2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Most Tantalizing Early-Round Prospects

Plenty of first-round selections from this year's NFL draft will flop.

Look back at past results, and find a year where every team lands an impact contributor. Rewinding three years, the same class that yielded Andrew Luck, Luke Kuechly and Dontari Poe also churned out Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson and David Wilson as opening-round picks.

While 2010 produced a loaded crop of stars—Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Earl Thomas, Russell Okung, Joe Haden, Jason Pierre-Paul, Mike Iupati, Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant all went in the first round—the St. Louis Rams called Sam Bradford's name first to start the proceedings.

Not all 32 teams will look back on the 2015 draft with fond memories. So enjoy this period of unbridled hope while overlooking the event's volatility.

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	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
8	Atlanta Falcons	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
9	New York Giants	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
10	St. Louis Rams	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
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	Landon Collins, S, Alabama
15	San Francisco 49ers	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
16	Houston Texans	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
17	San Diego Chargers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
18	Kansas City Chiefs	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
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	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
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	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Prospects Gaining Ground

Less than three weeks away from draft day, player stock continues to change as scouts and executives react to workouts. For better or worse, the NFL Scouting Combine and pro days often cause intense reactions.

A course correction is occasionally necessary, as long as everyone doesn't get too carried away. Remember when Teddy Bridgewater, a possible No. 1 pick during the winter, nearly fell out of the first round last year? 

These players continue to climb the rankings, so expect to see them selected during the opening round.

Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson

Tyler Smith/Getty Images

Always an early-Round 1 candidate, Vic Beasley has bolstered his case for top-10 consideration during the offseason.

Bulking up to an official weight of 246 pounds, the Clemson outside linebacker maintained a burst that led him to 33 sacks for the Clemson Tigers. Quelling the undersized label will help him stand out among a top-heavy class of talented edge-rushers.

He might not leave Georgia, as the Atlanta Falcons represent a logical fit at No. 8. Last year's NFL-worst defense desperately needs a pass-rusher, placing him on the short list of candidates alongside Shane Ray and Randy Gregory.  

In an interview on 92.9 The Game, via AtlantaFalcons.com, Beasley discussed the possibility of playing for the Falcons.

"I just want to be the best player that I can be," Beasley said. "I'm going to try and be a Pro Bowler every year. I'm reliable, dependable, and I'll be ready to go as soon as the first game comes around. I would love to play there [in Atlanta]."

With everyone cooling on Gregory after he admitted to failing a drug test, Beasley supplants him and goes No. 8. 

Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Largely considered a second-round selection with a chance of cracking the first round, Breshad Perriman is rocketing up big boards throughout the nation.

Most prominently, ESPN's Mel Kiper vaulted the wideout up into his top 10 overall rankings, per ESPN CollegeFootball:

Kiper, one of the industry's most notable trendsetters, placed Perriman at No. 10 in his latest mock draft. He explained his decision to mock him to the St. Louis Rams as the third wideout off the board:

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No player has risen more on my board over the past month than Perriman, a player who I always thought looked explosive on tape, then lived up to that by running sub-4.3 two separate times at his pro day. We know the Rams have a need for another potent weapon in the passing game, and Perriman could fit the bill. One of the bigger sleepers in the 2015 draft class at this point, Perriman has good length but will also prove dangerous after the catch. 

"

What's behind this rapid rise? Behold the power of the 40-yard dash. At his UCF pro day, Perriman clocked 40 times of 4.24 and 4.27 seconds, faster than any official combine finishes. For all the silliness of judging a football player by a short sprint in shorts, teams still love fast playmakers.

Once everyone takes a week to regroup, people will step back from making someone with 115 receptions through three seasons a top-15 selection. Yet he now invades the first round, as the Baltimore Ravens need a deep threat to replace Torrey Smith.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

With every passing mock draft, Todd Gurley seems to sneak higher up the projections. Kiper tied the Georgia running back to No. 19, and NFL.com's Lance Zierlein paired him with the San Diego Chargers at No. 17.

No back has garnered a Round 1 nod since 2012, and Gurley is rehabbing from an ACL tear. Only a potential superstar could defy those red flags and warrant such high consideration.

If healthy, Gurley carries that gigantic upside. In three years with Georgia, he averaged 6.4 yards per rush while generating 42 touchdowns. 

Yahoo Sports' Eric Adelson took a different stance, arguing the injury risk and declining value of running backs make Gurley a potential bargain rather than a risk:

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What should make fans of poorer teams shudder is how Gurley's injury may drop him to the lower part of the first round. That would make him available to teams like the New England Patriots and the Cowboys – a rich-get-richer scenario where current powers benefit from lesser teams not having a running back like Gurley. The needs among the NFL's dregs are more diverse, and so many will pass on Gurley and Gordon in favor of linchpin players on the lines or at quarterback. That could end up making the disparity between the haves and have-nots even wider.

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For a well-assembled team, Anderson's rationale makes sense. The Patriots or Cowboys could survive whiffing on a high-risk, high-reward gamble. If the Cleveland Browns get nothing out of him, it'll hurt much more.

The Seattle Seahawks, who traded their first-rounder for Jimmy Graham, would have been the perfect fit for Gurley. They could have eased him back into action behind Marshawn Lynch, often cited as a pro comparison for the incoming bulldozer.

With them out of the picture, look for the Super Bowl champions to roll the dice instead.