2015 NFL Mock Draft: Jameis Winston remains at the top

Florida State. Jameis Winston. 1. player. 48. The Buccaneers aren’t straying from the narrative here at all; they’re sticking with the Seminole quarterback at the top. Winston’s poise, experience and familiarity with a pro-style offense make him the obvious choice for the Bucs right here. Although he does not provide the same two-way play that Oregon’s Marcus Mariota has, Winston has plenty of functional mobility that will be needed in the pocket. <p>At this point USC’s Leonard Williams is a distant possibility here, but his disruptiveness and scheme versatility make him a tantalizing option next to Gerald McCoy</p>. QB

USC. Leonard Williams. 2. player. 35. The USC defensive tackle instead ends up in Tennessee, where there are holes all over the defense. Williams may end up playing a lot of 3-4 DE in the Titans’ defensive scheme, but his space eating and bull rushing ability would vastly improve the defense in Nashville. While he doesn’t display the same impact potential that another DT taken with this pick did (a Mr. N. Suh, currently in Miami), he would still be the Titans best defensive player. <p>The Titans could also go with one of the numerous edge rushers here at two without reaching, like Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Florida’s Dante Fowler, Missouri’s Shane Ray or Clemson’s Vic Beasley.</p>. DT

player. 52. At this stage, the Jaguars have plenty of options here. If Allen Hurns is the teams number one receiver, then perhaps Alabama’s Amari Cooper or West Virginia’s Kevin White could land at three. If Leonard Williams slips, then the Jaguars could get him here. <p>But the Jags go with the home state prospect. Nebraska’s Randy Gregory has more potential as an athletic pass rusher, and he can be a high impact player for any defense. But Fowler is the more wellrounded player, and can give the Jaguars pass rush a similar boost without loosing anything in the running game.</p>. DE/LB. Florida. Dante Fowler, Jr.. 3

player. 28. In an ideal world for the Raiders, they end up picking Leonard Williams with the fourth pick, he is added to a defense with the already stellar Khalil Mack, and Mark Davis lives happily ever after. <p>But Derek Carr and the Raiders still need a wide receiver, and they could do so much worse than the Alabama product with this pick. Observers know Cooper is an elite route-runner with great hands and hard physicality if needed. But with Cooper’s measureables stacking up better than expected, he heads into the upcoming month and a half as the ideal wide receiver prospect for a Raiders team in desperate need of an impact offensive player.</p>. WR. Alabama. Amari Cooper. 4

Oregon. Marcus Mariota. 6. player. 30. The rumors of Philadelphia trading up to the sixth pick to pick up Mariota died when they traded Nick Foles for Sam Bradford, a player who is held together by Elmer’s Glue Sticks and struggles to complete checkdowns. In that case, the Jets stay at six, and they pick their replacement for Geno Smith. Mariota’s two-way play, accuracy and decision-making would give the Jets a dangerous offensive centerpiece. The major negative is his inexperience in a pro-style offense. <p>This pick was almost Clemson’s Vic Beasley, who is perhaps the draft’s best defensive playmaker and would help the Jets atone for Vernon Gholston.</p>. QB

player. 57. Beasley instead goes to the Chicago Bears, a team in desperate need of any defensive help across the board. The Clemson product is too small to be considered as a defensive end in the Bears defense, but would fit as a perfect 3-4 outside linebacker that would force defenses to game plan around him. Beasley was consistent as a pass rusher disrupting opposing offenses and forcing crucial turnovers, a former staple of the Bears defense. <p>Washington’s Danny Shelton is another distinct possibility, and the Bears could use a space eater in the center of the defensive line.</p>. DE/LB. Clemson. Vic Beasley. 7

DE/LB. Missouri. Shane Ray. 8. player. 44. Ray is the logical choice for a pass defense in desperate need of a pass rush, and his burst will give the Falcons an edge threat to take pressure off of the depleted secondary. His primary appeal is his speed off of the snap, which will throw defenses off-balance as he attacks from the edge. His run defense is quality in pursuit, but as a strong side backer, he may struggle to allow his teammates to make a play on the ball. <p>The Falcons also need defensive backs, so either Landon Collins from Alabama or Trae Waynes from Michigan State could land here.</p>

The loss of Antrel Rolle leaves the Giants safety starters as Nat Berhe and an empty patch of turf. While the team will likely look to sign a free agent to fill their need at the top of the defense, Collins makes a great deal of sense here for the Giants to pick up. The Alabama thumper excels inside the box helping in on run defense and as an extra pass rusher while cleaning up the shallow center of the field. <p>The Giants may also turn to Scherff here, who would give the Giants an essential run blocker and grinder either at tackle or guard.</p>. S. Alabama. Landon Collins. 9. player. 31

If the Rams select Scherff, he would be the third offensive lineman taken in the top ten in seven years, and the second consecutive player selected. Scherff can play both tackle and guard, and while he is a more accomplished run blocker, his pass blocking is solid enough to help the Rams protect Nick Foles, who struggles greatly under pressure. Scherff did experience a poor combine in demonstrating strength, and has struggled with faster edge rushers, so he may fit in best at guard. <p>The Rams also have a need in the secondary, so they could go with Landon Collins if he falls here or Trae Waynes if he remains available.</p>. OT/G. Iowa. Brandon Scherff. 10. player. 51

11. player. 60. The Vikings could still go with a wide receiver even after the addition of Mike Wallace from Miami, but the team instead bolster’s their secondary. <p>Trae Waynes would give the Minnesota Vikings a tough, frustrating secondary to contend with the best offenses in the NFC (especially the division villains in Green Bay). Waynes is a physical cornerback who performs best in deep man coverage while still being unafraid to mix it up along the line of scrimmage. He can often be too aggressive on defense, which he will not be able to get away with in the offense-oriented NFL.</p>. CB. Michigan State. Trae Waynes

West Virginia. Kevin White. 12. player. 53. After the departure of Josh Gordon, the Browns have a desperate need for an offensive playmaker. Kevin White can provide the Browns with an athletic specimen that does best against man coverage; winning jump balls and maintaining leverage on overmatched defensive backs. White’s combine also flashed his potential to beat players down the field as a speed receiver. <p>The Browns’ rush defense was pathetic in 2014, so they could end up going with an option at middle linebacker here. But the prospects at middle linebacker would be reaches at 12, and the Browns pick again at 19. </p>. WR

15. The Saints would absolutely love to have Trae Waynes right here, but with the corner off the board the Saints look to stay in Louisiana and pick a player to protect Drew Brees. <p>Collins is a steady offensive lineman who succeeds both as a pass protector and a run blocker. His athleticism makes him a versatile player who can play all along the offensive line; both inside and out. He also succeeded against the better pass rushers available in this year’s draft. The opinion on Collins varies between top-10 player and third rounder, so it is difficult to judge how the Saints front office feels about the LSU Tiger.</p>. OT. LSU. La'el Collins. 13. player

player. 59. Marcus Peters would give the Dolphins a corner opposite standout Brent Grimes who would give the team a player comfortable in man-to-man coverage deep down the field. Peters also is excellent at winning jump balls, making him an ideal candidate to be left on an island. However, he does have character concerns, running into trouble with his coaching staff in Washington. Joe Philbin isn’t exactly the ideal coach for handling personalities. <p>Without Mike Wallace, the Dolphins could also go with a wide receiver here to help Ryan Tannehill, perhaps Louisville’s DeVante Parker.</p>. CB. Washington. Marcus Peters. 14

player. 42. With Michael Crabtree and Stevie Johnson likely not returning to the Bay, the 49ers will need an option to play as their number one receiver. Parker is an ideal option to help out Colin Kaepernick; his body control and hands complement his ability to win matchups in tight coverage. He suffered a poor combine that perhaps revealed an issue with motivation, but based on the on-field production, Parker is an ideal number one receiver. <p>With the retirements of Patrick Willis and Justin Smith, the 49ers need leadership on defense, so they may end up going with an inside linebacker here.</p>. WR. Louisville. DeVante Parker. 15

If the Texans are able to land Vince Wilfork, then this obviously will not end up being the Texans pick. But instead, Houston will go with the Washington nose tackle to pair up with reigning defensive player of the year J.J. Watt. Shelton is a thick run stopper who would be an excellent value pick for Houston at this position in the draft. <p>Neither Brian Hoyer nor Ryan Mallett inspires much confidence for the Houston Texans at this point, and if Marcus Mariota slips this far (an unlikely possibility), look for them to pick him up.</p>. NT. Washington. Danny Shelton. 16. player. 10

17. player. 13. The Chargers bolstered their offensive line significantly with the addition of Orlando Franklin from Denver, and they continue to do so with the addition of Andrus Peat. The Stanford Wearer-of-Cardinal utilized impressive footwork and speed that allowed him to handle faster edge rushers. With Franklin likely moving to right guard, the Chargers will look to improve the left side of the line. <p>This is also a place where the Chargers could go with a running back, such as Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon; however, there would be quality options in later rounds like Miami’s Duke Johnson.</p>. OT. Stanford. Andrus Peat

Missouri. Dorial Green-Beckham. 18. player. 124. The Kansas City Chiefs absolutely need a legitimate number one wide receiver, but the top three have already been taken. Arizona State’s Jaelen Strong is a more conservative choice here, but the Chiefs decide to go high-risk/high-reward and select the former Missouri Tiger. <p>Green-Beckham is raw, and he does have character issues that led to him being kicked off of the team before declaring for the draft. But he is this years most physically gifted receiver, and it is hard to imagine a team with the Chiefs’ needs not seriously considering him</p>. WR

Miami. Denzel Perryman. 19. player. 53. The Browns wait at 12, and they get their choice of inside linebackers at 19. Denzel Perryman is a plugger in the middle who is excellent at recognizing plays and exploding to the ball carrier on runs. He can also defend pass plays and is smart at recognizing and attacking receiver routes. He was a leader at Miami and would perhaps reprise that role along the Browns linebacking corps. <p>Perryman’s big issue is his size, as he only stands at 5’11” and can get swallowed up by oposing blockers from time to time.</p>. ILB

WELCOME TO UNCLE CHIP’S WILD WILD OREGON TRAIL RIDE! FOR THIS SECTION, WE TAKE AN OLD OREGON DUCK WHO SUFFERED AN ACL TEAR AND PICK HIM IN THE FIRST ROUND! <p>COME ON FOLKS! TIME TO GET IN THE COVERED WAGON!</p>. CB. Oregon. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. 20. player. 54

56. The Bengals had one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL in 2014, and address that immediately in the first round of the draft. Dupree displays excellent athleticism on the edge, where he routinely annihilates the opposing ball carrier. He is a superb tackler who provides a threat to opposing defenses both in the pass and in the run, but from time to time he will take bad angles to the ball. <p>The Bengals could also go with Washington’s Shaq Thompson at linebacker, who also displays great athleticism and defensive playmaking ability.</p>. DE/LB. Kentucky. Bud Dupree. 21. player

Jalen Collins. 22. player. 55. With their cross-state rivals going with an injured Duck, the Pittsburgh Steelers are free to select LSU’s Jalen Collins at cornerback. The Steelers have secondary issues (unless of course B.W. Webb is the answer), so it makes the most sense to address them here. Collins is a long, athletic corner who can help in run support. The issue is his experience; Collins only started 10 games last season for the LSU Tigers. <p>If Bud Dupree is available here, the Steelers may look his way after the unexpected retirement of Jason Worilds.</p>. CB. LSU

player. 50. The Lions lost both of their star defensive tackles, Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, to free agency but were able to pick up Haloti Ngata in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. Brown gives the Lions another pairing to move forward in the immediate future, and a successor to Ngata in the future. Brown is light-footed and athletic for his size, and can help disrupt passes by tearing the pocket up in the middle. <p>The Lions could also pick up a running back with this pick, namely Melvin Gordon from Wisconsin.</p>. DT. Texas. Malcom Brown. 23

UCLA. Eric Kendricks. 24. player. 32. The Cardinals are going to be moving on from Daryl Washington at linebacker, so they turn to the UCLA product and younger brother to Mychal Kendricks. Kendricks is a fantastic sideline-to-sideline run stopper who also can cover running backs in man coverage coming from behind the line of scrimmage. <p>With the departure of Antonio Cromartie, the Cardinals could also go with a cornerback with this pick along the lines of Jalen Collins or Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson</p>. ILB

87. Cam Newton took a beating last season for the Panthers, so the front office gets him some protection in the form of the second-team All-American. Clemmings is an athlete along the offensive line who displays excellent quickness to contain faster edge rushers. His powerful frame allows him to be a powerful run blocker as well. He does show lapses in technique, but that may be a result of inexperience. <p>The Panthers may also turn to Miami’s Ereck Flowers, a powerful run blocker who would create space for Newton on runs.</p>. OT. Pittsburgh. T.J. Clemmings. 25. player

26. player. 26. Ray who? Melvin Gordon may be the most complete back in the draft, demonstrating vision and balance that complements his power and burst through the hole. His combine saw his stock skyrocket, and for the Ravens, finding him at 26 is an absolute steal. Gordon’s concern is that he played behind an offensive line that gave him plenty of space to operate and run. <p>The Ravens could very easily go with cornerback here, with Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson still available. </p>. RB. Wisconsin. Melvin Gordon

Washington. Shaq Thompson. 27. player. 123. Rod Marinelli gets a defensive playmaker who can be lined up all over the field. Thompson is great at reading defenses, and he forces turnovers at an excellent rate. The Cowboys linebackers played admirably in 2014, but Thompson has the opportunity to be a bona fide star. He is a little undersized, but finding him with the 27th pick is excellent value for the Cowboys. <p>The Cowboys also could go with cornerback here. Again Kevin Johnson’s name is mentioned, and again he is passed up.</p>. LB

Minnesota. Maxx Williams. 28. player. 45. With Julius Thomas departing the mountaintops for the sunny skies of Jacksonville, the Broncos could use another lethal red-zone threat. Williams (Willliams?) doesn’t have quite the pedigree of Thomas, but he can draw defenders with seam routes, generally wins red zone battles and woudl represent an upgrade as a blocker. He does need to run better routes, but that will improve under the tutelage of Peyton Manning. <p>The Broncos may end up going with the more athletic Devin Funchess from Michigan instead, though he could only catch a football if it grew from his hands.</p>. TE

Along with Houston, the Colts are also targeting Vince Wilfork. Like the Texans, they also pick up a defensive tackle in this draft. Goldman is a quality bull rusher who stands stoutly in the running game. He lacks some refinement as a defensive tackle, but on a successful team such as the Indianapolis Colts he should have room to develop into an interior threat. <p>The Colts could also draft a linebacker, and Mississippi State’s Benardrick McKinney is still availaible here at 29.</p>. DT. Florida State. Eddie Goldman. 29. player. 46

ILB. Mississippi State. Benardrick McKinney. 30. player. 49. McKinney instead goes to bratwurst country. A.J. Hawk is no longer a Packer, and the team needs help defending multifaceted running attacks. The Mississippi State prospect has better size than either Kendricks or Perryman, and is an intelligent defender who read runs very well along the defense. He also is very quick for his size and demonstates excellent burst through gaps. <p>The Packers may turn to the defensive line at this stage of the draft, maybe going with the stout Eddie Goldman or the disruptive Malcom Brown if either are still on the board.</p>

Owamagbe Odighizuwa. 31. player. 15. The Saints could definitely use Kevin Johnson here, so a large part of this is to just be mean to Kevin Johnson for no reason. But Owamagbe Odighizuwa displays incredible athleticism and strength, and he uses that strength to violently disrupt running lanes. His motor is relentless, and although he is unskilled as a pass rusher, he could develop as an essential piece of the Saints defense. <p>New Orleans got this pick by trading Jimmy Graham, so if either Maxx Williams or Devin Funchess are here they could move in that direction.</p>. DE/LB. UCLA

47. The Patriots have the relative luxury of picking up who they believe to be the best available player, and Armstead could fit that mold. He is a quality run stopper who would fit in well as a 3-4 defensive end. His frame is built where he could realistically put on more weight, and could develop his rather raw talent into something more polished on the defending champion’s defense. <p>Nose tackle is also a concern, so Oklahoma’s Jordan Phillips could be taken here at the bottom of the first round.</p>. DT/DE. Oregon. Arik Armstead. 32. player