NFL Mock Draft 2015: Final Draft-Day Projections for All 32 Teams

The NFL draft is the final exam of the offseason for front offices and scouts that have devoted their lives to studying the next crop of football stars. The teams that ace that exam will set themselves up for sustained success for years to come.

Free agency makes plenty of headlines as teams bring in important pieces one at a time, but the real way to build a consistent winner in the NFL is through the draft.

The seven rounds is where teams replenish their depth every year and develop the core and complementary pieces that will ideally bring in Super Bowl titles down the line. The 2015 edition of the draft will be no different, as marquee college prospects wait to hear their names called in the first round and beyond.

Here is a look at first-round predictions for every team as well as some complementary players whom fans should keep an eye on beyond just those initial 32 picks.

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler, DE/OLB, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
5	Washington	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
6	New York Jets	Leonard Williams, DT, USC
7	Chicago Bears	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
9	New York Giants	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
10	St. Louis Rams	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
11	Minnesota Vikings	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
12	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
13	New Orleans Saints	Alvin "Bud" Dupree, OLB, Kentucky
14	Miami Dolphins	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
15	San Francisco 49ers	Arik Armstead, DE/DT, Oregon
16	Houston Texans	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
17	San Diego Chargers	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
25	Carolina Panthers	D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
26	Baltimore Ravens	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
27	Dallas Cowboys	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
30	Green Bay Packers	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
32	New England Patriots	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri

Overlooked Prospects to Watch

Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan State

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Michigan State’s Jeremy Langford is not going to be the first running back taken off the board. In fact, he probably won’t be one of the first five running backs taken off the board.

Still, all he did in college was produce, and he tallied 1,522 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns in 2014. He also topped 100 yards in each of Michigan State’s final 10 games, including a 177-yard performance against archrival Michigan and 162 yards in a Cotton Bowl victory over Baylor.

Langford should appeal to teams in the later rounds for more reasons than just his raw numbers, though. He is a physically gifted runner who picks up difficult yardage over the middle and in goal-line situations. He is also an ideal red-zone running back who will absorb contact and make fantasy owners happy with short touchdowns, even in his rookie season.

Langford doesn’t have the speed to regularly make the explosive plays that appear on highlight shows, but he is an absolute workhorse who had 292 carries in 2013 and 276 carries in 2014.

The last Michigan State workhorse running back who flew somewhat under the radar was Le’Veon Bell, and he worked out alright.

That is not to say Langford will be a superstar in the NFL like Bell, but the Michigan State pipeline is one that fans and teams should pay attention to come draft day.

D’Joun Smith, CB, Florida Atlantic

Cornerback D’Joun Smith led the Conference USA in passes broken up and interceptions in 2013, but opponents smartened up in 2014 and didn’t throw the ball his way nearly as often. He was the type of lockdown corner who shuts off one side of the field and makes offenses one-dimensional and the jobs of defensive coordinators much easier.

That should translate to the next level.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com seemed to be high on Smith leading up to the draft:

"

Plus athlete. Very good foot quickness and footwork in general. Can flip hips and get to top speed quickly. Highly productive junior campaign and has very good ball skills. Has good eyes and feel for the game. Turns and locates the ball downfield and has excellent hand-eye coordination. Competes hard and is a willing tackler. Will jump routes and try to flip the field.

"

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Smith brings solid enough speed to the table to keep up with playmaking wide receivers (4.45-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine) and is physical enough to body up at the NFL level. He also has the versatility and athleticism necessary to contribute in the return game. 

Smith’s best attribute is his ability to read routes and anticipate moves, which helps him limit big plays and keep receivers in front of him. That will be critical in the NFL because the level of competition will be a major step up from what Smith experienced in the Conference USA.

Vince Mayle, WR, Washington State

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Washington’s State’s Vince Mayle didn’t land on the national radar because his team struggled, but he turned in a statistically dominant 2014 season.

In fact, he tied for the Pac-12 lead with 106 receptions and finished with 1,483 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches. He also tallied a head-turning 252 receiving yards against Arizona State and 263 receiving yards against California.

At 6’2” and 219 pounds with good speed, it is really no wonder he posted numbers like that in a pass-happy offense. That NFL body will help him snag jump balls in the red zone and create separation on slant routes over the middle.

	Catches	Yards	Touchdowns
Vince Maye, Washington State	106	1,483	9
Amari Cooper, Alabama	124	1,727	16
Kevin White, West Virginia	109	1,447	10
DeVante Parker, Louisville	43	855	5
Jaelen Strong, Arizona State	82	1,165	10

Mayle can also turn on the accelerators once he gets past the initial bump-and-run from corners and earned some praise from his college coach Mike Leach for his development, per Jacob Thorpe of The Spokesman-Review: “When he first got here he could (only) run the slant and he could run the vertical, but he’d always turn out for the vertical so the ball would be exposed. Now he’s one of the more refined receivers in the conference.”

The possibility of Mayle continuing to grow at the NFL level is a scary prospect for opposing secondaries. Physical specimens who put up monster numbers at the college level aren’t often available in the mid-to-late rounds.

Mayle likely will be, which should entice every team in the league.

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