2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions for Nation's Top Prospects

The magnet schedules on your refrigerator may say otherwise, but there is no offseason when it comes to the NFL.

Between the actual season, the preseason, free agency, the lead-up to the draft, the release of the schedule and training camp, a nation full of football fans always has something to monitor. We are now in the thick of the pre-draft process, where front offices, scouts and always-optimistic supporters envision a future of Lombardi Trophies with the right college prospects.

That optimism is not misplaced, because piling up successful drafts is the key to establishing the necessary depth for sustained success in the league. There are plenty of enticing options available in the 2015 draft, and now the 32 front offices will be tasked with choosing the right ones.

With that in mind, here is a look at a mock draft for the entire first round as well as some developments to watch come draft day.

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

Draft Developments to Watch

Edge-Rusher Paradise

If you are a pass-rusher in the 2015 draft, you virtually hit the lottery.

In just the first 13 picks alone, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Washington, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints could all use an edge-rusher, and there are plenty of options to choose from.

Florida’s Dante Fowler, Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Missouri’s Shane Ray, Clemson’s Vic Beasley, Kentucky’s Alvin “Bud” Dupree and Oregon’s Arik Armstead are all potential first-round picks. Incredibly, there are also a number of defensive tackles who can get to the quarterback available as well, most notably Leonard Williams, who was a pass-rushing fiend at USC. 

There will likely be something of a domino effect once the first pass-rusher is taken off the board, as teams may worry that they will miss the chance to grab one if they don’t act fast. That could set up scenarios where there are trades and last-minute moves, which always makes the draft more interesting.

Race for the Third Quarterback Spot

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

Even the most casual of football fans understand that Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are going to be the first two quarterbacks taken in the draft and may even be the first two overall picks. 

However, there are plenty of teams that need quarterback depth and will not have the chance to pick Winston or Mariota.

That sets up a scenario where the likes of UCLA’s Brett Hundley, Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson and Baylor’s Bryce Petty could all realistically be the third quarterback taken. It is an even more fascinating development because all three have various strengths and skill sets that will help them at the next level.

Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated pointed out that Hundley is one of the more boom-or-bust players in the draft:

"

Hundley's athleticism is off the charts, plus he has the arm to make every throw. When he gets out of the pocket, the UCLA product can shred defenses; he also shows an understanding for when to get down or out of bounds to avoid a hit. He's tough in the pocket, too, consistently picking himself back up when he does take a shot. The negatives, of course, are quite obvious. Hundley is far too quick to take off, lowering his eyes as a runner rather than trying to keep plays alive behind the line of scrimmage. His touch can be ugly and his feel for the pass rush nonexistent.

"

As for Grayson, he is not going to get out of the pocket as much as Hundley, but he fits into pro-style systems and racked up 4,006 passing yards and 32 touchdowns throws last year.

Petty’s best attribute is his NFL size, considering he is 6’3” and 230 pounds but can also run and hit receivers in stride on deep balls.

Still, as is seemingly the question anytime a Baylor quarterback comes out, how much of Petty’s incredible production (3,855 passing yards and 29 touchdown throws last year and 4,200 passing yards and 32 touchdown throws the season before) was a result of Baylor’s spread offense that used quick-hitting plays and tempo to wear out overmatched defenses? 

That is a question that NFL front offices will have to decide as they evaluate the quarterbacks behind Winston and Mariota.

Will Someone Draft a Running Back in the First Round?

In what would have amounted to blasphemy in the NFL of yesteryear, there has not been a running back taken in the first round of either of the past two drafts. That could very well change this year.

Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, Boise State’s Jay Ajayi, Miami’s Duke Johnson, Indiana’s Tevin Coleman and Minnesota’s David Cobb provide quality depth in this draft at the position. However, only two guys have a realistic chance to hear their names called in the first round—Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley.

The concern with Gurley is that he is coming off a serious knee injury. Still, one AFC team's college scouting director seemed rather high on him anyway, per Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News: "I see Gurley as still one of the safest picks in this draft. We've seen when he's healthy that he's that explosive, special back, and he's on track be able to help a team right away."

Gurley is everything you could want in a running back when healthy. He is a home run threat in the open field and a physically grueling runner who plows over defenders in the holes at the line of scrimmage. That also helps him at the goal line or when he needs to pick up the tough yards on third down.

Gurley has the versatility to be an explosive kick returner as well.

As for Gordon, all he does is rack up eye-popping numbers. He finished with 2,587 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground last year and topped 200 yards rushing in five different games, including the Outback Bowl victory over Auburn. 

A running back will be taken in the first round this year. The real question is whether it will be two.

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