2015 NFL Mock Draft: Predictions for Mid-First-Round Prospects

The 2015 NFL draft is less than two weeks away. Much of the focus is obviously on the first few picks. One of the biggest questions as the draft draws near is where will 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota be drafted?

There's some thought he has risen on draft boards, but we won't know for sure until we hear the first six or seven names called. 

Further down in the first round, there's a good number of talented players to discuss. This mock will spotlight some of the mid-first-round talent. The players featured are highlighted in the table.

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	Leonard Williams, DT, USC
6	New York Jets	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
7	Chicago Bears	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
8	Atlanta Falcons	Vic Beasley, OLB/DE, Clemson
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	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
14	Miami Dolphins	Breshad Perriman, WR, Central Florida
15	San Francisco 49ers	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
16	Houston Texans	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
17	San Diego Chargers	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
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	Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut
27	Dallas Cowboys	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
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	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

Breshad Perriman

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Coming into the last month, the major names you heard at wide receiver in the 2015 NFL draft were the West Virginia Mountaineers' Kevin White, the Alabama Crimson Tide's Amari Cooper and the Louisville Cardinals' DeVante Parker. One of the fastest risers is Central Florida Knights' Breshad Perriman.

At 6'2" 217 pounds, Perriman has the requisite size to play receiver in the NFL. Judging by his impressive pro day performance, he also has the athleticism. Try these numbers on for size, per NFL.com:

• 40-yard dash: 4.24 and 4.27 seconds 
• Vertical: 36 1/2 inches 
• Broad jump: 10 feet, 7 inches 
• Bench press: 18 reps of 225 pounds

While Perriman has all the physical attributes to make talent evaluators go gaga. He's had some issues with drops. Master Tesfatsion of the Minnesota StarTribune makes some good points. He wrote:

"

Bad hands are a killer, too. Look, you didn’t need to see Perriman in tights and a compression shirt to see that he’s fast. On go routes, he was consistently on top of the defender, even if his tape was mainly against AAC opponents. Per Pro Football Focus, Perriman had a 14 percent drop rate. 

The concerning part is that Perriman is open on these drops. If he’s struggling with that against mainly AAC talent, how will fare with a NFL cornerback all over him?

"

I have Perriman landing with the Miami Dolphins because of his obvious upside and the Fins' need for a No. 1 receiver. Perriman is perhaps one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in the draft. If he can improve his concentration, he could become an invaluable weapon for a young quarterback like Ryan Tannehill.

Shane Ray

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

While he doesn't seem to be as highly thought of lately as he once was early in the pre-draft process, I still see the Missouri Tigers' Shane Ray as one of the best pass-rushers in the draft.

You can't teach motor and desire, and those are two traits Ray has in excess.

When you watch video of him, he seems to play all out on every snap. He pursues the quarterback until the whistle and doesn't exhibit conditioning or stamina issues. If he does indeed land with the New Orleans Saints, Ray has the athleticism to play outside linebacker in the 3-4 without concession.

He would be one of the defensive rookies to keep an eye on this season.

Danny Shelton

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

The Washington Huskies' Danny Shelton has to be considered the top run-stuffing defensive tackle in the draft. At 6'2" and 339 pounds, there's no questioning his size for the position. His 34 reps during the bench press segment of the NFL combine should put to rest any concerns about strength as well.

A team like the Cleveland Browns, that was so poor against the run in 2014, would be smart to take a long look at Shelton.

He is the type of player who can instantly improve a team's run defense with his presence. That impact could make him the most valuable defensive rookie if given the opportunity to play his role.