NFL Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Predictions for Most Pro-Ready Prospects

Try not to let the NBA or college basketball creep too much into the spotlight—the NFL waits on no fan.

This is especially the case as the path to the 2015 draft rages onward, the next stop being the centerpiece that is the scouting combine.

Many scoff at the event. It's guys working out in gym shorts; who cares, right? There is some value to the spectacle though, as it is one of the only times the globe will see each and every prospect on equal footing.

Who knows what storylines will dominate those days? Plenty of controversial prospects such as Jameis Winston and Dorial Green-Beckham will attend. Fast risers always emerge. Before the event goes down, be sure to have a grasp as to what each team will look at.

2015 NFL Mock Draft

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

The 2015 Draft's Most Pro-Ready Prospects

The most pro-ready prospects are those who take the league by storm right away—those few who do not struggle with the more complicated language, the lifestyle or the speed of the game itself.

Some positions have it easier than others do, which is why it is so impressive when an Andrew Luck hits the pros with his feet running. Or why it's understandable when a Blake Bortles struggles.

Before the combine, a few names stick out as the most pro-ready.

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

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Love him or hate him, no quarterback is more ready for the big leagues from an on-field standpoint than Winston.

For a rookie, he has it all. At 6'4" and 230 pounds, his body will have few issues adjusting to big league hits. His booming arm means he can uncork deep tosses on a regular basis.

Most importantly, Winston's mind distances him from other prospects. He reads defenses and works through progressions. While he may not always make the right decision, the cognitive side of things is there. Even in a pro-style offense at Florida State last year, he completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,907 yards and 25 scores to 18 picks.

Truthfully, the only issue with Winston is maturity. His off-field hurdles are obvious at this point, and arguably no prospect in the class will go through more rigorous interviewing and background checks. In fact, perhaps Johnny Manziel's path last year is the closest resemblance to what lies ahead for Winston.

The big difference is Winston's play. His leadership has never come into question, either. At this point, Winston and Marcus Mariota are interchangeable at the top two spots, although there is a certain allure to the Oregon product due to his spotless off-field record.

Still, Tennessee will find it difficult to pass on Winston, a quarterback who is an upgrade right away and has the upside to develop into one of the NFL's best at the position.

Prediction: Titans select Winston at No. 2 overall.

Leonard Williams, DT, USC

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The general consensus going into last year's season was that USC's Leonard Williams could push one of the top two signal-callers out of the top slots.

That thought process still holds true.

Leonard Williams is a franchise-changing player. Think Ndamukong Suh-type levels. At 6'5" and 300 pounds, the Daytona Beach, Florida, native is as pro-ready as they come in the defensive trenches.

A comparison by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller says it all:

Williams is a scheme-versatile presence whose natural talents will allow him to line up against the pro game's biggest, nastiest and most technically savvy and still find success.

He puts it best in terms of versatility, as captured by Yahoo Sports' Eric Edholm:

"

I played almost every spot on the D-line. I played stand-up 5-technique on the outside. I played a 5-technique with my hand in the dirt. I played a 4-technique. I played 3-technique. I also played an inside shade, [on] the nose.

I think I am best in a 4-technique in a 3-4 defense. Or if I am in a 4-3 front, I probably am best at a 3- or a 5-technique. I did whatever they asked me to do.

"

Right now, observers hear little about Williams because there is not much more to say. There is no controversy. His draft stock will not falter.

The only thing that will hurt Williams on draft day is simple logistics. Quarterback still overrides any other position in importance, and with the way the order shapes up, Jacksonville needs more of an edge presence as opposed to an interior player such as Williams.

Prediction: Raiders select Williams at No. 4 overall.

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

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As the days pass, it continues to become difficult to name the top overall wideout in the 2015 class. 

The knee-jerk reaction is to bestow the label on Alabama's Amari Cooper, one of three Heisman finalists and one of the main reasons Nick Saban rethought the whole run-first thing last season.

There are other contenders, though. West Virginia's Kevin White is explosive. Louisville's DeVante Parker is that and reliable. DGB is an unheard of mix of athleticism and explosiveness.

As far as pro-ready talent goes, though, Cooper trumps all.

Cooper stands at just 6'1" and 210 pounds, but counteracts this with a quick-twitch burst to create separation and a versatile route tree. Most impressive is the cerebral nature of his play and ability to negotiate space within a defense and manufacture yards after the catch.

There are those, such as NFL Network's Bucky Brooks, who think Cooper will only improve at the pro level, per CollegeFootball 24/7:

Any wideout who catches 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns in a single season is worth a look regardless of whether a pass-happy scheme helped birth the numbers (in this case it did not).

Cooper is quiet, deadly and as pro-ready as it gets for a receiver. A team such as Washington will be unable to pass on the Crimson Tide product.

Prediction: Washington selects Cooper at No. 5 overall. 

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