview of how several notable expert analysts currently see the first round unfolding, followed by a breakdown of certain facets of the mock scenarios.

Note: Updated draft order is from CBSSports.com's Rob Rang. Selections in other mocks remained with the same corresponding teams but were moved accordingly.

Pick; Team	Matt Miller (Bleacher Report)	Rob Rang (CBSSports.com)	Todd McShay, ESPN.com	Jamie Newberg, Scout.com	Knox Bardeen, FOX Sports South
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
2. Tennessee Titans	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
3. Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Williams, DT, USC	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska	Leonard Williams, DT, USC	Leonard Williams, DT, USC	Leonard Williams, DT, USC
4. Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama	Leonard Williams, DT, USC	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
5. Washington Redskins	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
6. New York Jets	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
7. Chicago Bears	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri	Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
8. Atlanta Falcons	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9. New York Giants	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama	Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson	Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida
10. St. Louis Rams	Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State	La'el Collins, OL, LSU	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
11. Minnesota Vikings	Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame	Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
12. Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13. New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida	Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
14. Miami Dolphins	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington	La'el Collins, OL, LSU	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
15. San Francisco 49ers	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
16. Houston Texans	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
17. San Diego Chargers	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
18. Kansas City Chiefs	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
20. Philadelphia Eagles	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State	Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
21. Cincinnati Bengals	Gerod Holliman, FS, Louisville	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford	Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
22. Pittsburgh Steelers	Alex Carter, CB, Stanford	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
23. Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
24. Arizona Cardinals	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky	Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
25. Carolina Panthers	La'el Collins, OL, LSU	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
26. Baltimore Ravens	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin	Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
27. Indianapolis Colts	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin	La'el Collins, OL, LSU	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State	Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
28. Dallas Cowboys	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M	Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
29. Green Bay Packers	Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State	Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
30. Denver Broncos	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington	Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami (Florida)	Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
31. Seattle Seahawks	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia	Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma	Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
32. New England Patriots	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan	A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington

Expert Mock Draft Analysis

Consensus: Mariota over Winston

Across five mock drafts, it appears as though Mariota is the clear-cut top prospect that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will choose to start the first round off.

Mariota appears to be the safer alternative to Winston in terms of his reputation off the field, but what makes it such a fascinating dilemma is Winston's experience in a pro-style offense. That could mean Winston has a smoother transition to the NFL and is more ready to start than Mariota as a rookie.

Although Bleacher Report's Matt Miller is preaching to the proverbial choir in having Mariota as his top-rated player, he has his reservations:

In terms of upside, raw talent and explosiveness, though, Mariota has Winston beat.

A lot of credit should go to Mariota's outstanding ball security as well, which ESPN Stats & Info highlights:

The quarterback position is the most important of all, and Winston's tendency to give the ball away to the tune of 17 interceptions this season doesn't bode well for the pros. Mariota's unique improvisational ability can bide receivers time to get open, too.

As long as Mariota can become a bit more of a polished passer from the pocket, learn to make full-field reads on a regular basis and deliver the ball accurately down the field, his ceiling is limitless.

Tampa Bay already has two stupendous weapons on the outside in receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. With a QB like Mariota who has the elusiveness to extend the play and the arm to get the ball deep to those big targets, the Bucs could be in for a swift 2015 turnaround.

Greatest Depth: Offensive Tackle and Pass-Rusher

One trend that stands out across the mocks is the amount of offensive tackles and pass-rushers available and seem destined to make an immediate impact.

Supremely athletic nose tackles like Washington's Danny Shelton and Florida State's Eddie Goldman are impressive, but the real depth comes from the edge. Plenty of differences are evident when it comes to where these pass-rushers rank.

What is clear is that USC's Leonard Williams and Nebraska star Randy Gregory are the cream of the crop, with Williams having the slight inside track in being chosen ahead of Gregory in three of five mocks.

Williams is the best of all worlds—he's a defensive tackle who's capable of lining up at the end, and he racked up seven sacks in 2014 (h/t CFBStats.com). The Trojans standout is a nightmare to block and deserves the hype he claims.

Missouri star Shane Ray is a consensus top-10 choice, and Florida's Dante Fowler Jr. is in the top 10 in the majority of mock drafts. Any team in need at that spot can't really go wrong with either from that duo.

Fox Sports South's Knox Bardeen has the Atlanta Falcons pulling the trigger on Ray, yet advocates for a number of others who'd be in similar roles:

The NFL is a pass-happy league, so someone has to stave off all these supreme athletes trying to get to the QB. That's why these mocks are so tackle-heavy near the top.

Many of the pass-rushers are versatile in terms of which position they'll play in the pros. Notice the differing positions these draft experts list certain prospects as. Several top-tier offensive tackles have experience at multiple spots in the trenches.

Those players include Iowa's Brandon Scherff, La'el Collins from LSU and Cedric Ogbuehi. The latter's stock is polarizing, but he hails from a Texas A&M program that's produced first-round picks in Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews in recent years.

Breaking Down First-Round Surprises

With the emphasis on quarterbacks again surfacing here, UCLA's Brett Hundley isn't in the first-round discussion for most analysts. Nevertheless, CBSSports.com's Rob Rang has Hundley going 20th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Rang notes how the lack of viable alternatives at the QB spot could contribute to Hundley going earlier than anticipated:

In terms of the rest of the signal-callers, only Miller has Winston falling outside the top two, instead having him selected by the New York Jets with the sixth pick.

Perhaps it isn't a huge shock, but Miller's choice to put Stanford cornerback Alex Carter in the first round is a compelling one. Carter's father, Tom, was chosen by Washington in the opening round of the 1993 draft (h/t Pro-Football-Reference.com).

Both Miller and Rang have given Carter rave reviews:

Scout.com's Jamie Newberg is really high on Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, mocking him in the top five to Washington. Here is his justification for the choice:

"

Assuming RG3 is still the franchise quarterback for the Redskins then you have to keep him upright and healthy. That means building up the offensive front. Washington could decide among all the offensive line prospects. Here I go with the guy I believe fits the best - Andrus Peat from Stanford. This is a very big and athletic tackle that just needs some refinement. Much will depend on who's making the calls in D.C. Will it be this regime or another new one for the Redskins?

"

Washington is indeed in a state of disarray. It has many needs. Based on how the other mocks unfold, with Peat only going to as high as No. 12 for Rang and not even in Miller's first round, perhaps Peat is a reach.

David Lombardi of ESPN.com covers the Pac-12, and he points to Peat's accolade as the conference's best offensive lineman as proof of his capabilities:

ESPN expert Todd McShay (subscription required) has Scherff going late to Carolina, though it's worth noting that the Panthers were tabbed to choose Scherff at eighth overall before they won the NFC South.

McShay lists inside linebacker Denzel Perryman as his choice for the Denver Broncos at the 30th slot. The Miami Hurricanes defensive field general is a hard hitter and may be an overlooked gem who could be had at ideal value.

Another prospect in the late-Day 1 range is Auburn receiver Sammie Coates, whom Bardeen has the Seattle Seahawks snagging at No. 32.

Coates has a considerable transition to make from the Tigers' run-heavy offense. However, Seattle could use another weapon on the outside, and Coates has blazing speed, strong hands and great ball skills to be both a vertical and a red-zone threat if he can master the playbook quickly enough.