NFL Draft 2015: Updated 1st-Round Mock Draft with Combine on the Horizon

The scouting combine is always one of the last major hurdles before NFL draft day. Once everybody leaves Indianapolis, Indiana, it's all a series of pro days and pre-draft interviews, none of which carry the sort of importance that the combine does.

NFL teams have gotten smarter over the years as to what the combine represents. It's far from the strongest indicator of a player's potential.

With that said, plenty of past draftees have either risen or fallen based on their performance in Indy, and the 2015 edition won't be any different from previous years.

Below is a mock draft for the first 32 picks, followed by three storylines sure to hover around some stars with first-round grades.

Pick	Team	Player
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DT, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Randy Gregory, OLB/DE, Nebraska
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	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
10	St. Louis Rams	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
13	New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
16	Houston Texans	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
17	San Diego Chargers	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
19	Cleveland Browns	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
23	Detroit Lions	Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
25	Carolina Panthers	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
26	Baltimore Ravens	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
27	Dallas Cowboys	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28	Denver Broncos	Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State
29	Indianapolis Colts	Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
30	Green Bay Packers	Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
31	Seattle Seahawks	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri
32	New England Patriots	Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan

Combine Storylines

Do Either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota Create Some Space at the Top Spot?

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

There isn't really that consensus can't-miss prospect in this year's draft field. Most experts, however, are pegging either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota as the top overall pick. Mariota had the early lead, but Winston's seemingly caught up and supplanted him as the No. 1 QB.

But Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are leaning toward Mariota.

The combine will be an especially important event for Winston as he looks to dispel the notion that he's "fat" and "out of shape" after a very unflattering photo of the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner surfaced on social media.

The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre spoke with George Whitfield, who's working with Winston and explained the circumstances surrounding the pic:

"

'The photo of Jameis was taken in early-mid January,' Whitfield said by phone. 'If people are saying he looks out of shape—well, did they notice he had the leash tight around his waist? That may have had something to do with it,' he laughed. 'Jameis is in shape and doing great. Anyone saying he’s out of shape, they can check him out at the Combine this week.'

"

Mariota, meanwhile, will try to silence some critics who question whether he can thrive in a pro-style offense.

Throwing well at the combine won't be the perfect indicator that Mariota is ready, but he might be able to inch ahead of Winston if he completely blows scouts away in Indianapolis.

For now, Winston remains the Bucs' best bet, with Mariota falling to the New York Jets.

How Does Dorial Green-Beckham Perform?

Perhaps the biggest variable of this year's combine is Dorial Green-Beckham. He's immensely talented and the kind of physical freak who shines at showcase events like the scouting combine. Of course, Green-Beckham also has enough red flags to make most teams balk at potentially drafting him early.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller wrote on Friday that DGB is starting to turn that perception around:

"

After seeing Dorial Green-Beckham in person before the Super Bowl, I started asking NFL scouts what they've heard about his year at Oklahoma. As one Southwest scout assigned to Oklahoma told me, "He's completely turned his life around. Big brother moved in, whipped his ass and took control. He's on the straight-and-narrow since leaving Mizzou.

"

Green-Beckham will be under the microscope at the combine. Running fast can't erase the massive amount of baggage he'll carry into the draft, but it could help cement the idea that the risk of selecting DGB is worth a potentially massive payoff.

A poor combine wouldn't automatically mean a massive drop for Green-Beckham, but it could mean the difference between a first-round and a second-round selection.

Green-Beckham would be a great addition for the Seattle Seahawks in the first round, but it wouldn't be all that surprising if he comes off the board much earlier than the 31st pick.

Can Shaq Thompson Convince Teams He's a Linebacker?

Shaq Thompson is a linebacker, but he also played running back in college, so maybe he could do that in the NFL. And he's also got the physical tools to play safety, so maybe that's an option. Heck, let's try Thompson at quarterback. How's his kicking game?

Basically, Thompson is such a great athlete that he could realistically play a few different positions at the next level.

"I've talked to six or eight evaluators in the last few days about Thompson," said NFL Network's Mike Mayock in an interview with The MMQB's Peter King. "Two like him as a running back, two as a safety, and most as a linebacker."

Back in November, an AFC South scout echoed the same sentiments to NFL.com.

"He has increased and improved his physicality as a linebacker," the scout said. "He has an amazing nose for the ball, but a run-heavy team might like him better as a RB. He's talented and growing in that spot as his time on offense has increased. A natural runner."

Thompson provided USA Today's Tom Pelissero with a snapshot into his mindset heading into the combine and draft day. In the diary entry, he made his positional intentions clear:

"

But I want to put it out there: I'm a linebacker. Outside linebacker. Strong side, that's where I feel most comfortable. It's basically like a strong safety. Nowadays, this is a passing game. You need linebackers who can cover and drop in zone. And I'm a three-down player. You don't have to take me off the field. Even on special teams, you don't have to take me off. I love special teams, especially kickoff coverage.

"

The fact that a player is going into the combine without a set position isn't necessarily new. What makes Thompson so interesting is that he could easily be a mid-first-rounder. Usually, the caliber of players potentially switching positions are Day 2 or Day 3 guys.

Thompson will be one of the major wild cards in Indianapolis. However he performs might give teams a better idea of where he'll play in the NFL.