NFL Mock Draft 2015: Projections for Top Prospects as Pro Days Wind Down

The vast majority of college pro days have already wrapped, but there are still a few more showcases left before the 2015 NFL draft. 

Big-time schools such as Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame and South Carolina have yet to send out their best players for these crucial workouts, and the blue-chippers and as-yet undiscovered gems all have something to prove in the coming days.

Once the full slate of auditions is through in early April—not counting Indiana running back Tevin Coleman's personal pro day on the 15th of that month—scouts, media and front offices alike will have witnessed all the major evaluative components of the draft buildup.

With the draft just weeks away, here's another take on what the first round of the 2015 NFL draft may look like.

Pos.	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DE, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
5	Washington Redskins	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
9	New York Giants	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
10	St. Louis Rams	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
11	Minnesota Vikings	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
12	Cleveland Browns	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
13	New Orleans Saints	Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
14	Miami Dolphins	Devante Parker, WR, Louisville
15	San Francisco 49ers	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
16	Houston Texans	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
17	San Diego Chargers	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
18	Kansas City Chiefs	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
23	Detroit Lions	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
24	Arizona Cardinals	Melvin Gordon, RB, Georgia
25	Carolina Panthers	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
26	Baltimore Ravens	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
27	Dallas Cowboys	P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
30	Green Bay Packers	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma
32	New England Patriots	Shaq Thomson, LB, Washington

Players Looking to Solidify 1st-Round Status in Upcoming Pro Days

There are few sure things heading into an NFL draft. You can single out the top 10 or 20 prospects and know that they will get taken in the first round, but the order is still a mystery for the most part until draft day. The later you get into the draft and the deeper you wade into the prospect pool, the murkier things get.

Even the latter half of the first round is full of uncertainty, which is why prospects on the bubble can't afford missteps if they want that coveted draft status. Here's a rundown of players looking to prove their worth as top prospects in the upcoming pro days.

Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State (March 31)

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Florida State has a number of prospects who could join virtual lock Jameis Winston in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. Of those future pros, Eddie Goldman might have the most riding on his pro day as he looks to cement his status as one of the better nose tackles in the draft.

CBS Sports has Malcom Brown, Leonard Williams and Danny Shelton as the only three DTs with a pure first-round grade.

Goldman doesn't appear to be too far behind the leaders of the pack. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has him pegged as the third-best nose tackle (Williams' versatility likely keeps him out of this conversation):

Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star also appears to be pretty high on him:

Still, being the third-best nose tackle could leave a player out of the first round.

Ndamukong Suh's free-agency saga proved just how coveted a top-tier defensive tackle is on the open market. Certainly, teams would rather find a good one on a cheap rookie contract and develop him in house. Goldman has a chance on March 31 to prove to teams he has what it takes to become a force at the next level.

With a strong pro day, he could make it impossible for the likes of the Detroit Lions or Dallas Cowboys to let him slip by at the tail end of the first round, assuming he doesn't vault ahead of some of the other prospects in the meantime.

P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State (March 31)

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

The same sense of uncertainty that surrounds the defensive tackle position this year applies to cornerbacks as well. Washington's Marcus Peters and Michigan State's Trae Waynes appear to be jockeying for position at head of the class, but after those two, it's anyone's guess which cornerback will go flying off the board next.

P.J. Williams certainly deserves to be in the conversation—and quite possibly his Seminole teammate Ronald Darby as well—but he may need a stellar pro day to rid evaluators of enough doubt to make him a lock to go in the first round.

His first order of business will likely be improving upon that 4.57-second 40-yard dash he ran at the NFL combine, per CBS Sports. If Williams can flash better speed at his pro day, look for his draft stock to surge. If Williams can't show off better speed, well, he can always distract scouts with an amazing box jump.

He may also use the pro day as a chance to prove his versatility. Bleacher Report's Chris Simms notes in this video that he sees Williams as a potential safety at the next level:

At 6'0" and 194 pounds, Williams has the size to match up with most wideouts on the outside but wouldn't look out of place venturing into the box as a safety. If NFL scouts see him the same way, Williams might not be one to protest—there is plenty of room to move up in the safety ranks behind Alabama's Landon Collins or Louisville's Gerod Holliman. 

Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington (April 2)

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

We've already mentioned the first-round potential of Shelton and Peters, but there is another Huskie looking to force his way into the top 32. Shaq Thompson is a promising linebacker prospect, but at 6'0" and 228 pounds, he carries a bit of a tweener stigma and might prove to be a better fit as a safety in the big, bad NFL.

Thompson ran a 4.64 40 at the NFL combine, per CBS Sports, but noted he was disappointed with the time and is looking forward to making an improvement at his pro day, per an entry for USA Today:

"

I was shocked by my time. The unofficial 4.72 didn't make sense. I know I'm faster than a 4.6 — it's just the little errors that I had in the first 10 yards. That's what really messed me up.

I'll take a couple weeks off to get my legs back and get my body back to healthy so I can get the full potential during my workouts. Then I'm going to work somewhere in Anaheim with my cousin, Peyton Thompson, to get ready for my pro day April 2. I'm going to do the 40 and the drills. I might do the shuttle, too.

"

It's a fine time for a linebacker but an unimpressive one for a safety (or a moonlighting running back). If Thompson is to secure a spot in the first round, improving his 40 time will be tops on the list, followed ever so closely by the position drills.

First-round projects tend to be at the quarterback position, where players are often expected to bide their time. Thompson will want to show he can be an impact rotation player or starter as a rookie, at either linebacker or safety.