NFL Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Projections Following Scouting Combine

The biggest weekend of the predraft process is over. Monday marked the conclusion of the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, where players were judged based on how they looked in skin-tight workout pants and how quickly they ran a 40-yard sprint—even though very few of them will ever run a 40-yard, straight-ahead sprint in their careers.

No matter. The combine remains overwhelmingly important to those in attendance. Teams will never get another one-stop look at all the draft's best prospects. Those prospects will in all likelihood get 32 teams all in the same room again—#proday—but not at a time where all the top decision-makers are in attendance.

That said, for the 2015 class, not all that much changed in Indianapolis. You can look at a reasonable mock draft from before the combine—despite the angry comments sections across the World Wide Web, there are plenty such reasonable takes—and it wouldn't look all that different from ones today.

Jameis Winston remains the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1. Dante Fowler and Kevin White are freaks. And Dorial Green-Beckham may never stop straddling that line between tantalizing talent and worrisome character. With that in mind, let's take a complete look at the first-round outlook and highlight some takeaways from the combine.

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	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
6	New York Jets	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
7	Chicago Bears	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
10	St. Louis Rams	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
11	Minnesota Vikings	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
14	Miami Dolphins	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
15	San Francisco 49ers	Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
16	Houston Texans	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
17	San Diego Chargers	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
20	Philadelphia Eagles	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
23	Detroit Lions	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
24	Arizona Cardinals	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
25	Carolina Panthers	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
26	Baltimore Ravens	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
27	Dallas Cowboys	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28	Denver Broncos	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
29	Indianapolis Colts	Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami (Fla.)
30	Green Bay Packers	Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan
31	Seattle Seahawks	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
32	New England Patriots	A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina

Combine Takeaways

Top QBs Do What They Do Best

I don't know if you've heard this, but Winston and Marcus Mariota are very good at playing quarterback. The draft's top two signal-callers arrived in Indianapolis with a white-hot spotlight and walked away Saturday afternoon basking in a sea of praises.

As an athlete, Mariota is as advertised. The reigning Heisman winner had the fastest 40 time of any quarterback, coming in at 4.52 seconds. Keep in mind that Nick Marshall, who may wind up playing cornerback at the next level, worked out with the quarterbacks. Mariota also won the three-cone drill while coming away third or better in the 20-yard shuttle, broad jump and vertical jump.

"You can see how athletic he is and you can see that translate to his drop backs now, a sense of urgency with his feet," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said, per the Titans' website. "I know he will be able to adapt to being able to get under center. It's the pocket awareness part you can't see out here. Physically, he's able to do all the things they ask him."

Winston, meanwhile, was the source of snickering for half the day. His 4.97 time in the 40 was fourth-worst in this class; it'll be among the worst times of a first-round quarterback in recent memory. He was also a bottom-tier performer in the two jumping categories, only moving into the middle of the pack when it came to the three-cone and shuttle drills.

Then Winston threw a football, and all criticisms ceased there. If Winston is truly dealing with a "weak" throwing shoulder—Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported he underwent an electromyography to see whether there is nerve damage—then it's going to be scary when this dude is fully healthy. Winston showed beautiful zip and ball placement, completing all 16 of his throws in a workout that left little doubt about the Florida State product's talent.

More importantly, Winston is killing the interview circuit.

"I think he's probably the smartest player I've ever interviewed," an NFL personnel man told Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman. "Ever. Football IQ as good as I've ever seen."

It's getting more difficult by the day to see why the Titans would pass on the quarterback Tampa doesn't take at No. 1.

Kevin White Is a Freak

Amari Cooper had a great day Saturday. His 4.43 time in the 40 was quicker than I expected, he blasted the field in the 40-yard shuttle, and he was top-five in the three-cone drill. Had his jumping results been better, it would have been a near-perfect day for the expected top wideout off the board.

It also would have helped if Kevin White stayed home. White made an excellent case for unseating Cooper on Saturday, putting together an athletic display that's almost unfair for someone his size. The 6'3", 215-pounder blazed through a 4.35-second time in the 40 that tied him for third best at his position. He added a 36.5-inch vertical that was more than three inches better than Cooper's, bested him by another three in the broad jump and performed admirably in the agility drills.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

“I've been telling teams it finally clicked,” White, who went to a JUCO before landing at West Virginia, told reporters Friday. “I'm going to do what I have to do. I'm going to work hard and do anything and everything possible that I can.”

White may not pass Cooper come April, but the pair are quickly separating themselves from the pack. Given the needs of teams inside the top 10, it's hard to see either falling to receiver-desperate Cleveland at No. 12—leaving the Browns with a not-so-bad consolation prize in Louisville's Devante Parker, who was also solid in workouts.

But if there is any debate to be had about the draft's top wideout, it comes down to White vs. Cooper. That's it.

Quick Takes

Vic Beasley Might Have the Size After All 

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Viewed in the same general strata as Shaq Thompson coming into the combine—wildly talented but concerningly small—Beasley may have assuaged those concerns this weekend. The Clemson product measured at 6'3" and 246 pounds, more than large enough to withstand the rigors of NFL competition.

Keep in mind he did so while turning in a Mariota-esque 4.53-second time in the 40 and bench-pressing 35 times. It's not exactly a glowing comparison, but it almost reminded me of Vernon Gholston's combine, where he vaulted into the top 10. Beasley is a more accomplished collegiate player, so the comparison isn't perfect.

For those hoping he'd fall into the 20s, though? Time to make backup plans.

Devin Funchess Is Not a Wide Receiver

Or, more accurately, one I'd consider drafting before the third or fourth round. The difference between Funchess as a first-round selection and a third-day selection, to me, is whether he insists on playing a position for which he's ill-suited.

It was a position I held coming into the combine that was affirmed Saturday. Working out with the receivers, Funchess ran a 4.70 time in the 40—the slowest of any wideout in the field. He did not participate in the shuttle or three-cone drills, which only continues to cloud his already murky draft stock.

Viewed through the tight end prism, Funchess' 40 time wouldn't be a problem. It would have been the third-best at the position and 0.08 seconds quicker than Minnesota's Maxx Williams, another potential first-rounder. In fact, Funchess could've walked away in "athletic freak" territory had he worked out with the tight ends.

His vertical and broad jumps would've been at the top of the position. Odds are, so would've his shuttle and cone times had he participated. The reality is Funchess is not fast enough to play wide receiver. He is fast enough to be an excellent tight end.

Please Watch Offensive Linemen Attempting the Agility Drills

Big hat tip to SportsGrid for capturing this wonderful video. There is no analysis here. Just an opportunity to take some time off from the way-too-serious combine talking-head nonsense and be amused.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter

All combine stats are via NFL.com