The overwhelming consensus is that the first two names Commissioner Roger Goodell calls out in Round 1 of the NFL Draft on Thursday are of quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, in that order. But what transpires in the next 30 picks is anyone’s guess.
Well, it’s not quite too late to offer our version of how Round 1 all shakes out with our very own mock draft. Of course, the draft order can – and will – be subject to change due to trades and such, but in an alternate universe where everyone stays at their designated slot, here are the players each team should pick, and why.
Get ready for the draft by gaining some of the NFL experts’ valuable insight in the form of their draft predictions, which you can find here.
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2015 NFL Mock Draft Round 1
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jameis Winston, QB (Florida St.)
Winston is a risk, for sure. But he’s a risk the Bucs have to take if they want to start winning any time soon.
2. Tennessee Titans – Marcus Mariota, QB (Oregon)
Whether it’s still the Titans that make the pick or not, Mariota goes No. 2.
[sc:NFL240banner ]3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Williams, DE (USC)
The Jaguars need to get their hands on a great player in whatever position, and Williams projects to be just that.
4. Oakland Raiders – Amari Cooper, WR (Alabama)
Derek Carr needs someone reliable to throw to, and Cooper is the best and safest man for the job.
5. Washington Redskins – Dante Fowler Jr., OLB (Florida)
Fowler said he’d be shocked if the Jags don’t take him. Well junior, prepare to be shocked. The Redskins won’t mind him dropping, though.
6. New York Jets – Bud Dupree, OLB (Kentucky)
The Jets take the upside in Dupree, who should flourish under a Todd Bowles defense which knows how to create pressure.
7. Chicago Bears – Kevin White, WR (West Virginia)
The Bears need a new receiver after Brandon Marshall’s exit, and White’s potential to be just as good or even better than Cooper is great value at No. 7.
8. Atlanta Falcons – Randy Gregory, OLB (Nebraska)
The Falcons finally pick up the pass rusher they so desperately need in Gregory.
9. New York Giants – Brandon Scherff, OT (Iowa)
Scherff’s one of the best linemen available, and his addition should instantly improve the inside of the Giants’ offensive line.
10. St. Louis Rams – Andrus Peat, OT (Stanford)
With Scherff off the board, the Rams settle for another very good lineman in Peat as they continue fortifying their offensive line.
The Browns still don’t have their franchise quarterback, but Parker at least gives the placeholder a potential No. 1 receiver to throw to.
13. New Orleans Saints – Vic Beasley, OLB (Clemson)
Pass rusher is a major need for the Saints, which makes the very explosive Beasley a perfect fit.
14. Miami Dolphins – La’el Collins, OT (LSU)
The Dolphins are woefully short in the interior of their offensive line, so Collins should be an instant upgrade to what little they currently have in their roster.
15. San Francisco 49ers – Arik Armstead, DE (Oregon)
Armstead has his share of red flags in terms of effort and work ethic, but his upside is worth the gamble for a Niners defense that experienced a huge talent drain.
16. Houston Texans – Breshad Perriman, WR (UCF)
With Andre Johnson gone, the Texans will need a big target like Perriman opposite DeAndre Hopkins to recoup some of that lost production.
17. San Diego Chargers – Todd Gurley, RB (Georgia)
Philip Rivers’ future is in doubt, but the Chargers could ease the pain of his possible loss by grabbing what could be the next LaDainian Tomlinson in Gurley.
18. Kansas City Chiefs – Jalen Collins, CB (LSU)
The Chiefs have two key corners in contract years, so they could look to shore up the future of that position by taking the very talented Collins.
19. Cleveland Browns – Danny Shelton, NT (Washington)
Shelton drops deeper than expected, but the Browns won’t be complaining as the big nose tackle helps shore up that leaky run defense.
20. Philadelphia Eagles – Landon Collins, S (Alabama)
It remains to be seen if Chip Kelly the general manager knows what he’s doing, but if he does, finding a good safety like Landon Collins should be his top draft target.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Cedric Ogbuehi, OT (Texas A&M)
With the future of their tackle situation uncertain, look for the Bengals to possibly reach for Ogbuehi, who was a major prospect at tackle prior to his ACL injury.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers – Byron Jones, CB (UConn)
The Steelers need good, young cornerbacks stat, and Byron Jones would be a very welcome addition to that aging, struggling secondary.
23. Detroit Lions – Malcolm Brown, DT (Texas)
With both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley gone and Haloti Ngata uncertain to return past this season, an defensive tackle like Brown must be the Lions’ top priority.
With All-Pro guard Mike Iupati on board, the next step in the Cardinals’ reconstruction of their running game is a good running back. Wisconsin’s record-breaking back Gordon fits the bill quite nicely.
25. Carolina Panthers – DJ Humphries, OT (Florida)
The Panthers need to flat out take the best offensive lineman available. Humphries is one of the better ones in the draft and should still be on the board in this range.
26. Baltimore Ravens – Philip Dorsett, WR (Miami)
The Ravens will be in the market for a speedy deep threat after the departure of Torrie Smith, which makes them a very good landing spot for Dorsett.
27. Dallas Cowboys – Kevin Johnson, CB (Wake Forest)
Even without DeMarco Murray, the Cowboys offense should be fine. That makes defense their primary focus, particularly in the form of Kevin Johnson at cornerback.
28. Denver Broncos – Ereck Flowers, OT (Miami)
Orlando Franklin’s departure opens up a spot in the Broncos’ O-line at right tackle, one that the massive 300-plus-pound Flowers can fill up right away.
29. Indianapolis Colts – Eddie Goldman, DT (Florida St.)
The Colts could use a little more help up front against the run, and Goldman would be a welcome addition to that defensive line rotation.
30. Green Bay Packers – Eric Kendricks, ILB (UCLA)
The Packers have few real “needs,” but one of them is probably inside linebacker, which would make the versatile Kendricks a terrific pick.
31. New Orleans Saints – Nelson Agholor, WR (USC)
After trading both Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills, Drew Brees suddenly needs someone to pass the ball to. A speedy playmaker like Agholor should do just the trick.
32. New England Patriots – Cam Erving, OT (Florida St.)
The Pats could still use some help on the offensive line, and after drafting Bryan Stork last season, Erving could be the next Seminole to make his way to Foxboro.
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