2015 NFL Mock Draft: Projections for 1st-Round Prospects Ahead of Combine

To an outside observer, the NFL Scouting Combine and mock drafts are two of the silliest things in the sporting world. 

Interestingly enough, they are. The combine is a bunch of guys running around in skin-tight clothing. Mock drafts are best-case guesses based on a whirlwind of ever-changing information, not far off from some kid doodling a pattern into his Scantron sheet.

Yet when the two collide, few resources offer a more all-encompassing look at the draft. The combine reveals which athletes truly are the freaks of nature when combined with film. Mocks display the latest team needs, thought processes and a stock meter for the first-round hopefuls. 

Below, let's combine the two as things begin to get underway in Indianapolis.

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	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
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	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
16	Houston Texans	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
17	San Diego Chargers	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
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	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
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

Predicting Combine's Biggest Risers and Fallers

Riser: Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Owamagbe Odighizuwa is a name observers will not soon forget.

Each year it seems some of the freak athletes who specialize in rushing the passer put on a show and elevate their stock. This year, Odighizuwa is a safe bet, as his impressive 6'3", 270-pound frame comes equipped with a speed-strength blend that is quite rare.

As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller pointed out recently, the Portland, Oregon, native is a natural in a four-man alignment:

The crazy part? That early second-round assessment may only climb after drills in Indianapolis.

What teams may be pleased to find out off the field and during the interview process is that Odighizuwa is also a student of the game, as UCLA defensive line coach Angus McClure told Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

"The thing with Owa is he wants to know the entire scheme, not only what everybody’s doing on the defense. But he likes to know the entire scheme, offensively, what they’re doing. He wants to know everything. He’s going to take the time to learn it."

Make no mistake, the first-round conversation surrounding rushers is more crowded than it has been in perhaps each of the past five years. Odighizuwa seems like a total package, though, which means his name isn't going anywhere.

Faller: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Trae Waynes has all the makings of a strong pro corner.

He played on a top-tier defense in college. He's a good athlete and has great size to combat the bigger receivers at the NFL level, standing at 6'1" and 182 pounds.

The problem is, just because Waynes is one of the only names the globe knows right now in a weak corner class, it does not mean he will keep the top slot.

In fact, it is likely to be the exact opposite.

Sometimes the "wow" factor in the stock department at the combine is more of a "never heard of this guy" factor than anything. Most know about Washington's Marcus Peters, but what they don't know is that he continues to go out of his way to right his past wrongs, something that will make it easier to accept that he's the best cover corner in the class.

Most are unaware that Florida State's P.J. Williams could challenge for the top slot as well. Nine out of 10 observers don't realize that Quinten Rollins out of Miami (Ohio) could also challenge for it.

None of this is really Waynes' fault. All he can do is go out and perform and interview well, which he figures to do.

But as the crew disassembles the spectacle at Lucas Oil Stadium, draft boards will read that Waynes experienced a bit of a stock drop as others rise and grab the attention he has hogged for so long.

Riser: Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

The combine is perfect for players such as Brett Hundley.

Heck, maybe for UCLA products in general.

Humor aside, everyone knows Hundley stands no chance of surpassing Florida State's Jameis Winston or Oregon's Marcus Mariota. This is the weakest quarterback class in years, and it's to the point where nobody really knows who Mr. No. 3 is.

After the combine, that honor will go to Hundley.

He's ready to play the matador and seize the bull by the proverbial horns, too, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport details:

Hundley is a project. When it comes to the physical side of things, he has it all. Booming arm, 6'3", 226-pound frame that can sustain a beating, great speed to avoid defenders.

The problems show up on the mental side of things when it comes to reading defenses, making adjustments and rolling through his options before making a decision.

Really, Hundley is the perfect case study for why it's so critical to look past simple stats in the game of football. The box scores show that he completed 69.1 percent of his passes last season for 3,155 yards and 22 touchdowns to five interceptions.

On film, though, Hundley's questionable decisions pop up. He's a project player who is unlikely to be an NFL starter right away. What he can do at the combine, though, is convince teams he is a late-first to second-round pick worth the development time on the promise that he can someday blossom into a franchise signal-caller.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.