NFL Mock Draft 2015: Latest Projections for Most Discussed Prospects

The first round of the 2015 NFL draft should be fun. There's a chance we could see a boatload of trades and some unexpected selections. It all starts with the second pick.

Technically, the draft begins with the first pick. However, since it seems almost certain that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will select 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston with the pick, the suspense will probably have to wait until the Tennessee Titans are on the clock at No. 2.

Will they trade the pick or keep it?

If the pick is traded, it seems certain the team looking to move up would be after 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. If the two go No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, it will be the first time in NFL draft history that former Heisman winners were taken with the first two picks in the same draft.

If the Titans keep the pick, will they take Mariota or allow him to simply fall to the next team enamored with his talent? This is one of the first questions that will be answered when the draft begins on Thursday.

Here's a look at my latest mock draft. It doesn't contain prospective trades, though I acknowledge there are obvious possibilities for wheeling and dealing. Just below the table is a look at Mariota and two other highly discussed prospects in this draft.

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

Marcus Mariota Will Go No. 2

Ryan Kang/Associated Press

Whether it's the Titans or another team, Mariota will be picked second in this draft. The Titans have an obvious need at quarterback. Zach Mettenberger doesn't appear to be a long-term solution or a franchise quarterback. At some point, Tennessee has to look to fill that void.

Mariota is an obvious option, but there's a chance the Titans aren't sold on him. If that's the case and the team is looking elsewhere, it might as well trade down, add some assets and still grab a player it likes later in the first round.

Tennessee could still look to address the quarterback position in the second round. 

Because of the perceived level of interest in Mariota from teams in the first round, it seems almost impossible that the former Oregon Ducks standout won't be picked at No. 2.

If he lands with a team that has the structure, stability and proper scheme, Mariota will become a superstar in the NFL. In my opinion, when we look back on this draft and debate which quarterback had the better career, barring injury, the answer will be Mariota.

Shane Ray Dropping

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Former Missouri Tigers defensive end Shane Ray became the latest NFL prospect to find himself in hot water because of issues related to marijuana. Ray was cited for speeding and possession of a "personal amount" of the drug. He was not taken into custody because he wasn't impaired.

Overall, it seems like a minor infraction, but the troubling aspect of the issue relates to the timing, and the poor decision-making.

Apparently, Ray knows that. He said this in a statement, per ESPN.com:

"

I'd like to apologize to my Mother, Fans and prospective NFL teams for my poor judgement Monday morning. I am embarrassed and realize there are consequences for my actions. I was not under the influence nor impaired, therefore I was not detained. Fortunately, Monday's incident only resulted in a citation. I will make better choices in the future.

"

Despite the fact that Ray is 6'3" and 245 pounds, he's still just a kid at 21 years old. Kids do stupid things and make bad decisions sometimes. It doesn't mean they should be thrown away. That said, businesses—which NFL teams are—must make smart decisions regarding their investments.

No matter how you spin it, Ray didn't help himself in this scenario. Ultimately, a team in the first round will put things into the proper perspective and draft him. Still, Ray has increased the spotlight on him moving forward.

Here's hoping this is just a bump in the road and not a sign of potholes to come.

K.J. or Trae?

ELI LUCERO/Associated Press

Who will be the first cornerback taken: Kevin Johnson or Trae Waynes?

For months, it seemed as if Waynes was the consensus choice, but that looks to have changed recently.

Back on April 26, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk indicated the sway in the evaluation of the two young cornerbacks: "With the draft four days away, we’re told that multiple teams have Johnson ahead of Waynes. If one of those teams ends up on the clock and decides to take a corner, Johnson will go before Waynes."

Listening to both players speak and watching the available film on them, Waynes and Johnson look like future starting defensive backs. It's quite possible that a team couldn't go wrong with either one. If pressed, I'd likely favor Johnson, because he seems to have a slightly higher football I.Q.

Unfortunately for the player who is deemed No. 2 in this race, that might mean a significant fall down the board. I have the Bears taking Johnson in a bit of a surprise at No. 7. Pairing him with last year's top cornerback pick, Kyle Fuller, should give Chicago one of the best young CB tandems in the NFL.

Waynes would then land at No. 22 with the Pittsburgh Steelers as the likely replacement for the recently retired Ike Taylor. In either case, both players would be in good positions to succeed.