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With the 2015 NFL Draft about three months away, I decided to do something I generally don't enjoy doing. And that was to create a first-round mock draft. Here goes nothing:
| Team | Selection | Position | School | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Marcus Mariota | QB | Oregon | You need a quarterback to win in this league. Josh McCown and Mike Glennon aren't the type of QBs who are going to take over and win games for you. While Jameis Winston looks much more comfortable in the pocket, Mariota is much cleaner off the field and will likely be the No. 1 QB off the board at this point. |
| 2 | Tennessee Titans | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State | With Mariota off the board, Winston is a no-brainer for the Titans. On the field, Winston is the best QB prospect in this year's class. The Titans had the 30th-ranked passing offense, according to Football Outsiders, and had three QBs play over 300 snaps in 2014. A little consistency under center could go a long way for Tennessee. |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Shane Ray | DE | Missouri | The Jaguars haven't selected a defensive player in the first round since 2010. I expect that to change this year with Shane Ray on the board. Jacksonville needs help at virtually every position, but Ray could be the best player available at No. 3 overall. |
| 4 | Oakland Raiders | Randy Gregory | DE | Nebraska | Having Randy Gregory and Khalil Mack in the same front seven would certainly be a step in the right direction for Oakland's defense. Gregory is lanky with huge upside and great athleticism. He is also very versatile and can play in both the two-point and three-point stance if the Raiders want to switch things up. There is a lot to love about Randy Gregory. |
| 5 | Washington Redskins | Andrus Peat | OT | Stanford | Peat is my top offensive tackle in this year's class, and the Redskins would be a perfect fit for him. Washington already has Trent Williams, who had an impressive year at left tackle. Peat is extremely raw but has plenty of upside. The Redskins could plug him in inside or at right tackle and let him develop into a great OT. |
| 6 | New York Jets | Brandon Scherff | OG/OT | Iowa | Many have the Jets taking Amari Cooper here, but with both Percy Harvin and Eric Decker still under contract, it might be best for them to upgrade their offensive line. Scherff will likely play guard in the NFL, but he is good enough to be a solid right tackle in the NFL, too. Scherff would immediately help shore up the Jets' porous O-line. |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | Dante Fowler | DE/OLB | Florida | John Fox is a defensive-minded guy, and while many believe Landon Collins should be the pick here, I just don't believe he's worthy of a top-seven selection. Dante Fowler is a versatile pass rusher who can fit the Von Miller or DeMarcus Ware type of linebacker role that Fox has used in the past. |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Leonard Williams | DT | USC | The Falcons need an edge rusher more than they need an interior defensive lineman, but Williams would be hard to pass up in this spot. They could also go with a guy like Alvin Dupree or Dante Fowler here. |
| 9 | New York Giants | T.J. Clemmings | OT | Pittsburgh | The Giants could really use some help across their offensive line. Clemmings is the best OT available at this spot and could immediately step in and play inside or stick with RT. Once Will Beatty leaves, Clemmings could be ready to be a full-time LT. |
| 10 | St. Louis Rams | La'el Collins | OT | LSU | A lot of tackles going early in this mock. This mostly has to do with plenty of teams having major issues with their O-line, but that could change a bit once free agency begins. Collins is talented enough to be a top-10 pick and fits a need for the Rams. |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings | Amari Cooper | WR | Alabama | Cordarrelle Patterson was a major disappointment last year, and the Vikings could use some talent at the wide receiver position. Cooper could also be the best player available at this spot, so the Vikings shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. |
| 12 | Cleveland Browns | Danny Shelton | NT | Washington | This is a pretty popular pick for mock drafts. The Browns were phenomenal against the pass and atrocious against the run defensively. Shelton is a mammoth who will immediately upgrade their defensive line and compete for the starting nose tackle position in their 3-4 defense. |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints | Trae Waynes | CB | Michigan State | The Saints struggled badly in their secondary last year, and Waynes is considered the top cornerback prospect in this year's class. I believe their struggles can be blamed mostly on their poor defensive scheme and defensive coordinator, but it doesn't hurt to add talent anyway. |
| 14 | Miami Dolphins | Landon Collins | SS | Alabama | The Louis Delmas signing was a success for the Dolphins for the most part. He had a great year as Miami's box safety, but had an unfortunate end after yet another lower-body injury. Delmas will be a free agent this year, and I don't expect Miami to re-sign him due to his history of injuries. Landon Collins would be a fine replacement. |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | Kevin White | WR | West Virginia | Michael Crabtree is set to be a free agent this year, and the 49ers don't really have a whole lot of talent at the WR position in general. Kevin White is a great prospect who will make plays for San Francisco as soon as he steps onto the field. |
| 16 | Houston Texans | Alvin Dupree | DE | Kentucky | Though J.J. Watt is clearly an incredible football player, the Texans could use some help across the rest of their defensive line. Dupree is a solid talent who can play opposite of Watt as a 3-4 DE. |
| 17 | San Diego Chargers | Todd Gurley | RB | Georgia | The Chargers have struggled at the running back position for a while now. Ryan Mathews has been the only threat out of the backfield despite dealing with multiple injuries. He's also set to hit free agency this year. Todd Gurley could slip because of his recent ACL tear, but if the Chargers are smart, they'll take the risk. |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | DeVante Parker | WR | Louisville | Kansas City didn't have a single wide receiver touchdown all year. Not one. If they don't select a receiver in the first round, I will be thoroughly shocked. Parker would probably end up being the Chiefs' No. 1 receiver by the end of the year. |
| 19 | Cleveland Browns | Dorial Green-Beckham | WR | Oklahoma | Why would the Browns select another receiver with character concerns? Well, DGB is that talented. In a perfect world, the Browns would have been able to select one of the top three receivers, but I don't see them falling to No. 19. If DGB can straighten out his issues, he could end up being the best receiver out of this class. |
| 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | Marcus Peters | CB | Washington | Marcus Peters is easily the most talented CB in this year's class. If it wasn't for the red flags on his character after allegedly choking out one of his coaches, he would be a top-10 pick. I could see him sliding a lot further if he does a poor job with his interviews, but for now I'll consider him a day one pick. |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Eddie Goldman | DT | Florida State | Cincinnati's defensive line struggled all year. They were poor against the run and didn't get a whole lot of production outside of Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap. Goldman would add some much-needed help versus the run and show some flashes as a pass rusher. |
| 22 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Quinten Rollins | CB | Miami (OH) | Rollins received a lot of buzz during Senior Bowl week, and some even believe he could be selected day one. He's raw but has plenty of upside, and his strong performances during Senior Bowl practices certainly helped his draft stock. |
| 23 | Detroit Lions | Ereck Flowers | OT | Miami (FL) | This was a tough one. I don't really like this scenario a whole lot for the Lions, but it's completely possible. With most of the top offensive and defensive tackles selected, I had to decide between Flowers and Malcom Brown. Flowers is an intriguing talent with plenty of upside, and I think Detroit could do a whole lot worse than this pick. |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals | Vic Beasley | OLB | Clemson | Arizona needs an edge rusher who can get to the quarterback. Beasley is extremely explosive and would immediately provide some needed pressure off the edge. |
| 25 | Carolina Panthers | Jaelen Strong | WR | Arizona State | Carolina addressed the wide receiver position early in last year's draft and will need to do so once again. Kelvin Benjamin is about as inconsistent as receivers come, and having Jerricho Cotchery as the No. 2 receiver says a lot about their depth. |
| 26 | Baltimore Ravens | Sammie Coates | WR | Auburn | I expect the Ravens to re-sign Torrey Smith, but that doesn't mean they couldn't use some extra talent at WR. Steve Smith had a nice year but will likely retire in the near future. Coates boosted his draft stock during Senior Bowl week, and I expect him to continue to rise following the NFL Combine. |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | Eli Harold | DE | Virginia | Dallas has the most unpredictable offseason ahead of them. They had coaches they needed to extend on top of figuring out contracts for Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray and Bruce Carter. Harold has been compared by some to a poor man's Ziggy Ansah. The Cowboys struggled to generate pressure in some big games last year that didn't go their way. |
| 28 | Denver Broncos | Cameron Erving | OG/C | Florida State | After his switch to the center position, Erving completely dominated his competition and saw his draft stock shoot up the boards. At this point, he may be the top interior lineman other than Scherff. If the Broncos want to keep Peyton Manning safe for another year, this pick is a no-brainer. |
| 29 | Indianapolis Colts | Benardrick McKinney | ILB | Mississippi State | The Colts' linebacker unit struggled badly, and their two worst performers may have been their interior linebackers. McKinney is far and away the best inside linebacker prospect in this year's draft and would be a solid pickup for the Colts. |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers | Jordan Phillips | NT | Oklahoma | Another no-brainer pick. Phillips boasts a massive frame (6-foot-6, 334 pounds) and would likely replace Letroy Guion as Green Bay's nose tackle. Phillips is 30 pounds heavier and will be able to plug gaps and be effective against the run. |
| 31 | New England Patriots | Maxx Williams | TE | Minnesota | Tom Brady needs more weapons, and this would be a nice insurance pick. With Rob Gronkowski's injury concerns and Tim Wright's mediocre presence, I could see Williams earning his way onto the field earlier than expected. |
| 32 | Seattle Seahawks | Malcom Brown | DT | Texas | The Seahawks are nasty off the edges but could use a bit of help on their interior D-line. Brown would be a great addition to an already elite defense. The rich get richer. |
Well there you have it, folks. Enjoy (or don't). Feel free to discuss in the comments below.