NFL Mock Draft 2015: Opening-Round Projections for Polarizing Prospects

As NFL pro days get underway, the task at hand is quite different for each prospect.

For a top name such as Alabama safety Landon Collins, it's a validation period for numbers posted at the combine.

For a struggling, polarizing name that scouts and NFL teams cannot seem to figure out, though, it's one final national spectacle to win the hearts and minds before the draft.

Keep in mind that pro days are not everything. Look at last year for proof, when North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron struggled in the drops department—and went on to be drafted No. 10 overall by the Detroit Lions.

Still, the draft's most polarizing names are obvious, so let's take the time to examine them and their repercussions on the opening round.

2015 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
4	Oakland Raiders	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
5	Washington Redskins	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
6	New York Jets	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
7	Chicago Bears	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
10	St. Louis Rams	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
11	Minnesota Vikings	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
14	Miami Dolphins	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
16	Houston Texans	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
17	San Diego Chargers	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
27	Dallas Cowboys	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
28	Denver Broncos	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
29	Indianapolis Colts	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
30	Green Bay Packers	Carl Davis, DL, Iowa
31	Seattle Seahawks	Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
32	New England Patriots	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota

Predictions for Most Polarizing Prospects

Paul Dawson, ILB, TCU

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Go ahead and name the top inside linebacker in the 2015 class.

It's truly a tossup among names such as Eric Kendricks, Denzel Perryman and Benardrick McKinney.

TCU's Paul Dawson is a notable to keep tabs on, though. He's an absolute monster of a two-down thumper on film, but weighing in at 6'0" and 235 pounds with iffy numbers in most tests did not exactly help him stand out among the other names.

Opinions on Dawson at this point are all over the place. The experts at CBSSports.com place him firmly behind Kendricks and label him a second-round pick, while NFL.com's Gil Brandt believes he can overcome physical shortcomings:

"

Still, he was such a competitive overachiever as a Horned Frog that I'm confident he can overcome his lack of speed and athletic ability to be effective at the next level. In fact, he reminds me of linebacker Brandon Spikes, who produced at Florida, struggled in the pre-draft period, then proved to be a solid pro, first with the Patriots and now with the Bills.

"

In the first round, teams may wind up more comfortable with a more athletic, versatile player.

Look at a team such as the Indianapolis Colts at No. 29 overall. There's an obvious need for a linebacker there who can also provide a rush, making a freak athlete such as Shaq Thompson much more attractive. 

Dawson won't fall far into the second round. He'll also be a favorite of many scouts and fans right up until draft day. But his lack of size and athleticism will drop him out of the first round ever so slightly. 

Prediction: Dawson comes off the board in the early second round. 

Devin Funchess, OW, Michigan

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

That "OW" there isn't a mistake—Michigan's Devin Funchess defies description.

Really, he's an enigma. Arguably too small (6'4", 232 lbs) for tight end and not fast enough for wide receiver (4.7-second 40-yard dash at the combine), Funchess does not have anything on the resume that jumps off the page.

NFL Network's Albert Breer summed up the conundrum best last month:

That analysis holds weight considering Michigan asked Funchess to play wideout last year, resulting in a career-low four touchdowns.

An iffy quarterback situation didn't help, sure, but as Lance Zierlein at NFL.com points out, catching is an issue: "Pass-catching is labored. Allows throws into his frame and catches back half of football at times. Tagged with 20 drops over last three seasons. Isn't a lock to high-point a throw and doesn't attack throws. Won't win enough 50/50 throws."

Funnily enough, some of those same issues can be strong points in a different light.  

Funchess touts just enough size to create mismatches in the red zone, and the potential for his ability to high-point 50-50 balls keeps him in the first-round conversation. 

Conversation is sometimes not enough, though, especially in a tight end class headlined by Maxx Williams and a wideout class even deeper than last year's historic offering—placing Funchess in the early second round at best. 

Prediction: Funchess comes off the board in the early second round. 

Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Fla.)

USA TODAY Sports

Offensive tackle is a confusing mess this year. 

Ereck Flowers' name isn't brought up a ton, but he fits right in as someone scouts think might be better off as an offensive guard than on the outside, a notion that applies to the four names in front of him, too—Brandon Scherff, Andrus Peat, La'el Collins and T.J. Clemmings.

That said, Jayson Braddock of KBME SportsTalk 790 sums up the situation best:

At 6'6" and 329 pounds with 37 bench-press reps of 225 pounds at the combine, Flowers obviously has the size and strength to play on the inside or out at the next level.

That is enough for some to think of Flowers as a first-round pick, especially given the need for tackles in the NFL. The problem Braddock and others find, though, is in the technique department when it comes to footwork.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller goes so far as to say Flowers is a project:

The aforementioned state of the class and needs of the league work in Flowers' favor, though.

Sometimes a first-round project is a gamble teams are willing to take with the short- and long-term outlook in focus. A team such as Denver, which needs an upgrade on the interior, will be content to kick Flowers inside for a few seasons before a move back outside.

Look for Flowers to sneak into the first round thanks to class, need and the almighty "U" word—upside. 

Prediction: Denver selects Flowers at No. 28 overall. 

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of March 6. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.