2015 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects

The 2015 NFL draft is a lot closer than it's been for many previous mocks, so this latest line of predictions comes after pro days, the NFL Scouting Combine and free agency have passed.

Picks for the first round ought to become easier to project at this stage of the offseason, but no mock draft is ever dead on the nose. There are trades to account for and unforeseen splash picks that almost no one will have predicted.

With that understanding in place, let's take a look at how the first round might shake out, along with analysis on the prospects who have risen the most in recent weeks.

No. Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
10	St. Louis Rams	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
13	New Orleans Saints	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
14	Miami Dolphins	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
16	Houston Texans	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
17	San Diego Chargers	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Florida)
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
23	Detroit Lions	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
24	Arizona Cardinals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
25	Carolina Panthers	D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
26	Baltimore Ravens	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
27	Dallas Cowboys	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
28	Denver Broncos	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
29	Indianapolis Colts	Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
30	Green Bay Packers	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut

Analysis of Rising Prospects

Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

No one has generated more buzz over the past month than Perriman, thanks largely to a magnificent display of speed at his UCF pro day.

Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has his reservations about a player who had 1,044 yards receiving and nine touchdowns in 2014 but struggled with drops at times:

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. went so far as to vault Perriman into the top 10 on his recent big board, though, via ESPN CollegeFootball:

Somewhere in between Kelly's implicit Day 2 spot and Kiper's gaudy praise is likely where Perriman will land.

The Cleveland Browns at No. 19 overall seems like a fine spot for Perriman to settle himself—not because the quarterback play should experience a marked improvement in 2015, but for the opportunity Perriman will have to contribute and learn on the fly.

Veteran receivers Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline offer Perriman two mentors with past NFL success to help groom him. If Perriman's hands are a concern, perhaps the challenge of catching balls from subpar QBs will help his career in the long run.

Cleveland has size with Bowe and Hartline, but needs top-end speed on the outside. This is a combination Perriman (6'2", 212 pounds) provides in spades. He's a bit of a risky pick who is worth the flier since the Browns have two first-rounders to play with.

Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State

Phil Sears/Associated Press

Darby is a savvy player who holds up in all types of coverages thanks to elite speed, tremendous instincts and a knack for closing and recovering quickly, even if he is beaten on a route.

Pro Football Focus' Steve Palazzolo noted how reluctant college QBs were to even test Darby's side of the field:

The following intel from Fox Sports' Peter Schrager suggests Darby will be off the board within the first 32 picks—and it helps that Darby's position is as highly valued as ever:

Since Kansas City reunited receiver Jeremy Maclin with his old Philadelphia coach in current Chiefs boss Andy Reid, the need for a pass-catcher in this deep 2015 class gets cast aside, at least in the first round.

Last year's third-round pick Phillip Gaines showed promise in climbing the depth chart as a rookie, but veteran Sean Smith is entering a contract year. In the modern NFL era of heavy passing, a team can't have too many cornerbacks.

Plus, as Reid hinted at last season, Gaines has versatility to make room for another corner.

"Gaines, I thought, did a good job on the inside," Reid said after Week 7, per KCChiefs.com's Pete Sweeney. "When he had chances on the outside, he did a nice job there. I came out feeling positive about that."

Instead of forking over a ton of money for a prospective free agent in Smith, KC could snag Darby and sail on his rookie contract for the foreseeable future.

D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

One of the most transcendent athletes at the offensive tackle position, Humphries' draft stock is gaining serious steam.

Playing in a run-heavy offense at Florida, in what's widely perceived as the nation's best conference, the SEC, required Humphries to get physical. Humphries more than held his own despite being a bit undersized.

When he weighed in at 307 pounds at the combine, any concerns about Humphries' slight frame had to be alleviated. That was evident in the number of teams that were interested in bringing Humphries in for a visit, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Chris Trapasso of NFL.com compared Humphries' raw skills to those of Jason Peters, the Philadelphia Eagles' seven-time Pro Bowler:

NFL Media's Charles Davis (via NFL.com's Bryan Fischer) offers up another current pro Humphries reminds him of:

"

This kid is a heck of a football player. Watch his feet. Watch what he does. Watch his potential. I'm also going to liken him to (New York Jets offensive tackle) D'Brickashaw Ferguson in terms of body type. When he gets into the weight room and fills out, he's going to be a heck of a football player. I'd be afraid to pass on him.

"

Humphries has the makings of a franchise left tackle and the tenacity to make the jump to the pros. He's had to fight against being undersized throughout his college career, but now appears to be bulking up and improving his functional strength.

Although the Carolina Panthers did sign Michael Oher this offseason, that hardly fixes the protection issues that have led to QB Cam Newton getting pummeled since the start of his career.

Newton needs help on his blind side, which is something Humphries has all the physical faculties to provide. Humphries is already accustomed to a downhill rushing attack and blocking for a dual-threat signal-caller, which is what Carolina ought to have in 2015 and beyond.