2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions on Landing Spots for Top Prospects

Now that the initial chaos of free agency has passed and everybody has had a moment to breathe and take it all in, it is time to look ahead to the NFL draft.

Even with free agency being the feeding ground it was this season, there is no better place to cultivate new talent than the draft. With a deep class on both sides of the ball, this year’s draft could mean the difference between a top-10 pick in next year’s draft and a run to the playoffs.

So here are the predictions for the landing spots of some of the high-profile names in the upcoming draft, including a Heisman-winning quarterback and a record-breaking running back.

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

The chaos of free agency will change things drastically

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This isn’t as much of a bold prediction as it is a statement in the vein of the team that scores more points is going to win the game. It’s obvious and it’s cliched, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

It has been one of the craziest free-agency periods in recent memory with a number of high-profile acquisitions and trades that will greatly impact the draft, starting with the most important position in football—the quarterback.

Although odds are Jameis Winston will be taken with the top pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there is another top quarterback prospect in this year's draft who has a number of teams interested.

Heisman winner Marcus Mariota is an elite prospect who will be seen as a franchise quarterback by whichever team selects him. For a while, it was speculated that the Philadelphia Eagles were willing to trade up to select the former Oregon product and reunite Chip Kelly with his former star player.

But after the team acquired Sam Bradford—who comes with a serious cap hit—for Nick Foles and re-signed Mark Sanchez, that path seems less likely, unless Kelly is planning on stashing quarterbacks like he is running backs.

Which leaves the Jets as the most likely destination for Mariota at No. 6 overall. The Jets desperately need a quarterback now, and Mariota is the best fit.

Prediction: Marcus Mariota to the New York Jets at No. 6

Do the Titans have one of the best defensive fronts in the league?

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After one of the worst years in franchise history, there were a number of problems the Tennessee Titans faced heading into this offseason. Probably too many issues to be solved quickly enough to make the team a contender heading into next season.

But that doesn’t mean the higher-ups in the franchise haven’t laid the groundwork for a successful future in Tennessee, and it all started up front on defense.

With the signing of free agents Brian Orakpo, Derrick Morgan and Karl Klug, the Titans have built a solid foundation for a front seven that could be one of the best units in the NFL.

It is looking like that unit will get even stronger in the draft, with USC’s Leonard Williams projected to go to the Titans at No. 2 overall, as per CBSSports.com. The former Trojan is a hugely talented prospect who will make an instant impact on any defensive line in the league.

If the Titans do decide to go with what many experts expect them to, their defensive line could become one of the more fearsome units in the league and will be the first baby-step to a return to relevancy in a relatively weak AFC South.

Prediction: Leonard Williams to the Tennessee Titans at No. 2

What do the Cowboys do at running back?

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One of the biggest splashes this offseason was the move DeMarco Murray made from the Dallas Cowboys to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.

But while the Philadelphia side of things will be analyzed again and again until the season starts, the Cowboys are also in quite the interesting situation. After losing Murray—last year’s Offensive Player of the Year—Dallas has a serious hole to fill on offense.

Although the idea of Adrian Peterson will probably be floated around a lot, like in this New York Post piece by Mark Cannizzaro, the best place for the Cowboys to turn for their next running back is the draft.

As I have noted before, this is one of the strongest running back draft classes in a while. With two first-round talents likely to be on the board when Dallas’ pick comes around, the team selecting a running back is starting to look like the most probable scenario.

With the choice narrowed down to Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon, it all depends on whether or not the Cowboys are willing to take a risk on an injury-prone running back like Gurley.

Murray was no beacon of health himself, so it would make sense for Dallas to be weary of a running back with an injury history and instead select Gordon as the running back of the future.

Prediction: Melvin Gordon to the Cowboys at No. 27