2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Top Prospects With Most Upside

The term "upside" is most often used to describe a player who might not have honed his skills enough to make an immediate impact; yet his raw physical gifts have scouts and coaches intrigued.

Every draft has its share of players with upside, and the 2015 NFL draft is no exception. In this article, we focus on three players who have tremendous physical ability, yet there are still questions about their long-term prognosis in the NFL.

The spotlighted players are highlighted in the mock draft below.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
4	Oakland Raiders	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
5	Washington	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB. Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
7	Chicago Bears	Vic Beasley, OLB/DE, Clemson
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray OLB/DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
10	St. Louis Rams	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
11	Minnesota Vikings	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
12	Cleveland Browns	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama Crimson Tide
13	New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
15	San Francisco 49ers	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
16	Houston Texans	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
17	San Diego Chargers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
18	Kansas City Chiefs	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisvilee
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Alex Carter, CB, Stanford
23	Detroit Lions	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
24	Arizona Cardinals	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
25	Carolina Panthers	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
26	Baltimore Ravens	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
27	Dallas Cowboys	Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
28	Denver Broncos	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
29	Indianapolis Colts	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
30	Green Bay Packers	Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
31	Seattle Seahawks	Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
32	New England Patriots	Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan

Kevin White

USA TODAY Sports

The attraction to Kevin White as a receiver starts with his size. At 6'3" and 215 pounds, he has the length and bulk to be a physical possession receiver in the NFL. Does that mean he's a slow wideout who will be at his best running 10-yard comeback routes?

To the contrary, White's 4.35 40-yard-dash time at the NFL combine proved he has the speed that can blow the top off a defense.

How about his leaping ability? Can he be a force in the red zone? With a 36.5" vertical leap to augment his 6'3" frame, White looks like a guy who could be a terror on fade routes. What's not to like about him?

CBS Sports' Rob Rang writes:

"

While an excellent athlete, White isn't a burner and doesn't have the elite suddenness in space to consistently make defenders miss or dance his way out of trouble. He will have the occasional focus drop and while a very willing blocker, White has room to improve his technique to better sustain and avoid holding calls.

"

Some guys don't play as fast as they run during workouts. White could be one of those guys. When you watch tape of him, it doesn't appear as though he has 4.35 speed. You also notice a few drops that you would have to attribute to a lack of concentration.

Even with those imperfections, it's hard to ignore a prospect with White's blend of size and athleticism. It'll be a gamble to draft him ahead of the more polished Amari Cooper from the Alabama Crimson Tide, but it's looking more and more like that's what will happen.

The White-or-Cooper debate may rage on for years.

Vic Beasley

USA TODAY Sports

Coming into the combine there were concerns about Vic Beasley's weight. Many thought he might not have the size and strength to handle an edge-rusher role in the NFL.

Beasley seemed to dispel all of those concerns when he measured and weighed in at 6'3" and 246 pounds. He looked as if he was carrying more muscle than he had in his collegiate career with the Clemson Tigers, but you couldn't tell when he took the track to run the 40-yard dash.

His 4.53 time proved he still had the explosiveness that made him the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein still believes Beasley has a thin waist and hips, and that might hinder him in taking on the physical offensive tackles he'll encounter in the NFL.

In my eyes, Beasley is the real deal. He was the best player for the nation's No. 1 defense in 2014. He has shown his commitment by adding the requisite muscle to impress scouts, and he looks eager to continue to prove himself.

Barring some sort of injury, Beasley will become a perennial Pro Bowler if he lands in the right system.

Marcus Mariota

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Folks question whether Marcus Mariota can transition from the Oregon Ducks spread offense into a more pro-style look. If the Philadelphia Eagles get their way, he might not have to.

Mariota's former college coach and Eagles head man Chip Kelly seems intent on moving up to draft the quarterback he recruited a few years ago. Per Larry Brown of MSN Sports, the Eagles have a deal in place to swap picks with the New York Jets if Mariota is still on the board when Gang Green selects sixth.

Obviously, that would be an ideal start to Mariota's career, but I believe he would find success with or without the Eagles.

Physically, he has the tools. He's 6'4" and 222 pounds, and his hands measure 9 7/8". He ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds and showed excellent movement throughout his days in college. While he may not have a cannon for an arm, he is capable of making every throw he'll need to make in the NFL.

Beyond all of the physical qualities, Mariota is a leader, student of the game and competitor. Those three traits figure to be most important in him realizing his potential. Because of what he brings to the table and the importance of the quarterback position in the NFL, he has the most upside of any player in the draft.