2015 NFL Mock Draft: Projections for Top Prospects After Divisional Round
Welcome to the wildest period on the path to the 2015 NFL draft.
While Jameis Winston prepares for Manziel-esque interviews for pro teams, Marcus Mariota laces up the cleats for a title game and the official draft order continues to solidify as teams exit the postseason. No other period offers more to keep up with at one time.
It is understandable, then, that observers fall behind a tad. Like Tom Brady down 14 points twice in a single game, though, a recovery is always in the cards.
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Hence the necessity for mock drafts. The official updated draft order outside of the remaining playoff teams, as well as the latest pro intentions and collegiate stock reports, rests in one nifty place below.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Whether he wins or loses to end his collegiate career, Mariota is the No. 1 overall pick.
Just expect to hear overreactions galore about his performance.
The fact of the matter is a single performance does not change the fact Mariota is the complete package. Some may argue Winston projects better, but the Oregon star's athleticism and quiet demeanor make him an obvious pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2. Tennessee Titans: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
From an on-the-field standpoint, Winston is a better prospect than Mariota in the minds of many:
It really comes down to individual preference, not that the Tennessee Titans will have a choice barring a shocker at No. 1 overall.
The Titans do have Zach Mettenberger on board, but this is about long-term ceiling. For a rebuilding franchise, there is no conversation about where else to go with the pick.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
The Titans and Buccaneers could learn a thing or two from the Jacksonville Jaguars—take a top quarterback and the rest will fall into place.
Thanks to the Blake Bortles pick last year, Jacksonville can now take the best edge-rusher in the class to complement a stout rush led by Sen'Derrick Marks.
With young foundations on both sides of the ball in tow, the Jaguars will be going places.
4. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DL, USC
The Oakland Raiders are on a similar path as the Jaguars thanks to Derek Carr's emergence in 2014.
A 22nd-ranked rush defense needs more beef up front to free up talents such as Khalil Mack, so USC's Leonard Williams is the obvious choice.
Williams generates pressure on his own but also fills running lanes. A positive ripple effect on the rest of the unit is what Oakland most needs at this point.
5. Washington: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
Mark down Landon Collins as a surefire entrant in the draft:
Collins is a perfect fit in Washington, a team that needs an overhaul in the secondary.
While far from the only piece necessary to the rebuild, Collins is a great way to start thanks to his nose for the football and ability to drop deep and freelance.
6. New York Jets: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
The conversation about the top wideout in the 2015 class will continue to evolve as the draft inches closer.
This sort of thing happens each year, but right now, Amari Cooper is hard to ignore as the No. 1 player, especially after a season in which he was one of just three Heisman Trophy finalists.
The New York Jets have no clue what to do under center. At the very least, Cooper will help along whomever gets the nod next season.
7. Chicago Bears: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
The Chicago Bears generated 39 sacks in 2014, but Jared Allen posted just 5.5 while Willie Young did the heavy lifting with 10.
Chicago has plenty to figure out on the offensive side of things, but the pass rush needs further youth and explosiveness to allow the defense to improve.
Shane Ray, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, is an obvious fit. One of the pure 4-3 ends in the class, the former Missouri star can contribute right away.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
The hype surrounding Kentucky's Alvin Dupree will only continue to increase.
Recently, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller stated that the explosive rusher will come off the board early:
Atlanta surely concurs, especially as a unit in flux continuing to search for answers when it comes to rushing the passer.
9. New York Giants: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
Despite 28 sacks, Eli Manning kept his interceptions tally to 14 this past season.
For the New York Giants, this is akin to playing with fire. The front office better get serious about keeping Manning pressure free; his turnover-happy ways could soon make a return.
With that in mind, look for the Giants to nab Brandon Scherff, who is the top tackle in the class at present.
10. St. Louis Rams: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
It sounds silly to say a six-win team does not have a ton of needs at No. 10 overall, but so it goes for the St. Louis Rams.
The Rams need a quarterback to stay healthy, but they also need an explosive wideout to open things up for Tavon Austin and others.
DeVante Parker certainly fits the bill now. His addition would also mean the team could stop looking to veterans such as Kenny Britt for production, as nice as his team-leading receiving totals were last year.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Similar to quarterback, the wideout hierarchy essentially comes down to preference.
For example, CBS Sports' Dane Brugler suggests Kevin White or Parker may be the No. 1:
Minnesota cannot go wrong in its quest to help along Teddy Bridgewater. White is an explosive player who can burn defenders deep or take a simple pass at the line of scrimmage the distance.
12. Cleveland Browns: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
Please do not forget about Dorial Green-Beckham, either.
The 6'6", ultra-talented wideout comes with a ton of baggage, but his talent and outlook may be tops in class.
It'll take a team such as the Cleveland Browns for DGB to come off the board in the first round, though. The thing is, Cleveland is not missing a ton in the needs department if it takes him at No. 12 and waits to address a need until later in the round.
13. New Orleans Saints: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
Rob Ryan's defense needs a counter to the pass-happy ways of the NFC South, as well as the league in general.
After all, his unit finished the season ranked 25th against the pass and 29th against the rush.
Even if other rushers fall down the board, Dante Fowler Jr. figures to be one of the top names on Ryan's list. He lined up all over at Florida, which presents a semblance of the versatility Ryan loves in his scheme.
14. Miami Dolphins: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
Then again, versatility is the name of the game when it comes to Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson.
As ESPN's James Walker notes, he figures to be a favorite of the Miami Dolphins:
Thompson can rush the passer. He can also line up in the middle and play the run. Heck, he can take handoffs out of the backfield on offense. Easy decision.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Like DGB, baggage will only drop Marcus Peters so far on draft day.
The top corner in the class is difficult to ignore, especially for a San Francisco 49ers defense that will not mind taking the best player available.
Health proved the biggest hurdle for the 49ers on defense this past season. Talented depth in the form of Peters is nothing but a good thing.
16. Houston Texans: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Maybe Houston is happy the decision on Peters is out of its hands. Maybe not.
Either way, the Texans need to do whatever it takes to repair a 21st-ranked pass defense that somehow manages to rank that low despite the efforts of J.J. Watt up front.
Those efforts include taking the top corner on the board, which is Michigan State's Trae Waynes.
17. Kansas City Chiefs: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
At 6'3" and 215 pounds with sure hands and good top speed, Jaelen Strong is the type of mid-round wideout who many will look back on and kick themselves for skipping.
Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs cannot afford to make this same mistake, especially after the position was such an afterthought in 2014.
There are other areas of need in Kansas City, but finding a No. 1 wideout is a big deal.
18. San Diego Chargers: A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
A.J. Cann continues to be the top interior lineman in the draft.
Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star offers sound reasoning:
The San Diego Chargers will sprint to the podium if Cann is on the board at No. 18 overall, as the interior of the line was arguably the team's biggest weakness this past season.
19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
The Browns can now hit the defensive side of things with Clemson star Vic Beasley.
Beasley's stock is on the downtrend in comparison to his pro hype this time last year, but the Browns will not have an issue with that. His athleticism and versatility gives the staff even more options when it comes to getting to opposing quarterbacks.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
Surprise alert—the Philadelphia Eagles rank 31st against the pass.
That is not necessarily an indictment of the talent in place, either. Chip Kelly's offense forces opposing attacks to the air more often than not, which places abnormal stress on the secondary.
This means more talented bodies is a must, which is where Jalen Collins will come into play. The versatile defensive back is a major add for the Eagles so late in the round.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
The Cincinnati Bengals are in a bit of a position of luxury once again this year, although cracks are beginning to form on defense.
Most notable is the lack of production in the middle, something that the addition of Texas' Malcom Brown fixes in a hurry.
Arguably the top defensive tackle in the draft, Brown next to Geno Atkins is a scary thought.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
With Dick LeBeau out the door, per ESPN.com, the rebuilding effort on defense in Pittsburgh hits a fever pitch.
The unit that continues to get younger needs another solid rusher, so Arik Armstead comes to mind.
Whoever leads the unit next year can line up Armstead all over the field and still receive quality production.
23. Detroit Lions: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
Detroit is boring in that it will make one of the most predictable draft picks in recent history.
With Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley on the way to free agency, it is obvious the team will look for a top prospect such as Danny Shelton in the first round.
At the very least, Shelton comes in and plays well against the rush right away. If the Lions somehow retain both free agents, the staff will have one dominant rotation on its hands.
24. Arizona Cardinals: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
Matt Miller paints the picture surrounding Brett Hundley best:
Hundley is not a first-round prospect in terms of what he will bring to the pros right away, although his upside might make him one. It helps that the quarterback class overall stinks too.
No team had worse luck at quarterback in 2014 than the Arizona Cardinals, so a young addition the staff can groom and throw to the fire in case of injury is a good idea.
25. Carolina Panthers: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
Cam Newton remains the focal point in Carolina.
To that end, the staff needs to make sure the former Auburn star is not sacked another 38 times next season. Cedric Ogbuehi is the next best offensive lineman on the board, and he can kick inside if necessary until ready for edge duties.
26. Baltimore Ravens: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
A divisional-round loss to the New England Patriots in which Tom Brady threw for 367 yards and three scores says a lot about the Baltimore secondary.
It needs help.
To fix that issue in future years, look for the Ravens to roll the dice on Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. While recovering from a knee injury, he is the top corner on the board and perhaps the class overall.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
The injury bug seems to be something the Dallas Cowboys will never shake.
Still, the defense ranks eighth overall against the rush. An upgrade in the form of an every-down linebacker certainly will not hurt matters, though, so ink Benardrick McKinney in for Dallas.
McKinney is a leader in the middle with a good mix of traits who can contribute right away.
28. Denver Broncos: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Andrus Peat is a strong prospect in many ways, as NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah details:
The Denver Broncos need as much talent as possible in front of Peyton Manning and beyond, so the fit makes sense. Even if Peat does not start on the edge, his contributions on the interior will be an upgrade.
29. Indianapolis Colts: Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
Andrew Luck has a way of forcing opposing offenses to the air thanks to the way he carries his own unit on his back.
The Indianapolis Colts can get Luck a new running back in the second round, but for now, the defense needs another pass-rusher to help apply heat.
Nate Orchard is next up. He also fits well as a flexible piece who can wreak havoc along with others such as Bjoern Werner.
30. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
Everyone knows the Green Bay rush, led by Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers, will hit home with authority more often than not.
The rush defense is a different story.
Ranked 23rd against the run, Green Bay needs a prospect such as Eddie Goldman in the trenches. He fills run lanes and can generate a rush on his own.
31. New England Patriots: Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
The objective in New England this offseason is the same no matter what happens in the postseason: keep Brady productive.
Devin Funchess out of Michigan is a versatile weapon who can fill multiple roles and give defenses headaches as he lines up at wideout and tight end.
In turn, this helps to free up others such as Rob Gronkowski.
32. Seattle Seahawks: Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
LSU defensive end Danielle Hunter recently made his intentions known:
"#GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/WF8yyxiqtZ
— Danielle Hunter (@DHunt94_TX) January 9, 2015"
Sign the Seattle Seahawks up. The defending champions are in a luxurious position as it is—yet another rusher who can terrorize quarterbacks is a scary thought.
Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of Jan. 11 at 9 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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