NFL Mock Draft 2015: Nogle's Mock 1.0

The NFL Draft is just over two weeks away. I break out my first mock draft of the season.

By Kevin Nogle@KevinNogle Apr 15, 2015, 9:00am EDT

I don't do many mock drafts during the offseason, but I do enjoy putting them together. That usually means I will post a few a year, which, this season, is starting just over two weeks before the 2015 NFL Draft. Let's get straight to the projection:

1		Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Buccaneers			(2-14) (.486 SOS)
Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Florida State
Bucs Nation	In 2008, Miami signed first overall pick Jake Long to a contract before the Draft ever began. At this point, it almost feels like the Buccaneers have done the same thing with Winston. If Tampa Bay does not select the FSU quarterback, it will be a big surprise.

2		Jerome Miron - USA Today Sports

Tennessee Titans			(2-14) (.506 SOS)
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, Oregon
Music City Miracles	Earlier this offseason, I would have told you the Titans will stick with Zach Mettenberger this year, but I am not so sure any more. The more I think about it, the more I think Mariota makes sense for Tennessee. I would not be surprised to see a trade here, with some other team leaping forward to grab the Oregon quarterback, but, if Tennessee stays here, I think they take Mariota.

3		Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars			(3-13) (.514 SOS)
Leonard Williams, Defensive Tackle, USC
Big Cat Country	If the two quarterbacks do go in the first two picks, this should become an easy selection for Jacksonville, who will land the best player on many experts' big boards. Williams may not fit the needs of the Jaguars, who need to protect quarterback Blake Bortles and get some defensive back help, but addign a talent like Williams in the middle of the defensive line could be too tempting to pass.

4		Kim Klement - USA Today Sports

Oakland Raiders			(3-13) (.570 SOS)
Dante Fowler, Defensive end, Florida
Silver and Black Pride	It is very hard to not give the Raiders a wide receiver here, but the two quarterbacks going in the top two frees up Fowler to immediately fill a need for the Raiders in 2015. Letting the Gators' jack-of-all-trades defensive lineman settle in as a pure pass rusher should allow him to develop into a star, and that is exactly what the Raiders need.

5		Joshua S. Kelly - USA Today Sports

Washington Redskins			(4-12) (.496 SOS)
Vic Beasley, Outside linebacker, Clemson
Hogs Haven	Brian Orakpo is in Tennessee, which opens up a big need for the Redskins. Drafting Beasley here is a good step toward solving that problem. With the wide receivers still not having come off the board, and the team needing to find a way to better the play from Robert Griffin III, I would not be surprised to see Amari Cooper or Kevin White be this selection instead.

6		Dale Zanine - USA Today Sports

New York Jets			(4-12) (.543 SOS)
Shane Ray, Defensive end, Missouri
Gang Green Nation	Todd Bowles is a defensive minded coach, and would love to have a player like Ray on his defense.

7		Tommy Gilligan - USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bears			(5-11) (.529 SOS)
Kevin White, Wide receiver, West Virginia
Windy City Gridiron	Chicago traded away wide receiver Brandon Marshall this offseason. What better way to replace him than with White, who has similar size, is faster, and could come in immediately as the compliment to Alshon Jeffery.

8		Phil Sears - USA Today Sports

Atlanta Falcons			(6-10) (.482 SOS)
Brandon Scherff, Offensive tackle, Iowa
The Falcoholic	The Falcons could look a couple of different ways with this pick, but the need for offensive line help, and Scherff still sitting on the board, make it a pretty easy selection. I would not be surprised to see them either take Amari Cooper just because he is still available, or potentially taking Randy Gregory to give them a pass rusher - depending on how they feel about his off-the-field issues.

9		Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports

New York Giants			(6-10) (.512 SOS)
Andrus Peat, Offensive tackle, Stanford
Big Blue View	The Giants have an offense that should be able to put points up on the board in bunches this year, if they can solve the offensive line. Peat here gives them the flexibility to push Justin Pugh inside, turning former Dolphins guard John Jerry into a reserve player. Gregory could also be in play here, as the Giants are always a team looking to add pass rushers.

10		Marvin Gentry - USA Today Sports

St. Louis Rams			(6-10) (.531 SOS)
Amari Cooper, Wide receiver, Alabama
Turf Show Times	This is purely a best player available pick at this point, as Cooper has fallen down to the Rams with the 10th pick. I think this pick is likely between Cooper or cornerback Trae Waynes, but Cooper is too tempting to allow to pass. Quarterback Nick Foles would now have Cooper, Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, and Chris Givens as his wide outs.

11		Mike Carter - USA Today Sports

Minnesota Vikings			(7-9) (.475 SOS)
Trae Waynes, Cornerback, Michigan State
Daily Norseman	Waynes is the top cornerback in this Draft. The Vikings have a need at cornerback. Waynes is one of the top ranked players on the board at this point. Everything seems to say this pick makes the most sense.

12		Jamie Rhodes - USA Today Sports

Cleveland Browns			(7-9) (.479 SOS)
DeVante Parker, Wide receiver, Louisville
Dawgs By Nature	The Browns may not have the quarterback position figured out yet, but they are building a set of weapons for the offense. Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline both join the team this offseason, but adding a player like Parker, who could become the number one wide out over the course of the season, would give the Johnny Manziel/Josh McCown/Thad Lewis/Connor Shaw mess the full complement of players they will need.

13		Kim Klement - USA Today Sports

New Orleans Saints			(7-9) (.486 SOS)
La'el Collins, Offensive tackle, LSU
Canal Street Chronicles	The Saints spent a lot of time this offseason rebuilding their offense. The final piece to that is to solidify the offensive line. Collins could stay outside as a tight tackle, but may best fit an NFL offensive line as a guard, which would play right into where the Saints need the most help.

14		Dale Zanine - USA Today Sports

Miami Dolphins			(8-8) (.512 SOS)
Todd Gurley, Running back, Georgia
The Phinsider	I made this same pick in the SB Nation NFL bloggers 2015 Mock Draft, and there were a lot of people who did not like the idea. As this projection fell, I once again had a board in which there is no one else that I am dying to pick and Gurley has the potential to be special. As I said in that mock, I am not worried about the potential delay in getting Gurley on the field. Miami can use Lamar Miller early in the season as the primary running back, spelling him with Damien Williams when needed. Then, as Gurley's knee fully heals, he can be rotated into the lineup, slowly working him into a platoon situation with Miller. Gurley's potential is too great to not take a chance here if the board falls like this.

15		Joe Nicholson - USA Today Sports

San Francisco 49ers			(8-8) (.527 SOS)
Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
Niners Nation	This could be the absolute perfect place for Shelton, who has potential to become a Vince Wilfork-type of player, but may need a defensive minded coach to groom him. Jim Tomsula, the 49ers head coach, was the team's defensive line coach from 2007 to 2014 so adding a player like Shelton makes a ton of sense, especially with Justin Smith slowly retiring. If Smith comes back, which is still a possibility, the fit for Shelton may actually be even better, with Smith and Shelton splitting snaps, allowing for development from Shelton and keeping the 12-year veteran Smith fresher throughout the year.

16		Matt Kartozian - USA Today Sports

Houston Texans			(9-7) (.447 SOS)
Jaelen Strong, Wide receiver, Arizona State
Battle Red Blog	I really, really want to give the Texans Dorial Green-Beckham here because, with Andre Johnson not on the roster, a 6-foot-5 wide receiver with a ton of talent makes so much sense - except when you take into account the Texans' no-tolerance policy when it comes to off-the-field issues. Instead, they "settle" for Strong, who still needs some time to develop but should be ready to contribute immediately. His ridiculous vertical alone will be an asset for the Texans.

17		Jerome Miron - USA Today Sports

San Diego Chargers			(9-7) (.512 SOS)
Melvin Gordon, Running back, Wisconsin
Bolts from the Blue	Gurley or Gordon make sense to the Chargers, and they would probably favor Gurley if he falls this far. Instead, they pick up a ridiculously talented Gordon, who was among the top players in the 40-yard dash, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle, and 6-yard shuttle for running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine.

18		David Manning - USA Today Sports

Kansas City Chiefs			(9-7) (.512 SOS)
Breshad Perriman, Wide receiver, UCF
Arrowhead Pride	No more Dwayne Bowe in Kansas City, so they add a guy who ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, but has outstanding size. Needs to correct his drop problem, but he should be able to catch at least a touchdown or two in Kansas City, who would desperately like to see a wide receiver score.

19		Brendan Maloney - USA Today Sports

Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo Bills)			(Bills: 9-7) (.516 SOS)
Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
Dawgs By Nature	Having already added a wide receiver, the Browns now look to shore up a defensive line that simply could not stop anyone last year. Brown already looks like a professional nose-tackle in terms of technique, but also has the versatility to move around the defensive line, and can fit into both a 3-4 defensive scheme and a 4-3.

20		Kevin Liles - USA Today Sports

Philadelphia Eagles			(10-6) (.490 SOS)
Landon Collins, S, Alabama
Bleeding Green Nation	The Eagles need to shore up their secondary, both at cornerback and at safety. The top safety is still sitting on the board, and Collins would perfectly into the Eagles' defense.

21		Jaime Valdez - USA Today Sports

Cincinnati Bengals			(10-5-1) (.489 SOS)
Arik Armstead, Defensive tackle, Oregon
Cincy Jungle	The Bengals could use help along both sides of the line of scrimmage, and they could look to be the team that ends the slide of defensive end Randy Gregory or they could add offensive tackle Erek Flowers here, but the need in the middle of the defensive line seems to be the biggest concern. Plugging that hole with Armstead would immediately upgrade the defense. He will take some time to fully recognize his potential, but while he is developing, he is still going to be a force in the middle of the defensive line.

22		Brian Spurlock - USA Today Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers			(11-5) (.451 SOS)
Kevin Johnson, Cornerback, Wake Forest
Behind the Steel Curtain	The Steelers need a top cornerback, and Johnson is just sitting here. It's a perfect match, and one that make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh.

23		Bruce Thorson- USA Today Sports

Detroit Lions			(11-5) (.471 SOS)
Randy Gregory, Defensive end, Nebraska
Pride of Detroit	The great Gregory slide finally ends with Detroit picking up a highly talented defensive end. In a year where Detroit's strength along the defensive line suddenly fell apart with both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley leaving the club, a top end defensive end could offset some of the loss.

24		Kirby Lee - USA Today Sports

Arizona Cardinals			(11-5) (.523 SOS)
Eric Kendricks, Linebacker, UCLA
Revenge of the Birds	The Cardinals can use help at linebacker, and, while Eric probably does not play to the level of his brother Mychal, he should fit perfectly into the Arizona defense. He has the instincts and intelligence to play middle linebacker, but may fit better on the weakside in a 4-3 defense.

25		Kim Klement - USA Today Sports

Carolina Panthers			(7-8-1) (.490 SOS)
Ereck Flowers, Offensive tackle, Miami
Cat Scratch Reader	Why would the Panthers take an offensive tackle at this point? Because they claimed Jonathan Martin off waivers, and, as Dolphins fans, we know that, that's not exactly a move to add a starting caliber tackle to the roster.

26		Jesse Johnson - USA Today Sports

Baltimore Ravens			(10-6) (.475 SOS)
Maxx Williams, Tight end, Minnesota
Baltimore Beatdown	I feel like any pick at a skills position would work for the Ravens here, who could use help at tight end, running back, and wide receiver. Justin Forsett will be back this year, so the need for running back is more for depth and to have someone ready when the veteran retires. Wide receiver is going to be picked a lot by the Ravens during this Draft, given the 10 picks the have, but, unless they use some of those to move up to grab one of the top receivers in this year's crop, picking up a tight end like Williams may be more beneficial in this position.

27		Mark Zerof - USA Today Sports

Dallas Cowboys			(12-4) (.445 SOS)
Alvin Dupree, Defensive end, Kentucky
Blogging the Boys	The Cowboys need to replace DeMarco Murray, and any running back would love to be behind the Dallas offensive line. At this point, however, both first round running backs are off the board, so Dallas' decision comes down to picking up a wide receiver in Dorial Green-Beckham, looking at someone like Eddie Goldman for the middle of the defensive line, or simply taking the best player available. Dupree has sat on the board longer than maybe he should, and the Cowboys end that.

28		Melina Vastola - USA Today Sports

Denver Broncos			(12-4) (.521 SOS)
Cameron Erving, Center, Florida State
Mile High Report	Any and all offensive line help for Peyton Manning is appreciated, and Erving could give the team some flexibility. He has the body to play tackle, but the athleticism to play inside at guard or center. He's still somewhat raw, having spent the beginning of his college career as a defensive tackle, but he lets Denver find the other players to fit into the offensive line, then plug Erving into whichever spot remains unfilled.

29		Mark J. Rebilas - USA Today Sports

Indianapolis Colts			(11-5) (.479 SOS)
Shaq Thompson, Linebacker, Washington
Stampede Blue	The Colts could use help at linebacker, safety, and running back in this draft. They solve one of those with Thompson - but it might be your guess as to which. Thompson likely ends up being a linebacker, but if you said the Colts wanted to move him to the secondary as a safety, I would not be surprised. Chuck Pagano will figure out whatever the best role for Thompson is.

30		Steven Bisig - USA Today Sports

Green Bay Packers			(12-4) (.482)
Marcus Peters, Cornerback, Washington
Acme Packing Company	Back-to-back Huskies with this pick, the Packers find a cornerback to start opposite Sam Shields. The team could look elsewhere with the pick, especially if they believe in Casey Hayward, but Peters gives them an immediate answer.

31		Brian Spurlock - USA Today Sports

New Orleans Saints			(Seahawks: 12-4) (.525 SOS)
Dorial Green-Beckham, Wide receiver, Oklahoma
Canal Street Chronicles	Picking La'el Collins earlier in the round, New Orleans comes back with taking a chance on Dorial Green-Beckham. Drew Brees should have no issue with getting the Oklahoma receiver the ball. (For those trying to correct me, yes, I fully know that DGB did not play for Oklahoma at any point, and that all of his playing days were at Missouri. He is still, technically, an Oklahoma WR, since that is where he is in school.)

32		Jerome Miron - USA Today Sports

New England Patriots			(12-4) (.514 SOS)
Eddie Goldman, Defensive tackle, Florida State
Pats Pulpit	Goldman has been compared to Randy Starks, and, while he will not necessarily fill the role vacated by Vince Wilfork, that would not be a bad addition for the Super Bowl champions. He can disrupt the middle of the offensive line, and he should continue to develop. He has the ability to play nose tackle, or slide into a 4-3 defensive tackle role.

NFL Mock Draft 2015: Nogle's Mock 1.0

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