2015 NFL Mock Draft: Full 1st-Round Predictions, Top Prospects Ahead of Combine

Sit back and relax, everyone, because the silly season of the NFL draft process is about to get underway.

The NFL Scouting Combine is a decent evaluation of what's to come from some of the best prospects in the country. It also serves as a time where every general manager, scout and draft analyst has a different opinion of each player.

Oh, rumors will fly. But before all the fun begins, draft boards everywhere already have different prospects at the top. The first round is essentially a crapshoot at this point, with the combine helping to decide the order, but it's never too early to start predicting which player each franchise will take.

Before the event gets underway, here's a look at an updated mock draft and evaluation of the top offensive prospects.

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

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In a league driven by talent, Jameis Winston's stock is at an all-time high. However, his off-the-field issues leave a black cloud over the potential No. 1 pick.  

The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner proved he can play at an elite level at the college level. Despite some hiccups this year and underwhelming statistics, he played in a pro-style offense and flourished. Losing just one game during his entire college career, Winston was a model of success.

However, Chris Chase of USA Today notes the baggage is too much for a team to take him at the top:

"

There’s a certain point where the reward outweighs the risk, but it isn’t at No. 1. Winston is a great QB, but not so good that you should have to draft his baggage too. The Bucs have the pick of the litter. This isn’t an Andrew Luck situation; Winston isn’t the consensus No. 1 or a franchise-saver. He’s not going to be the Peyton Manning to Marcus Mariota’s Ryan Leaf. He’s a fine quarterback with a past. Why not take another fine player without the problems?

"

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just so happen to be that team at No. 1 this season. Despite the team being loaded with talented receivers like Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, neither Mike Glennon nor Josh McCown could get the job done.

Desperate for a franchise quarterback, the Bucs will have a tough decision to make. Do they stick with the former Florida State star or go against the grain and take Marcus Mariota. If the Bucs do choose Winston, he'll likely have a good role model.

“I think if Winston’s the pick—and I think he will be—I think [Derrick] Brooks will play a role in trying to corral this kid, mature him, even bring him into his home, if necessary,” Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune explained to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “That’s how much Brooks cares about FSU, about the Bucs, and seeing this franchise get relevant.”

Brooks spent 14 years with Tampa Bay after playing for FSU. If anyone can mentor the troubled star, it's the former linebacker. How Winston fares in the interview process and his overall results will have a huge impact during the combine. For now, he's still the top quarterback in the class.

4. Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

Last year's class set a massive bar for the 2015 class of wide receivers to live up to. Similar to the 2014 crop, there are several wideouts who could emerge at the pinnacle of the position.

Amari Cooper just so happens to be at the top heading into the combine. But that doesn't mean everyone agrees, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report made the case for Kevin White being at the top:

Cooper's immense ball skills and breakaway speed make him special, but can he live up to the most recent receiving star out of Alabama? Julio Jones has emerged as a star for the Atlanta Falcons, something the Oakland Raiders need desperately with Derek Carr under center.

Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated offered his slightly encrypted comparison for Cooper:

Even with the loaded class of receivers again, Cooper is the most complete package. Heading into a league where finished products at the position are at an all-time high, Cooper's talent is too impressive to not take him as the No. 1 wideout.

6. New York Jets: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Mariota did nearly everything possible in college football in 2014. He won a Heisman Trophy, took down Winston on the College Football Playoff stage and came up just shy of winning the first title for Oregon.

Now, the question is simple: Was it enough?

Even with his dual-threat ability, Mariota still raises eyebrows for franchises due to his lack of experience in a pro-style offense. He also suffered a shoulder injury that might limit him throughout the combine.

Taking all of this into account, Mike Mayock of NFL.com provided his thoughts on Mariota compared to Winston, via Tucker Bagley of Philadelphia Magazine:

"

Mariota is the opposite. First guy in the building everyday, all those kinds of things. No problems off the field. But for everyone but Chip Kelly, he's a projection because of the type of offense he runs.

From a physical trait perspective, he has everything you want. He's big, he's athletic, he's got great feet, and he's got a live arm. So on the surface, the individual components all work. The problem is he's a projection coming to the next level because of the pocket awareness, the progressions and the reads.

"

What he's left with at this point is a lot riding on the next several months. Between the combine and his pro day, Mariota will need to show that he's not only a leader, but also a listener and an adapter. If he can do that, nearly anything is possible for the former Oregon quarterback.

Heading into the combine, he's the No. 2 signal-caller and a potential top-10 pick. A strong showing the rest of the way might make both of those a lock with potentially more in store.

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