NFL Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft and Top Storylines to Watch

The NFL is king when it comes to American sports, and that’s why its draft dominates headlines every spring during the NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs and early-season baseball action.

Football-starved fans look toward every storyline and rumor as a way of passing the days until the next season starts, and the draft represents hope for the future. Fortunately for those fans, this year’s draft is filled with a number of intriguing storylines and potential future stars.

With that in mind, here is a look at a complete first-round mock as well as a couple of storylines to watch once draft day finally arrives.

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	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
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	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
14	Miami Dolphins	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
15	San Francisco 49ers	Arik Armstead, DE/DT, Oregon
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)	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	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	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
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, Missouri

Who Ends Up with Marcus Mariota?

Let’s assume the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall pick. It may not be a lock, but it’s a safe move at this point.

That leaves Oregon’s Marcus Mariota as the next quarterback on the board, and he is arguably the draft’s biggest wild card. The talent is obvious (how else could he throw for 4,454 yards, run for 770 yards and tally 57 total touchdowns with only four interceptions on his way to the 2014 Heisman Trophy?), but there is legitimate debate about whether he was a product of the Oregon system.

As a result, the Tennessee Titans could draft him at No. 2 overall or he could fall to the middle of the first round. It wouldn’t be the first time a highly projected quarterback slipped on draft day, but it certainly worked out for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (who fell to No. 24 overall in 2005).

There are a number of teams that could use stability at the quarterback position in the top 10 of the draft, including the Titans, New York Jets and even the Chicago Bears. Furthermore, there is always the chance that the Philadelphia Eagles trade up in an effort to reunite Mariota with Chip Kelly, the coach who helped recruit him to Oregon.

Mariota mentioned that playing for Kelly would make the transition to the next level easier, per Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com: "If you are able to know what is ahead of you, know what system or whatever team that you are apart of, it will make the transition easier for you, instead of kind of going into something unfamiliar and new." 

As long as Mariota is on the board, teams may be willing to eschew positional needs to land a potential franchise quarterback. That could lead to headline-making trades or intriguing pairings such as Mariota under the bright lights of New York or Chicago or Mariota with Kelly in Philadelphia.

How Many Wide Receivers Go in the First Round?

The NFL game has evolved through rule changes and offensive schemes to the point that most offenses are pass-first attacks. That puts a premium on elite wide receivers, and there are a number who could potentially hear their names called in the first round.

Alabama’s Amari Cooper and West Virginia’s Kevin White are virtual locks to be first-rounders and probably even top-10 picks. Louisville’s DeVante Parker will also likely go in the top 20 because of his speed and impressive hands.

Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong is an elite playmaker who was first-team All-Pac-12 this season and could also go in the first round.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Those are the main names, but don’t look past Dorial Green-Beckham as a potential first-rounder and even top-20 pick if the right team falls in love with his sky-high ceiling. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com painted an intriguing picture of Green-Beckham in a scouting report:

"

Imposing physical specimen with outstanding height, weight and speed numbers. Smooth, effortless strides to chomp up cushion and blow by overconfident corners. Runs routes with forward lean and can activate second gear when he chooses. Rare catch radius with ability to pluck would-be interceptions and turn them into catches. Has soft, sure hands. Can see a throw late and still haul it in. Able to drive cornerbacks down the field and then break route off for wide-open look underneath. Shows flashes of special ability when ball is in the air.

"

There are also a couple of possible first-round sleepers in Ohio State’s Devin Smith and Central Florida’s Breshad Perriman.

Smith won a national championship as the Buckeyes’ go-to deep threat and averaged 37.9 yards per touchdown catch throughout his career. Ohio State was a perfect 22-0 when he caught a touchdown, and his propensity to step up in the biggest games will likely appeal to teams looking for a playmaker late in the first round.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Perriman didn’t make as many headlines at Central Florida, but he finished last season with 1,044 receiving yards, nine touchdowns and a formidable 20.9 yards-per-catch average. He also checks in at 6'2" and has the potential to be a red-zone option in any offense. 

There are a number of playmaking wide receivers available in this draft. The question is how many will go in the first round.