2015 NFL Mock Draft: Pick Predictions and Analysis of Top Prospects

The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis isn't the deciding factor for an NFL prospect, but it does play a significant role in how each gridiron hopeful will begin his career. With this year's combine coming to a close, the picture for the upcoming draft is becoming more transparent.

Quarterbacks drive the league, but the action that takes place at or near the line of scrimmage still dictates what happens on the field. The big uglies and outside linebackers who play a 3-4 scheme are still vital in obtaining wins and losses in the NFL

The table below shows predictions for all 32 first-round selections. Just below that is a look at three players who figure to make an impact in the trenches. These players' names are highlighted in the table.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB. Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
7	Chicago Bears	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray OLB/DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
10	St. Louis Rams	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
11	Minnesota Vikings	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
15	San Francisco 49ers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
16	Houston Texans	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
17	San Diego Chargers	Vic Beasley, OLB/DE, Clemson
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Alex Carter, CB, Stanford
23	Detroit Lions	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
24	Arizona Cardinals	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
25	Carolina Panthers	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
26	Baltimore Ravens	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
27	Dallas Cowboys	Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
28	Denver Broncos	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
29	Indianapolis Colts	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
30	Green Bay Packers	Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
31	Seattle Seahawks	Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
32	New England Patriots	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon

Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska

Eric Francis/Getty Images

Randy Gregory, the player many people (including yours truly) has slated as a top-five pick, weighed in at as little as 218 pounds for the combine. Without question, that's alarmingly small for a player who figures to tangle routinely with offensive tackles who could outweigh him by close to 100 pounds.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller confirms the weight numbers but also says there's nothing to fear with Gregory's lack of bulk:

Recently, there have been 3-4 OLB prospects with similar builds who have found success in the NFL. Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports reminds us that the Cleveland Browns' Barkevious Mingo's frame is comparable:

While Mingo hasn't had a breakout season yet, he does have seven sacks in his two NFL campaigns and has missed a total of two games. In other words, he hasn't become a star, but he certainly isn't a bust.

There's hope that Gregory could surpass what Mingo has done. He certainly seems to have the cerebral aspect of the game under control. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Gregory's Wonderlic scores have been "off the charts":

History tells us we have to take those numbers with a grain of salt, but all of this information just makes Gregory one of the draft's most intriguing prospects.

Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Did someone switch bodies with Brandon Scherff before the combine? He came in with a reputation as one of the strongest players in the draft, but his low reps on the bench press didn't back up the hype.

Mike O'Hara of DetroitLions.com has the numbers and a Motown-centric comparison:

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com called Scherff "more powerful than explosive," and his 40 time showed some surprising quickness. Scherff apparently hurt himself Friday and told Kim Jones of NFL.com, per Around the NFL, that he was shutting it down for the remainder of the combine:

Because Scherff hails from the same program as Reiff, compares to him physically and looks so good on tape, it's unlikely his inconsistent combine performance drastically affects his draft stock. My guess is he'll still come away from Indianapolis as one of the top two offensive linemen in the draft.

Ereck Flowers, OL, Miami, FL

Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

Not every offensive lineman struggled on the weight bench. Former Miami Hurricanes stud Ereck Flowers should have said "Hulk smash" after he finished producing the numbers O'Hara reported:

From the jump, Flowers looks ready to be a force in any team's run game. As a prospective left tackle, he will also need to prove he can be effective as a pass-blocker. That's where there are concerns about his ability.

There are times when speed-rushers can beat him to the edge, but that's an area where he can improve.

There's something about Flowers' intangibles that make me believe he is the real deal and that his best is yet to come. When you look up information and accounts on the 6'6", 324-pound monster, the consensus seems to be that Flowers loves to compete. Whether it's his NFL.com draft profile from Zierlein or quotes from his college head coach Al Golden (via Matt Fortuna of ESPN.com), competitiveness is the constant trait used to describe him.

With the strength and athletic gifts he possesses, that should be a formula for success.