2015 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for Top Prospects as Event Nears

A lot can happen in the final days before the NFL draft.

Prospects can hurt or help their stock in the waning moments, front offices can panic and pull the trigger on moves and folks in charge of draft boards can make slight alterations capable of shaking up the entire first round.

In a way, the final days before the draft are like the weeks and months before, the difference being an added sense of urgency.

So observers can best keep up with the action, let's take a look at a mock draft reflecting some of the recent changes around the league. Each slot takes into account need and value without trades.

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	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
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)	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
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	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
27	Dallas Cowboys	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Mario Edwards, DL, Florida State
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

Latest Draft Info to Know

Mario Edwards Jr.'s Rise Up Boards

It's easy to overlook Mario Edwards Jr. out of Florida State thanks to a deep class headlined by familiar faces such as Vic Beasley, Randy Gregory and others.

But the Florida State product is on the rise at just the right time, as his redemption tour comes to an end just before the 2015 draft.

Edwards is an elite pass-rusher on film, but inconsistency is the key trait scouts will see, as ESPN's Louis Riddick details:

It's a problem Edwards recently touched on with ESPN.com's Jared Shanker, citing dietary habits and weight problems hurting his endurance and ability to produce for four frames.

“In order for me to be great, I've got to take care of my body,” Edwards said, per Shanker. “The 310, it’s a closed chapter.”

Edwards hit the NFL Scouting Combine at 6'3" and 279 pounds before showing well in athleticism drills.

The result of this change? Jayson Braddock of ESPN 97.5 Houston hears Edwards now owns first-round stock:

It's hard not to fall in love with Edwards' tape when he's playing well.

Should this newfound attitude mesh with the right coaching staff and situation, folks may look back and wonder why Edwards wasn't a first-round candidate all along.

Shane Ray's Fall 

Shane Ray is more recognizable than Edwards, but now there's a chance his first-round status is in jeopardy.

The NFL seemed willing to overlook the fact that Ray measured in too light at the combine (6'3", 245 pounds), which is what happens with a quick-twitch athlete who uses his speed to great effect and won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award last season.

Teams were also willing to overlook nagging injuries. Then Ray got in trouble with the law just a few days out from the NFL draft, per Brandon Kiley of KTGR:

The timing is a major issue, but so is the fact that NFL teams behind closed doors were willing to overlook past issues, as NFL Network's Albert Breer details:

It's a tornado of bad news for Ray.

In such a deep class, combined with injury and weight issues, not to mention rising players such as Edwards, Ray might just fall out of the first round.

No matter the outcome, Ray—even more so than before—is one of the most interesting players to watch on draft day.

The Curious Case of Dorial Green-Beckham

Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is wideout Dorial Green-Beckham.

Folks have to know the deal by now, but here's the skinny—DGB has a wealth of off-field concerns after a dismissal from Missouri and spending last year on the sidelines as an observer at Oklahoma.

NFL teams must weigh the risk-reward puzzle, though, because receivers like DGB, who comes in at 6'5" and 237 pounds, don't come around too often. The measurements will remind many of a guy named Calvin Johnson, and on film DGB looks the part, too, overwhelming smaller defensive backs and reeling in catches at their highest point.

According to Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, though, it seems some front offices are letting their staffs know DGB isn't a gamble they are willing to take:

"

In case you missed it, I reported Monday that multiple NFL teams want to draft Dorial Green-Beckham in the first round, but ownership has squashed those plans. In fact, one high-level source of a top-15 team told me this weekend they were flat-out told "no" by ownership about drafting Green-Beckham in the first round.

"

It's quite the interesting situation, as potential game-changing receivers don't come around often and DGB has the look of one if he can shore up his route running.

A tug-of-war between front offices and coaching staffs occurs every year, but it's odd to get such an intimate look at the struggle many teams face surrounding a top prospect.

Odds are DGB comes off the board in the first round despite some teams taking a pass. It only takes one team to fall in love and pull the trigger.

Which team it turns out to be is what is so captivating about this year's draft.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of April 28. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.