NFL Draft 2015: Mock Predictions for This Year's Projected 1st-Rounders

Once the NFL draft begins, hope returns for fans of all 32 franchises. The addition of young impact talent is more exciting than free agency because these players can be anything for at least a brief period of time.

Free agents are nice to supplement a roster, but there's no surprise with those players. Ndamukong Suh is an all-world talent joining the Miami Dolphins, yet everyone knows he's a monster on the defensive line.

All 256 players who will be taken in the 2015 NFL draft are going to range from superstar to afterthought. The hope for the former drives the entire event, though it takes a strong combination of raw talent, work ethic and coaching to make it happen.

Looking at the mock projections for this year's first round, there are players whose instant-impact potential immediately jumps out. Those are the stars who will be highlighted after looking at the first 32 picks.

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

Brandon Scherff, OT (Projected to Jets at No. 6)

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Starting with an offensive lineman making an instant impact isn't sexy, but that doesn't make it any less valuable. Ask the 2014 Dallas Cowboys how much they loved having Zack Martin blocking for Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray last year.

Looking at the way Brandon Scherff is talked about, Martin is an appropriate name to bring up. The Iowa star is listed as an offensive tackle who projects better as a guard at the next level.

Bleacher Report Draft Analyst Matt Miller made the comparison between Scherff and Martin in the video embedded below:

Throwing a Martin comparison on Scherff immediately speaks volumes about how well-regarded the latter is coming out of college.

As far as Scherff's ability to make an instant impact, ESPN's Mel Kiper noted it's likely going to come more in running situations than in pass protection:

"

Scherff is another tackle who could start his NFL career as a dominant guard, though I think he'd be fine at right tackle. He is dominant in the run game -- the guy who will just try to drive a defender into the parking lot -- and has made strides as a pass-blocker. I've said before that he can be better in pass protection, but he is pretty good, just not super-nimble. Scherff uses a powerful base and a powerful punch to jolt defenders, and he can move well and line up blocks in space, though he could finish a little better.

"

Given Scherff's run-blocking skills, he makes sense for teams using a run-heavy attack that will allow him to develop in passing situations without getting exploited early.

The New York Jets have to forge an identity on offense.

New head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan added a ton of talent on defense, mostly in the secondary with the return of Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, but quarterback is in a state of flux with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith as the top options.

Unless the Jets can make a move up, they will likely miss out on top QB prospects Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota.

At that point, taking the best player still on the board should be their plan. Scherff would give them a foundational piece on the offensive line to build around while still seeking out a long-term answer at quarterback.

The Jets have talent at running back with Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell and the addition of Stevan Ridley, so a run-blocker like Scherff would pay immediate dividends and play the position for 10 years.

That's a terrific production from a first-round pick.

Todd Gurley, RB (Projected to Giants at No. 9)

If Scherff is a safe pick to make me look smart, Todd Gurley is the big leap of faith among impact first-round prospects.

Gurley would have been an easier choice if he hadn't blown out his knee with Georgia last year, though the running back's draft stock is starting to rise late in the process.

ESPN's Todd McShay had Gurley going sixth overall to the Jets in his fifth mock draft, via SportsCenter's Twitter account:

How does this happen for a running back, a position that hasn't seen a first-round pick since 2012, coming off a torn ACL?

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Gurley went through a pair of medicals in Indianapolis two weeks before the draft and was cleared by doctors:

With Gurley getting the OK from doctors, teams can go back to look at his tape from Georgia to see how amazing he so often was. There are dangers to taking him in the first round—especially the top 10—because he only played 16 games at Georgia over the last two years.

Yet when Gurley did play, it was magical. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry playing primarily against SEC defenses and was also a factor in the return game with an average of 38.4 yards on 11 kickoff returns.

Since some analysts now see Gurley going in the top 10, finding his best fit becomes the key. The New York Giants at No. 9 immediately stand out because they desperately need a running back after averaging 3.6 yards per carry as a team in 2014.

Even though the Giants added Shane Vereen to their backfield mix, his time in New England showed he is best used as a pass-catcher and blocker rather than a guy who can carry the ball 200-250 times.

Adding Gurley to that mix with an offense that has one of the best big-play wide receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and solid Rueben Randle on the other side would immediately make the Giants look more formidable because teams would have to respect their ability to run.

Assuming Gurley doesn't have to start the season on the physically unable to perform list, which seems reasonable given how high his stock is climbing, he would be in the mix to win Rookie of the Year.

Landon Collins, S (Projected to Eagles at No. 20)

There's a lot of high-ceiling defensive talent in this draft, and most of it is on the defensive line. But the secondary also features a number of first-round-caliber players.

Safety is one of the weakest areas in this year's class, though Landon Collins is the one standout.

As good as Collins can be in the NFL, his inclusion on this list comes with the caveat that he needs to be protected in certain situations.

According to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, Collins' best spot in the league is going to be as a safety who plays closer to the line of scrimmage against the run:

"

He lines up as the high safety as well as in the box. I like him better closer to the line of scrimmage. He is quick to key/read versus the run, takes good angles and is a reliable tackler in space. He is athletic enough to match up versus tight ends in man coverage but the lacks the fluidity to cover in the slot. In deep zone coverage, he has good instincts but his range is average and his angles are inconsistent. He is an ideal strong safety and should be able to contribute right away.

"

That's not unheard of for a safety. Arizona drafted Deone Bucannon as a strong safety in the first round last year, but he wound up playing a hybrid safety-linebacker because the team needed help at linebacker with Daryl Washington suspended for the entire season.

Finding a fit for Collins isn't easy because he lacks ideal pass-coverage skills for the position, but Philadelphia immediately jumps out since the defense struggled in all facets last year.

The Eagles did hold opponents to 3.7 yards per carry but gave up 14 rushing touchdowns (tied for 21st in the NFL).

Of all the moves head coach Chip Kelly has made this offseason, most have been on offense. The one major defensive addition was signing cornerback Walter Thurmond. The Eagles need to focus on defense at some point if they want to become a true Super Bowl threat and not just a fascinating novelty act.

Collins isn't a perfect player, but finding an ace run defender who can line up in the secondary at the 20th pick makes him a good fit for the Eagles.

Stats via ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.