NFL Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft, Examining Best Fits for Top Prospects

The 2015 NFL draft is now just a few days away. Yet unlike most years, where things usually settle leading into the first round, there's still plenty of uncertainty this time around. The added drama creates a little extra buzz for the always popular event.

Jameis Winston is expected to come off the board first to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that, there's potential for chaos. The Tennessee Titans can go a number of different directions, including a trade, and whatever they decide will have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the round.

Let's check out one of numerous different scenarios for how the opening round could play out Thursday. It will be extremely interesting to see how it all goes down when the big day finally arrives.

1st-Round Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
7	Chicago Bears	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
8	Atlanta Falcons	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
9	New York Giants	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
10	St. Louis Rams	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
11	Minnesota Vikings	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
12	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
13	New Orleans Saints	Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky
14	Miami Dolphins	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
15	San Francisco 49ers	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
16	Houston Texans	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
17	San Diego Chargers	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri
19	Cleveland Browns (from BUF)	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
23	Detroit Lions	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
24	Arizona Cardinals	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
25	Carolina Panthers	T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
26	Baltimore Ravens	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
27	Dallas Cowboys	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA
28	Denver Broncos	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (Fla.)
29	Indianapolis Colts	Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
30	Green Bay Packers	Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
31	New Orleans Saints (from SEA)	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
32	New England Patriots	Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington

The most coveted players in a draft class aren't always the ones who produce the best numbers right out of the gate. Success in the NFL goes beyond talent. Teammates and systems are among the other major factors in determining how much a young player is able to shine.

For example, the aforementioned Winston has a bright future if he can avoid any further off-field distractions. But the learning curve is quite steep for quarterbacks, and question marks with the Bucs' running game could make things difficult for him as a rookie.

Let's take a closer look at three prospects landing in spots where they could stand out right away.

Top Prospects in Ideal Spots

2. Tennessee Titans: Leonard Williams, DL, USC

Williams is a special talent who can shift around the defensive line, change roles and still find a way to make an impact. Whether it's serving as a pure run-stopping tackle, which is probably the best facet right now, or moving to the edge and getting a push into the backfield, he's flashed the ability to do it all.

His versatility makes him a perfect fit for Tennessee. The Titans feature a base 3-4 scheme but utilize a lot of hybrid looks. Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com passed along comments from the team's general manager, Ruston Webster, who's clearly impressed with what the USC product brings to the table.

"When you think of a 3-4 defense, typically, you think of a big, two-gap player," Webster said. "[It's] rare to find players that can do that—play one gap, penetrate and get up the field and rush the passer. ... When you have a guy like Leonard who can do both, that's something special."

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton could do a lot of different things with Williams, move him around the defense to create matchup problems and get as many one-on-one looks for the rookie as possible. That's where he can really use his strength to shed a blocker and make a stop.

The Titans also have a good amount of talent elsewhere in their front seven. Jurrell Casey, Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan are the most notable names. Adding Williams to that group would cause a lot of headaches for opposing offensive lines.

4. Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

Cooper battled Kevin White throughout the draft process to see who would become the first wide receiver off the board. A clear consensus never emerged. It's a close race, but Cooper gets the edge here because he's the more ready-made NFL option.

The Alabama star ran a 4.42 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, which further illustrated his deceptive top-end speed. When you watch him play, it doesn't seem like he shows that top gear. He does, but everything is so smooth and fluid it just doesn't come across that way.

Going to the Raiders would be a perfect opportunity for him to see a lot of targets right away. Oakland has a lot of secondary wideouts but no clear-cut No. 1. Jeff Cavanaugh of CBS Dallas notes he could be one of a few arrivals to bring the team's passing game together:

"

If Derek Carr is throwing to Crabtree and Amari Cooper (or Kevin White) this year, his life is a lot more enjoyable than this past season.

— Jeff Cavanaugh (@JC1053) April 14, 2015"

Along with Michael Crabtree, the Raiders also have James Jones, Andre Holmes and Rod Streater. It's a serviceable group, but Cooper possesses the potential to fill the void atop the depth chart. He can be thrown right into the fire and should succeed.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson

Beasley is a perfect example of needing to find the right situation to excel in year one. He's a pass-rusher capable of making his presence felt off the edge consistently. The other areas of his game are very much a work in progress, though.

He's merely average against the run, and should he land with a team where he'll be asked to drop into coverage, there will be an adjustment period. By contrast, the Falcons are so desperate for more pressure on the quarterback, they would likely just turn him loose.

Beasley has an explosive first step to go along with all the other athletic tools talent evaluators seek. Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated notes that once a coaching staff is able to refine his technique, he should develop into a terror off the edge:

Atlanta finished tied for 30th in the league last season with just 22 sacks. It's difficult to have a successful defense when getting that little heat on the quarterback. Beasley can help lessen those woes with hope he can become a rock-solid, three-down linebacker with time and experience.