NFL Mock Draft 2015: Latest 1st-Round Predictions for Marquee Prospects

One week separates the globe from the 2015 NFL draft.

If the path so far is any sign, this year's draft figures to be quite entertaining. Think about it—Chip Kelly's blowing up the Philadelphia Eagles, the 2015 schedule featuring loads of Super Bowl rematches and Tim Tebow having an NFL job again lend to the idea that the draft will be a wild ride.

It is in most years. But this year, in a class headlined by Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, stock values continue to change and new reports emerge by the day.

Below, let's take a look at a first-round mock draft based on team need and these stock changes before looking at some budding storylines to analyze.

2015 NFL Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
5	Washington Redskins	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
6	New York Jets	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
7	Chicago Bears	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
9	New York Giants	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
10	St. Louis Rams	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
13	New Orleans Saints	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
14	Miami Dolphins	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
16	Houston Texans	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
17	San Diego Chargers	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
27	Dallas Cowboys	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
30	Green Bay Packers	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
32	New England Patriots	Byron Jones, CB, UConn

Top Emerging Storylines

Shane Ray's Falling Stock 

Questions have surrounded Shane Ray's stock before he even wrapped up his final year at Missouri. 

Ray was productive in college and won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award last season, but he hit the NFL Scouting Combine at 6'3" and 245 pounds. It's lighter than most would expect for a 4-3 defensive end, and an injury prevented him from doing anything but the bench press.   

Injuries continue to be the focal point with Ray. Per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, whispers about the situation continue to damage his stock:

Bleacher Report's Arif Hasan expands on the matter:

There's a lot to like with Ray. While undersized, his elite quick-twitch athleticism helps him get past much bigger blockers with ease before he chases down quarterbacks.

Health issues make this reliance on burst a problem, though, and if he's to be sidelined through the summer, it makes sense that NFL teams would look elsewhere. Ray can be productive in time, but in such a deep class, teams won't want to wait.

At the least, Ray now seems like a lock to fall out of the top 10. How far depends on which team has enough patience.

Todd Gurley's Climb

With a snap of the fingers, Georgia's Todd Gurley is a top-10 prospect.

To be blunt, it's a tad ridiculous. There has never been any doubt that Gurley is an elite prospect, perhaps the best running back to enter the draft in five years or more.

Gurley is a rare every-down back who can shoulder the load on his own, and it's almost a guarantee he can do it at the pro level, too. The lone problem was a knee issue, although it's a thing of the past after a combine recheck, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

It has been a quick rise to the top since, as Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson points out:

To top it all off, the health revelation forced a major change in Todd McShay's latest mock draft over at ESPN.com. There, he mocks Gurley sixth to the New York Jets:

"

Now that Gurley is cleared from a medical standpoint, I think he's going to go high. Maybe not this high, but I do think this pick would make sense. The Jets' biggest need is at quarterback, but they won't be able to find one in this scenario, and having an elite back like Gurley would provide help for an offense that won't be getting above-average quarterback play -- and new general manager Mike Maccagnan saw firsthand with Arian Foster in Houston the impact an elite running back can have.

"

Not bad for a devalued position, right?

The hype speaks to Gurley's talent, but also to the wild ride the NFL draft process can be. While not everyone will agree the Georgia product is a top-10 pick, there's little doubt his positive medical recheck makes the first round a whole lot more interesting.

Corner Crazy

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Stop and think about the top names at corner this year.

Michigan State's Trae Waynes comes to mind. So should late-bloomer Kevin Johnson out of Wake Forest, as well as the risky Marcus Peters.

What about Connecticut's Byron Jones and Utah's Eric Rowe?

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora suggests the two are serious names to watch:

"

Hearing a lot of buzz about Utah corner Eric Rowe. Teams like him a lot more than the media realizes. Maybe not enough to get him all the way into the top 32, but then again much crazier things have happened before.

I still say UConn's Byron Jones goes Day 1. Too many teams think, at worst case, that he is an impact ranging free safety even if he isn't the cover corner (think Devin McCourty).

"

It makes a ton of sense. The NFL is a pass-first league and the premium on talented, versatile defensive backs will never be higher.

Jones is the guy who captured the imagination of the globe with epic workout numbers at the combine. An injury and smaller team placed him out of the minds of most until now.

As Matt Lombardo of NJ Advance Media captures, the hype around his stock is quite real:

Ditto for Rowe, who came in at 6'1" and 205 pounds at the combine and measured among the best at his position in every drill.

Both players are freak athletes with solid film who can man multiple positions in a defensive backfield. These days, the above traits are enough to see a prospect come off the board in the first round, if not early on Day 2. 

The hype is real around a couple of late risers, so expect to hear Jones and Rowe's names called early.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of April 23. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.