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We are approximately two months away from the 2015 NFL Draft. Here is my post-combine mock draft scenario:
| Team | Selection | Pos. | School | Reason | Previous Pick | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jameis Winston | QB | Florida State | Winston really impressed teams with his football knowledge, and his slow 40 time shouldn't scare anyone. He's always been known as a pocket passer and is easily the most polished quarterback in this draft. His off-the-field issues may scare some folks, but I believe Tampa will look past it and realize this is their best shot at a franchise QB. | Marcus Mariota |
| 2 | Tennessee Titans | Marcus Mariota | QB | Oregon | Mariota has the upside of a top-two pick but has a lot of work to do. Still, the QB position holds a ton of value, and I don't see him slipping too far. I could also see the Eagles trading the farm to move up and grab Mariota now that Chip Kelly is in control. | Jameis Winston |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Leonard Williams | DT | USC | The Jaguars need all the help they can get at nearly every position. Ideally, they'd go for an offensive lineman here, but I don't believe there is any OT prospect worthy of going in the top three picks this year. Williams is the best player available and will add some much-needed talent to Jacksonville's D-line. | Shane Ray |
| 4 | Oakland Raiders | Dante Fowler | DE | Florida | Fowler is very versatile and has experience playing in a two- and three-point stance. The Raiders need some help with their pass rush and will be getting arguably the best pass rusher available here. | Randy Gregory |
| 5 | Washington Redskins | T.J. Clemmings | OT | Pittsburgh | Andrus Peat received a lot of praise before entering the combine because of his athleticism. It turns out he didn't have as good of a combine as expected and may move down on some boards. In this mock, I have Clemmings as the No. 1 OT, and he fills a primary need for the Redskins. | Andrus Peat |
| 6 | New York Jets | Kevin White | WR | West Virginia | White was my top receiver going into the combine and cemented that status with an incredible combine. The Jets need help in a lot of areas, but White would be a great target to help get Geno Smith back on track. | Brandon Scherff |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | Vic Beasley | OLB | Clemson | With the Bears switching to a 3-4 defense, they're going to need a stud pass rusher off the edge. Beasley had an extremely impressive combine and would be a great pick for the Bears. | Dante Fowler |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Randy Gregory | DE | Nebraska | The Falcons have a huge need for a pass rusher. Gregory may be the best option for them in a top-heavy class of edge rushers. | Leonard Williams |
| 9 | New York Giants | Brandon Scherff | OT/OG | Iowa | The Giants did an awful job of protecting Eli Manning last year. Scherff could be an immediate upgrade for their interior and can possibly develop into a starting RT down the road, if need be. | T.J. Clemmings |
| 10 | St. Louis Rams | La'el Collins | OT/OG | LSU | Collins is a steal for the Rams, which have struggled with their O-line. They'll be able to plug him into nearly any position on the line and make him a starter. | La'el Collins |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings | Shane Ray | DE | Missouri | Ray's value may take a slight hit after he was unable to participate in running drills at the combine, but he's still a great talent. The Vikings could use a pass rusher opposite of Everson Griffen, and Mike Zimmer gets another toy to play with. | Amari Cooper |
| 12 | Cleveland Browns | Danny Shelton | NT | Washington | The Browns would be ecstatic to see Shelton fall to them, as many believe he's a top-10 pick. Their run defense was among the worst in the NFL, and Shelton will provide an immediate impact by plugging holes versus the run. | Danny Shelton |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints | Trae Waynes | CB | Michigan State | I'm keeping the same pick for the Saints here. They still have a huge need at cornerback, and Waynes had a solid combine performance. | Trae Waynes |
| 14 | Miami Dolphins | Ereck Flowers | OT/OG | Miami (FL) | Despite taking an OT in last year's draft, the Dolphins still had a rough time protecting their QB. Flowers would be a solid option for Miami and can compete for a starting guard or tackle spot. | Landon Collins |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | Amari Cooper | WR | Alabama | The slide ends for Cooper, and the 49ers pick up one of the best receivers in the draft. With Michael Crabtree set to hit free agency, San Francisco adds a great piece for Colin Kaepernick. | Kevin White |
| 16 | Houston Texans | DeVante Parker | WR | Louisville | DeAndre Hopkins has been a blessing for the Texans, but Andre Johnson is still nearing the end of his career. Parker is another phenomenal talent in a stacked receiver class. | Alvin Dupree |
| 17 | San Diego Chargers | Andrus Peat | OT | Stanford | Peat drops pretty far after an unimpressive combine, but he's still a solid prospect with plenty of upside. The Chargers can start him off at guard if he's unable to earn a starting job on the outside. | Todd Gurley |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | Dorial Green-Beckham | WR | Missouri | Unfortunately for KC, this is a pretty weak QB class, so they'll have to just settle with Alex Smith for another year. DGB would be a great bail-out receiver for Smith to toss the ball to. | DeVante Parker |
| 19 | Cleveland Browns | Jordan Phillips | NT | Oklahoma | Phillips ran pretty well at the combine for a 329-pound defensive tackle. If all of his medical exams check out, this would be a great pick for the Browns, and Phillips could be their starting nose tackle in the future. | Dorial Green-Beckham |
| 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | Marcus Peters | CB | Washington | Peters is undoubtedly the top cornerback prospect in my eyes. He will continue to have character concerns, but he voiced his regret during his combine interviews and will be invited back to Washington for his pro day. | Marcus Peters |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Eric Rowe | CB | Utah | Rowe has finally earned the praise he deserves after a more than impressive combine. The Bengals have needs at CB and safety, so Rowe would be a perfect fit for them. | Eddie Goldman |
| 22 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Landon Collins | SS | Alabama | The Steelers need a bit of help at safety, and Troy Polamalu isn't exactly the most reliable player back there. Collins has been considered a top-10 prospect, but the value of a strong safety may push him back to a late-first option. | Quinten Rollins |
| 23 | Detroit Lions | Quinten Rollins | CB | Miami (OH) | The Lions could go RB here, but I think it's smarter to wait until the second or third round. This was still a pretty tough choice. I was tempted to take Alvin Dupree or Owamagbe Odighizuwa, but Rollins seemed like the right pick. Cam Erving was also an option I strongly considered. Teryl Austin can work with Rollins and groom him into a stud playmaker alongside Darius Slay. If he doesn't work out at CB, many consider him a great safety prospect. | Ereck Flowers |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals | Alvin Dupree | DE | Kentucky | Dupree slides right into the Cardinals' lap. I'd imagine they'd be sprinting to the podium with this pick, as Dupree probably deserves to go higher after his impressive showing at the combine. | Vic Beasley |
| 25 | Carolina Panthers | Owamagbe Odighizuwa | DE | UCLA | The Panthers need some help on the outside, and Odighizuwa is by far the best pass rusher left. After Odiggy, there is a pretty steep drop in talent at DE. | Jaelen Strong |
| 26 | Baltimore Ravens | Melvin Gordon | RB | Wisconsin | Though I believe Todd Gurley is the No. 1 running back in this class, my gut tells me Gordon will still be the first RB selected because of the hype surrounding him and Gurley's injury concerns. Still, Gordon is a great talent who can take it to the house any time he touches the ball. The Ravens get their feature back with the possibility of Justin Forsett leaving Baltimore. | Sammie Coates |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | Kevin Johnson | CB | Wake Forest | Brandon Carr is coming off of a rough year and the Cowboys could use a little help in their secondary. Johnson is my top CB on the board and has the potential to develop into a No. 1 corner somewhere. | Eli Harold |
| 28 | Denver Broncos | Eli Harold | OLB/DE | Virginia | With the Broncos switching to a 3-4 defense under Wade Phillips, they could use a young edge rusher to groom behind DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller. Harold is very explosive and would be in a great position to succeed in Denver. | Cameron Erving |
| 29 | Indianapolis Colts | Eric Kendricks | ILB | UCLA | The Patriots exposed Indy's linebacker corps in the playoffs, especially up the middle. Kendricks is a solid linebacker prospect with the ability to drop into coverage. He would be a great fit for the Colts. | Benardrick McKinney |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers | Paul Dawson | ILB | TCU | Begin the narrative of TCU players running slow. Yes, Dawson didn't have a great combine, but his tape will impress you, and he deserves to be a first-round pick. | Jordan Phillips |
| 31 | Seattle Seahawks | Maxx Williams | TE | Minnesota | The Seahawks aren't very talented at the tight end position. Williams would likely start and be an immediate upgrade. Boom, logic. | Maxx Williams |
| 32 | New England Patriots | Jaelen Strong | WR | Arizona State | Somehow, Strong is available for the Patriots and life isn't fair. Strong had an impressive combine and would be a huge get for New England. Tom Brady still has a few years left in the tank and could use a weapon like Strong. | Malcom Brown |