NFL Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Projections for Most Explosive Prospects

The first round of the NFL draft has a habit of shaping the future for the 32 organizations in the National Football League. Land a prized prospect, and you're well on your way to building a solid foundation. Miss, and you aren't likely to last long.

The 2015 draft class has a little bit of something for everyone.

Looking to bolster a weak pass rush? A bevy of pass-rushers such as Randy Gregory, Shane Ray and Dante Fowler are available.

In need of an offensive weapon to go from drab to dynamic on offense? Say hello to Amari Cooper, Melvin Gordon and DeVante Parker.

Throw in Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston as the potential franchise signal-callers in the class and you have all the makings of an interesting draft.

Here's a look at projections for all 32 first-round selections and a closer look at where the most explosive playmakers might fit into the picture.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Shane Ray, EDGE, Missouri
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	Randy Gregory, EDGE, Nebraska
8	Atlanta Falcons	Dante Fowler, EDGE, Florida
9	New York Giants	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
10	St. Louis Rams	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
11	Minnesota Vikings	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
12	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton, DL, Washington
13	New Orleans Saints	Vic Beasley, EDGE, Clemson
14	Miami Dolphins	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
15	San Francisco 49ers	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
16	Houston Texans	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
17	San Diego Chargers	Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
18	Kansas City Chiefs	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Alvin Dupree, EDGE, Kentucky
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Jordan Phillips, DL, Oklahoma
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DL, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Nate Orchard, EDGE, Utah
25	Carolina Panthers	Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
26	Baltimore Ravens	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
27	Dallas Cowboys	Malcom Brown, DL, Texas
28	Denver Broncos	Cameron Erving, C/OT, Florida State
29	Indianapolis Colts	Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
30	Green Bay Packers	Paul Dawson, LB, TCU
31	Seattle Seahawks	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
32	New England Patriots	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Playmakers to Watch

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama: Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders were big winners in last year's draft. That's not a sentence that is written often, but it rang true last season. The Raiders scored a defensive anchor in outside linebacker Khalil Mack and followed it up by grabbing a quarterback for the future in Derek Carr.

Now, it's time to equip the latter with the weapons he'll need to succeed.

That's where Amari Cooper comes in. The Crimson Tide pass-catcher enters the draft as the most pro-ready and dangerous receiver in the draft.

At 6'1", 203 pounds, he won't stand out as imposing. But if he runs close to the unofficial 4.31-second 40-yard dash time that he said he ran at an Alabama pro day last season, per Andrew Gribble of AL.com, it'll be his speed that has scouts coveting him.

Cooper isn't just another burner, though. The reason he should be the first receiver taken and the focal point of the Raiders' passing game for years to come is his versatility.

Not only can he burn defenses deep, but he also knows how to get separation regardless of route.

As Matt Harmon of FootballGuys.com points out, Cooper was successful running a full route tree at Alabama:

Ultimately, that's what it takes to succeed in the NFL: Creating separation with either route-running, speed or size. Cooper happens to have two of the three traits in spades and isn't too bad in the size department.

For a franchise that hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiver since Randy Moss in 2005, this is a prospect it can't pass on.

Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State: Carolina Panthers

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

There are better receivers in the draft than Devin Smith, but when it comes to explosive plays, there's no one better.

Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus provided the statistics for Smith on deep balls this season:

No matter how you slice it, those are jaw-dropping numbers. Regardless of what the 6'1", 199-pound receiver runs at the combine, his ability to use his speed is apparent on film.

Paired with his coordination that allows him to track the ball in mid-air and ability to win contested balls, there isn't much to dislike about Smith as a playmaker. 

Guess who quarterback Cam Newton—and by extension the Carolina Panthers—missed last season?

Steve Smith.

The diminutive burner took his skills to the Baltimore Ravens and Newton attempted to carry on with one of the weakest receiving corps in the league. The results weren't pretty. 

Devin Smith might not have a mastery of the entire route tree like Cooper, but he doesn't come with the same price tag, either. He would give the Panthers a serious weapon with the potential to produce more than DeVante Parker and Kevin White, who will likely be drafted before him.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia: Baltimore Ravens

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Since the decline and departure of Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens have gotten by with the likes of Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Bernard Pierce at the running back spot.

That's what you can do when you run the zone-blocking schemes of Gary Kubiak. The system has squeezed production out of diamonds in the rough for years. The problem is that Kubiak is now gone and in his stead is Marc Trestman.

The former Chicago Bears head coach has publicly alluded to keeping the Ravens' system in place, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. However, the team would be foolish not to allow him to add his own expertise to the offense. That likely means asking the running back to do even more.

Matt Forte caught 102 passes in addition to 266 carries for the Bears last season.

Yes, Forsett burst onto the scene for the Ravens in 2014. His 44 receptions and over 1,000 rushing yards indicate he could do just fine in Trestman's offense. However, he is a free agent and will turn 30 in October. That's not exactly the age of a running back they should be looking to hand a new contract.

Gurley is a risk. He's coming off an ACL injury that sidelined him for much of his final season at Georgia, However, it's a possibility that helps the Ravens.

Had he been able to finish out his final season, it isn't likely he would slid this far in the draft projections. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked him 18th overall in his pre-combine big board.

The fact is that Gurley is a phenom. At 6'1", 226 pounds, he has the look of a powerful back, but he also has the speed and quickness to score from anywhere. What's more, he was active in the Bulldogs' passing game. He had 37 receptions his sophomore year and 12 in six games as a junior.

A common comparison that Gurley has drawn is to Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. As Mike Loyko of USA Today points out, his ability to get yards after contact is downright Beast Mode-ian:

Finding that kind of value in the first round is the kind of thing that ensures an offense keeps firing for years to come.