2015 NFL First Round Mock Draft 1.0

Here is my first 1st round mock draft for the 2015 NFL Draft

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB Florida State – The Buccaneers need a franchise quarterback, and there is no better place to get one that the draft. Winston’s off-the-field problems make you wonder if he can mentally make it in the NFL, but I think he has all the physical tools to be at the least a pretty darn good QB in the league.

2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon – Normally when you’re picking this high in the draft, your biggest need is quarterback.  Reportedly, the Titans are all-in with Zach Mettenberger this season. The coaching staff is going to want to back the player currently on their roster in case something happens and they don’t draft a QB in the first round. Also, Mariota is going to be likely to sit and learn his first year coming from Oregon’s spread scheme to a pro-style scheme that Whisenhut runs in Tennessee.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Amari Cooper, WR Alabama – The Jaguars may have their QB of the future in Blake Bortles, but he lacks weapons to throw to on offense. Amari Cooper is a big-play threat who can take advantage of Bortles arm. If the Jaguars are going to ever compete in the AFC South, they’ll need to be able to score some points.

4. Oakland Raiders: Leonard Williams, DE/DT USC – Williams falls to the Raiders, which works out great for them because they have holes on both sides of the ball. Williams can play both DE and DT, so they can move him around the line to create mismatches.

5. Wahsington Redskins: Randy Gregory, DE/OLB Nebraska –While not a huge need for the Redskins, their defense is predicated on getting to the QB. Brian Orakpo is headed to free agency and has been injured more than healthy in his career. Pairing Gregory with Ryan Kerrigan would give the Redskins what they’ve needed on defense, a pass rushing duo.

6. New York Jets: Kevin White, WR West Virginia – The Jets need a QB in the worst way, but they didn’t lose enough games to land one of the top two and there isn’t one worth taking at sixth overall. Kevin White’s game film should have been enough to put him in the top ten, but his combine numbers make sure he’s taken in that span. In this mock draft, Amari Cooper is gone so I have the Jets taking this big, physical, and fast receiver out of the Mountaineer State who I think is the second best receiver in the draft.

7. Chicago Bears: Danny Shelton, NT Washington – The Bears are moving away from the 4-3 “Tampa Two” defense that they’ve seemingly ran for ages and are going with a 3-4 under new coordinator Vic Fangio. The Bears don’t have someone who can play that linchpin nose tackle position, so they take the best NT available in Shelton, who should clog up running lanes and collapse the pocket for years as a Bear.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Shane Ray, DE/OLB Missouri – The Falcons offense SHOULD be good, their defense needs lots of work though. They need a guy who can get to the quarterback in a division with Drew Brees, Cam Newton, and most likely a new first-overall pick at quarterback in Tampa Bay. Shane Ray is the best pass rusher on the board, and the Falcons should have no second thoughts about making this pick.

9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers, OT Miami – The Giants could use some help on the offensive line, and drafting Flowers does a lot for them. It allows Justin Pugh to move inside to guard, upgrading the interior line. It gives them a new young right tackle, and someone who can slide over to the blind side once William Beatty retires or is released due to how much he is owed on his contract. If the Giants are going to compete for the division again anytime soon, they need to keep Eli Manning’s jersey clean.

10. St. Louis Rams: Brandon Schreff, OT Iowa – The Rams don’t know if Jake Long can come back and be the same player after tearing the same ACL that ended his 2013 season, and Roger Saffold has been nothing but injured his entire career. Drafting Schreff would give them another tackle to book end the line with last year’s #2 overall pick Greg Robinson.

11. Minnesota Vikings: Andrus Peat, OT Stanford – The Vikings need help on the line, and even though Matt Kalil has been disappointing I don’t think the Vikings would hold that against Peat. Peat could take over left tackle duties allowing Kalil to kick over to right tackle, where he wouldn’t see as many stud pass rushers. This would help create bigger holes for Adrian Peterson (if he returns to the Vikings) and would give Teddy Bridgewater better protection.

12. Cleveland Browns: DeVante Parker, WR Louisville – The offense in Cleveland is devoid of playmakers, and no matter who plays QB in Cleveland in 2015, they’ll need a guy who can make some plays at wideout. Josh Gordon is suspended for the entire season, and there is no guarantee that he will ever be on the field consistently with his off-the-field problems. Either way, this is the right pick because it gives their QB the best chance to succeed this season and in the future, because pairing him with Gordon if he can get back to his 2013 self could be one of the best receiving duos in the league.

13. New Orleans Saints: Dante Fowler, DE/OLB Florida – The Saints major malfunction last season was on defense. I sometimes wondered if their defensive players were really holograms when I watched them play, because they couldn’t seem to stop anything at times. Fowler can come in and make an immediate impact rushing the passer, which would help the Saints defense get the turnovers that they thrive on.

14. Miami Dolphins: Trae Waynes, CB Michigan State – The Dolphins are thin at CB with just Brent Grimes as a true starting option. Waynes could come in and be a starter right away for the Dolphins.

15. San Francisco 49ers: Sammie Coats, WR Auburn – The 49ers will be targeting a wideout with this pick. Crabtree was disappointing last season and may leave as a free agent. Anquan Boldin is getting up there in age and his production dipped some this last season, and could fall off even more. Stevie Johnson proved to not be the weapon they hoped for when they traded for him. Coates is a bit raw, but would have put up much better numbers if he were in a better passing offense.

16. Houston Texans: Todd Gurley, RB Georgia – Yeah, the Texans have Arian Foster…but he seems to never be able to last a season. The Texans are going to be a team that runs the ball a lot, and Gurley can split carries with Foster to take some of the load off of the oft-injured back. I can’t see the Texans passing on probably the most talented back in the draft, who could be good to go by the end of training camp.

17. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordan, RB Wisconsin – Ryan Matthews has teased Chargers fans since being drafted. When healthy, he’s a dynamic player who adds another level of excitement to the Chargers offense, but the problem is he’s often not healthy. That’s why I have the Chargers taking Wisconsin’s workhorse running back with this selection, giving the Chargers some much needed peace of mind they haven’t had at the position in a while. He isn’t Ladanian Tomlinson in his prime, but Gordon can take pressure off of Rivers in the passing game.

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Devin Smith, WR Ohio State – Last year the Chiefs’ receivers were atrocious, they didn’t catch a single touchdown pass last season. As a group, they had fewer receiving yards than the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown notched all by himself. Devin Smith is a big-play threat who can blow the top off of a defense, and as Buckeye fans said last season “all he does is catch big touchdowns!”  The threat of a quick score that you get with Smith is also something the Chiefs could use. Also, in games where Smith caught a TD pass, the Buckeyes never lost.

19. Cleveland Browns: Vic Beasley, OLB Clemson – The Browns could use a tone setter at OLB, as they don’t currently have one on the team. Barkevious Mingo hasn’t shown much of anything since being drafted sixth overall, and Paul Kruger had a good season with 11 sacks last year, but that’s the only season he has ever had double-digit sacks so I don’t think it will be a trend. Beasley can come in and become the defensive enforcer at OLB that the Browns defense desperately needs if they want to reach the next level.

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Collins, S Alabama – The Eagles need help in the defensive secondary, and here comes some reinforcements with Landon Collins. Collins isn’t the greatest in coverage, but he’s not bad and fits best as a hard hitting strong safety in the NFL, evidenced by his 103 tackles, 7 passes defensed, and 3 interceptions last season for Alabama. Collins can hit receivers/backs/tight ends coming over the middle, break up some passes, and get his hands on a couple picks if he’s allowed to play some roaming zone coverage.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB Kentucky – Dupree’s stat line wasn’t as impressive as it could have been because he faced a total of eight read-option teams last season. The Bengals missed DE Michael Johnson’s disruptive force last season. Dupree can come in and make an impact quickly for the Cincinnati defense.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Johnson, CB Wake Forest – The Steelers FINALLY take a cornerback in the first round of the NFL Draft! Last year’s pass defense was just horrible. Cortez Allen was so bad against the Colts he got benched and never regained his starting job. Johnson can come in and compete with Allen and Gay for a starting corner job, the loser becoming the nickel corner. If Johnson doesn’t become a starter in camp/preseason, he could get the chance as the season goes on. If Cortez Allen gets his confidence back and plays with the talent we know he has, a Johnson/Allen duo at corner could be a very good thing for future Steelers’ defenses. Johnson has the athleticism and the length to cover big receivers down the sideline.

23. Detroit Lions: Malcom Brown, DT Texas - The Lions are going to need a defensive tackle with their top three hitting free agency. If they tag or resign Suh, they’ll have to let Nick Fairley walk and probably top backup CJ Mosley as well. If they resign Fairley, they will have to let Suh leave and while they might be able to bring back Mosley, they’ll still need a DT to rotate in. If they resign Mosley and lose both Suh and Fairley, they’ll be in desperate need for a second starting caliber DT. I just don’t see the Lions going with any other position with this pick.

24. Arizona Cardinals: Maxx Williams, TE Minnesota – The Cardinals could use upgrades at a couple of positions. I think in the first round, they upgrade the tight end position with a big body tight end with natural pass catching ability in Maxx Williams, who will be a mismatch for most linebackers and defensive backs.

25. Carolina Panthers: T.J. Clemmings, OT Pittsburgh – The Panthers couldn’t block for Cam Newton at all early in the season last year. And while the offensive line gelled later in the season, they could upgrade both tackle spots and Clemmings would be a very good pick here to help ensure the health of their franchise quarterback.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Jalen Collins, CB LSU – The Ravens secondary was a weakness last season with Jimmy Smith missing a good chunk of it and nobody behind him able to really take over that #1 CB role. A pairing of Smith and Collins would possibly give the Ravens one of their best CB combos in the history of the club.

27. Dallas Cowboys: Nate Orchard, DE Utah – The Cowboys need to upgrade their defense, especially their pass rush, if they want to contend for the Super Bowl. They got no pressure on Colt McCoy in an embarrassing MNF loss to the Redskins, Mark Sanchez had a clean pocket on Thanksgiving, and Aaron Rodgers wasn’t pressured whatsoever in the Divisional Playoff loss to the Packers. Orchard was a pass rushing monster for the Utes and could bring a much needed pass rush to the Cowboys.

28. Denver Broncos: La’el Collins, OT LSU – Collins is being projected as either a guard or a right tackle in the NFL. The offensive line was a big issue for the Broncos last season, and Collins would upgrade at either position. Peyton Manning is a statue in the pocket, and needs a clean pocket to be effective. The only way the Broncos don’t take an offensive lineman with this pick is if there isn’t one available worth taking, which is doubtful.

29. Indianapolis Colts: Markus Golden, DE/OLB Missouri – The Colts got steamrolled by the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. They could use help along the offensive line, but their defense stood no chance against the New England Patriots, and part of that is because they couldn’t get a pass rush, which was an issue for them all season long. Golden can come in and bring a pass rush to the Colts, who are lucky to be in a QB weak division (at the moment) but when they face the other teams with top tier quarterbacks their defense gets kicked around.

30. Green Bay Packers: Denzel Perryman, ILB Miami – The Packers just cut AJ Hawk, and now have a big hole in the middle of their starting linebacker corps. Perryman can come in and start right away for the Packers on defense. Perryman is a thumping linebacker who can stop the run and plays well in zone coverage against the pass. If their defense could have held a sizeable lead against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship, the Packers would have been in the Super Bowl. This pick could help get them back there.

31. Seattle Seahawks: Michael Bennett, DT Ohio State – The Seahawks have far from a weak defense, but they get a major upgrade here at tackle with Ohio State behind the line-of-scrimmage playmaker Michael Bennett. Bennett is a fast gap-shooter who showed that he can defend the run in last year’s postseason. Adding Bennett to this defense is just taking a major team strength and making it even stronger.

32. New England Patriots: Jaelen Strong, WR Arizona State – The Patriots offense isn’t anywhere near bad, but adding a receiver like Strong would be a big upgrade for Tom Brady in the receiving corps. Strong is a big, physical receiver who doesn’t have elite speed but is fast enough to get separation. His size (6’3”, 212 lbs.) also makes him a nice redzone scoring threat.