Finally here it is. With all the articles leading up to this I present you my first round mock draft.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State 
The Bucs need to find their franchise signal caller and Winston is the most pro ready. I would be shocked if they’d go anywhere else with the top pick.
2. Tennessee Titans – Leonard Williams, DL, USC 
At number two overall the Titans get the best player in the Draft. He and Jurrell Casey will make for a dominant duo inside to disrupt offensive gameplans.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida 
Gus Bradley gets the number one edge rusher to build on an improving defense. Fowler can set a physical edge, drop into coverage and most of all get after the quarterback.
4. Oakland Raiders – Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama 
I know a lot of experts see Kevin White go here and they certainly have a point. White is an athletic freak, but I think the Raiders will give Derek Carr a polished number one receiver who can help one of the worst third down offenses in the league.
5. Washington Redskins – Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson 
The Redskins pair Ryan Kerrigan with the workout warrior Beasley. They certainly could go O-line here, but they won’t resist taking a pass rush specialist like the Clemson product.
!!!Jets trade the 6th overall pick for Sam Bradford and the Eagles 20th overall pick!!!
6. Philadelphia Eagles – Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon 
I said this all along and still think Chip Kelly will make it happen. I just can’t see how Bradford fits in the Eagles’ offense and I don’t think the Jets are sold on Geno Smith. Mariota on the other hand has run a similar system and set historical number during his college tenure.
7. Chicago Bears – Danny Shelton, NT, Washington 
The Dancing Bear is the perfect start to the new Bears’ 3-4 defense. He will free up the linebackers and immediately destroy the opponen’s ground game.
8. Atlanta Falcons – Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska 
After finishing with just 22 sacks last year, Dan Quinn selects one of the most talented pass rushers in the Draft. Gregory is a big risk, but the Falcons will try to develop him into a pro and special player.
9. New York Giants – Brandon Scherff, G/T, Iowa 
The Giants won their Super Bowls with strong play up front and will try to get back to that. Scherff is a mauler in the run game and if they decide to slide him inside he could make the Pro Bowl early in his career.
10. Saint Louis Rams – Andrus Peat, T, Stanford 
Last year’s first round pick Greg Robinson was a great start to a solid O-line. I think they would benefit from moving him to the right side and start Peat on the blindside.
11. Minnesota Vikings – DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville 
Teddy Bridgewater looks like the Vikings’ future quarterback and they need to support him with some weapons. Reuniting him with his former go-to-guy will make him very happy.
12. Cleveland Browns – Kevin White, WR, West Virginia 
The Browns are desperate for a wide receiver and get one of the steals in the Draft in White. His freakish athleticism and ability to compete for the ball in the air will help whoever starts for the team at QB.
13. New Orleans Saints – Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky 
Another great athlete and pass rush specialist gets selected early. The Saints need to put pressure on opponents’ quarterbacks and Dupree still has a lot of room to improve.
14. Miami Dolphins – La’el Collins, G/T, LSU 
Ryan Tannehill’s development has been slowed down by poor protection and therefore seeing ghosts in the pocket. Collins has Pro Bowl potential at guard where Richie Incognito has left a big whole a couple of years ago.
15. San Francisco 49ers – Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State 
With the 49ers two starting corners leaving via free agency (as two of the many losses) and the best guy at that position still on the board they won’t hesitate right here.
16. Houston Texans – Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
The Texans just put D.J. Swearinger on the trading block and don’t have anybody on the roster who can take over that spot. Collins immediately upgradres their run defense while being a much more consistent tackler than Swearinger.
17. San Diego Chargers – Todd Gurley, HB, Georgia 
If Gurley is still on the board at this point the Chargers won’t think twice about this decision. He will be the Bolts offense’s workhorse and might be extremely valuable if Philip Rivers leaves California.
18. Kansas City Chiefs – Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF 
I mention it one more – zero touchdowns for the Chiefs wide receivers last year. With Collins off the board Perriman becomes an easy choice.
19. Cleveland Browns – Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas 
After making one of the biggest steals in the Draft while filling a position of need the Browns do something similar right here. Brown is a strong run defender and slippery guy inside in pass rush situations.
20. New York Jets – Shane Ray, DE, Missouri 
Ray’s draft stock will drop because of his arrest for the possession for marijuana, but the Jets won’t resist taking this explosive pass rusher. Their front with Wilkerson, Richardson and Ray would be scary.
21. Cincinnati Bengals – Ereck Flowers, T, Miami 
The Bengals build on an already strong O-line. Flower is a mean blocker with the traits of a great right tackle. Still they certainly would have liked to add Ray’s 15 sacks from last year to the Bengals season’s league-worst total of 20.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers – Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
The Steelers’ defensive backfield needs more young talent and Marcus Peters pure level of play outstanding. I think he will very well in Pittsburgh.
23. Detroit Lions – D.J. Humphries, T, Florida
The thing that keeps Detroit’s offense from going off is an offensive line that can give their runners more space and support Matthew Stafford with solid protection.
24. Arizona Cardinals – Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
Darnell Dockett just went to the division rival 49ers and while Armstead is a different kind of player he has great athleticism, length and explosiveness and he is still learning the position.
25. Carolina Panthers – Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma 
Alternative selection: T.J. Clemmings, T, Pittsburgh
DGB comes with some question marks, but the Panthers need someone on the opposite side of Kelvin Benjamin. To me he looks like the total package and if he can get it together he could develop into a dominant wideout.
26. Baltimore Ravens – Melvin Gordon, HB, Wisconsin 
I k.now the Ravens just signed Forsett to a new contract, but if Gordon is still on the board they won’t be able to resist taking him and let him run their zone scheme.
27. Dallas Cowboys – Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest 
The Cowboys could easily trade up to get one of the top two backs in the Draft, but if they don’t a feisty competitor at cornerback would really improve a defense that played well above their level of talent in 2014.
28. Denver Broncos – Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
Helping Peyton Manning with better protection certainly is the Broncos number one plan, but the only offensive tackle still available I could see go here is T.J. Clemmings and I think he still needs some time to develop. Meanwhile the underrated Terrance Knighton has left a huge hole in the middle of their D.
29. Indianapolis Colts – Cameron Erving, C, Florida State
Andrew Luck gets hit way too often and Erving is an intelligent player, who can play all positions on the O-line, but will be suited best to be the communicater in the middle along their offensive front.
30. Green Bay Packers – Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
The Packers have probably the least inside linebackers on the roster who could start week one. Clay Matthews needs to be moved back to the outside and Perryman is a thumper and presence right in the middle of their defense.
31. New Orleans Saints – Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
The Saints just gave away their number one target in the passing game and somehow need to replace his production. I don’t think there’s a tight end worth this selection, but Agholor is a versatile playmaker who can line up anywhere in the formation.
32. New England Patriots – Byron Jones, CB, UConn 
Revis and Browner just left the Patriots and Jones’ potential is off the charts. If you forget about what he did at the Combine and look at his tape you see a player who had to move from safety to corner and showed the ability to make plays from anywhere on the field.
Thursday night will be crazy and you never know which trades might happen, but I’m fine with my picks.
Halil's Real Footballtalk 
Ok. So I can see Chip Kelly trading up to 6 if Mariota is there and the Jets being more than happy to oblige. BUT, there is NO WAY they are taking a SOUR deal like Bradford and the 20th overall pick. Why would they want Bradford? I know they are not sold on Geno, but is ANYONE sold on injury about to happen Bradford? Nope. Jets have Geno and Fitz. Bradford isn’t a major upgrade, especially if he is constantly injured. And the Jets have ALL of the bargaining power in this type of deal. They don’t NEED to trade down. Per your mock, they can take Scherff, Dupree or White and be more than happy with their selection.
Furthermore, (let’s say the Eagles gave up their first this year, a second and their first next year- which is more like it to move up ALL THE WAY TO 6) the Jets would take best O-lineman (Ereck Flowers?) or Melvin Gordon-IMO. Shane Ray will fall, but not just b/c of the weed. More so b/c he does not have a natural position in the NFL. He will struggle at the next level and most teams know this. I think he will fall to the 2nd round if not further. In this case, the JEts will wait until Rd. 2 for a Pass Rusher (someone like Eli Harold out of Virginia). Good talk! See ya out there. 😉
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I like your argument about Bradford and personally I wouldn’t touch a quarterback which has played only one full year in the league. But Todd Bowles will lean on playing good defense and run the ball – a system where a guy like Bradford could clearly succeed. According to my mock the most talented pass rusher available would be Bud Dupree, who to me isn’t worth the 6th overall pick.
I’m trying to make sense of this, but my gut just tells me Mariota will end up with Chip Kelly again.
Ray to me is tough to evaluate, because I think he’s too small to play defensive end and not fluid enough to drop into coverage. But if he works on developing counter moves he could have great value in nickel packages. I could easily see him slide into the second round, but if a team desperate for an edge rusher in the 20s likes him I think they’ll make their move.
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Btw. I’m always open for positive critique! 😉
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