There is always a certain degree of mystery and uncertainty surrounding the NFL draft, but the 2015 edition looks as though it could yield some top stars for many years to come.
The talent level of the 2015 class is impressive, and that was on full display at the NFL Scouting Combine. Many prospects backed up their strong collegiate play with great measurables as well, which only served to boost their stock even more.
Here is a look at how the chips could fall on April 30 in the form of a first-round mock draft as well as some further analysis regarding prospects who impressed at the combine.
| 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon |
| 2 | Tennessee Titans | Randy Gregory, DE/LB, Nebraska |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa |
| 4 | Oakland Raiders | Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama |
| 5 | Washington Redskins | Leonard Williams, DL, USC |
| 6 | New York Jets | Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | Landon Collins, S, Alabama |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | Shane Ray, DE/LB, Missouri |
| 9 | New York Giants | Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington |
| 10 | St. Louis Rams | Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State |
| 11 | Minnesota Vikings | Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford |
| 12 | Cleveland Browns | Kevin White, WR, West Virginia |
| 13 | New Orleans Saints | Marcus Peters, CB, Washington |
| 14 | Miami Dolphins | Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State |
| 15 | San Francisco 49ers | Danny Shelton, DL, Washington |
| 16 | Houston Texans | Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA |
| 17 | San Diego Chargers | Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville |
| 19 | Cleveland Browns (from BUF) | Vic Beasley, DE/LB, Clemson |
| 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | Dante Fowler, DE, Florida |
| 22 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Alex Carter, CB, Stanford |
| 23 | Detroit Lions | Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals | Alvin Dupree, DE/LB, Kentucky |
| 25 | Carolina Panthers | La'el Collins, OT, LSU |
| 26 | Baltimore Ravens | Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys | Nate Orchard, DE, Utah |
| 28 | Denver Broncos | Malcom Brown, DT, Texas |
| 29 | Indianapolis Colts | A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers | Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami (Fla.) |
| 31 | Seattle Seahawks | Devin Funchess, TE/WR, Michigan |
| 32 | New England Patriots | Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma |
Mock Draft
Analyzing Combine Standouts
Amari Cooper
Much of the hype coming out of the combine in terms of wide receivers focused on West Virginia's Kevin White due to his fine performance, but former Alabama star Amari Cooper may still be the class of the position.
Cooper was a Heisman Trophy finalist during the 2014 season as he caught a remarkable 124 passes for over 1,700 yards and 16 touchdowns. In addition to that, he came through with a solid combine performance too.
The stud wideout had an excellent 40-yard dash time of 4.42 seconds, and he also ranked among the top receivers in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle, according to NFL.com.
Even as Cooper carried over his great form from in-game situations to the combine, ESPN's Louis Riddick pointed out that he was somewhat of a forgotten man:
With that said, Cooper is undoubtedly the total package, which is why Bleacher Report's Matt Bowen expects him to come off the board very early:
Cooper's measurables aren't bad by any means, but he truly excels when it comes to showing up and making big plays in games. His great route-running skills were still on display at the combine as well, though, according to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah:
There appears to be some belief that White could leapfrog Cooper, but Cooper's total body of work should help him remain in the driver's seat. Several teams picking inside the top 12 need a wide receiver, with the Oakland Raiders standing out at No. 4.
Young quarterback Derek Carr could really use some more offensive weaponry at his disposal, and Cooper would be an ideal fit for him.
Danny Shelton
Dominant space-eaters along the defensive line are seemingly in short supply in the 2015 NFL draft class, which is why nose tackle Danny Shelton out of the University of Washington stands out so obviously above the crowd.
Shelton was dominant over the past few seasons with the Huskies, especially as a senior. Not only did he give opposing running backs fits, but he also registered nine sacks despite his immense size. He weighed in at 339 pounds at the combine but still managed to perform well, most notably on the bench press as he did 34 reps, according to NFL.com.
Not only is Shelton one of the strongest prospects in this draft, but he may also be one of the most explosive in terms of his first step. Per NFL Network's Mike Mayock, the massive lineman is quite comparable to Baltimore Ravens five-time All-Pro selection Haloti Ngata:
NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano sees greatness in Shelton as well due to his ability to use his freakish strength against opposing offensive linemen:
The only issue Shelton figures to encounter in the draft is the fact that he can't necessarily fit in every type of defense. He is best off as the middle man in a 3-4, but there are enough teams that run the system that it shouldn't be a huge issue.
One intriguing possibility would be Shelton falling to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 15. The Niners have a dominant defense when healthy; however, they would benefit from a true stud at nose tackle. Should they opt to select Shelton, it will open things up for one of the best linebacker corps in football.
Alvin Dupree
Doug McSchooler/Associated Press In a class that is overflowing with quality pass-rushers, Alvin "Bud" Dupree out of Kentucky could very well be more physically gifted than any other.
Dupree made that abundantly clear at the combine as he tore it up in the 40-yard dash and vertical leap despite his impressive size, according to SportsCenter:
As if that weren't enough, Dupree also posted one of the best broad jumps in recent memory, per Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com:
It is unclear if Dupree will be a defensive end or linebacker at the next level, but he has shown the ability to play both. In terms of size, Dupree is right about where he needs to be when it comes to playing with his hand down. Based on his pure athleticism alone, though, linebacker may be a better fit.
Dupree was fairly productive in college as he registered 7.5 sacks in 2014; however, he wasn't as dominant as his skill set suggests he should have been.
That fact could push him down draft boards a bit. Plenty of teams picking late in the first round need a pass-rusher, though, including the Arizona Cardinals at No. 24.
He would be a great fit as an edge-rusher in their 3-4 scheme, and he would most definitely make an already strong defense that much more fearsome.
Dupree still has to put everything together in order to become a great player, but it is clear that all the puzzle pieces are in his possession.
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