The 2015 NFL Draft is less than four weeks away as the best of the college football crop look to make a mark in the NFL.
This year it’s expected that the top two quarterbacks are to be selected within the first 10 picks, however linebacker, offensive line and wide receiver also look to figure prominently in the first round.
Question is who is going to where? Well I’m looking to give it my best shot in predicting which teams selects who in the all-important first round. So without further ado, here’s the list.
1, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jameis Winston quarterback – Florida State University
This appears to be a no-brainer. Winston is a Heisman Trophy Winner and also won the National Championship with Florida State. He’s played in a pro-style offense throughout his college career with great success.
Yes he’s had some off-field issues but Tampa Bay will look past those as they desperately seek a franchise quarterback.
2, Tennessee Titans – Marcus Mariota quarterback – Oregon
This maybe a shock to some but I can’t see how the Titans pass up on arguably the best quarterback in this draft. Mariota, like Winston, is a Heisman Trophy Winner and took Oregon to the National Championship game last year.
The Titans need a guy to give hope to Tennessee and its long suffering fans – Mariota is that guy.
3, Jacksonville Jaguars – Leonard Williams DE – USC
A lot of people say Williams is the best defensive player in this draft class and with the Jaguars playing in a division that features Andrew Luck as the man to stop, the Jaguars simply can’t pass up on Williams. He would instantly make the Jaguars defence better as the offense continues to grow and build around their top pick last year, quarterback Blake Bortles.
4, Oakland Raiders – Kevin White WR – West Virginia
The Raiders will give quarterback David Carr a great target here in White who has ideal size for a wide receiver to go with blazing speed. Showed last year that he also has great hands and should slot straight into the Raiders offense and be productive.
5, Washington Redskins – Dante Fowler Jr OLB – Florida
The Redskins are in need of help on defence and after losing Brian Orapko to the Titans in free agency they get his replacement here in Dante Fowler Jr. A great pass rusher who will help the Redskins immediately on defence.
6, New York Jets – Vic Beasley OLB – Clemson
New Jets coach Todd Bowles loves to blitz, and with the Jets well set in the secondary with Revis and Cromartie returning the Jets give Bowles even more license to blitz with adding Beasley here to complete their front 7.
7, Chicago Bears – Amari Cooper WR – Alabama
With some shrewd free agent signings to help the Bears shore up their defence, I see them picking Cooper here to complement Alshon Jeffery and would be the ideal replacement for Brandon Marshall.
8, Atlanta Falcons – Shane Ray DE – Missouri
It’s no secret the Falcons defence has been awful of late, so Ray here makes sense. New head coach Dan Quinn must improve this defence first and foremost (only just over offensive line).
9, New York Giants – La’El Collins OT – LSU
Collins would be a nice fit for the Giants who’ll want to give Eli Manning as much time in the pocket as possible with Odell Beckham and the returning Victor Cruz to throw to. Collins could be a nice fit to instantly help in the run game too. Collins can also play guard.
10, St Louis Rams – Brandon Scherff OG – Iowa
Yes the Rams probably need a WR1 but they take Scherrf here to help protect newly acquired Nick Foles, and help the running game for a team that share a division with elite defences in the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks.
11, Minnesota Vikings – Trae Waynes CB – Michigan State
The Vikings will look for an athletic corner to pair with Xavier Rhodes and Waynes is the best CB in the draft. It also helps when you face the likes of Megatron, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Alshon Jeffery twice a season.
12, Cleveland Browns – Danny Shelton NT – Washington
Shelton provides the Browns with a stout run defender who can plug any hole. Has compared to Vince Wilfolk. Can dominate at the point of attack and will be a big help in a division with some of the top running backs in the league.
13, New Orleans Saints – Devante Parker WR – Louisville
After an off-season that saw them lose Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills, the Saints are low on troops. They’ll need to replace them to give Drew Brees some options in the pass game and Parker would give them just that.
14, Miami Dolphins – Devin Smith WR – Ohio State
Perhaps a slight reach here, but the Dolphins lost Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline in the free agency period so they’ll need to restock to help quarterback Ryan Tannehill develop. So I see them taking the best available WR here.
15, San Francisco 49ers – Arik Armstead DT – Oregon
The 49ers are in need of some help on the defensive side of the ball and with the impending retirement of Justin Smith, they’ll see Armstead as the ideal replacement and great fit for their scheme.
16, Houston Texans – Jaelen Strong WR – Arizona State
Strong’s stock is on the rise after an impressive combine and pro day and the Texans need to replace the departed Andre Johnson. Strong is the guy to replace him.
17, San Diego Chargers – Todd Gurley RB – Georgia
The Chargers need a running back after losing Ryan Matthews to the Philadelphia Eagles. Gurley is arguably the best running back coming out of college we’ve seen in a few years and would be a huge upgrade for the Chargers.
18, Kansas City Chiefs – DJ Humphries OT – Florida
Humphries can come in immediately and be a force for the Chiefs who will want Jamaal Charles to continue to be the elite running back he is. Humphries will also to help protect Alex Smith in the passing game.
19, Cleveland Browns – Andrus Peat OT – Stanford
One of the most game-ready lineman in this draft sits here for the Browns, who could use him to help in the trenches. Big, powerful guy with a lot of upside still to his game. He would be a nice pick after their ‘sexy’ picks last year, and we know how they turned out.
20, Philadelphia Eagles – Landon Collins SS – Alabama
Who knows what Chip Kelly is going to do next? The Eagles however need help in the back-end of their defence and Collins can and would fit in nicely here.
21, Cincinnati Bengals – Ereck Flowers OT – Miami
The Bengals are in need of help along their offensive line, especially as the likes of Andrew Whitworth aren’t getting any younger and Flowers will help them get younger and better.
22, Pittsburgh Steelers – Jalen Collins CB – LSU
The Steelers have a glaring need at CB and Collins could well be the best available at this spot in the draft. A little raw but plenty of upside.
23, Detroit Lions – Malcolm Brown DT – Texas
The Lions no longer have Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley in the trenches, so adding Brown here makes sense to line up next to Haloti Ngata.
24, Arizona Cardinals – Melvin Gordon RB – Wisconsin
Is Andre Ellington the every-down back the Cardinals seek? Maybe, maybe not. But adding Gordon would give the Cardinals a nice one-two punch in the backfield.
25, Carolina Panthers – TJ Clemmings OT – Pittsburgh
The Panthers need to solidify their offensive line to help protect star quarterback Cam Newton and Clemmings would certainly help in that department.
26, Baltimore Ravens – Dorial Green-Beckham WR – Missouri
Yes he’s had off-field issues but if anyone can set him on the straight and narrow it’s the Ravens’ brass. Plus they need help at the position and Green-Beckham gives them that on the field.
27, Dallas Cowboys – Eddie Goldman DT – Florida State University
Have made some excellent offensive lineman picks in recent years so now they go the direction of their defensive front with Goldman here. He would be a work in progress.
28, Denver Broncos – Cameron Erving C – Florida State University
Denver need to re-tool their offensive line somewhat and will want to keep Peyton Manning upright as much as possible. Erving is a versatile player who will play tough and fills a need for the Broncos.
29, Indianapolis Colts – Eric Kendricks ILB – UCLA
The Colts need help on the defensive side of the ball and they’ll be hoping Kendricks can be the leader in the middle for years to come.
30, Green Bay Packers – Bud Dupree OLB – Kentucky
Dupree is a freak of an athlete who in time can be a premier pass rusher. The Packers are in need of a LB after the departure of AJ Hawk plus Julius Peppers is probably in his last year in the league.
31, New Orleans Saints – Randy Gregory OLB – Nebraska
How the mighty have fallen? Failed drug test at the combine hurts his stock massively but Saints need to take a risk on defence and do just that in taking Gregory, who has the physical traits to be great.
32, New England Patriots – Kevin Johnson CB – Wake Forest
The Patriots lost both Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in free agency so Johnson comes in and starts right away for the defending Super Bowl champions.
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