2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Stock Watch for Hyped Prospects

With only three days remaining until the 2015 NFL draft, the Internet has been set ablaze with gossip, speculation and analysis.

While franchises scramble to complete their big boards and gather all essential information on potential targets, information regarding draft strategies, prospect draft stock and possible trades begin to surface at a voracious pace. As we know from previous years, some of this buzz is real and the rest is a clever smokescreen.

We won't know which is which until the draft actually takes place, but it's always fun to speculate.

Taking all of the recent information from around the Web into consideration, let's take a look at how the first 32 selections of this year's draft are likely to shake out.

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

Stock Watch for Hyped Players

The term "draft stock" gets thrown around quite often in regard to a certain prospect's value. However, the actual value of a player's draft stock varies among NFL teams and analysts. For example, while most teams will agree a particular prospect's stock is rising, a franchise that values him more will hold him in a higher regard and place him in a superior spot on its big board.

We don't know what any team's big board looks like or the exact values placed on particular prospects, but we can determine the fluctuations in draft stock of players based on available information. Here's a look at some recent movement.

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Jameis Winston's stock hasn't exactly fluctuated much throughout the draft process, as he's been expected to be one of the first players off the board on April 30. However, the quarterback-needy Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the No. 1 overall pick, and recent information alludes to the team selecting the former Seminole.

According to a report from Joey Johnston and Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune, the Buccaneers have done extensive digging into Winston's past off-field issues, and general manager Jason Licht is confident in the vetting process. Following Winston's impressive offseason workouts and interviews, his chances of going No. 1 overall are good.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Due to his unique skill set, Marcus Mariota is a bit of a wild card entering the draft. His athleticism is certainly worthy of the No. 1 overall selection; however, it may take some time for his skills to translate to the NFL due to the unorthodox offense he ran at Oregon.

Mariota has been projected all over the top 10 in the months leading up to the draft, but recently, he's begun to settle in at No. 2 overall to the Tennessee Titans. Peter King of The MMQB reported the Titans are hoping to get an offer for their selection but thinks they'll take the former Duck if they don't.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

A running back in the top 10? Over the last few years, a ball-carrier going that early would seem like some kind of joke—not this year. Georgia running back Todd Gurley has been soaring up draft boards and has begun to make appearances near the top. Here's one example of the ball-carrier going No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons by Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com.

It's difficult to position Gurley at this point, as the teams selecting that early have plenty of holes to fill and may not view running back as a top priority. Still, there's a possibility he'll go much sooner than previously anticipated, making for an intriguing storyline to watch for on draft day.

Shane Ray, DE, Missouri

Widely heralded as a top-10 selection, Missouri's Shane Ray is one of the draft's best pass-rushers. A foot injury held him out of the combine, and he later went on to record some average numbers at his pro day. It seemed clear that something wasn't right, as he wasn't showing the same explosiveness as he did on tape.

Well, as it turns out, he may need surgery on his toe and could miss five months of action as a result. That's bad news for Ray, as early time spent with a new NFL team is crucial to a rookie's development. Teams hoping for an instant contributor may opt to pass on Ray, allowing him to fall outside the top 10.

Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska

Right around the time of the scouting combine, Randy Gregory appeared destined to be a top-five pick. That didn't last, however, as he weighed in much lighter than scouts expected and tested positive for marijuana shortly after. That's not quite how you'd want to kick off a professional career.

As a result, many teams believe Gregory could still be available at the bottom half of the first round. That's not an unrealistic notion, as NFL franchises are increasingly concerned about bringing in players who may have character issues. Will Gregory's talent be too difficult to pass on for teams in need of an edge-rusher, or will these concerns come back to haunt him? We'll know in short order.