NFL Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft After Super Bowl

If the 2015 Super Bowl taught the 30 observing teams one thing, it is that a receiver can make or break a championship pursuit.

Look at Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots, a player who made a strong case for MVP of the big game thanks to a big performance despite being a former seventh-round pick. 

Or look at Chris Matthews of the Seattle Seahawks, a former undrafted free agent whose contributions were key in even keeping his team in the game.

Both names did not go high in a draft, but keep in mind that not every team has a Tom Brady or Russell Wilson under center.

First-round wideouts are a must for plenty of franchises, and the 2015 class has plenty to offer in this regard. After a full first-round mock below rests a breakdown of the top names to watch at the position.

2015 NFL Draft Order and First-Round Predictions

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
2	Tennessee Titans	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
4	Oakland Raiders	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
5	Washington Redskins	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
6	New York Jets	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
7	Chicago Bears	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
8	Atlanta Falcons	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
9	New York Giants	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
10	St. Louis Rams	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
11	Minnesota Vikings	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
16	Houston Texans	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
17	San Diego Chargers	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
23	Detroit Lions	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
24	Arizona Cardinals	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
27	Dallas Cowboys	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
28	Denver Broncos	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
29	Indianapolis Colts	Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
30	Green Bay Packers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
31	Seattle Seahawks	Carl Davis, DL, Iowa
32	New England Patriots	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota

Analyzing Top Wideouts

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

As the draft process wears on, it seems to be increasingly difficult for Alabama's Amari Cooper to retain the top slot.

Cooper, who stands at 6'1" and 210 pounds, is a major reason the Crimson Tide were able to go away from their run-first approach this past season.

The result was 124 catches for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns, not to mention a status as one of three Heisman finalists.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller points out, though, that other prospects continue to close the gap:

Cooper receives plenty of praise from fellow collegiate players, though. Ohio State corner Doran Grant told Michael Casagrande of AL.com that Cooper is the toughest matchup of them all.

"He's probably the most explosive receiver I've seen in college besides Sammy Watkins," Grant said. "Great ball catcher, great speed. ... He gets out of his breaks quick, he snaps his head around. He's a great player."

The thing with Cooper is that he looks like a surefire contributor right out of the gates. There is an obvious allure to this, especially with teams that have issues under center. There is a semblance of major upside, too, so while he may not be the first wideout off the board, Cooper is sure to not be far behind.

Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

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West Virginia's Kevin White is the other top wideout Miller mentions above.

It makes sense, too, considering he comes in at 6'3" and 210 pounds. Pass-happy system aside, 109 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014 alone is impressive production. 

As NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah points out, White's frame draws plenty of superb NFL comparisons:

CBS Sports' Dane Brugler went on to list other traits that make White such a hot commodity: "No prospect has had a bigger climb since the summer than White, who is terrific at locating, highpointing and making the tough catches look easy with powerful hands."

At this point, it all comes down to workouts in what appears to be a two-man battle for the top wideout spot in the 2015 class. 

Should White keep his gaudy momentum alive and measure well, he might just surpass a Heisman finalist.

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

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Off-field concerns are the big story when it comes to former Missouri Tigers star Dorial Green-Beckham, who sat out last season as a member of the Oklahoma Sooners.

On the field, though, DGB is one of the top prospects in the class.

Just ask ESPN analyst Todd McShay.

"He obviously has a lot of red flags, but he can play," McShay said Tuesday, per Blair Kerkhoff of The Kansas City Star. "If he was clean off the field, he would be a top-20 pick."

At 6'6" and 225 pounds, DGB is quite rare from a physical standpoint. His ability to mow over smaller defensive backs or go up and high-point passes with an impressive catch radius makes him an obvious factor for any NFL team upon arrival.

What really makes DGB one of the top prospects to watch is his alarming upside. There is an inherent risk, sure, but some team will roll the dice in the first round.

DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

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For now, Louisville product DeVante Parker seems to take a backseat to the other major names.

Once at the combine and in individual workouts, that may change in a hurry.

Weighing in at 6'3" and 211 pounds, Parker is a top-tier prospect thanks to his combination of skills. Don't be fooled by 43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns in 2014, either—that is the product of just six outings.

Folks in the know, such as Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com, point out that Parker is not a prospect to sleep on this year:

While the hype train is a bit slow at the moment after Parker elected to not attend the Senior Bowl, things will pick back up in a hurry for the Louisville, Kentucky, native.

Parker is talented enough to compete with the top three names at the position, and even if he comes off the board third or fourth, he will still be a rather high selection overall.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of Feb. 3 at 9 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).