NFL Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Projections for Where Top Prospects Will Land

Now that the smoke has started to clear from one of the wildest NFL free-agency periods in recent memory, the focus is shifting toward an NFL draft that could be equally unpredictable.

A handful of prospects stand out above the rest, but with team needs and other factors entering the equation, there are no guarantees. This offseason has essentially been an arms race between teams that are trying to get to the top and teams that want to stay there, and the draft will continue that trend.

Here is a full rundown of what every team is expected to do in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft as well as a closer look at some pass-rushers who are flying under the radar due to the depth at their position.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
6	New York Jets	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
7	Chicago Bears	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
10	St. Louis Rams	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
11	Minnesota Vikings	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
14	Miami Dolphins	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
15	San Francisco 49ers	Danny Shelton, DL, Washington
16	Houston Texans	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
17	San Diego Chargers	Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Jaelen Strong, WR, KC
19	Cleveland Browns (from BUF)	Dante Fowler, DE/OLB, Florida
20	Philadelphia Eagles	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
25	Carolina Panthers	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
26	Baltimore Ravens	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
27	Dallas Cowboys	Owa Odighizuwa, DE/OLB, UCLA
28	Denver Broncos	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
29	Indianapolis Colts	Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
30	Green Bay Packers	Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami (Fla.)
31	New Orleans Saints (from SEA)	Devin Funchess, TE/WR, Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Unheralded Pass-Rushers to Watch

Eli Harold

While he may not be receiving the same hype as guys like Randy Gregory or Shane Ray, former Virginia standout Eli Harold has an opportunity to do some big things at the NFL level.

As a defensive end with the Cavaliers, Harold averaged 7.5 sacks per season over the course of the 2013 and 2014 campaigns, but his true calling in the NFL may be as a rush linebacker. At 6'3" and 247 pounds, it could be tough for Harold to excel with his hand in the dirt. After running the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds at the NFL combine, though, transitioning to linebacker shouldn't be an issue.

Regardless of where Harold lines up, ESPN's Todd McShay is starting to view him as one of this draft's elite pass-rushing options:

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller is a fan as well, and he compares him to one of the Miami Dolphins' star pass-rushers:

Harold figures to be a popular prospect due to the NFL's focus on 3-4 defenses right now, and one defense in particular that could utilize his skill set quite well is that of the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cards struggled to pressure the quarterback at times last season, and while they won't have a shot at one of the bigger-name pass-rushers with the 24th pick in the first round, Harold is definitely a guy who will be in their wheelhouse.

Arizona boasts a talented defense overall, and that is something that could help Harold be productive immediately even as he learns the NFL game.

Owamagbe Odighizuwa

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Statistical output in college doesn't always tell the entire story about a prospect, and that seems to be the case when it comes to UCLA pass-rusher Owamagbe Odighizuwa.

Despite being a physically imposing figure, Odighizuwa managed just six sacks this past season. Much of that had to do with the Bruins' scheme, which Miller believes limited him in terms of what he could have conceivably accomplished as a pass-rusher:

Odighizuwa seems to agree with that assessment, although he doesn't think his usage in college will impact what he is able to do at the next level, per Chris Foster of the Los Angeles Times.

"Playing end in a 3-4 [defense], you're not going to get sack numbers," Odighizuwa said. "But I'm confident I can be an outside pass rusher, like [former UCLA and current Minnesota Vikings linebacker] Anthony Barr."

Odighizuwa clearly has confidence in himself, and NFL.com's Bryan Fischer gets the impression that NFL teams are starting to come around on his big-time potential as well:

While Odighizuwa made mention of playing linebacker, he definitely has the size to be an end in the NFL at 6'3" and 267 pounds, according to NFL.com. The need for hand-down pass-rushers is starting to diminish a bit, but the Dallas Cowboys are a team that continues to covet that type of player.

Dallas desperately needs to continue adding players who can get to the quarterback after struggling in that regard last year, and that makes Odighizuwa a logical selection at No. 27.

Arik Armstead

Few prospects in the 2015 NFL draft class are as physically impressive as defensive lineman Arik Armstead, although it is fair to wonder how he'll translate to the NFL level.

The former Oregon star's measurables are undeniable, as he stands 6'7" and weighs 292 pounds, according to NFL.com. At the same time, Armstead didn't exactly stuff the stat sheet this past season with the Ducks, as he recorded just 2.5 sacks.

That doesn't necessarily mean that Armstead can't make an impact in the NFL, though. According to NFL Network on Twitter, draft expert Mike Mayock believes the sky is the limit for the big lineman:

Miller agrees, as he views Armstead as one of the best overall prospects in the class:

Armstead may not be a big-time pass-rusher in the NFL, but he doesn't necessarily have to be at his size. He seems to be an ideal fit as a 3-4 defensive end due to the fact that he is both athletic and able to take on blockers.

Because of that, the Indianapolis Colts at No. 29 figure to take a long look at Armstead. They have made improvements on the defensive side of the ball by signing pass-rusher Trent Cole, and Armstead would fill another need as well.

He is the type of player who can open things up for guys like Cole, and that could make him invaluable in the latter stages of the first round.

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