2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Top Prospects Heading into Pro Days

If the NFL combine didn't leave draft junkies with enough numbers, film and media takes to analyze, have no fear: The pro days are here.

The likes of Virginia, Minnesota, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Wake Forest kicked off the March gauntlet on Monday, bringing the draft back into focus after a brief lull following the combine. With big-time programs such as Clemson, Ole Miss and Arizona State set to unleash their best football prospects in just the first week of action, the NFL draft chatter is only going to ratchet up, not subside.

NFL.com has a nifty schedule for pro-day aficionados to follow, complete with updates as each day concludes. While many players' pro prospects are likely to change in the coming days and weeks, now is as good a time as any to make some predictions on where the top players currently stand.

Here's a look at a first-round mock as the pro-day frenzy begins.

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 Jr., 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	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
10	St. Louis Rams	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
13	New Orleans Saints	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
14	Miami Dolphins	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
15	San Francisco 49ers	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
16	Houston Texans	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
17	San Diego Chargers	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
23	Detroit Lions	Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
24	Arizona Cardinals	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
27	Dallas Cowboys	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
30	Green Bay Packers	Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
31	Seattle Seahawks	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
32	New England Patriots	Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma

Players with Something to Prove at Early Pro Days

While the likes of Virginia's Eli Harold and Minnesota's Maxx Williams have already put together impressive pro-day performances to back up their combine showings, they're just two of the elite prospects who have been bandied about by the media for quite some time. Both can and should get drafted in the first round.

The pro days are a fine time for fans to get acquainted with the players who might be on the fringes of the first or second round and an even better opportunity for scouts to unearth hidden gems who might be available in the later rounds of the draft. There are also plenty of big-name players who dazzled in college but haven't yet received much attention in the draft cycle. 

With that in mind, let's take a quick look at a few of the top prospects with something to prove at the early pro days.

March 4: Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Mississippi State's Preston Smith certainly turned heads at the NFL combine, but there is another defensive end set to go to work on Wednesday hoping to catch scouts' attention.

Trey Flowers is a bit of an enigma at defensive end, mainly owing to his less than ideal 6'2", 266-pound frame. The dreaded "tweener" label has killed many a draft prospect's stock, but Flowers will be hoping to break the mold with a strong performance at Arkansas' pro day.

The Razorbacks proved to be one of the scrappiest teams in the SEC last season, due in no small part to the efforts of players such as Flowers. He racked up 68 total tackles (15.5 for loss), six sacks and six pass deflections in 2014. Those stats are impressive and show Flowers is a workhorse player, but he hasn't drawn the same amount of attention as other top-tier defensive ends due to his lack of explosiveness on the pass rush. 

Danny Johnston/Associated Press

Flowers will certainly have to answer questions about his ability to collapse the pocket and run the circle at the next level, but NFL teams looking for a committed, versatile prospect might want to pay close attention to Flowers, who prides himself on defending the run, per Drew Davison of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram:

"

Just playing in the SEC, one of the big-time conferences, playing defensive end at that level, you have to be a dominant run stopper. It’s a running league. You got the Alabamas, the LSUs, the big-time running offenses, so just to be able to be a dominant defense, you’ve got to be able to stop the run. So that’s one of the things I pride myself in. One of the most memorable moments would be the shutouts against LSU and Ole Miss and the Texas Bowl, just holding [the University of Texas] to 59 yards total. Just being that dominant defense and knowing you were a part of that is big-time.

"

With so many defensive end prospects lauded for their abilities to get to the quarterback, Flowers might be able to carve out a space in the second round as an edge-rusher who can play both the run and the pass.

March 5: Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

In the pass-happy NFL, running backs have taken a hit as a group when it comes to the draft. Injuries are common, the window for productivity is short with the dreaded 30-year-old barrier, and a good offensive line can make some running backs seem completely interchangeable. 

While Georgia's Todd Gurley and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon have drawn plenty of attention for their potential to break into the first round, the conversations regarding other running back prospects have fallen by the wayside. 

Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah put in a fine 2014 campaign, rushing for 1,610 yards and 19 touchdowns on a robust average of 6.1 yards per carry. However, his production slowed as the season went along, a major issue for a running back looking to impress in his final year before the draft. Still, some observers aren't going to soon forget the lightning bug's weaving runs through big-time college defenses from the first half of the season.

NFL.com editor Chris Trapasso likes his ability to make players miss:

NFL Draft Geek believes Abdullah compares favorably to St. Louis' Tre Mason, who rushed for 765 yards in 12 games as a rookie:

At just 5'9", Abdullah will likely have to answer questions about his size and durability. His 4.60-second 40-yard dash at the combine may have scouts concerned about his ability to be a big-play threat at the next level without a bigger frame.

If Abdullah can drop his 40 time and wow scouts at his pro day with his agility, some teams might be willing to ignore those size concerns and start including Abdullah in the same conversations as Gurley and Gordon.
 

March 6: Marcus Hardison, DT, Arizona State

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Of all the mountainous defensive linemen prospects this year, Marcus Hardison could be the biggest sleeper. CBS Sports' has him ranked just outside the top 100 overall prospects. The bullish defensive tackle racked up 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2014, excellent numbers for a player who often had to work with two offensive linemen in his face on any given play.

As a mauler who can play anywhere along the defensive line, one would think Hardison might be getting more attention this spring. His status as a former junior college player might have kept him from getting on teams' radars, but some media analysts are certainly taking notice.

NEPatriotsDraft.com's Mike Loyko might be rethinking his initial impressions of Hardison:

DraftBreakdown.com's Justin Higdon believes he could surprise some at the next level:

Hardison was unable to participate in on-field drills at the NFL combine, per Alex Espinoza of Pac-12.com, likely killing some of his draft buzz. As for numbers, he only participated in the 225-pound bench press, putting up a strong 27 reps. His pro day will be crucial for his draft stock, as a poor performance or inability to complete drills could relegate him to the later rounds of the draft.