2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Underrated Impact Prospects

The countless hours of studying and analysis about NFL draft prospects makes it hard to call anyone underrated. We know more about these players than their families do, yet there are still talents who fall through the cracks. 

Impact is what the draft is all about. Every team wants and needs it to succeed, but only the very best are able to find it consistently. An even more difficult task is finding impact talent outside of the first round. Deep sleepers are the difference between competing for a Super Bowl and picking in the top 10 every year. 

This year's draft class is unique because there are only a handful of top-tier talents, followed by exciting athletes with at least one major question mark. 

Now that April has arrived, with teams inching closer to finalizing their draft boards, here's how the first-round mix looks and an examination of the underrated talents who are going to make their presence felt right away. 

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

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Yes, the list of underrated impact prospects is going to start with one of the two biggest names in the class. While no one seems to dispute that Jameis Winston will be taken No. 1 overall, everyone has an opinion on Marcus Mariota that ranges from future star to immediate bust.

Yet what are we judging Mariota by? Is it because he played in a spread system in college? Well, a lot of NFL teams run some form of the spread offense today. Is it because he doesn't look natural throwing from the pocket? Russell Wilson isn't a good pocket passer, but he gets away with it because he can move around.

Is it because Mariota had a mediocre pro day? All you need to know is scouts were in love with JaMarcus Russell after his workout at LSU.  

Speaking of quarterbacks having a mediocre pro day, Greg Bedard of TheMMQB.com made a fair and valid link between Mariota and Teddy Bridgewater:

"

There were teams, several of them, that were turned off by Bridgewater because he doesn’t walk and talk with the swagger of a gunslinger. Believe it or not, despite the success of quarterbacks like Eli Manning and Matt Ryan, that still matters to some in the NFL.

...

Mariota shares many of Bridgewater’s personality traits. Has Bridgewater erased “too quiet” from the negatives list for a quarterback, and laid the groundwork for players like Mariota? We’ll find out next month.

"

There's no disputing that Mariota has his flaws and will have to work harder than a natural pocket passer like Winston to succeed in the NFL, but don't bet against him. 

Perhaps because there's so much time between the end of the college season and the draft, too much gets made of mundane things. Mariota doesn't need to yell after every single play to prove that he cares, nor does he need to apologize for one bad workout, especially when there were raves about his work at the combine.

Let's not proclaim Mariota a Hall of Famer and multiple Super Bowl-winning quarterback just yet, but let's not lose sight of the fact that this is a unique talent capable of beating teams with his arm or legs. 

Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon

I promise this isn't an all-Oregon love fest. There are just two extraordinary talents who deserve even more recognition than they are already getting. 

If I had to bet on Mariota or Arik Armstead being the better NFL player, Armstead would get the vote. The interesting part is his stats weren't impressive, with 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last season, but when evaluating prospects, it's best to not look at stats. 

There's also the fact that Armstead is 6'7", 292 pounds and an insane athlete. Here's what his draft profile on NFL.com says about his strengths:

"

Improved by leaps and bounds from 2013 to 2014. Elite size with ability to add more bulk to his frame. Quick-twitch athlete. Explodes upfield into blockers with good pad level and hip snap, gaining instant leverage against the run and often jarring them into the backfield. Gets good arm extension to control offensive linemen and peppers them with powerful hands. Can unlock quickly from blocks. Has above-average tackle radius thanks to his length and quickness.

"

Everything in the NFL is built around quarterbacks, whether it's having one who can succeed as a passer or having defensive players capable of disrupting those passes. This draft is loaded with talented edge-rushers like Randy Gregory, Shane Ray and Vic Beasley. 

Armstead brings a different dynamic, not unlike the one Leonard Williams has. The difference is Williams had more consistency and showed more effort than Armstead, which is why one will be taken in the first three picks and the other may last until the middle of the first round. 

Even though it's a cliche that gets used often, the only thing that can stop Armstead from being a star in the NFL is himself. He's got the raw ingredients to be a superstar, which is not something many players at any position can say. 

Armstead has to decide if he wants to play at that level or if he's comfortable doing what he did at Oregon. If the former wins out, whichever team selects him is getting one of the best bargains in the 2015 draft. 

Carl Davis, DT, Iowa

Matthew Holst/Getty Images

The best thing you can do as a defensive tackle, unless your name is Ndamukong Suh, is defend the run and eat up multiple blockers for linebackers and edge players to make plays. 

Carl Davis is gaining traction among the defensive tackles in this class, though everyone is looking up at Washington's Danny Shelton. Davis is battling Eddie Goldman and Malcom Brown among fellow first-round candidates at the position. 

Like Armstead, Davis is fighting an uphill battle to convince NFL teams he can give consistent effort on the field. The raw package at 6'5", 320 pounds with power and agility as a pass-rusher is enticing. 

NFL Network's Mike Mayock noted during the Senior Bowl events, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com, that Davis was turning a lot of heads.

"On tape at Iowa, he flashed, here he did way more than that. He played every snap, he showed athleticism, an ability to push the pocket and get to the quarterback," Mayock said. "He may have elevated himself right into the first round and that's what this game is all about."

More than two months later, nothing has changed for Davis. He's got that boom-or-bust quality teams will be afraid of, but when you look at where it's possible to get him, that risk is worth taking on.

If he were a top-10 prospect, that would be scary. But since Davis is falling into the late first-round mix, it's easier to bet big on the upside and hope to steal a bargain. If you can't find an elite edge-rusher late in the first round, the next best thing is to find a defender who can eat blocks to create opportunities for other players. 

Yet Davis has his own pass-rushing skills that if he can refine and show consistently, this is a tremendous bargain talent based on what he can be.