NFL Draft 2015: Notable Picks from Latest Expert Mock Drafts

At its height, mock-draft season ahead of the NFL draft is the best time of year for football fans. 

The "what ifs" and dream scenarios can be staggering. Sometimes based on opinions, accrued knowledge or even inside sources, mock drafts serve as entertainment to bide the time until the real thing.

At their best, mock drafts are more than just entertainment, though, because they provide an inside look at how prospects rank in the stock department, what teams are looking for and the how and why.

It's never advisable to scoff or dismiss a mock draft. Not in an NFL where Johnny Manziel is a first-round pick, Blake Bortles comes off the board No. 3 and EJ Manuel comes out of nowhere to be the first quarterback off the board.

Below, let's examine what some of the best minds in the business have to say about the upcoming draft.

Notable Expert Picks 

Mel Kiper, ESPN.com

No. 10, St. Louis Rams: Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Before his pro day, the public knew little about UFC's Breshad Perriman other than his 50 catches for 1,044 yards and nine touchdowns last year and a per-catch average north of 20 yards in each of his last two campaigns.

At his pro day, at least according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, Perriman ran a 4.26 40-yard dash, catapulting his stock into the atmosphere.

ESPN.com's Mel Kiper believes Perrieman's total skill set makes him a suitable candidate for No. 10 to the St. Louis Rams:

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No player has risen more on my board over the past month than Perriman, a player who I always thought looked explosive on tape, then lived up to that by running sub-4.3 two separate times at his pro day. We know the Rams have a need for another potent weapon in the passing game, and Perriman could fit the bill.

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There's no question the Rams need help in the area, with just Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin to speak of and a new quarterback in Nick Foles. Perriman seems to have the speed and big-play ability to fill the void, so the pick makes sense, even if it would be a surprise to see him off the board so high.

Dane Brugler, CBSSports.com

No. 16, Houston Texans: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska

Controversy surrounds Nebraska's Randy Gregory, who was a projected top-10 selection at one point.

Gregory weighed in too light at the NFL Scouting Combine (6'5", 235 pounds) and failed a drug test, a combo of affairs perhaps enough to knock him clean out of the first round.

Opinions on the matter vary and make Gregory perhaps the most polarizing prospect in the class this side of Jameis Winston.

For CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler, a forward-looking approach by the Houston Texans may help Gregory come off the board in the opening round.

"Houston drafted a pass rusher No. 1 overall last year (Jadeveon Clowney), but all 32 NFL teams could use more help at the position, especially for the Texans, who are expected to lose Whitney Mercilus to free agency next year," he wrote.

It's hard to argue. Houston missed the postseason by a single game last year, and more talent to get after Andrew Luck, whom the Texans dance with twice a year, is never a bad thing.

In a defense led by J.J. Watt, Gregory might just develop into an every-down player.

Matt Miller, Bleacher Report

No. 12, Cleveland Browns: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

The notion that Oregon's Marcus Mariota takes a bit of a draft-day dive isn't too outlandish. 

CSN Chicago's Greg Gabriel even notes that several teams don't view the Heisman Trophy winner as a top-20 pick, which may have something to do with need, concerns over his collegiate scheme or some other varying degree of factors.

Regardless, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller was ahead of the curve in a recent "What I'm Hearing" mock draft, mocking Mariota No. 12 to the Cleveland Browns.

Conventional wisdom suggests it will take a trade-up for the Browns to nab Mariota, which is something to watch on draft day. This scenario is quite the caveat, though, as it allows the front office to escape the Manziel era sooner rather than later.

Todd McShay, ESPN.com

No. 6, New York Jets: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

There's no doubt Georgia's Todd Gurley stands alone as the most talented back in the 2015 class, if not the most talented to come out over the course of the past several years.

A knee injury killed his stock, though, until a recent medical recheck confirmed his health, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

With medical concerns out of the way just in time, Gurley's stock shoots through the roof to the point that ESPN.com's Todd McShay is comfortable mocking him No. 6 to the New York Jets:

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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. 

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It's hard to hate the idea, even if it is a tad strange to see such a devalued position come off the board so high. New head coach Todd Bowles will squeeze the most out of the defense in place, and wideout is already set, with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker acting as the one-two punch.

An every-down talent such as Gurley in the backfield instead of a rotation featuring Chris Ivory and Stevan Ridley would provide an upgrade to the unit no matter who lines up under center.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of April 26. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.