NFL Mock Draft 2015: Round 1 Projections for Class' Pivotal Prospects

Sorry, NFL draft prospects. A month still remains before the grueling wait reaches its winding conclusion.

Projecting outcomes ad nauseam only stretches out the offseason window until draft day, which kicks off on Thursday, April 30. Until then, there's nothing for football enthusiasts to do but dissect every prospect until we're left analyzing everyone's favorite color.

As March comes to a close, let's end it in style with another first-round mock draft.

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

Pivotal Prospects 

No matter how hard everyone tries to forecast the precise results, there's always a pick or two that throws everything into disarray. Someone like Brandon Scherff has a limited range for where he'll get taken off the board, but select prospects could easily go No. 10 or No. 30.

Player scouting is an inexact science, so talent evaluators are all over the place on select youngsters. These guys could make the opening round interesting by getting snagged way earlier or later than anticipated.

Danny Shelton, DT, Washington

In six separate mock drafts from NFL.com analysts, Danny Shelton went as high as No. 7 and as low as No. 19. On the heels of collecting 92 tackles and nine sacks—six during the first two weeks—last season, the 339-pound nose tackle will find a home during the opening round.

An imposing force in the trenches, Shelton will have to adjust to picking on men his own size. An unnamed NFC area scout expressed some concerns about inconsistent play to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.

"Shelton is a bully. If you let him walk all over you early in the game, he's going to keep doing it," the scout said. "But watch how he kind of fades into the background when he goes up against guys who stand up to him. I want to see him show up all the time." 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Nos. 7 and 19 make sense as start and end points for the Washington alum. With the Chicago Bears switching to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Shelton would provide an exceptional anchor for last year's No. 30 defense.

After Chicago, the Cleveland Browns are a strong candidate to scoop him up with one of their two selections. He could reasonably go at No. 12 or No. 19, with the former representing a likelier outcome. Just don't count on him dropping into the 20s.

Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Nobody can reach a consensus on Andrus Peat's rightful draft value. Two of those NFL.com mock drafters predict the New York Giants taking him at No. 9, with another pair stringing him to the Carolina Panthers 16 selections later.

The 21-year-old corralled All-American honors at Stanford during his junior year, and he certainly boasts the frame of an NFL tackle. Yet some scouts believe he's still rough around the edges.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller labeled Peat, along with Miami's Ereck Flowers, as a high-risk, high-reward gambit:

After Scherff, who could transition into a high-quality guard much like Zack Martin did last year, it's anyone's guess which offensive lineman goes next. Flowers and T.J. Clemmings raise just as many questions, making La'el Collins the top competitor.

At pick No. 10, the St. Louis Rams hold all the keys. They could trade up for Marcus Mariota or lasso another wideout, but instead, look for them to make a high-upside selection with Peat. 

Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Amari Cooper and Kevin White control the spotlight as the class' top two prominent wide receivers. While there's plenty of talent left over, the board becomes much fuzzier.

DeVante Parker won't lag far behind Cooper and White as the third receiver selected. Once he's gone, teams searching for a playmaking target face a precarious predicament. Do they roll the dice on Dorial Green-Beckham?

He has the talent, balancing a 4.49-second 40-yard dash with incredible vertical ability at 6'5". The 12 touchdowns for Missouri in 2013 back up his big-play upside, but he was kicked off the team for an ugly incident in which he allegedly broke into an apartment where his girlfriend was and pushed a woman down the stairs.

While no arrest was made, he'll get justifiably crossed off draft boards regardless of his on-field potential. Then again, this is the NFL, so somebody will take him after determining he's the best candidate to catch footballs.

Although the San Francisco 49ers or Houston Texans can use another wideout, expect Green-Beckham to go later in the first round.