2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Where Top Prospects Will Land in 1st Round

The NFL is in full draft mode with the combine having come and gone, and there is no question that several prospects have positioned themselves well with April 30 quickly approaching.

Although the next couple of months will still have a major impact on where players ultimately land, the combine was undoubtedly helpful for many in terms of bolstering their draft stock. If they can supplement that with strong pro days as well, then they'll certainly be in fantastic shape.

As teams begin the process of finalizing their draft boards, here is a look at how the first round is projected to play out—along with a breakdown of some of the combine's best performers.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
2	Tennessee Titans	Randy Gregory, DE/LB, Nebraska
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
6	New York Jets	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
7	Chicago Bears	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE/LB, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
10	St. Louis Rams	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
11	Minnesota Vikings	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
12	Cleveland Browns	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
13	New Orleans Saints	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
14	Miami Dolphins	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
15	San Francisco 49ers	Danny Shelton, DL, Washington
16	Houston Texans	Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA
17	San Diego Chargers	Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State
18	Kansas City Chiefs	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
19	Cleveland Browns (from BUF)	Vic Beasley, DE/LB, Clemson
20	Philadelphia Eagles	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Dante Fowler, DE, Florida
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Alex Carter, CB, Stanford
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Alvin Dupree, DE/LB, Kentucky
25	Carolina Panthers	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
26	Baltimore Ravens	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
27	Dallas Cowboys	Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
28	Denver Broncos	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
29	Indianapolis Colts	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
30	Green Bay Packers	Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami (Fla.)
31	Seattle Seahawks	Devin Funchess, TE/WR, Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Analyzing Top Combine Performers

Marcus Mariota

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem poised to take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NFL draft, but it is still unclear who they value most. The race is between Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Florida State's Jameis Winston, and if the combine is any indication, then the former might have pulled ahead.

Mariota put on a show in Indianapolis both athletically and mechanically. Perhaps most impressively, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner ran the 40-yard dash in just over 4.5 seconds, according to the NFL's official Twitter account:

While Mariota's speed was apparent in Oregon's fast-paced offense, he backed it up with a great number. A quarterback's speed doesn't mean much if he can't throw, but Mariota shined in that area as well.

Per ESPN's Todd McShay, both Mariota and Winston proved at the combine that they are capable of making all the throws necessary to be an NFL quarterback:

One of the biggest concerns regarding Mariota is his ability to run a pro-style offense, but NFL Network's Mike Mayock came away from the combine impressed with what he saw out of him, per NFL.com's Bryan Fischer.

"

What I liked about Mariota was just the footwork. You can see how athletic he is. He ran the 4.5. You can see that translate to his dropbacks, a sense of urgency with his feet. I know he'll be able to adapt to being able to get under center. It's the pocket awareness part that you can't tell out here. Physically, he'll be able to do all the things they ask of him.

"

If all things are equal between Mariota and Winston from an on-field perspective, then it is easy to see the Bucs leaning toward Mariota, since there are absolutely no questions about his character.

It is understandable why some might be reluctant to go all in on a spread quarterback like Mariota, but he definitely showed the ability to adapt to whichever team ultimately selects him.

Trae Waynes

Few positions in the NFL are more important than cornerback due to the emphasis on passing offenses. If no corner had established himself as a high pick in the 2015 draft entering the combine, former Michigan State stud Trae Waynes changed that.

Waynes might not have been an elite ball hawk with the Spartans, as he logged three interceptions in each of the past two seasons, but he was often tasked with covering the opposition's top wide receiver, and he did the job well more often than not.

With good size at 6'1" and a strong resume to boot, the No. 1-corner ranking appeared to be Waynes' to lose entering the combine. He only solidified his standing, though, as he impressed immensely in front of scouts.

Most notably, Waynes posted one of the fastest 40-yard-dash times of the entire combine with a time of 4.31 seconds, according to SportsCenter:

That type of speed is incredible for any player at any position, but it looks that much better when considering the fact that Waynes has height and physicality on his side as well.

As if his 40 time wasn't eye-popping enough, it turns out he did it at less than 100 percent as well, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

The combine shouldn't overshadow an overall body of work, but outside observers have a propensity for overvaluing what prospects due in a shirt and shorts rather than in pads during in-game situations.

According to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, the knee-jerk reaction to Waynes' fantastic 40 time was most definitely present:

In reality, though, Waynes has been the de facto No. 1 corner in this draft for the past few months due his ability and what he accomplished at Michigan State. The 40 time is the cherry on top, and it should be enough to entice a cornerback-starved team like the St. Louis Rams at No. 10.

Kevin White

Wide receiver might be deeper than any other position in the 2015 NFL draft, which makes what former West Virginia wideout Kevin White did at the combine even more significant.

White, Alabama's Amari Cooper and Louisville's DeVante Parker are all candidates to be the first receiver off the board April 30. In addition to logging a lightning-fast time of 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash, the 6'3", 215-pound White led all receivers with 23 bench-press reps as well, according to NFL.com.

Although White broke out to the tune of 109 catches for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior year for the Mountaineers, some questioned if he was a one-hit wonder. His combine showing didn't prove or disprove that school of thought, but it showed he has the skills teams look for in a high, first-round pick.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah had White ranked as one of the top players in the draft even before the combine, and he believes White's dominance bolstered that ranking:

Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee also chimed in by suggesting that White cemented himself as a high pick in the upcoming draft:

It isn't outside the realm of possibility that White could leap into the top 10 and surpass both Cooper and Parker, but the fact that Cooper had a better overall collegiate career should continue to give him the slight edge.

If teams like the Rams and Minnesota Vikings opt against taking a wide receiver, there is little chance that White slips past the Cleveland Browns at No. 12. The Browns desperately need help outside, and White has all the makings of a stud pass-catcher.

Cleveland's quarterback situation might be dire at this point, but selecting White would be a major help to whoever starts the season under center.

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