2015 NFL Mock Draft: Complete 1st-Round Predictions for Most Hyped Prospects

The 2015 NFL Draft class abounds with talent in the trenches. If you're a team looking for help on the edge or even on the interior, you've hit the mother lode.

What it doesn't have, however, is a ton of star power.

Take a look at any first-round mock draft and you aren't going to see many guys who made a huge name for themselves in the college game. Leonard Williams, for example, figures to be one of the best in the class. His versatility and explosiveness as a 6'5", 291-pound defensive lineman should translate to the pro game very nicely.

However, there weren't many college football fans who would have listed him when naming the game's biggest stars.

There were a few players who built up a reputation in the college football limelight during their days of balancing football with academia, though. Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and Amari Cooper didn't just collect an impressive amount of hardware, they built first-round resumes on film.

Here's a look at where they, and the rest of the 2015 draft class, could be heading in the first round:

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler, EDGE, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
5	Washington Redskins	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Randy Gregory, EDGE, Nebraska
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, EDGE, MIssouri
9	New York Giants	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
10	St. Louis Rams	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
11	Minnesota Vikings	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
12	Cleveland Browns	Vic Beasley, EDGE, Clemson
13	New Orleans Saints	Alvin Dupree, EDGE, Kentucky
14	Miami Dolphins	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
15	San Francisco 49ers	Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
16	Houston Texans	Landon Collins, S, Alabma
17	San Diego Chargers	Danny Shelton, DL, Washington
18	Kansas City Chiefs	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Malcom Brown, DL, Texas
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Eddie Goldman, DL, Florida State
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
23	Detroit Lions	T.J. Cummings, OT, Pittsburgh
24	Arizona Cardinals	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, EDGE, UCLA
25	Carolina Panthers	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
26	Baltimore Ravens	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
27	Dallas Cowboys	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28	Denver Broncos	Cameron Erving, C/OT, Florida State
29	Indianapolis Colts	Benardrick McKinney, LB, Mississippi State
30	Green Bay Packers	Paul Dawson, LB, TCU
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Jordan Phillips, DL, Oklahoma
32	New England Patriots	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Jameis Winston Goes No. 1 Overall

No one has been the center of attention in college football more than Jameis Winston over the last two years. He's been a Heisman winner, national champion and the center of many a controversy. Now, the big question is how well he can transition to the NFL game.

As with any prospect, it's difficult to gauge that question from an off-field perspective. We aren't privy to Winston's personal life and thus projecting that Winston won't adjust well to NFL life would be pure conjecture.

What we can observe are the tools that Winston has as a quarterback on film. And that's a place where he undeniably excels.

He has the frame. At 6'4" and 231 pounds, he should be able to withstand the punishment that comes with playing in the NFL. He also has the football intelligence. As a two-year starter in Jimbo Fisher's system at Florida State, Winston's transition to an NFL playbook shouldn't be as drastic as other rookies coming from systems that are quite different to the ones they will soon run.

Then, there's Winston's arm. On his podcast, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah recently compared the Florida State quarterback's arm strength to Aaron Rodgers.

"We used a scale of three to seven when I was with the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns. Seven being elite, six being above average, five average, four below average, and three poor," Jeremiah explained, assessing Winson. "I would give Jameis Winston a six-plus arm, which is the same I gave to Aaron Rodgers coming out."

Jeremiah went on to explain that after three years of sitting behind Brett Favre and working on his mechanics, Rodgers' arm would now grade out at a seven. That's why Winston should be the No. 1 overall selection.

As is, he comes with the most NFL-ready skillset of any rookie quarterback in this class, yet he still comes with enough to work on mechanically that he could improve.

For a Buccaneers team in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, that's very exciting news. 

Marcus Mariota Slips to the Jets

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Right alongside Winston on the college football hype train was Mariota, but the two couldn't be more different. Whereas Winston is known for his bravado, Mariota is a quiet, stoic star. 

The differences extend to the field too. Winston is universally lauded for the pro system he came out of, while one knock against Mariota tends to be whether he can handle the transition from the spread offense he ran at Oregon to the one that he'll run in the pro ranks.

In truth, that's probably an overblown narrative. The fact is that Mariota has demonstrated the skills necessary to be successful at the next level.

For example, in the cut-up below, via DraftBreakdown.com, he keeps his eyes down field as he makes his reads, steps up to avoid pressure and delivers a well-thrown ball to a receiver who is being trailed by the corner.

Yes, there might be a learning curve for Mariota—even Andrew Luck had an adjustment period to the NFL game—but one thing that could alleviate that transition for Mariota is being drafted by the Jets at No. 6. 

Amid New York's franchise facelift this offseason, Chan Gailey was brought in to be offensive coordinator. The former Bills head man might not have had great success as the Buffalo head coach, but his expertise lies in the spread offense, and he cut his teeth in the college game.

If there's a coach other than Chip Kelly who can get the most out of Mariota's abilities, it's Gailey. 

Amari Cooper Slides to Dolphins

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Amari Cooper could wind up being the biggest example of a player whose actual draft stock just doesn't match up to his hype. 

As the Alabama Crimson Tide's most dangerous offensive weapon, Cooper was a household name in college football. Not only was he the epicenter of Lane Kiffin's offense in Tuscaloosa, but he also made a compelling case to be a top-five pick.

Then the combine happened. 

It isn't often that a combine performance is really worthy of a bump in stock, but West Virginia's Kevin White put on a show that no doubt upped the ante in the battle to be the first receiver taken. At 6'3" and 215 pounds, White's 4.35 40-yard dash and 23 reps on the bench press exemplified the kind of freak athlete he is.

It also may have pushed Cooper right out of the No. 4 spot. In turn, that could cause Cooper to slide a bit more than expected. It would be difficult for the Rams to pass on the Alabama product, but they've shown in recent years that they are committed to building the team from the lines out in early rounds.

However, Cooper should fall no further than 14. The Dolphins may have added Jordan Cameron, but they still need to add at least one more weapon if they truly want to give Ryan Tannehill the tools needed to succeed.

With Cooper's strong route-running, reliable hands and good athleticism, he's a receiver who will be ready to contribute right away and develop into a star.