2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions for Prospects with Rising Stock

With the 2015 NFL draft only one month away, the free-agency period winding down and pro days coming to an end, you'd think projecting first-round selections would be an increasingly easy task. Not so fast.

While free agency did help teams fill needs, and allow us to narrow down which direction they may go in the draft as a result, the prospect each franchise ultimately selects will remain up for debate. After all, big boards are constantly shifting while college tape and workouts are diligently studied, and the draft stocks of players are adjusted as a result.

There are a handful of players who continue to catapult up the pecking order due to impressive offseason workouts and interviews. As these prospects rise, the draft's anticipated selection order must be altered to accommodate updated projections.

With all of that information in mind, here's a look at how the draft's first round could likely play out based on recent changes.

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

Analyzing Prospects with Rising Draft Stock

So, which players continue to climb up draft boards so late in the process? That is one burning question that continues to surface at this time of year. There are always surprise prospects who are selected earlier than anticipated, and attempting to decipher who they may be is a big part of draft preparation.

Let's take a glance at some examples of players who are likely to come off the board sooner than originally expected.

5. Washington Redskins: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson

Before offseason workouts, Vic Beasley was heralded as an explosive pass-rusher who needed some polish to excel in the NFL. While that's still true, the 6'3", 246-pound outside linebacker wowed league personnel with a brilliant performance at the scouting combine, finishing as a top performer in each drill. After continuing that trend at Clemson's pro day, he may have done enough to work his way into the top five.

11. Minnesota Vikings: Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky

David Stephenson/Associated Press

Much like Beasley, Bud Dupree is an athletic freak of a pass-rusher but needs some work. The 6'4", 269-pound outside linebacker lit up the scouting combine and Kentucky's pro day with phenomenal workouts. While he still may be viewed as a project, his upside is simply astronomical, and that may lead to a team selecting him on the border of the top 10.

15. San Francisco 49ers: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Jalen Collins opted to declare for the draft despite receiving a return-to-school grade from the draft advisory board. Well, he apparently made the right decision, as the 6'1", 203-pound cornerback continues to catapult up draft boards. He's extremely raw, having started just 10 games at LSU, but his size, length and athleticism may be enough for a team to select him in the top half of the first round.

28. Denver Broncos: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota

Early in the draft process, it was thought that no tight end was worthy of a first-round grade. Well, after some impressive showings at the combine and Minnesota's pro day, Maxx Williams may have broken that barrier. A very athletic 6'4", 249-pound tight end, Williams has great hands, runs good routes and has improved as a blocker. He could be a late-first-round selection for a tight end-needy team.

29. Indianapolis Colts: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Georgia running back Todd Gurley tore his ACL late in the 2014 season, severely clouding his draft stock. Although, despite his inability to work out, the 6'1", 222-pound running back is being considered a first-round selection once again by many analysts, such as Bleacher Report's Matt Bowen, who have taken another look at his college tape and have come away very impressed.

Prospect measurements courtesy of NFL.com's results tracker.