NFL Draft 2015: Mock Draft and Potential Late-Round Gems

The spectacle of hype (and overreaction) that is the NFL Scouting Combine is in the rearview mirror, which means all that stands in the way of the NFL draft and some of the nation’s top prospects are pro days and an evaluation process.

Teams across the league have to sort through countless hours of game film, scouting reports and college statistics in an effort to determine who the next superstars will be for the foreseeable future.

However, there are bound to be some productive players available in the later rounds who can help round out rosters and perhaps even earn Pro Bowl nods during their careers. With that in mind, here is a look at a mock draft for the entire first round before looking at some potential late-round gems.

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

Stefon Diggs, Wide Receiver, Maryland

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Stefon Diggs is a tale of what could have been at the college level.

He was a game-changing freshman and finished with 1,896 all-purpose yards. He was a threat to bust a big play every time he got his hands on the ball, be it through a catch, run or kick return. However, he broke his leg as a sophomore after only six games and missed three contests during his junior season.

He still managed to rack up 792 receiving yards and five touchdowns in the 2014 season.

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. provided some thoughts on Diggs’ future, via Roman Stubbs of The Washington Post: "Diggs has got great upside. I thought another year would have really helped him, but you can’t dispute the talent. Stefon Diggs is a big-time talent. If you get him in the third, fourth round, you have got yourself a kid that’s got an awful lot of ability. For today’s NFL, he’s ideal."

College football fans saw just how special Diggs can be on the field during that first and only healthy season. He has breakaway speed, can mix it up in the return game and is a legitimate threat from the slot position at the next level.

Speed translates to the NFL, and Diggs has plenty of it. Some team will land a dangerous talent in the mid to late rounds of the draft.

Sean Mannion, Quarterback, Oregon State

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Sometimes it’s just impossible to ignore the numbers, and that is the case with Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion.

He is the all-time Pac-12 passing leader at 13,600 yards and threw for 83 touchdowns in the process. There were few quarterbacks in the country as dominant as Mannion when he was a junior, and he tallied 4,662 yards and 37 touchdown passes. Sure, his numbers dipped as a senior, but that is part of the reason why he will be available in the later rounds. 

Mannion also impressed Joel Klatt of Fox Sports at the combine:

Mannion may not have the elite athleticism of Marcus Mariota or the ability to come through in the clutch like Jameis Winston, but there were very few throws that he couldn’t make at the college level.

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

He has prototypical size at 6’5” and played his entire college career in a pro-style offense. He also called plays at the line of scrimmage on a number of occasions and has a high football IQ that will help him read defenses and maintain a pocket presence at the next level.

Mannion is a proven statistical commodity who is worth a flier as one of the intriguing quarterbacks after Mariota and Winston hear their names called.

Ameer Abdullah, Running Back, Nebraska

Eric Francis/Getty Images

Like Mannion, the raw numbers jump out when discussing Ameer Abdullah.

Abdullah gashed defenses for 1,611 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground as a senior for his second consecutive season with more than 1,600 rushing yards. He also got involved in the passing game this season with 269 receiving yards and three touchdown catches.

Abdullah isn’t the fastest running back in the draft, but he demonstrates impressive acceleration whenever a hole opens up on the line. He has good vision and is often patient enough to let the play unfold before unleashing that burst.

Abdullah may only be 5’9”, but he is a powerful enough runner to break through arm tackles and finish near the goal line with critical scores on the line. He is just a difficult back to bring down. 

Throw in his kick returner experience, and Abdullah has the chance to contribute right away at the next level.

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