2015 NFL Mock Draft: NFL Teams Facing Tough Choices and Players Likely to Slide

Every year, during the weeks leading up to the NFL draft, the internet practically explodes with mock drafts and predictions.

Everybody wants to know who their team might take, and everybody wants to know who will comprise the next crop of NFL stars. But as with any draft, first-round NFL selections come with plenty of bust potential, and many of the NFL’s best players are selected too far down the draft board for most fans to notice (see: Brady, Tom).

However, in 2011, Cam Newton was selected with the No. 1 overall pick. The year before, Sam Bradford was chosen first overall and won Rookie of the Year. Newton won that award as well, and the 2012 top pick was Andrew Luck—who has already been selected to three Pro Bowls and appears well on his way to superstardom.

So, while every draft class includes a couple of JaMarcus Russells, the top picks of every draft—unsurprisingly—tend to yield a handful of future NFL starters.

This year, the draft appears thin on quarterback, and running backs are notoriously difficult to draft with accuracy. It seems likely that many teams with top picks will select less glamorous position players, particularly given the pass-rushing depth of this year’s class.

Below is one of the many mock drafts to come during the next few weeks. As teams meet with players, workouts continue and injury news continues to develop, the shuffle will inevitably continue. The table below precedes analysis of two prospects loaded with potential—Clemson linebacker Vic Beasley and West Virginia receiver Kevin White—and two teams facing tough choices in this year’s draft.

No.	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, FSU
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DT, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
4	Oakland Raiders	Dante Fowler, Jr., DE, Florida
5	Washington Redskins	La’el Collins, OT, LSU
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, ORE
7	Chicago Bears	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
8	Atlanta Falcons	Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska
9	New York Giants	Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
10	St. Louis Rams	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
11	Minnesota Vikings	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
12	Cleveland Browns	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
13	New Orleans Saints	Shane Ray, OLB, Missouri
14	Miami Dolphins	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
15	San Francisco 49ers	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
16	Houston Texans	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
17	San Diego Chargers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
18	Kansas City Chiefs	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
19	Cleveland Browns (from BUF)	Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
23	Detroit Lions	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
24	Arizona Cardinals	Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
25	Carolina Panthers	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
26	Baltimore Ravens	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
27	Dallas Cowboys	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
28	Denver Broncos	Jesse James, TE, Penn St.
29	Indianapolis Colts	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, TCU
30	Green Bay Packers	Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
31	Seattle Seahawks	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
32	New England Patriots	Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke

Vic Beasley and Kevin White: Experience Plus Talent

Vic Beasley, a senior outside linebacker from Adairsville, Georgia, transformed himself from a borderline NFL player into one of the draft’s top prospects during his final two seasons at Clemson. He is by all accounts a tremendous athlete: Beasley stands 6’3” and weighs 246 pounds, ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and placed third at the combine’s bench press test. But Beasley particularly improved his first step—critical for NFL linebackers—and his endurance, playing 557 snaps in 13 games during the 2014 season.

Above, Beasley is projected to be chosen 10th, by the St. Louis Rams. The Rams have holes in their secondary and at quarterback, but there is a dearth of intriguing quarterbacks, and the team will probably be skeptical of drafting a cornerback so early.

Pairing a potential- and talent-laden pick like Beasley with the already-productive Alec Ogletree would offer the Rams tremendous versatility at the linebacker position. The pick makes perfect sense—if he lasts that long. Many mock drafts have Beasley chosen before 10th; CBSSports.com ranks Beasley the fifth-best prospect at any position.

Kevin White, a senior wide receiver from Plainfield, New Jersey, started all 12 games for West Virginia in 2014. He caught 109 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns, including nine games with more than 100 yards in the air.

At the combine, White placed fourth overall in the 40-yard dash—running a 4.35—and demonstrated ample jumping abilities. And perhaps most importantly, White seemed to leave his defenders in the dust at least once or twice every game, as in the clip above.

Like Beasley, White has a good chance of being drafted higher than he’s ranked above. CBSSports.com ranked him the seventh-best prospect overall, and NFL teams—particularly in today’s rush-the-passer-at-all-costs climate—are woe to miss out on a potentially great receiving weapon.

But many of the teams ahead of San Francisco have glaring needs at positions other than receiver, and the draft is deep at skill positions such as tackle and linebacker. If the 49ers can get lucky and select White, they will trot out a receiving corps of Anquan Boldin, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and White—which could arguably be the best in the league.

Difficult Decisions in Washington and Minnesota

The Redskins have a decision to make on Marcus Mariota. Most pundits seem to agree that Tampa Bay will select Winston with the top pick. And the Tennessee Titans have some decisions to make where Jake Locker and Zach Mettenberger are concerned.

But the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders have intriguing young quarterbacks already, and the New York Jets—in dire need of a signal-caller—loom behind Washington.

So, the Redskins need to decide their plan. If they are trying to rebuild gradually, they should draft someone such as La’el Collins, who has far more upside than downside and who appears likely to become a consistent NFL contributor, if not a downright star. This makes sense mostly if the Washington brass retains its faith in Robert Griffin III, who was spectacular in his rookie season before being plagued by injuries.

On the other hand, Griffin can’t stay healthy, and the Redskins are unlikely to compete with Kirk Cousins or an injured RGIII behind center. If the team wants to compete in the very near future, or if the team is willing to take a high-draft-pick chance on a quarterback for the second time in four years, Mariota seems the logical pick.

The Vikings, on a similar note, face questions at running back. There are really just two factors in play.

First, Adrian Peterson—newly reinstated from suspension—could easily come back in full form. When healthy, Peterson is the best running back (and perhaps the best player) in the entire league. So, if Minnesota expects him to return and carry the load, it doesn’t make sense to take a chance on someone like Gurley. It probably doesn’t make sense to draft a running back at all.

But second, if Peterson’s future lies elsewhere, or if the team lacks confidence in Peterson’s level of play, the team has a more complicated decision to make. Gurley makes for an intriguing candidate. He tore his ACL last November, which will discourage most teams from drafting him. His consistency is a question mark.

But when healthy, Gurley is far and away the best running back in the draft—and, as Peterson himself proved, it’s possible to come back from an ACL tear. If the Vikings want to compete next year, they either need a healthy Peterson or a contributor from the draft. Gurley may be a surprise choice, higher up than people expect.