2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects After Veteran Combine

The 2015 NFL draft is slowly approaching, and now that the veteran combine is over, teams can turn their attention back to scouting some of the top prospects across the country.

This year's draft will be held in Chicago from April 30 to May 2, with some of the most talented players coming out of college attending the event. However, one player that won't be attending is potential No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston, according to MMQB's Peter King.

But just because Winston won't attend doesn't mean he'll slide down draft boards. There will be plenty of future stars attending the draft, and they'll all anxiously be waiting for their names to be called.

Before those players head to Chicago, let's take a look at an updated mock draft after the veteran combine, as well as a breakdown of some of the more intriguing first-round prospects.

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 Gregoy, OLB, Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
8	Atlanta Falcons	Alvin Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
9	New York Giants	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
10	St. Louis Rams	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
11	Minnesota Vikings	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
14	Miami Dolphins	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
15	San Francisco 49ers	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
16	Houston Texans	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
17	San Diego Chargers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
23	Detroit Lions	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (FL)
24	Arizona Cardinals	Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
25	Carolina Panthers	D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
26	Baltimore Ravens	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
27	Dallas Cowboys	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Paul Dawson, ILB, TCU
30	Green Bay Packers	Eric Kendrics, ILB, UCLA
31	New Orleans Saints (From SEA)	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
32	New England Patriots	Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

There are a handful of teams throughout the first round that could use a safety, and Alabama's Landon Collins is the clear No. 1 prospect at the position.

The only question is, where exactly will Collins wind up?

There are teams like the Chicago Bears and New York Giants that badly need a safety and have top-10 picks, but they may be worried about overreaching for the only safety with a consensus first-round grade. Bleacher Report's Matt Bowen discussed this issue in a recent article, saying:

"

But teams drafting that high still have to be smart when grading Collins. He's a player I would want on my defense and who should bring a lot of versatility to a defense's sub-packages. But even with the glaring demand for talent at safety right now, I don't see the top-10 value here without the consistent impact from the middle of the field.

"

During his time with the Crimson Tide, Collins showed that he's a decisive playmaker in the secondary, running downhill to stop the run or dropping back in zone coverage. He doesn't have the best ball skills and can struggle in man coverage, but he's a heavy hitter with the instincts to make the right plays.

A team like the Kansas City Chiefs, who clearly need help in their secondary, will have a hard time passing on Collins. He's a pro-ready safety that should get better with more experience, and he'll be too tough to pass on with the No. 18 pick.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington

Another player that continues to dance around draft boards is Washington's Shaq Thompson but not for that same reasons as Collins.

During this past season with the Huskies, Thompson played all over the field, taking snaps at inside linebacker, outside linebacker, safety and even took carries as a running back. There might not be a more versatile player in this draft, but the problem is that teams aren't sure where he'll play at the next level.

According to Gil Brandt from NFL.com, a couple of teams believe that Thompson would be best playing strong safety.

Thompson has expressed his desire to play linebacker, but he is coming into the draft with an open mind.

"I'm gonna put it out there that I want to play linebacker. But I can't say no to (safety)," Thompson said according to Bryan Fischer from NFL.com. "I like to be up by the line of scrimmage. I feel like I'm physical enough. I'm not the biggest guy, but I have a lot of heart."

Regardless of where he plays, Thompson is a special kind of athlete with the closing speed and range to make plays. If the Cincinnati Bengals take a chance on him, then defensive coordinator Paul Guenther better have a plan for how to effectively use him.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Before tearing his ACL, there was no question that Todd Gurley was the top running back prospect in this class, if not the past few years. Now, players like Melvin Gordon and Tevin Coleman have started to steal to spotlight from Gurley, with many wondering if the former Georgia back can return to form.

If he does, he'll easily be worth a first-round pick.

Before his injury, Gurley was a special type of running back. Along with having rare size at 6'1" and 222 pounds, Gurley showed the speed and agility to get around or through defenders on a consistent basis. When he takes the handoff, Gurley keeps his eyes upfield, finds the gap and then shoots through it like a true NFL-caliber back.

Gurley reminds of Edgerrin James. The two are roughly the same size, and before tearing his ACL, James looked like he could be an all-time great. Edge went on to still have a fantastic NFL career, going to four Pro Bowls while rushing for over 12,000 yards in his career.

For a special talent like Gurley, he's worth the first-round pick. The Baltimore Ravens need a new franchise running back, and Gurley is worth the risk, especially with a late first-round selection.