NFL Mock Draft 2015: Projections for Top Prospects as Free Agency Continues

NFL free agency and the draft go hand in hand like the St. Louis Rams and stud defensive tackles. 

No joke—coach Jeff Fisher just brought on Nick Fairley, per ESPN.com, joining an already elite line including Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers at the position.

So no, the Rams won't be drafting a defensive tackle in the first round this year.

The above is how most should analyze free agency and draft correlation at this point. So far, plenty of teams have a new face in former big voids, freeing the front office from the shackles of addressing the position with a rookie. The inverse also holds true, as departures make first-round choices more complicated.

Not complicated? Where things stand now with some of the biggest names off the market.

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	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
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	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
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	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
17	San Diego Chargers	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
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	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
30	Green Bay Packers	Carl Davis, DL, Iowa
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (OH.)

Analyzing Free Agency's Latest 1st-Round Impact

Weapons for Teddy in Minnesota

It's all about Teddy Bridgewater in Minnesota.

Bridgewater was strong as a rookie, completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, but coach Mike Zimmer and the front office don't seem content to rest with the same faces around him next year.

To remedy the situation, the front office grabbed Mike Wallace from the Miami Dolphins, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Wallace is a huge financial investment, but he averages better than 15 yards per catch on his career, an ideal big-play threat for a young quarterback.

The Vikings aren't done just because of Wallace's arrival, either—they also just released veteran Greg Jennings, per ESPN's Ben Goessling.

All the above digested, it should not be a shock when the Vikings next turn to their high selection to secure another reliable target for Bridgewater. Think Alabama's Amari Cooper, one of three Heisman Trophy finalists last year who caught 124 passes for 1,727 yards and 16 scores.

With the sure-handed Cooper on one side of the field, Cordarrelle Patterson on the other and Wallace stretching defenses in a vertical manner, the cliche sophomore slump won't be a thing for Bridgewater in Minnesota.

Baltimore's Wideout Need

USA TODAY Sports

Joe Flacco is far from rookie status, but he's going to need some help in 2015 and beyond as well. 

One of Flacco's top receivers, Torrey Smith, is now a member of the San Francisco 49ers, per Schefter. Going off just last year's numbers alone, 49 catches, 767 yards and 11 touchdowns are heading to the NFC.

It helps to know Steve Smith will be back in the fold, per Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun, but the front office will need to use a high draft pick to help Flacco remain steady.

Based on where the Ravens pick, Arizona State's Jaelen Strong figures to be the top option. It's a good thing, too, considering his track record at the collegiate level:

YEAR	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
2014	82	1165	14.2	10
2013	75	1122	15.0	7

Strong might be a great deep-threat replacement for Smith right out of the gates too, considering he weighed in at 6'2" and 217 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. He then ran a 4.44 40-yard dash and posted a 42-inch vertical. Translation—he can stretch the field and win jump balls.

It may seem a bit of an overreaction to grab a receiver in the first round, even more so after last year's historic offering. But Strong won't fall to the Ravens in the second. He's a great fit, can produce right away and offers quality upside—checking off every mark on the first-round-pick list.

Extra Pick for the Saints

What would the NFL draft be without a major trade to shake up the order?

Thank the New Orleans Saints for the latest batch of intrigue in this department.

The front office thought the best way to remove itself from cap purgatory was to trade star tight end Jimmy Graham to the New Orleans Saints, per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer. It doesn't help that the team also traded Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins, per ProFootballTalk.

So what does a Saints team coming off a 7-9 record with a 25th-ranked pass defense and 29th-ranked run defense do with an extra pick near the end of the first round?

Replace Graham, of course. 

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Look, barring a major misstep in decision-making, the Saints will already address the defense with the first of their two first-round picks. It leaves No. 31 open for any avenue, meaning the team can continue to go all-in around Drew Brees as his career winds down. 

How about a talented tight end? Michigan's Devin Funchess comes to mind a few weeks removed from weighing in at 6'4" and 232 pounds with a 4.70-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

The biggest knock on Funchess is his lack of a true position, something that will be a moot point with the Saints. Brees can put the hybrid weapon in a position to succeed, whether by using his big frame as a red-zone target or throwing him open to generate yards after the catch down the field.

Regardless, the Saints have options now and can soothe the relationship with Brees after what has been a rocky offseason to date.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of March 14. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.