NFL Mock Draft 2015: Latest Predictions for Top 1st-Round Prospects
With the next and final step of the season coming in Super Bowl XLIX, all but two teams are full speed ahead to the wide world of the predraft season.
Inside the maniacal predraft season, once-touted players can see their stocks drop like flies while other unheralded prospects make the jump from late-round afterthought opening-night grab.
Despite said players not even suiting up for a real college football game in that four-plus-month span, they're constantly put to the test in workouts and combine events, and those results can be all that teams need to see.
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With this all said, every year brings a number of prospects who are just destined to be taken off the board early in the first 32 picks. 2015 looks to be no different.
Here's a look at who should be taken in Round 1.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
The great debate of the 2015 draft hinges upon its two star quarterbacks, as it's pondered whether Oregon's Marcus Mariota or Florida State's Jameis Winston projects as a better NFL quarterback.
Sports Illustrated's Zac Ellis put the anticipation in perspective:
But in terms of overall ability and the fit in a reeling Tampa Bay offense, Mariota is the guy. His dual-threat abilities make him capable of extending plays, but he possesses a strong and accurate arm that will have him translate well into a pocket passer.
Just like in the Rose Bowl, Mariota will one-up Winston come late April.
2. Tennessee Titans: Leonard Williams, DT, USC
No team could use drafting the best player on the board more than the Titans, who need help at almost every position. Even with Jurrell Casey—their best player—manning the trenches, Tennessee would do well to plug in USC's Leonard Williams alongside him to wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines.
If Williams reaches his potential and Casey continues emerging, the duo of defensive linemen will be one of the most feared in the league—and the Titans are lacking such impact in their 3-4 scheme.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
Few teams in the NFL enter the draft needing offensive line help more than the Jaguars, who have a handful of young developing pieces but haven't found that cohesive unit. They could do no wrong at No. 3 by grabbing Brandon Scherff out of Iowa, the most physically and mentally ready lineman in the draft.
4. Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
It's hard to see the Raiders refusing to give franchise quarterback Derek Carr some help in the passing game, especially after his impressive rookie season. One way to do that without much of a question is to grab the draft's best wideout, which happens to double as the most dynamic player in the draft in Alabama's Amari Cooper.
5. Washington Redskins: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
The Redskins struggled to get to the quarterback with just 36 sacks in 16 games, and they will be intent on increasing the pass rush against the dangerous NFC East quarterbacks. Picking at No. 5 may be too late to land Nebraska edge-rusher Randy Gregory, who is an absolute beast off the edge, but in this situation he falls right into their laps.
6. New York Jets: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
A new coaching staff and front office in New York will want to find their guy at quarterback, and although going with Winston has the potential to backfire, such gambles are what the NFL is built on. Looking to catch lightning in a bottle, the Jets will nab the embattled Florida State quarterback as their franchise savior.
7. Chicago Bears: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
John Fox is officially the Bears' new head coach, and the first order of business is piecing together a defense with a terrible secondary. That should make their draft-day decision an easy one, as hard-hitting Alabama safety Landon Collins will bring his ball-hawking skills to the next level and make a swift impact as a rookie.
He's certainly making the rounds and getting his name out there, per D.C. Reeves of Tuscaloosa News:
8. Atlanta Falcons: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
Only one team in the NFL this season boasted a worse pass rush than the Atlanta Falcons, who got to the quarterback just 22 times in 16 games. Amid an absolutely loaded crop of Round 1 pass-rushers, the Falcons will get Shane Ray out of Missouri who will indeed translate as a defensive end instead of a linebacker at the next level.
9. New York Giants: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
The Giants have dangerous edge-rushers on the defensive line, but not much of a weapon at the second level to make opposing backfields sweat. That will change immediately upon the arrival of Shaq Thompson, who will develop into a playmaking outside linebacker.
10. St. Louis Rams: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
There's no telling who will be under center for the Rams in 2015, but whoever it is will need to be better protected. The Rams built their defensive line via the draft and will add another piece to the offensive side of the line by nabbing the second-best tackle in the class in Stanford's Andrus Peat.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Mike Zimmer's first year at the helm in Minnesota has brought sizable defensive change, but they won't reach the next level until they lock down the secondary. They could do no better in the draft than grabbing Trae Waynes out of Michigan State, a physical press corner.
12. Cleveland Browns: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
Chalk up the Browns as one of many teams in Round 1 looking for an impact offensive lineman to thrust into the rotation. But none of those teams will get a player with a higher ceiling than that of LSU's La'el Collins, who burst onto the scene with a monster 2014 season.
13. New Orleans Saints: Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
The Saints finished just 25th in the league in terms of team sacks, which is a far cry from New Orleans' typical defensive formidability. The pressure is on defensive coordinator Rob Ryan entering 2015, but the coaching staff will provide him with a dangerous pass-rusher in Clemson's Vic Beasley to help streamline the process.
14. Miami Dolphins: Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
Only one inside linebacker in the class is worthy of a first-round pick, but he's an absolute stud and well worth a pick in the first half of the round. Benardrick McKinney also happens to fall into an ideal situation as the Dolphins search for a plug-and-play guy at the position to lead a defense with a stout pass rush.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
Noticeably thin at defensive line, the 49ers will be bound to finding an early impact player at the position and will stumble rightfully upon Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton. One of the strongest defensive linemen in the draft class, Shelton will wreak havoc on San Francisco's physical front line.
16. Houston Texans: Gerod Holliman, FS, Louisville
The Texans are worlds away from the 2-14 team they were a season ago, but the team still has a couple of key improvements to make before being a playoff contender. None of those needs are bigger than at the safety spot, where Houston can target Gerod Holliman and make the ball-hawking safety a key contributor from day one.
Holliman has yet to be invited to the combine, as he told his Twitter followers, but it's only a matter of time:
17. San Diego Chargers: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
The Chargers could use McKinney at linebacker more than anything, but with him off the board, San Diego will be forced to address its biggest need. They won't get an immediate impact player in Texas A&M's Cedric Ogbuehi, as the tackle showed plenty of areas of needed improvement in 2014 but also showcased an incredible amount of potential.
18. Kansas City Chiefs: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
Can you even imagine the Chiefs going another first round without giving Alex Smith some help at the receiver spot? I can't. To help get their first passing touchdown from a wideout since 2013, the Chiefs will nab Kevin White out of West Virginia, who can emerge as the complete receiver Kansas City desperately covets.
19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo): DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
The Browns don't need wideout help as much as the Chiefs, but other than Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron, there aren't many downfield threats in Cleveland. That will change immediately with the selection of DeVante Parker, a Louisville wideout who—when healthy—is a mismatch for almost any corner he lines up against.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu's senior season came to an abrupt end when an injury kept him out of the College Football Playoff, but his ability isn't lost on former Oregon coach Chip Kelly and the Eagles staff. Needing an impact corner more than anything in this draft, Philadelphia won't hesitate to lock down the Ducks defender.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Alvin "Bud" Dupree, DE, Kentucky
Injuries decimated the Bengals defense in 2014, as they went from one of the league's most feared units to one of the more susceptible ones. That came as a direct result of a dying pass rush, which will have life injected into it with the drafting of energetic Kentucky defensive end Alvin Dupree.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dante Fowler, DE, Florida
The Steelers are another AFC North team in need of an extra threat off the edge, and like the Bengals, they will find one in the SEC. Pittsburgh would do well to grab Dante Fowler out of Florida to get him acclimated in strictly pass-only situations off the bat.
23. Detroit Lions: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
The Lions have never been more reliant upon their passing attack, but the emergence of a star running back would bring more balance than Matthew Stafford has ever had in Detroit. Drafting Todd Gurley would do just that, as the Georgia running back promises to tear up the NFL like he did college football when he returns from injury.
24. Arizona Cardinals: Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
The Cardinals boasted one of the league's most feared pass rushes before injuries rattled their roster, and it will have Arizona trying to add reinforcements to make sure that doesn't happen in 2015. Utah defensive end Nate Orchard—the Pac-12's top pass-rusher in 2014—could be the missing piece, as he can make an impact as a reserve outside linebacker in the early goings.
25. Carolina Panthers: T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
Carolina's rushing attack is led by a downhill offensive line, but the Panthers struggle when dropping into pass coverage and protecting Cam Newton. That will lead the Panthers to select T.J. Clemmings out of Pittsburgh, who can both execute the run-blocking schemes and protect the quarterback.
26. Baltimore Ravens: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame
The Ravens were among the most dangerous teams in the league when Joe Flacco was protected, but a ways away from that when he was running for his life. Notre Dame offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley won't turn things around by himself, but he won't need to, instead being plugged into an incomplete Ravens line.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Don't let the immense improvements of the Cowboys defense fool you—they still need a stud corner to really take off in 2015 and beyond. With Morris Claiborne not emerging, Dallas will target cornerback Marcus Peters (formerly of Washington) to play some early snaps and prove that he can do what Claiborne hasn't.
28. Denver Broncos: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
Surprisingly enough, it wasn't the defense—but rather the offense—that led to the Broncos' demise in 2014. While Peyton Manning returning isn't a sure thing as of yet, Denver won't be able to make strides next season without more consistency from the offensive line. That starts with getting a developing talent in Miami's Ereck Flowers.
29. Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State
Andrew Luck has made it three years dominating the league without the Colts doing much of anything to improve his offensive line. Although the unit jelled down the stretch in 2014, next season is a different story. The Colts will do well to grab Tyler Sambrailo to help fill the void and develop into a starter.
30. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
The Packers defense showed in the NFC Championship Game that it can contend for a championship, but it won't take the next step until an impact player similar to B.J. Raji is back in the trenches. It's hard to crown anyone as a Raji replacement, but if any player in the first round can be, it's mammoth Florida State tackle Eddie Goldman.
31. New England Patriots: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
Not that Tom Brady has any shortage of weapons around him, but the Patriots will see no bigger need on their offseason wish list than another capable downfield threat for Brady in his last few years. Jaelen Strong is just the type of beast New England should covet, as he has the athletic skill set to make plays deep down the field and good hands to make chain-moving grabs.
32. Seattle Seahawks: DT/DE Arik Armstead, Oregon
The rich get even richer, as the unquestioned top defense in the league adds a dynamic, versatile lineman to plug into their lineup. Arik Armstead is no stranger to making his impact felt on the West Coast, and offseason free-agency decisions will lead Seattle to address its defensive line late in Round 1.
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