2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Top Prospects Ahead of Veteran Combine

As the second week of free agency rages onward and the NFL prepares for the inaugural NFL veteran combine, the path to the draft chugs along in the background.

Right now, the draft is not a factor in the minds of most, something quite hard to imagine considering Oregon's Marcus Mariota just performed at his pro day. Considering he's in a head-to-head race with Jameis Winston for No. 1, it's something the globe needs to keep up with day by day. 

Then again, pro days don't alter the draft board as much as most would guess. At this stage, pro days reaffirm what scouts and front offices already think—good or bad. 

Below, let's take a look at an updated mock based on team need, value and prospect stock before diving into some of the notable pro-day developments observers might have missed.

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 (Ohio)

Highlighting Recent Notable Pro Day Takeaways and Predictions 

Jake Fisher Climbs the Ladder

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

This may shock some—there were other players besides Mariota in attendance at Oregon's pro day.

Offensive tackle Jake Fisher sounds like the biggest winner of all.

At a position headlined by Brandon Scherff, La'el Collins and others, Fisher didn't stand out in a major way at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he weighed in at 6'6" and 306 pounds. Even so, his 5.01 40-yard dash as well as other measurables ranked among the position's best and turned a few heads.

Fisher was at it again at Oregon's pro day.

NFL.com's Gil Brandt writes that "Fisher helped himself as much as anybody so far at this year's pro days," and went on to add further detail:

"

Fisher stood on his numbers from the NFL Scouting Combine, where he had the best time among offensive linemen in the three-cone drill and 20-yard short shuttle, and was a top performer in his position group in the 40-yard dash and vertical jump. Fisher is an unbelievably good athlete -- he was a high school tight end -- and was very impressive at the pro day. Fisher made some money Thursday.

"

Fisher's hype train has been building for some time now, as Bleacher Report's Matt Miller made an interesting comparison:

At this point, Fisher is an upside-based pick who can help an NFL line right away. He's not as refined as some of the other talents at the position, but in time he may surpass them all.

It all amounts to Fisher's coming off the board near the top of the second round, although it wouldn't shock to see him be a surprise first-round entrant, either.

Prediction: Fisher hears his name called in the early second round. 

Quinten Rollins Gains Ground

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Get accustomed to Quinten Rollins's name.

While he hails from a smaller school, the Miami (Ohio) product has done nothing short of improve his stock each step of the way on the path to the draft.

At the combine, Rollins came in at 5'11" and 195 pounds with strong measurements in most drills. Still, scouts needed more from an on-field standpoint to peg Rollins as a potential first-round pick.

He delivered.

At the RedHawks' pro day, Rollins shined in drills, prompting NFL.com's Bryan Fischer to write the following review: "He concentrated on defensive back drills Thursday, appearing quite fluid and showing off his ability to high point the football in order to grab interceptions."

Sheer athleticism and a steady improvement on the field is nothing short of a good thing for a fringe first-round prospect on the hunt to make a name for himself in a weaker class. It's not easy to name the top corner in the class, and while Rollins doesn't qualify, it is beginning to look like he may come close on draft day.

Taking elite athleticism into account and a noticeable improvement along the path to the draft, a team such as the New England Patriots won't be able to ignore Rollins near the end of the first round. 

Prediction: New England selects Rollins at No. 32.

Alvin Dupree Cements Status 

USA TODAY Sports

Unlike cornerback, there is no shortage of elite edge players who can pressure quarterbacks in this year's class.

Alvin Dupree is a late riser in some circles, perhaps most of all because he didn't play at an SEC powerhouse. His name isn't as recognizable as, say, Dante Fowler Jr., Vic Beasley, Randy Gregory or even Shane Ray.

It's a notion continuing to shift in dramatic fashion, though.

The Kentucky product shocked the globe at the combine with a 4.56 40-yard dash, a 42-inch vertical and a 138-inch broad jump at 6'4" and 269 pounds.

It should not come as a shock Dupree chose to stand on those numbers at Kentucky's pro day and instead channel all his effort into position drills. The results, per Miller, are a reaffirmation for those who believe in his first-round status:

In hindsight, Dupree figures to go down as one of the biggest risers in the class. It's a marvel a talent such as him can fly under the radar for an entire season just because of where he played collegiate ball, but so it goes.

A team such as Washington, which generated only 36 sacks last year, will bank on Dupree's immediate contributions as well as his immense upside.

Prediction: Washington selects Dupree at No. 5.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of March 18. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.