Mel Kiper NFL Mock Draft 2015: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru's First Mock

With 28 NFL teams working to build their rosters for 2015, most eyes are already focused on the offseason. One of the great traditions each year around this time is the release of ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper's first mock draft.    

Unquestionably one of the leading voices in draft and scouting analysis, Kiper's mock drafts are like catnip to every NFL fan. He may not have your team taking the player you want, but there are few people as well connected into what every franchise is looking to do as the ESPN analyst. 

Here's Kiper's full mock draft, but if you want to read the entire list complete with his breakdowns and notes for each player, it's available on ESPN.com (subscription required). 

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Williams, DE, USC
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
7	Chicago Bears	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Dante Fowler, DE, Florida
9	New York Giants	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
10	St. Louis Rams	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
11	Minnesota Vikings	Devante Parker. WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
13	New Orleans Saints	Vic Beasley, LB, Clemson
14	Miami Dolphins	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
16	Houston Texans	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
17	San Diego Chargers	Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
19	Cleveland Browns	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Bud Dupree, LB, Kentucky
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
23	Detroit Lions	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
24	Arizona Cardinals	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
27	Dallas Cowboys	Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
28	Denver Broncos	Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
29	Indianapolis Colts	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
30	Green Bay Packers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
31	New England Patriots	Sammie Coates, WR ,Auburn
32	Seattle Seahawks	Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State

Unlike his fellow ESPN cohort Todd McShay, who had Marcus Mariota going No. 1 overall in his first mock (subscription required), Kiper puts Florida State's Jameis Winston in the top spot to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The battle between the two college stars seems close, so it could be just a matter of opinion. 

One thing that's been more evident since the College Football Playoff is that the knocks against Mariota transitioning to the next level are getting louder. 

The concerns about Winston don't have much to do with his performance, despite throwing 18 interceptions in 2014, but rather his character and baggage off the field. Greg A. Bedard mentioned that in a mailbag on TheMMQB.com:

"

Winston off the field is obviously a huge concern. I didn’t like the vibe I got watching him. I came away with the feeling that he’s a diva who was enabled by FSU’s program. Winston is not used to people standing up to him. He’ll need to get used to that really quick if he’s to succeed long-term in the NFL.

"

Given Winston's measurables and everything he did at Florida State, his status as the No. 1 pick will likely come down to how well he interviews and how much a team buys into him being able to mature quickly. That doesn't necessarily have to be Tampa Bay, despite the need for a quarterback, as the possibility for a trade is always present. 

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Moving further down Kiper's list, a surprise pick is Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham going to Kansas City with the 18th pick. There's no denying the Chiefs need help at wide receiver. They didn't have one player at the position catch a touchdown in 2014. 

However, Green-Beckham carries as much baggage off the field as anyone in this class. Missouri dismissed him from the team in April 2014, with head coach Gary Pinkel saying the receiver needed to get his life in order, via George Schroeder of USA Today:

"

This decision was made with the best interests of all involved in mind. Dorial's priority going forward needs to be focusing on getting the help he needs. As we have all along, we will continue to do everything we can to assist Dorial and his family. We care deeply about Dorial and his well-being, but hopefully he can benefit from a fresh start.

"

Green-Beckham transferred to Oklahoma but didn't play after his waiver request was denied by the NCAA. B/R draft expert Matt Miller basically summed up Green-Beckham's draft stock in response to a question on Twitter:

Kiper obviously believes in the huge talent that Green-Beckham possesses. Someone will take a chance on him sooner than you expect because it's hard to find 6'4", 225-pound playmakers with speed, but it's hard to see any team buying in on him in the first round. 

A positive surprise is Melvin Gordon going to Arizona with the 24th pick. Running back is a problem area for the Cardinals, who finished 31st in rushing yards per game and ran for 27 yards in the playoff loss against Carolina. 

Gordon is going to be a fascinating player to watch this draft season. He showed the ability to carry an entire offense last season at Wisconsin, but that could end up hurting his NFL stock.

Teams are becoming more aware of how much punishment a player takes in college, and the Wisconsin star took a lot of punishment carrying the ball 343 times in 2014.

Running the ball is a the most underrated asset in the NFL. Gordon has the physical tools to be an impact player, so he could be the first running back taken in the first round since 2012.