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

Now that coverage for the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine is getting underway, it's worth checking out an updated look at the upcoming NFL draft's first round through a mock lens.

This is about when the pre-draft frenzy begins. Plenty of time remains between now and April 30, but a lot of inside information will be leaking out. Fans will begin to find out how prospects measure up in key drills and how well they're impressing NFL evaluators in interviews.

Before all that madness ensues, though, check out an updated look at the first-round picture, with analysis focusing on the most buzz-worthy prospective picks near the top.

No. Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
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, DE/OLB, Nebraska
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
9	New York Giants	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
10	St. Louis Rams	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
13	New Orleans Saints	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
14	Miami Dolphins	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
15	San Francisco 49ers	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
16	Houston Texans	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
17	San Diego Chargers	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
23	Detroit Lions	Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (OH)
24	Arizona Cardinals	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
25	Carolina Panthers	Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (Florida)
26	Baltimore Ravens	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
27	Dallas Cowboys	Nate Orchard, DE/OLB, Utah
28	Denver Broncos	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
29	Indianapolis Colts	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
30	Green Bay Packers	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
31	Seattle Seahawks	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
32	New England Patriots	Carl Davis, DT, Iowa

Analyzing Most Buzz-Worthy Mock Picks

New York Jets (No. 6 overall): Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Jameis Winston to Tampa Bay is more polarizing and potentially negative than buzz-worthy. Buccaneers fans may have mixed feelings about Winston staying in the Sunshine State. Leonard Williams is a no-brainer pick to help Tennessee's ailing run defense.

Dante Fowler Jr. is ideal to play the Leo position in Jacksonville, Amari Cooper is an easy choice to be Oakland quarterback Derek Carr's go-to target and Brandon Scherff addresses Washington's sieve of an offensive line.

All those choices lead to fierce anticipation as the Jets pull the trigger on Mariota, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who has all the tools to be an NFL star.

Mariota would walk into a situation in New York with the likes of big target Eric Decker and slot dynamo Percy Harvin to throw to. The Oregon signal-caller is among the most dynamic dual-threat QBs in NFL draft history with his pure speed, strong arm, prototypical size and humble demeanor.

This is all too much for the Jets to pass up, despite the moderate improvement Geno Smith showed towards the end of the 2014 season. According to Marc Sessler of NFL.com, New York head coach Todd Bowles called Smith a "great college quarterback," which doesn't help Smith now.

New offensive coordinator Chan Gailey incorporates some of the spread concepts into his system that Smith will be comfortable with. The problem is that Mariota will probably prove to be a superior talent and eclipse Smith on the depth chart—if New York even keeps Smith around.

Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson agrees with the notion that Mariota will fit right into Gailey's offense:

The combine is Mariota's chance to, at the very least, show off his blazing speed. As long as he can avoid punishing hits in the open field, Mariota should be able to use his running ability to make an easier transition than most to the NFL.

A lot of Oregon's offense was predicated on quick decision-making and did involve at least some pro-style passing concepts.

If Mariota can just tighten up his accuracy on downfield throws and maintain the outstanding ball security he showed with the ducks, he has the makings of being an immediate-impact NFL rookie.

Minnesota Vikings (No. 11 overall): DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Some safer, needs-based and perhaps quite exciting picks characterize the next several selections in this mock scenario. If the Vikings reunite Parker with his former college QB in Teddy Bridgewater, though, it won't soon be forgotten.

Parker was Bridgewater's top target at Louisville for two seasons, so it would only make sense for the pair to reunite in the Twin Cities. Minnesota has a great play-caller in Norv Turner who could make the most of the innate chemistry between the two past teammates.

Bleacher Report's Connor Rogers did a brief breakdown of the dynamic Cardinals duo from the recent past:

"

DeVante Parker with Teddy was fun to watch - big target that really excels catching in traffic/maximizes length: pic.twitter.com/KRpOh8ZGUc

— Connor Rogers (@CRogers_NFL) February 6, 2015"

Beyond the obvious fit with regard to Parker's history with Bridgewater, the Louisville wideout is well worthy of a high first-round choice. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah can attest to that.

"He's worthy of a top-15 pick," said Jeremiah, via NFL.com's Mike Huguenin. "When you watch him, he's kind of a long-strider, so you don't necessarily think he's that fast. But I've been told he's going to run in the high 4.3s/low 4.4s [in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine]."

Parker's big frame, huge catch radius, deceptive speed, ball skills and understanding of multiple offensive systems is ideal for making the leap to the pros.

In his final year of college, Bridgewater had the freedom to change plays at the line of scrimmage, so Parker had to be on the same page with him when that was happening. Similar situations could unfold in Minnesota if the Vikings decide Parker is worth pulling the trigger on, provided he's still on the board.

It doesn't appear as though former first-round pick Cordarrelle Patterson will develop into the electric receiver his talent suggests he can be.

With Greg Jennings turning 32 in September, the need to invest in a No. 1 wideout of the future increases, and Parker is a great candidate, presuming Bridgewater remains the QB.

Cleveland Browns (No. 12 overall): Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Sticking with the Oregon program here, Armstead is an athletic freak listed by the Ducks as 6'8" and 290 pounds. The truth of his measurements will be revealed at the combine, but those shouldn't be far off.

Cleveland ranked dead last in run defense in 2014. Part of the blame goes to injuries, as Armonty Bryant was out for much of the year and Phil Taylor missed 11 games himself.

Whether the Browns were to bulk Armstead up and place him in the rotation at nose tackle or push him out to the edge, he is a great fit for coach Mike Pettine's hybrid 3-4 alignment. There are even situations in which Armstead can stand up at outside linebacker and become a matchup nightmare.

NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock noted how the Browns could well target Armstead with even the 19th pick, via the Akron Beacon Journal's Nate Ulrich:

But ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has Armstead coming off the board in the top 10, so that may not be a viable strategy:

The Browns' front seven and entire roster in general needs a greater amount of freakish athletes. Pettine is the best coach Cleveland has had in a long time, and he seems to have a firm grip on the locker room and developing players the right way.

Although Armstead is raw, he'd walk into a situation where he could learn from veterans like Taylor and Desmond Bryant and play for a brilliant defensive coach in Pettine, giving him a great chance to maximize his potential.

Perhaps Browns fans will lament picking players like Armstead—and in this mock, Devin Funchess 19th overall—based on how unpolished products like Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel have panned out to date.

However, bear in mind that Cleveland was 7-4 at one point last year, held a lead in the AFC North and had a real shot at the playoffs until poor quarterback play from Brian Hoyer and Manziel became their ultimate undoing. Despite the apparent first-round misses on Gilbert and Manziel, the Browns played meaningful games late in the year.

This franchise is closer to a turnaround than meets the eye. A losing culture and the negative attention generated by the shortcomings of Gilbert and Manziel cloud the fact that Cleveland improved a lot under Pettine.

Until the QB situation is resolved, it's anyone's guess how many games the Browns will win. By investing in high-upside prospects now, the payoff down the road when the long-awaited answer under center emerges will be huge.