2015 NFL Mock Draft: Bold Predictions for Key Prospects and Teams

Now that the pesky Super Bowl is out of the way, fans of all 32 NFL teams are back devoting their attention to this year's draft. The 2015 class is fascinating to think about because there seems to be more volatility top to bottom than ever before. 

Some key players who will get taken come with personal baggage, while others have to prove the things they did to succeed in college will translate to the professional ranks. That's often the case every year, but it's rare that it happens with so many marquee names. 

While mock drafts will be coming out faster than you can keep up with, one thing that's finally been settled is the first-round order. As teams and players get set for the NFL Scouting Combine at the end of the month, here is an updated look at how the first 32 picks should shake out. 

In addition to the mock draft are predictions for key players and teams that will shape how the first round comes together. 

Updated 2015 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
7	Chicago Bears	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
10	St. Louis Rams	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
13	New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
15	San Francisco 49ers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
16	Houston Texans	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
17	San Diego Chargers	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville
23	Detroit Lions	Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
25	Carolina Panthers	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
26	Baltimore Ravens	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
27	Dallas Cowboys	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
28	Denver Broncos	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
29	Indianapolis Colts	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
30	Green Bay Packers	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
31	Seattle Seahawks	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon

Breaking Down Key Predictions

No. 1: Jameis Winston to Tampa Bay

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

The main argument against Jameis Winston going No. 1 overall to Tampa Bay is everything off the field that comes with him. His past transgressions aren't exactly the kinds of things that get swept under the rug, but by all accounts, teams don't seem too concerned about the future. 

Former Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks spoke to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times about whether or not Winston is ready for everything being an NFL quarterback requires:

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To say that he's ready? No. He's not. He's not ready for being in this position and what this position calls for. … He can't imagine it. He hasn't been through it. But you can plan for it. What is the last time (the Bucs) had the No. 1 overall pick? It's been awhile. So the team has to prepare with what comes with being in this position.

"

That's certainly true for most rookies. Few quarterbacks enter the league right out of college able to dominate, but the need here is too great for Tampa Bay to pass up. 

Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network, via Chase Goodbread of NFL.com, said the Florida State star is superior to Marcus Mariota in terms of pro-readiness:

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I like Jameis Winston over Marcus Mariota from what I've studied on tape. You're looking at someone who operated pretty much an NFL system, you're looking at someone who can make all the NFL throws, can make those tight window throws, you see him move around within the pocket and do things you have to do at the next level. I actually think Jameis Winston is more like Ben Roethlisberger than Blake Bortles was. I'm high on him on the field. Off the field, you have a lot of stuff to sort through and teams have time to do that.

"

Mariota certainly has the kind of personality every NFL team wants from its quarterback, but that doesn't suggest his game will translate to the next level. He's got the ability to be a star. No one denies that. It's just going to take him longer to get there than it will take Winston. 

As a result, Winston becomes the most likely candidate to be taken No. 1 overall when the Buccaneers go on the clock in April. 

No. 12: Kevin White to Cleveland

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Things are not looking good for Cleveland right now. Josh Gordon was suspended for one year, as noted by NFL.com's Chris Wesseling.

Johnny Manziel voluntarily decided to enter a rehab treatment facility, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer:

You hope that Manziel is able to get his life in order, first and foremost, then be able to develop into a starting NFL quarterback. It's too early into his career to know if the latter will happen, so don't send him up the river yet. 

The situation with Gordon is bad because his recent suspension shows a level of obliviousness and recklessness that makes it impossible to keep hoping things will change. 

As a result, the Browns have to do something at wide receiver this offseason. It doesn't matter if they do it through the draft or free agency, as long as they add another capable player. 

With Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker already off the board in this scenario, West Virginia's Kevin White becomes the logical choice. 

Even though White won't get as hyped as Cooper because of the huge numbers Cooper put up at one of the prestige football programs in the country, B/R draft expert Matt Miller says in the video embedded below that NFL scouts prefer the West Virginia star:

That's certainly not set in stone with private workouts set for the coming weeks, but White is no slouch at 6'2" and 211 pounds (h/t ESPN.com).

The Browns are facing an offseason of uncertainty with two of their key players, yet having two first-round picks does give them the ability to supplement the roster in a hurry. White has the talent and ability to be taken in the top half of Round 1, with Cleveland being the best fit. 

No. 18: Dorial Green-Beckham to Kansas City

Speaking of troubled players, Dorial Green-Beckham is going to be a fascinating case study for the NFL draft. He's got baggage that no player this year can match. His ceiling is higher than any receiver in this class. No one can match his combination of size (6'4", 225 lbs), speed and ability after the catch. 

Everything an NFL team wants in a wide receiver physically, Green-Beckham has. He's a matchup nightmare anywhere on the field but especially in the red zone, where he can just snatch the ball out of the air like Dikembe Mutombo swatting away balls in the NBA. 

ESPN's Mel Kiper turned a lot of heads when he had the Chiefs taking Green-Beckham with the 18th pick in his first mock draft. Here was the rationale:

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We all know about the Chiefs' singular lack of ability to generate touchdowns from their wide receivers, and that makes Green-Beckham a potential risk worth taking. The physical book on Green-Beckham is a good read: He's got great length and can take the top off the secondary as a straight-line runner but also creates an impressive amount of space with quickness on short routes. He's a red zone fear-factor player because he can just go up higher than anybody on the field to get the ball. 

"

Kiper does end the analysis by noting Green-Beckham's off-field baggage. It's also going to be hard for teams to evaluate him due to lack of playing time. He transferred to Oklahoma after being kicked off Missouri's team but was unable to play for the Sooners in 2014 after the NCAA denied a waiver request. 

Rob Rang of CBS Sports echoed Kiper's sentiments, though he actually had Green-Beckham go three picks higher to San Francisco. 

There is going to be a wide range of opinions on Green-Beckham throughout this process, with some analysts having him as a mid-first-round pick and others not including him before Day 3 because of those transgressions. 

In the NFL, especially for someone just coming out of college, teams will take a chance on talent thinking they can bring out the best in a person. The Chiefs need help as much as any team in the league at wide receiver. 

Unless they find a way to trade up or become enamored with someone lower in this class, the Chiefs wouldn't be wrong to bet on Green-Beckham. He's a freak who can open up an offense, though there's always the risk he's out of the league in a year.