2015 NFL Draft Predictions: Projections for Teams Likely to Trade in Round 1

Perhaps more intriguing than predicting the 2015 NFL draft picks themselves is forecasting which teams will be moving up or down in a first round that could feature trades aplenty.

While things have been noticeably quiet surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their No. 1 overall selection, the exact opposite could be said of the second pick in the draft. Many teams have positioned themselves to make a run at a high draft pick, and calls will certainly be made between front offices in the early minutes of Thursday's opening round.

Let's take a look at three teams that are likeliest to move around some of their picks Thursday night.

Tennessee Titans

Whether the Tennessee Titans are truly interested in Marcus Mariota or it's all a smokescreen to convince teams to sweeten their trade offers, the truth will come out one way or another Thursday.

While the Titans have made no reservations of their affinity for young quarterback Zach Mettenberger, they have been just as giddy about the likely No. 2 overall pick in Mariota. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt even went public in saying that the team would alter its offense around Mariota should it select him, per John Glennon of The Tennessean.

The ideal trade partner for Tennessee has been the San Diego Chargers, as Philip Rivers has been floated around. But Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean has heard otherwise:

Other teams have made their interests known in trading up with the Titans, but putting together a deal worthy of nabbing the No. 2 overall pick is not easy. That's especially so when considering how badly Tennessee needs impact playmakers.

A handful of teams would gladly take Mariota at No. 2 overall, but if one of them doesn't entice the Titans enough with a deal, it's likely to be Tennessee.

Cleveland Browns

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When it was made apparent that the Cleveland Browns would have four combined first-round picks in the 2014 and 2015 drafts, spending three on quarterbacks likely wasn't the plan. But that's just what they are trying to do.

One year removed from taking Johnny Manziel in the first round, the Browns are back at it, apparently trying to offer both their No. 12 and No. 19 selections to the Titans in exchange for the No. 2 pick. That was reported by ESPN's Pat McManamon but eventually refuted in the very same report by ESPN's Paul Kuharsky. 

Such a deal wouldn't be enough to entice the Titans, ESPN's John Clayton suspects:

Spending three of their four first-round picks on quarterbacks isn't exactly how the Browns drew it up this time last year, but there won't be many complaints if they end up with a franchise quarterback. From the looks of the situation with Tennessee, though, much more would be needed for Cleveland to get that wish.

Atlanta Falcons

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With the eighth overall pick, the Atlanta Falcons were sitting pretty for months heading into the draft. Their biggest need was getting an edge-rusher, and this class was so loaded with top-10 talent that a blue-chip prospect was guaranteed to fall in their laps.

Then, Randy Gregory and Shane Ray saw their stocks plummet considerably at the same time that Dante Fowler Jr., Vic Beasley and Alvin "Bud" Dupree began to climb above them in mock drafts. Now, the Falcons could be left picking from scraps, at least compared to their initial plan.

With that in mind, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution sees the Falcons chasing Fowler with a potential trade-up. And general manager Thomas Dimitroff's comments to Ledbetter suggest it could happen:

"

There is a lot of discussions already about moving both ways with a lot of our peers in the league. A lot of it has to do with what goes down with the top three picks. That’s going to set the tone for how much movement there is into the top 10 and even in the top five.

"

As Ledbetter noted, new Falcons head coach Dan Quinn recruited Fowler to play at Florida and coached him for two seasons. He could be off the board at No. 3 overall, but all it will take is Jacksonville passing on him to really up the intrigue.

If Fowler is on the board at No. 4, don't be surprised if the Falcons give Oakland a call.