2015 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Prospects Worth Overdrafting

The pick everyone seems to hate sometimes turns out to make the general manager or head coach look like a genius down the road. 

That's one of the main points to keep in mind when it comes to the 2015 NFL draft. As a brief example, think back to the scrutiny the Seattle Seahawks suffered in the 2012 NFL draft when they used the 15th overall pick for Bruce Irvin, who went on to be a key cog in one of the league's best rosters.

This year, there are sure to be many of these picks drawing general disdain upon review. The 2015 class is deep at some positions but wildly scarce at others, meaning teams won't be able to please everyone.

Below rests a full first-round mock draft based on the latest happenings on the stock market, team need and value. Afterward is a look at players who teams must take earlier than most would figure.

2015 NFL Mock Draft 

Pick	Team	Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
4	Oakland Raiders	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
5	Washington Redskins	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
6	New York Jets	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
7	Chicago Bears	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
8	Atlanta Falcons	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
9	New York Giants	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
10	St. Louis Rams	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
11	Minnesota Vikings	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
12	Cleveland Browns	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
13	New Orleans Saints	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
14	Miami Dolphins	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
16	Houston Texans	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
17	San Diego Chargers	Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
27	Dallas Cowboys	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
30	Green Bay Packers	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
32	New England Patriots	Byron Jones, CB, UConn

Prospects Worth Overdrafting

Landon Collins, S, Alabama Crimson Tide 

Outside of quarterback, no position in the NFL may be worse than safety. One can tick off the elite players on one hand, maybe two. 

To make matters worse, Landon Collins from the Alabama Crimson Tide is the lone elite prospect in the 2015 class and by a long shot. Were the depth of the class better, he might fall to the second round, but a severe lack of talent may cause a team to pull the trigger in the first round.

And that's all right.

Collins is a freak athlete who ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at 6'0" and 228 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein later summed up Collins quite well:

"

Collins is a tempo-setter who can energize a defense with his downhill, aggressive style. He is at his best when he can attack rather than sit back in coverage and process. Collins' tackling, pursuit angles and speed to the sideline can help a defense shut down rushing attacks, but his inconsistencies in coverage will be tested by NFL offenses.

"

Teams in need of a pro-ready player with attitude in the secondary need to pull the trigger early or miss out on Collins, which would mean another year of mediocre play—if not far and beyond, unless future classes are better. 

Collins may have his weaknesses against the pass, but a strong coaching staff can work around these, if not eliminate them outright. Some may call it overdrafting, but Collins needs to come off the board in the first round.

Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky Wildcats

The now-later debate will never end when it comes to NFL draft prospects. 

The Kentucky Wildcats' Alvin Dupree exemplifies this. He might not have a defined position, but players who come in at 6'4" and 269 pounds with an ability to run a 4.56 40-yard dash, jump 42 inches on a vertical jump and jump 138 inches on a broad jump don't come around often.

ESPN's Todd McShay put it best, per Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com:

Dupree doesn't have the most consistent tape in the world, nor does he look like a surefire producer as an end in a 4-3 alignment.

Still, Dupree's potential is perhaps higher than no other player in the class. A lot of it hinges on the coaching staff and how his pro team decides to use him.

Regardless, he is a safe bet to blossom into an effective rusher. Coaches love to add players with rare athleticism and size because it's something they cannot teach—whereas they can mold everything else around such athleticism.

It wouldn't be any sort of shock to see Dupree come off the board in the top 10. A few years down the line, most everyone might agree.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia Bulldogs

Running backs are dead or devalued in the minds of most. 

Todd Gurley has enough talent to change such a line of thinking, though. A three-year starter with the Georgia Bulldogs, his numbers stick out, especially for a guy who paved such numbers in a conference as brutal as the SEC.

YEAR	ATT	YDS	AVG	TD
2014	123	911	7.4	9
2013	165	989	6.0	10
2012	222	1385	6.2	17

Gurley's quite a lot more than stats, though.

Forget great size, even though it's there at 6'1" and 222 pounds. There's a reason NFL.com compares Gurley to Marshawn Lynch—a blend of speed and power like this hasn't entered the draft since perhaps Beast Mode himself.

Even McShay has a hard time ignoring what Gurley brings to the pro level, mocking him No. 6 to the New York Jets.

An every-down back who can move the chains in brutal fashion, catch passes to keep defenses honest and hit a home run via either avenue changes the complexion of an offense in a hurry.

Few every-down backs remain in the NFL, both thanks to a lack of rare talent and subsequent necessity of coaching staffs. Gurley is one such talent and a lock to breach the first round. Just how high doesn't matter—he'll change a franchise from his first pro snap. 

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of April 27. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.