2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predicted Landing Spots for Top 1st-Round Prospects

Super Bowl XLIX brought the most gripping of finales to the 2014 season, but it's full speed ahead for all 32 teams entering the treacherous offseason and the 2015 NFL draft.

The focus had been on draft season for quite some time when it comes to the 20 squads that missed the playoffs, and a handful of others have been in offseason mode ever since early postseason exits. But whether you're a team within striking distance of a Super Bowl run or are 53 players away from one, the draft is where the blueprint begins.

The 2015 class may not be as deep as we've seen in years past, but there is no shortage of elite talent atop Round 1. Star-studded players at key positions are up for grabs, and the teams picking between them will be contending with one another.

Here's a look at the latest first-round mock, along with a more in-depth breakdown for some of the elite players in the trenches in this class.

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

Top Players in the Trenches

2. Tennessee Titans: Leonard Williams, DT, USC

Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

Everyone wants to talk about the quarterback position, but it was poor defense that helped breed the Titans' worst season since heading to Tennessee. And with Dick LeBeau coming to town—per ESPN's Paul Kuharsky and Scott Brown—to help turn the tide defensively, you can bet they'll be addressing that side of the ball.

With the No. 2 pick, the Titans would strike gold with USC's Leonard Williams.

The USC defensive tackle is the most imposing player in the trenches in the draft class. The 6'5", 295-pound menace boasts incredible explosion and strength with his first burst, which makes him capable of either plowing through interior linemen or taking it to offensive tackles off the edge.

When it comes to former NFL scout and NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, Williams is the best player he's seen on tape:

It's where Williams would fit that makes sense of his move to Tennessee. The Titans' best overall player is arguably defensive tackle Jurrell Casey. They struggled mightily in the first year of a 3-4 scheme in 2014, but that was largely due to a lack of the right personnel.

With Casey, Williams, Sammie Hill and Ropati Pitoitua up front for the Titans, they will be a couple of stalwart linebackers away from a defensive overhaul.

5. Washington Redskins: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska

Speaking of a defensive overhaul, one is needed in Washington, where the Redskins couldn't stop anyone through the air. It was largely due to a lack of dangerous edge rushers, which allowed quarterbacks to sit in the pocket all day.

The arrival of Randy Gregory will be the start to the end of those woes.

Built physically and athletically like a linebacker, Gregory has been giving quarterbacks nightmares off the edge for Nebraska. His strength and technique make him effective with his hand in the dirt, but a 6'6", 245-pound frame projects better to being a stand-up pass-rusher on the outside.

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

A lack of bulk is really the only knock on Gregory—it's unclear whether he'll be able to add enough muscle to make that tough transition into the trenches in the NFL. But if he doesn't, he still looks every bit better than any other edge-rusher in this class and will make a seamless transition to a new position.

And as he skips his senior season to become a top-caliber pick, his sky-high potential will allow him to develop into far better of a player than he already is.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

As bad as the Redskins were in getting to the passer in 2014, the Atlanta Falcons were exponentially worse. They forced just 22 sacks as a team in 16 games, good for second-least in pro football.

With a loaded crop of edge-rushers atop this year's draft, the Falcons will get top-five—potentially even top-three—value with Missouri defensive end Shane Ray.

In a class that didn't include guys like Williams and Gregory, the Missouri sack maestro would be off the board long before Atlanta were able to pick. But for many out there, including FootballGuys.com's Sigmund Bloom, nobody stands out more so than Ray:

Ray has some similarities to Gregory in that both could transition to a linebacker spot, but Ray looks more built for the trenches. At 6'3" and 245 pounds, he still has some bulking up to do but has already shown the ability to blow through tackles.

However, there's no doubting Ray makes his best impact coming off the edge with an incredible first step and the agility to dance around the outside of the pocket and rip down quarterbacks. His physical, borderline-violent style of play will be well received in Atlanta, where defensive ineptitude has been the story as of late.