2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions, Outlook for Boom-or-Bust Prospects

The 2015 NFL draft is mere days away, so what's one more mock scenario to add to the pile?

Bleacher Report beat writer Mike Freeman did well to summarize the underlying sentiment about such draftnik content:

This mock doesn't account for the crazy trades that tend to occur near the top of the order. Whichever quarterback the Tampa Bay Buccaneers presumably take No. 1 overall between Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the young man remaining will become the most important player on the board.

But the Winston-Mariota debate has been well covered by this point, as has the evaluation of many of the other top-tier prospects.

After reading an updated mock of the first round below, check out a breakdown of the boom-or-bust players who figure to be top-32 picks.

No. Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
4	Oakland Raiders	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
5	Washington Redskins	Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
6	New York Jets	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
7	Chicago Bears	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
10	St. Louis Rams	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
11	Minnesota Vikings	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	La'el Collins, OT, LSU
15	San Francisco 49ers	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
16	Houston Texans	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
17	San Diego Chargers	Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
23	Detroit Lions	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
24	Arizona Cardinals	Mario Edwards Jr., DL, Florida State
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
27	Dallas Cowboys	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28	Denver Broncos	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
29	Indianapolis Colts	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
30	Green Bay Packers	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma
32	New England Patriots	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU

Boom-or-Bust Prospect Mock Analysis

17. San Diego Chargers: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska

The fact that Gregory put up 24 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press with lengthy 34" arms at the NFL Scouting Combine shows the type of functional strength he has. Whether he'll shine in the NFL is another matter.

Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei relayed some discouraging inside information he came across regarding the former Cornhuskers star:

Gregory is among several premium edge-rushers, but he may take a dive on draft day, which the Chargers might be perfectly fine with if he falls into their laps.

San Diego ranked 29th in the NFL last year with just 26 sacks as a team. Former first-round pick Melvin Ingram hasn't stayed healthy enough to be a true impact player, so the Chargers have an opening at the 3-4 outside linebacker position on either side for Gregory to compete for and be a Week 1 starter.

Provided he can keep his weight up, study the playbook hard and stay out of trouble, Gregory has the makings of one of the big steals in this draft. It all comes down to trust, and the Chargers have brought Gregory in for a pre-draft visit.

Based on the team's dire need of a pass-rusher, Gregory's skill set and the chance to talk to him extensively, it'd be a surprise to see San Diego let him slide by if he's there at No. 17.

19. Cleveland Browns: Arik Armstead, DL, Oregon

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

The player doesn't dictate the boom-or-bust possibility in this instance as much as the organization does.

Cleveland seems cursed no matter which regime or coaching staff is in charge. This is the third time in four years the Browns have had two first-round picks. First up were busts Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden. In 2014, Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel essentially wasted their rookie seasons.

Wherever he lands, Armstead appears intent on proving doubters wrong:

Head coach Mike Pettine is a promising authority figure and a respected defensive mind around the league. If general manager Ray Farmer provides Pettine with a freakish athlete like Armstead, there's a solid chance the 6'7", 292-pound behemoth realizes his immense potential.

But Armstead isn't exactly a finished product. He tends to rely too much on his natural athleticism to blow by blockers and struggles to disengage blockers at times because he plays too upright.

Nolan Vasan of USA Today weighed in on Armstead:

It's hard for such a big man like Armstead to get down low enough, to be fair. When he does, Armstead is almost impossible to slow down.

The Browns had the NFL's worst rushing defense last season, so a lot would be asked of Armstead right away. As much upside as he has, there are doubts as to whether he could contribute as an immediate starter and be the force for change Cleveland desperately needs to stop the run.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma

In the video that leads the Gregory section, Bleacher Report Insider Jason Cole mentions how Cincinnati is generally more lenient when it comes to taking chances on prospects with off-field concerns.

Green-Beckham certainly falls into that category, but the Bengals front office will be drooling if he's still on the board at No. 21 overall.

In a fantastic feature penned by Bleacher Report's Lars Anderson, an NFC scout spoke about how Green-Beckham acquitted himself well when pressed about his past in pre-draft interviews:

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He was great with our team. He owned up to his past missteps, and it's been impressive what he's done with his life since he was dismissed by Missouri. No one wants to gush publicly about Dorial because they don't want other teams to know how much they think of him, but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes very early in the draft, like maybe as high as 10 or 12. But who knows? He also could fall out of the first round. He's a great unknown.

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NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported recently that Green-Beckham did indeed spend time with the Bengals brass:

Cincinnati has yet to strike a long-term contract extension with stud wideout A.J. Green, though it's likely the team will at some point. Regardless of Green's outlook beyond this season, 2015 would be a heck of a lot of fun if Green and Green-Beckham are starting opposite each other.

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton needs to prove he can win a playoff game to truly be endorsed as the legitimate answer under center. Adding an exotic weapon like Green-Beckham would go a long way to help.

At 6'5" and 237 pounds, Green-Beckham also has long speed to go with tremendous size and a huge catch radius. The sky is the limit for him, and he could well prove to be the best receiver in another loaded 2015 class.

It seems as though the issues in Green-Beckham's past are behind him. What will be interesting to see is how he handles the adjustment to the NFL, dealing with the expectations that come with being a professional athlete with a seemingly limitless ceiling.