Todd McShay NFL Mock Draft 2015: Notable Picks from ESPN Guru's 3rd Mock

There had been plenty of mock drafts released before the NFL Scouting Combine, but with the annual workout festival behind us, the release of more recent projections seems to take on more weight.

ESPN's Todd McShay has released his third mock of the season with plenty of changes from past installments. 

The very top of McShay's latest projection looks the same as his previous one, with Jameis Winston and Leonard Williams going first and second. After that, the changes start to seep in with a defensive end and wide receiver picking up a lot of momentum thanks to what happened in Indianapolis. 

Here's a look at McShay's third mock draft, as well as the picks that stood out the most. 

Pick	Team	Player
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DE, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler, DE, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
5	Washington	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
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	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
12	Cleveland Browns	Devante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
14	Miami Dolphins	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
15	San Francisco 49ers	Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
16	Houston Texans	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
17	San Diego Chargers	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri
19	Cleveland Browns (Acquired from Buffalo)	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Alvin "Bud" Dupree, LB, Kentucky
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
23	Detroit Lions	Cameron Erving, C, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Eli Harold, LB, Virginia
25	Carolina Panthers	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
26	Baltimore Ravens	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
27	Dallas Cowboys	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28	Denver Broncos	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
29	Indianapolis Colts	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
30	Green Bay Packers	Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
31	Seattle Seahawks	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
32	New England Patriots	Carl Davis, DT, Iowa

The Rise of Dante Fowler

A lot of players gained momentum at the combine, but McShay clearly believes that Dante Fowler Jr. has done more in the pre-draft process to warrant a top-three selection than explosive athletes like Nebraska's Randy Gregory or Missouri's Shane Ray.

One reason that McShay elevated Fowler from No. 13 in his second mock draft to No. 3 is that he has a better all-around set of skills than someone like Gregory:

"

Fowler isn't as athletic as Nebraska's Randy Gregory -- the guy I had Jacksonville taking previously -- but he's a more complete player who can not only rush the passer but also set the edge against the run. That's the difference between him and Gregory, who is long and explosive but just 236 pounds. He isn't a fit for Jacksonville as a 4-3 end.

"

While it's not surprising that Fowler would become a sought-after commodity, a lot of teams are focusing more on freak athletes like Gregory to rush the passer.

Yet a lot of analysts have Fowler rising the more they watch him, as noted by Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports:

Defensive line is the key position in this draft. McShay has 10 defensive linemen going in the first round, which doesn't include the pass-rushing linebackers like Vic Beasley (No. 13), Bud Dupree (No. 21) and Eli Harold (No. 24).

Fowler is surging at the right time and now seems unlikely to make it out of the top five with teams like Tennessee, Jacksonville and Washington all in the market for an impact defensive lineman. 

Trae Waynes at No. 11

Trae Waynes is becoming one of the most interesting case studies in this draft class. The people that like him seem to really like him.

It's not surprising that his stock would be trending upward after his combine, via NFL.com's Ian Rapoport:

When you combine that speed with Waynes' size (6'0", 186 lbs) and 31" arms, it's not hard to figure out why a team like Minnesota, which has to compete with Aaron Rodgers and Calvin Johnson a total of four times every year, would be interested. 

Yet this is a dangerous time of year to fall in love, especially if you are able to go back and look at the tape. B/R's Matt Miller has done an evaluation of Waynes, highlighting some of the things he doesn't do well:

"

My Trae Waynes negatives: Bad frame...struggles through traffic...lower body weak...will get beat up underneath...not physical

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 23, 2015"

McShay doesn't have Waynes in the top 10, but it's as close as he can get without breaking that barrier. The Vikings also have another crucial area of need (wide receiver) to address with Teddy Bridgewater's former Louisville teammate DeVante Parker still on the board. 

Waynes has the ceiling to warrant an early first-round selection. He's got a strong track record of success at Michigan State and looks like a top-shelf athlete. Someone will bet on him to reach that full potential, even if it takes more development time than normal to get there. 

The Marcus Peters Dilemma

It seemed like Marcus Peters was going to be the top cornerback in this draft. However, there is some off-field baggage that he has to answer for. Specifically, why he was kicked off Washington's football team in November. 

Speaking to Tom Pelissero of USA Today one week before the combine, Peters did say that he deserved his punishment:

"

I don't blame (Petersen) for anything. All I can blame is myself, because I made those decisions and I have to live with them. Now I'll have to man up and I've got to answer these questions in interviews, and all I can do is sit there and answer truthfully and honestly.

"

The weird thing is that Peters' accountability may hinder his NFL stock, which is something McShay mentions, because it seems to validate that Peters has a combative personality. 

McShay sends Peters to Baltimore with the 26th pick, citing the Ravens' need to address the secondary and calling the former Washington star the "best all-around cornerback in the class."

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Yet the combine didn't do Peters any favors. His issues at Washington may have been easier to overlook if he tested off the charts in Indianapolis. That didn't happen with a 4.53 40-yard dash and mediocre ball skills, but Gil Brandt of NFL.com offered a sound reason for the issues:

"

The performance might seem a bit puzzling; after all, he did have a plethora of pass breakups in the first eight games of the season. I suspect his showing had something to do with the fact that he hasn't played in a game since Nov. 1. I'm sure he's been training since then, but there's a difference between being in training shape and being in football shape.

"

Peters' next big test will come on April 2, just four weeks before the draft. That's the date of Washington's pro day, which the Pelissero article notes Peters will be allowed to participate in. 

Assuming his subpar combine was the product of not playing football in over three months, Peters will have five weeks to train before he can dazzle scouts and convince them he's more than what the sum of his parts looked like in Indianapolis.

That would be bad news for the Ravens, who really need to figure out their secondary and would love to add an impact talent late in the first round, but it would be good for Peters as he moves into the next phase of his life.