2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions for Top Prospects Before Free Agency

Workouts and interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine gave franchises a good idea of what this year's draft hopefuls bring to the table. Prospect evaluations will be ongoing through pro days and individual drills, but the impending free-agency period will soon throw a wrench into offseason strategies.

Each year, we see some unexpected moves happen in free agency. A team will come out of nowhere to snag one of the most coveted veterans on the open market, thus completely altering its draft strategy after filling a big need. Rest assured, 2015 will be no different.

So, while we have the results from combine workouts fresh in our minds, and before team needs shift following some key free-agent signings, let's take a look at how the draft's first round is likely to shake out.

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

Analyzing Recent Draft Risers

Events throughout the offseason have continuous effects on big boards. The combine was just the most recent example of a way the draft stocks of particular prospects can either increase or decline. There were plenty of impressive showings in Indianapolis, and that resulted in some new names receiving first-round consideration.

The above mock draft features several players who were previously left out of the first 32 selections. Here's a look at where these prospects are currently slated to land and why they have become first-rounders.

24. Arizona Cardinals: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Selecting Arik Armstead is all about expected potential. At 6'7" and 292 pounds, he has great size, good athleticism and explosiveness in small areas. His downside is his limited consistency and pass-rushing moves, which will likely make him a project in the NFL.

At the combine, he didn't deliver any jaw-dropping performances, but he proved to be a well-rounded athlete who maintains a nice blend of agility, speed and strength. He's an intriguing prospect, and ESPN's Louis Riddick expects him to receive plenty of consideration leading up to the draft:

So, why would the Cardinals grab him in Round 1? Well, Armstead has received a flattering comparison to Calais Campbell, and there's suddenly a vacancy along the team's defensive line, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com:

Armstead has the power to contribute against the run while he develops into a more productive pass-rusher. He'll benefit from learning alongside Campbell.

28. Denver Broncos: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota

Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams doesn't necessary stand out due to freakish athleticism, tremendous size or blazing speed, but he does have a solid skill set comprised of soft hands, good agility and nice length. Williams measures in at 6'4" and 249 pounds. He ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash at the combine, which didn't turn heads, but his fluid motion during drills sure did. Here's a look:

That catch, and several others, led to this tweet from NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah:

With Julius Thomas likely to leave via free agency, the Broncos will be on the market for a new tight end. Williams should be capable of catching passes in Denver's offense immediately, and considering his precise routes at the combine, he should be able to get on the same page with Peyton Manning in a hurry.

30. Green Bay Packers: Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

At 6'0" and 232 pounds, Eric Kendricks isn't the biggest linebacker; however, he's an intelligent player who always finds himself around the ball, and he's a sure-tackler. He isn't a burner but has the in-game speed to make plays in pursuit of ball-carriers. He isn't thought of an an explosive player, but his 40-yard dash at the combine surprised some analysts, including Dion Caputi of the National Football Post:

Kendricks may need a solid pro day to really solidify his status as a first-round pick; however, expect the Packers to highly consider the linebacker at No. 30 overall. Green Bay has enormous holes to fill in its linebacker corps, as Clay Matthews was forced to move inside during the 2014 season, and the team recently released A.J. Hawk.

32. New England Patriots: Cameron Erving, C, Florida State

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Cameron Erving is a versatile prospect who can play any position along the offensive line. At 6'5" and 313 pounds, he was a former defensive lineman who later moved to offensive tackle. He had mixed results at the position—he was still developing his technique—and later moved inside where he was most successful.

At the combine, Erving ripped off an impressive 30 reps on the bench press and earned top-performer honors in both the broad jump and three-cone drill. If that display of strength and athleticism isn't impressive enough, NFL Network's Charles David tweeted this interesting piece of information:

The Patriots offense began to excel after some in-season tweaks to the line. The team currently has some question marks at both guard positions, and adding Erving would instantly address one of those holes.

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