NFL Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Projections and Defensive Prospects to Watch

Whether you believe the "defense wins championships" cliche or not, plenty of NFL teams are in dire need of defensive assistance before the 2015 season.

After all, 22 squads averaged more than 20 points per game last season, and nine of them averaged more than 25 points per game. A whopping 28 teams topped the 200 passing yards per game plateau, which was an increase from the 26 in 2013 and 25 in 2012. Given the pass-friendly rules in place, there is no reason to think that pattern will stop anytime soon.

That leaves teams scrambling for elite defenders who can put an end to the offensive domination. Shutdown defense led to two Super Bowl appearances in the last two years for the Seattle Seahawks, and it could help teams reach the ultimate goal in the future.

The best place to look for defensive reinforcements this time of year is the NFL draft. There are a number of possible stars who will hear their names called on draft day and could compete for playing time right away.

With that in mind, here is a look at a first-round mock and some defensive players to watch as the draft approaches.

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

Defensive Playmakers to Watch

Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida

Dante Fowler has been on a collision course with the first round of the NFL draft since he started his very first game as a freshman at Florida.

Fowler has the versatility to play defensive end or outside linebacker, where he spent the majority of his 2014 season. He racked up 60 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks during his final collegiate year and earned himself a spot on the All-SEC first team.

That playmaking ability on the line or as a linebacker will help him fit into a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme, which dramatically boosts his draft stock in a class that is loaded with edge-rushers.

Fowler discussed that flexibility, as reported by Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated. 

“I can do a lot for team," Fowler said. "I create a lot of problems for the offense and really just stressing out coordinators out. ... I was a linebacker growing up. And I went to defensive end my sophomore year and I really liked it. I was versatile and fortunate enough to be able to play both."

At 6’3” with explosive athleticism off the edge and formidable pursuit on running plays, there is little Fowler cannot do on the defensive side. Look for him to tally impressive sack numbers in his debut year at the NFL level.

Landon Collins, S, Alabama

Landon Collins is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft, because he could go early in the first round due to the importance of his position or drop to the second round because of concerns about his ability to stop the pass.

Nate Davis of USA Today (via The Indianapolis Star) pointed out that the last seven Super Bowl winners boasted at least one safety with a Pro Bowl appearance in their career. What’s more, 20 of the 28 starting safeties in the last seven Super Bowls had at least one Pro Bowl appearance on their resume.

That pattern bodes well for Collins in a relatively weak safety class. Safeties such as Nate Allen and Ron Parker recently earned formidable free-agency deals, which is a testament to the need for the position around the league.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Collins is excellent against the run and uses his game-changing pursuit skills to make plays in the box and quickly close running lanes. He has sideline-to-sideline speed as well and dishes out monster hits when he gets to the ball-carrier. 

The concern with Collins comes when he is matched up on wide receivers in passing situations. Bleacher Report’s lead NFL draft analyst Matt Miller noted that Collins could fall further than many expect:

Collins was an All-SEC-caliber safety because of his ability to stick with tight ends and provide support against the run. He would provide serious value as a second-rounder for a number of teams looking for secondary help, even if he is still a project when it comes to stopping the deep ball.

Alvin “Bud” Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky

No active player during the 2014 season in the entire big, bad SEC had more career sacks than Alvin “Bud” Dupree’s 23.5. He capped off his impressive career with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss during his senior campaign.

At 6’4”, Dupree has the size and athleticism combination to terrorize opposing passing attacks right away at the NFL level. Like Fowler Jr., he also possesses the versatility necessary to play along the line or as an outside linebacker, which will help him fit into almost any defensive scheme.

Dupree can even drop into space and play zone in clear passing situations if needed, as he returned an interception for a touchdown last season.

Dupree’s potential was crystal clear at the NFL Scouting Combine when he posted a 42-inch vertical leap and a 4.56 40-yard dash despite his size as a defensive lineman. When that athleticism is matched with the power of Dupree, it is a scary notion. 

Unless you are the team that drafts him.

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