NFL Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Projections for Top Prospects After Combine Day 6

The defensive backs in this year's draft class had to patiently await their turn to shine at the NFL Scouting Combine, and they finally received their chance Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium. They didn't disappoint.

Although, with such a diverse and talented crop of draft hopefuls—many of which made their cases for first-round consideration in Indianapolis—this burning question remains: Did Monday's combine participants do enough to propel themselves up the pecking order?

Big boards and mock drafts were already altered during the first five days of the combine, as interviews and workouts shifted the draft stock of many top-tier prospects. With Day 6 now concluded, and all players evaluated, we can finally piece together what the first round of the impending draft will presumably look like when April 30 rolls around.

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

Analyzing Notable Day 6 Performances

Long, athletic cornerbacks and quick, hard-hitting safeties are at a premium in today's NFL. The league is already chock-full of young, tall, fast wide receivers who are legitimate vertical threats and extremely difficult to cover in red-zone situations (see: Mike Evans). This makes talented defensive backs extremely sought-after during the draft process.

Here's a look at some notable performances from prospects who took part in Monday's workouts and where they are likely to be selected in the draft's opening round.

14. Miami Dolphins: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Entering the combine, Michigan State's Trae Waynes was widely heralded as the top cornerback in this year's draft. He solidified that notion on Monday, as the 6'0", 186-pound corner ran a blazing 4.31-second 40-yard dash and showed off his athleticism during positional drills. NFL Live put it best:

Waynes did steal the show on Monday, and combined with his 19 reps on the bench press, he reaffirmed why he has the potential to flourish on an island in the NFL. The Dolphins could use some additional depth and youth at corner, and grabbing this impressive bump-and-run prospect will be a great start.

16. Houston Texans: Landon Collins, S, Alabama

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Alabama's Landon Collins is the overwhelming favorite at safety in this year's draft class.  At 6'0" and 228 pounds, he has the speed to get to the sideline in a hurry and the aggressiveness to be a big factor against the run. He wasn't overly impressive Monday, but he didn't hurt his draft stock at all, running a 4.53-second 40-yard dash. Bleacher Report's Matt Bowen tweeted his take on the time:

During positional drills, Collins displayed his athleticism but wasn't overly fluid. Still, he has the tools to excel in the NFL with a bit of coaching. The Texans need plenty of help in the secondary, so expect them to take a long look at Collins with the No. 16 selection.

20. Philadelphia Eagles: P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Let's get one thing out of the way: P.J. Williams' character concerns are overblown. Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier explains why. As a player, he has the combination of size, speed and athleticism coveted by NFL scouts. At 6'0" and 194 pounds, Williams showcased his great leaping ability at the combine. Corey Clark of the Tallahassee Democrat tweeted the numbers:

Combined with his solid 4.57-second 40-yard dash, versatility to cover receivers from the slot or on the outside and aggressive playing style, Williams is exactly what the Eagles need to fix a porous secondary that ranked 31st in the league against the pass in 2014.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington

Yes, there are plenty of question marks surrounding Marcus Peters. He was dismissed from Washington's football team due to altercations with the coaching staff, and that has caused speculation of him slipping to the draft's second round despite his first-round talent. Here's a telling statement on Peters from draft analyst Todd McShay, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

Peters ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash and finished as a top performer in the 60-yard shuttle. The necessary speed and agility is there, and combined with great ball skills, good size and fluidity, he can become a shutdown corner in the NFL. A team willing to gamble on him late in the first round—like the cornerback-needy Steelers—could be highly rewarded.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Even though the NFL Draft Advisory Board suggested Jalen Collins return to school for another season, he declared anyway—it was a smart move. The 6'1", 203-pound cornerback has an elite blend of size and speed that doesn't come around often. He showcased those traits Monday at the combine. Here's what Dion Caputi of the National Football Post had to say:

He's exactly right. The ability to run a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at Collins' size is very impressive, and his athleticism was verified by his top-performer honors in the three-cone drill. The knock on Collins is his inexperience—he started just 10 games at LSU. Although raw, his ceiling is enormous enough to warrant the Ravens to take a stab at him at No. 26 overall.

All prospect measurements and combine results courtesy of NFL.com's results tracker.