2015 NFL Mock Draft - AP
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jameis Winston, QB, FSU
To me, this pick is a no-brainer. Winston is arguably one of the best young talents in the draft, and with the horrible offense the Bucs have had the last few seasons, they are crazy not to go with their “hometown” kid here. Already having very good (and very big) receivers on the team to help Winston’s professional transition makes this the perfect fit for both the Bucs and Winston.
Tennessee Titans – Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
Marcus Mariota might be the best franchise quarterback in this draft, but he is seen by many as a work-in-progress. Nonetheless, I feel that whoever manages to make a selection with this second pick (San Diego, Cleveland, or even the New York Jets could trade up) will be taking the Oregon Ducks Heisman signal caller.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Dante Fowler, DE, Florida
Another Florida boy gets to stay in Florida. I originally thought the Jaguars would go with the USC Trojan defensive lineman here, but after the moves they made to acquire two defensive tackles in free agency, I believe edge rush is the best move for the Jaguars to take here.
Oakland Raiders – Leonard Williams, DL, USC
Leonard Williams is one of the best defensive talents in the draft, and Oakland has a big need at DL. If he falls to Oakland, I believe they will be extremely happy to pick up Williams, so that he can open up space on the field for their good and young linebackers to make plays.
Washington Redskins – Vic Beasley, DE, Clemson
I really think the Washington Redskins could go offensive line here because, to me, one of their biggest needs is to protect their quarterback. But, after the loss of Brian Orakpo in the offseason, the Redskins also need to replace him and they can do so with the selection of Beasley.
New York Jets – Alvin “Bud” Dupree, OLB/DE, Kentucky
The New York Jets are very intriguing at this pick. With their recent offseason moves, they could ultimately make any pick they wanted. On paper their biggest need, to me, looks to be quarterback. But, the price to move up and select a worthy candidate may be too high, and they might be interested in a different candidate in the second round (see: Brett Hundley). So with that being said, I think the Jets look to add a player in the draft with some of the highest upside in Dupree. He would be a good addition to an already solid core of edge rushers; And, with Calvin Pace at the age of 34, he can learn from the veteran and be a good replacement once he parts ways with the Jets.
Chicago Bears – Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
With the seventh pick in the draft, a wide receiver is finally selected. Though many analysts feel that there is no way Amari falls this far, I believe other teams have bigger needs than to select Cooper. I do believe the Chicago Bears have some bigger needs on defense (DL & FS), but this could end up being your typical “take the best player available” pick and they will select Cooper. Having Cooper play alongside Alshon Jeffery will not only be very intimidating, but it will also be great for Cutler (who is being scrutinized by many, even myself) after his poor play last season and the loss of Brandon Marshall. Though I believe Kevin White is the best receiver in this draft, I think Cooper will fit better here and will add a compliment to the style of play of Jeffery.
Atlanta Falcons – Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
I want to start by saying: there are many, many different ways Atlanta can go with this pick. They have a lot of needs and only one first round pick. I initially thought they would go defensive back, but I wasn’t sure if they would select someone this early. They also need edge rushers, but the best ones are already off the board. So, with the loss off Steven Jackson and no legitimate franchise back, I think the Falcons select Todd Gurley. Gurley can be argued as one of the most electric players in the draft, and if it wasn’t for a recent injury I believe he would have been a top 10 lock. If the Falcons select Gurley, I think they will have a potential franchise that could be an excellent compliment to their current dynamic duo at wide receiver.
New York Giants – Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa
Offensive Line is never the sexiest first round pick but it usually is the most solid, and adding Scherff will benefit the Giants in many ways. It will enhance the protection of Eli Manning, and it will help give Manning the time he needs to be the kind of quarterback he can be. It will also add massive, and much needed, protection to their interior. Scherff is the smartest pick here.
St. Louis Rams – Kevin White, WR, WVU
St. Louis sure loves their West Virginia wide receivers, am I right? The Rams already have an upgraded defense that looks to be scary in 2015; and while they do have big needs on their offensive line, I feel they can’t pass up on who I believe to be the best wide receiver in this draft. White has it all, and can be a huge addition to help boost this St. Louis Rams offense.
Minnesota Vikings – Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
The Minnesota Vikings biggest need is defensive help. They need to stop opposing offenses from scoring and let Teddy Bridgewater work his magic. Adding a top corner back to accompany Xavier Rhodes and all-pro safety Harrison Smith, will boost their secondary and could bring a big improvement to the teams defense. This would be a smart move.
Cleveland Browns – Davante Parker, WR, Lousiville
Ahh the Cleveland Browns… What to say about the Browns? Other than a very good pick in the 2010 draft when selecting Joe Haden, they have had a long string of draft day woes. Going into this year’s draft however the Browns look to be bringing a roster better than they have had in the past. Owning 2 first round picks this year; Cleveland has leverage to do a lot of things. I believe the Browns are a favorite to try to move up the draft board, potentially all the way to the number 2 spot. But for the sake of this mock, I feel the best pick for the Browns at 12 with the board breaking as it has, would be to draft a top wide receiver in Davante Parker. It would be a nice boost the offense needs, and it would be great for whomever they decide to put behind center. If I’m the Browns, I’d be very happy to have the opportunity of drafting Parker.
New Orleans Saints – La’el Collins, OT, LSU
The New Orleans Saints shook the offseason when they moved their superstar tight end Jimmy Graham to Seattle, in return for their first round pick and best offensive lineman, Max Unger. The addition of Unger strengthens a weak line, which was one of New Orleans biggest holes. Having 2 first round picks leaves the Saints with a lot of room to work this year. A lot of people believe the Saint go for a playmaker for the loss of Graham. But, adding another solid offensive lineman will sure up the protection for quarterback Drew Bees to do what he does best.
Miami Dolphins – Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Miami is another team the made some big noise during free agency, when they acquired top free agent Ndamukong Suh. Suh will surely help out the Miami defensive line and adding a top cornerback prospect will help boost the defense even more. While wide receiver is also a need for the Dolphins, I believe the draft is deep enough for Miami to hold off and select a very good corner with this pick.
San Francisco 49ers – Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
San Francisco is coming into 2015 having one of the worst offseasons a team could ever have. Losing key linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Boreland to retirement, and possibly be losing its star defensive lineman Justin Smith to retirement as well, definitely will hurt the team’s defense. The additions of Torrey Smith and Reggie Bush could potentially fill the holes left by Gore and Crabtree, and signing defensive lineman Darnell Dockett was probably the biggest move the 49ers made. With all that being said, I believe the 49ers will look to continue to strengthen their interior defense under current head coach, and former defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula. Adding a player like Brown will not only do that, but it will also bring in a 3-down defensive player right away for a 49ers team who could definitely use it.
Houston Texans – Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
The Houston Texans offense took a big hit when it lost it’s franchises best receiver Andre Johnson to free agency. On the other hand, the Texans made some nice defensive moves this offseason in an attempt to put some players around superstar J.J. Watt and last year’s #1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. These moves lead me to believe that the Texans will want to use their first round pick to strengthen their offense, and I think it will be via wide receiver. Though there are other receivers on the board that I believe are better, I think the Texans go for the physical stature and high ceiling of Green-Beckham.
San Diego Chargers – Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
It’s no secret that the San Diego Chargers have a giant hole at running back. I believe there is a chance that the team tries to move up the board using quarterback Phillip Rivers as bait, which means they would then be attempting to get one of the top QBs. But if they don’t, running back should be the pick here. San Diego has been diligently looking into Gordon, and he seems to be a guy they would want with this pick.
Kansas City Chiefs – Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
The Chiefs were the worst in the NFL last year at scoring with wide receivers. They brought in Jeremy Maclin, but they then lost Dwayne Bowe. I think the Chiefs will definitely consider getting a wide receiver in the first round, and Perriman has the size and skills to compliment Jeremy Maclin well.
Cleveland Browns – Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
The Cleveland Browns really need to improve their defensive line. If somehow Danny Shelton falls to Cleveland at 19, the Browns should be running to the podium here to make this selection.
Philadelphia Eagles – Landon Collins, S, Alabama
The Eagles secondary played horribly in 2014, seeming like they were getting carved up every week. They should absolutely look to get a player that will boost their secondary. Collins would be a great pick for the Eagles because he could start right away and make an impact.
Cincinnati Bengals – Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Watching the Bengals last year it seemed like teams were constantly getting after Andy Dalton. It seemed like when Dalton struggled, the team obviously lost offensive balance, and ultimately the offense struggled. I think drafting offensive line would be the smartest move the Bengals could make with this pick, and if Peat falls to this spot they should
Pittsburgh Steelers – Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
With the departure of Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor, the Steelers were left needing to add some new talent to their secondary. Jones has very good cover skills, and great athleticism. The Steelers have been needing to draft a good cornerback for a few years now, and I think this will be the year they do so.
Detroit Lions – Cameron Erving, C, Florida State
Mathew Stafford seemed to be playing on his back last year with the amount of pressure he saw. The line of the Detroit Lions is very soft and I feel it is their biggest need to fix in the first round. They have the opportunity to draft the best Center, and I believe they do so with this pick. Erving is a rare center with the skill set he poses and would be a great player to have snapping the ball for the Lions, and protecting Stafford.
Arizona Cardinals – Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska
Arizona's biggest needs coming into this pick lie on the defense, they lost some of their top players like Darnell Docket and Antonio Cromartie, and they are looking to fix those holes at this spot. I believe the weakest spot currently in their defense is their pass rush and Randy Gregory will fit that need admirably. With Gregory falling this far Arizona should jump at the opportunity of selecting him.
Carolina Panthers – D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
Carolina needs to protect Cam Newton. They’re top need in this draft is to solidify their offensive line. By drafting Humphries, they will have a solid tackle for years to come and they will also be getting a chance to fill one of their biggest needs with one of the positions top prospects.
Baltimore Ravens – Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
The Ravens loss Haloti Ngata this offseason and that didn’t help their defensive line. They have holes at wide receiver and defensive end, but with the depth this draft has at receiver I think they take this opportunity to draft one of the best defensive end prospects available.
Dallas Cowboys – Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
This pick would be a steal for the Cowboys. The team desperately needs to fill their defensive end hole, and with Greg Hardy currently seeing a long suspension they need to draft accordingly. Ray was originally seen as a top 10 pick, but due to off-field issues he has been sliding down team’s big boards. I think Jerry Jones is the type of guy who isn’t intimidated with Ray’s off-field issues, and also smart enough to know this is a pick he shouldn’t miss. Even if Hardy’s appeal reduces his sentence, the Ray-Hardy rush combination would be impressive to watch.
Denver Broncos – Cedrick Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
If the Broncos can buy Peyton Manning time, he can pick apart defenses even worse. They also need to protect him because he is one of the oldest quarterbacks in the league. The Broncos have openly talked about liking Ogbuehi and I believe that is the pick here at 28.
Indianapolis Colts – Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida
Indianapolis new they needed to improve their defensive line when they attempted to get free agent Vince Wilfork. Missing out on him in free agency, they still need to fill the void. I feel Goldman would be a good pick to do so, especially at this point in the first round.
Green Bay Packers – Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
Green Bay has a weak linebacking core, and losing A.J. Hawk in free agency made it that much weaker. They need a stud in the middle, and drafting the best middle linebacker in the draft would be great for them.
New Orleans Saints – Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
After trading Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks, Drew Brees lost his big go-to tight end. Using their second pick in the first round, they can fill yet another need and get their franchise QB a new big go-to target. Getting Maxx Williams will not only be ironic at this pick, but it would be great for the New Orleans offense.
New England Patriots – Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke
Rule #1 in New England: Protect Tom Brady. Like the Broncos, the Patriots need to take precautions to improve their line and protect their aging superstar quarterback. Bill Belichick never misses solid players who can play right away, and the blocking skills of Tomlinson make him that such player for the Patriots to select, ending the first round.
