2015 NFL Mock Draft: Bold Predictions for High-Profile Prospects

Every football fan is interested in whom his or her favorite team will select in the first round of the NFL draft, but there are a few notable players whom the entire football world will be watching for on draft day. 

Where will the most polarizing prospects land? I'll give my best educated guess on three of them, as well as a prediction of what to expect from them in their rookie seasons.

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

Marcus Mariota

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

No one seems too sure where the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner will land. At one point, he seemed to be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick. Then he was possibly in play at No. 2 for the Tennessee Titans—or at least a team that wanted to trade up for him.

Then it appeared the New York Jets would definitely take him at No. 6. The possibility of that now seems grim, as owner Woody Johnson said current quarterback Geno Smith is likely "way ahead" of Marcus Mariota in terms of development, per NFL.com's Marc Sessler. That doesn't necessarily mean the Jets won't take Mariota, but it certainly sounds like a little more than gamesmanship.

Who else needs a quarterback? The Chicago Bears at No. 7 could take Mariota and have him sit behind Jay Cutler for the time being. If Cutler is his normal erratic self, there's reason to believe the team might move on from him at the end of the season.

That would present a good opportunity for Mariota to step in and play in his second year after having watched and learned as a rookie. No matter where Mariota lands, it seems a long shot you'd see a lot of him in year one. Still, I believe in him as a long-term project. His athleticism, leadership and work ethic make it difficult not to see him turn into a franchise quarterback.

Jameis Winston

The expectations for Jameis Winston are much different than they are for Mariota. Winston is viewed as a quarterback with the aptitude to start from day one. Take one look at the way Winston dissects former head coach and NFL.com analyst Steve Mariucci's coverage concept in the linked video, and you'll know why the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner is expected to grasp an NFL offense without hiccup.

Mix that with a natural leadership quality that makes his teammates want to run through a wall for him, and you've got a player with the potential to be an all-time great.

Hold on one second, though.

There are those pesky character concerns. Can Winston exercise self-control and better judgement as a rich man than he did as a popular young college student? No one can say for sure. But here's what I can tell you: If Winston is on the field for 800-plus snaps, he'll win the NFL Rookie of the Year. To channel my inner Roman Reigns from the WWE: "You can believe that."

Amari Cooper

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

While Amari Cooper has been supplanted on most mock drafts as the top receiver on the board, he's still a player of interest because of his skill and collegiate accomplishments.

Cooper has excellent hands, he runs routes efficiently and he comes from a winning program. He may not have the size (6'1", 211 lbs) and speed (4.42-second 40-yard dash) that West Virginia's Kevin White possesses (6'3", 215 lbs, 4.35 40-yard dash), but Cooper's qualities can't be overlooked.

Expect Cooper to play his rookie season with a major chip on his shoulder. Provided he stays healthy, he'll prove himself to be the best rookie wide receiver in this year's draft.