Preseason 2015 NFL Mock Draft

After trading down so the Bills could select Sammy Watkins, the Browns receive the No. 1 pick in 2015. With that pick, Cleveland selects the best defender in the draft. Williams uses his long arms to keep blockers away and close running lanes. With USC switching to a 3-4 this season, Williams will be a great fit for the Browns. Teaming with Desmond Bryant and Phil Taylor will give the Dawg Pound one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.

Bill O'Brien prefers passers who stay in the pocket such as Tom Brady and 2014 pick Tom Savage, so the top quarterbacks won't be considered. Brandon Scherff is the choice as he is the most pro-ready tackle in the draft. It doesn't hurt that he also has a Big Ten connection to O'Brien. He'll start from Day 1 at right tackle for the Texans and has the strength and quickness to excel in both pass and run blocking.

After taking Luke Joeckel second overall in 2013, Jacksonville takes another Texas A&M tackle with the third pick in 2015. Ogbuehi moves from right to left tackle for the Aggies in 2014, replacing Jake Matthews. With the Jaguars, he'll move back to right tackle where he's a significant upgrade over Austin Pasztor and Cameron Bradfield. Blake Bortles will be thrilled with this pick.

While the other 31 NFL teams always discuss selecting the best player available, the Raiders' mantra has been best athlete available. Whether it's Darrius Heyward-Bey, Rolando McClain or D.J. Hayden, the Raiders have struggled in the first round because of this philosophy. Gurley is one of the best athletes in the draft and he fills a need with Darren McFadden becoming a free agent and Maurice Jones-Drew entering the final stages of his career.

With Cleveland already selecting at No. 1, the team can fill their most pressing need at five. Whoever the QB ends up being, he will need someone to throw to. With Josh Gordon's future in doubt, the Browns don't have a vertical threat. Sammie Coates is the pick as he is the best vertical threat in college football. Coates adjusts well to passes in the air and doesn't need the ball to be thrown perfectly to haul it in.

With the salary cap issues the Redskins have faced lately, the team may not be able to bring back Brian Orakpo. If that's the case, Washington better use the sixth pick on his replacement. Vic Beasley is the best linebacker prospect available and will fit perfectly opposite Ryan Kerrigan. Beasley currently plays DE at Clemson, but is talented enough to play in coverage.

This pick may be the most talked about in the draft. With the Jake Locker era likely coming to an end, Ken Whisenhunt selects Hundley over Marcus Mariota. The reason is simple; Hundley can throw the deep ball much better than Mariota. Whisenhunt coached Big Ben in Pittsburgh and drafted John Skelton and Ryan Lindley in Arizona. Not all three were successful, but they all possess exceptional arm strength. That's why Hundley gets the call.

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was a projected first-round pick in the 2014 draft, but decided to go back to school. That decision pays off in 2015. Miami has drafted three corners in the last two drafts, however, none of the previous selections are as skilled as Ekpre-Olomu. Although he's shorter than most corners who end up in the top 10, his ability to force turnovers make this a great value pick for the Dolphins.

Randy Gregory has a legitimate shot of being picked first overall. The Buccaneers will be thrilled to see Gregory fall to them at pick nine. With Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers set to become free agents, Gregory fills a need opposite Michael Johnson. Lovie Smith is trying to build a defense similar to the one he had in Chicago. Gregory becomes one of those building blocks.

Quintin Demps and Antrel Rolle are entering the final year of their contracts, so the Giants may be in desperate need of safety help. Not only is Landon Collins the best safety in the draft, he's the best defender available at this point. Collins has played both safety spots at Alabama which gives the Giants options in the secondary. He's a great open-field tackler which will be a huge asset when playing the Eagles and Redskins twice a year.

Although the Ravens are picking at 11, the team still has enough talent to pick the best player available. Fowler doesn't fill a need, and likely won't start as a rookie, but he does provide depth for a defense that needs to get younger. Learning behind Terrell Suggs before starting alongside C.J. Mosley and Courtney Upshaw could lead to Fowler having a more productive NFL career than college career.

For the second year in a row, Jerry Jones will have a draft card ripped from his hand. Dallas passes on Marcus Mariota to select the best 4-3 DT in the draft. Michael Bennett will immediately help a defense that finished 27th in run defense in 2013. The addition of Henry Melton should help, but there is a lot more work that needs to be done on defense in Dallas.

By 2015, Teddy Bridgewater should be the starter in Minnesota and he's going to need some weapons to throw to. Greg Jennings is on the decline and Cordarrelle Patterson is going to receive a lot of attention from opposing defenses. Cooper will stretch the field and take some of the pressure off Patterson. With Kyle Rudolph in the middle, Bridgewater could have a decent trio of receivers to throw to.

The Detroit Lions may be without defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley in 2015. Even if one of those two returns, Carl Davis is the pick. Davis' production won't show up on a stat sheet, but his ability to take on a double team allows his teammates to focus on the ball carrier. This will be especially critical in a division with Adrian Peterson, Matt Forte and Eddie Lacy running the ball.

Picking at 15 means the Rams once again missed the playoffs. While Jeff Fisher has remained loyal to QB Sam Bradford, it's time to go in another direction. Marcus Mariota has been compared to Steve McNair, who made the Super Bowl playing for Fisher in Tennessee. Mariota can sit behind Bradford in 2015 and learn the NFL game before taking over in 2016 when Bradford becomes a free agent.

The last six first-round picks by the Jets have all been on the defensive side of the ball. With Rex Ryan in charge, don't expect that to change in 2015. With Dimitri Patterson and Kyle Wilson hitting free agency, P.J. Williams is an easy pick for the Jets. Having Williams team with Dee Milliner and Calvin Pryor in the secondary finally gives Ryan a defense that can compete with the Patriots' aerial attack.

If the Steelers fail to make the playoffs, and at 17 they would, the offensive line will be a major reason why. Ben Roethlisberger needs to be protected, and with Kelvin Beachum and Marcus Gilbert as the tackles, that may not happen. Andrus Peat is a significant upgrade over both and would create a young core of first-round linemen with Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro.

The Falcons struggled in pass defense in 2013 and will likely struggle again in 2014. Rookies Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford showed potential, but the talent around them needs an upgrade. Playing in a division with Drew Brees, the Falcons need to load up on secondary help. Shaw can play safety if needed and will improve the Falcons' pass defense.

With Carson Palmer's career winding down, this is a potential landing spot for Jameis Winston. With sophomores being excluded from this mock draft, the Cardinals snag TE Devin Funchess. The team upgraded their receiving corps during the offseason, but tight end remains a position of need. Funchess is the best TE in college football and can lineup at WR as well. Whoever the quarterback is for Arizona in 2015, this pick will make his job easier.

The Bears have many decisions to make next offseason regarding their defense. With so many defenders in the final year of their contracts, Chicago uses the 20th pick to select the top defender on the board. Thompson excels in coverage and is a sure tackler. He will likely need to add 10 pounds to remain at linebacker and avoid a move to safety. Thompson is an ideal replacement for Lance Briggs.

Now we get to the playoff teams. Two years after drafting D.J. Fluker in the first round, the Chargers find themselves in need of another offensive tackle. With Fluker at right tackle, Cameron Erving can be penciled in as the Week 1 starter at left tackle. Erving does need to be more consistent to warrant being selected this high, but his performance against Vic Beasley in 2013 showed his ability to handle elite pass rushers.

With the Bengals fully committed to QB Andy Dalton, the team must surround him with talent. Ty Montgomery gives Dalton another weapon and should start opposite A.J. Green for years to come. Playing in Stanford's pro-style offense, Montgomery has already run many of the patterns he will be asked to run in Cincinnati.

Just as he did in 2014 with Marcus Smith, Chip Kelly selects a versatile defender in the first round of the 2015 draft. Hau'oli Kikaha may be overshadowed by Shaq Thompson, but he ends up in the first round as well. Being from the Pac-12 appeals to Chip Kelly as well. Any concern over his injury history was put to rest after Kikaha posted 13 sacks in 2013.

For the second year in a row, the Panthers select a Florida State wide receiver in Round 1. Greene and Kelvin Benjamin played so well together in Tallahassee, why not try the same combination in Charlotte? Greene does not have the typical size of an NFL WR, but that didn't stop Steve Smith from being successful in Carolina. With Cam Newton entering his prime, the Panthers owe him a better arsenal than Jerricho Cotchery and Marvin McNutt.

Andy Reid loves drafting linemen early and Leon Orr can be used in the same capacity Reid used Fletcher Cox in Philadelphia. Like Cox, Orr is a college defensive tackle playing defensive end in Reid's 3-4 alignment. Orr doesn't make a lot of stops in the backfield, but he does keep his ground and close running lanes. With the top quarterbacks off the board, Orr is the pick.

The Saints may not need more offensive weapons, but Melvin Gordon is too explosive to pass up. Mark Ingram likely plays elsewhere in 2015, so RB may be a position of need. The Saints don't have a feature back, so pairing Gordon with Pierre Thomas fits their system. Gordon isn't a great receiver, but he gives the Saints another option out of the backfield. His speed and ability to break tackles will keep the chains moving forward in New Orleans.

The Colts struggled in the secondary in 2013 and failed to address that need in the 2014 draft. With the 27th pick, Kurtis Drummond provides great value at a position of need. Pairing Drummond with LaRon Landry gives the Colts a respectable pair of safeties. Drummond will be needed to come up big even more this year for the Spartans now that Darqueze Dennard is in the NFL. He's capable of making up for that loss and earning a first-round grade.

With the 28th pick, the Packers find a replacement for free-agent B.J. Raji. Ellis McCarthy can take over immediately and solidify the Green Bay defensive line. McCarthy does an excellent job winning the battle at the line of scrimmage and finding his way into the backfield. Injury concerns could push the 330-pound McCarthy into the second round, but a healthy 2014 campaign would make this a great landing spot for the Bruins' defensive tackle.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots are typically one of the most difficult teams to project in the draft. Similar to Dominique Easley in 2014, the Patriots select the best fit for their scheme. Alvin "Bud" Dupree can line up at DE and OLB for New England. Dupree doesn't give up on plays and frequently makes tackles far from where he lines up. His versatility and effort make him a natural fit for the multiple defenses utilized by New England.

With the future of offensive linemen Alex Boone and Mike Iupati in question, the 49ers pick the best lineman available. La'el Collins began his LSU career at guard, so the move back inside shouldn't be a problem. Collins would be selected much higher, but he has trouble keeping faster players from getting to the quarterback. The move inside would be a win for both Collins and the 49ers.

The Denver Broncos may look completely different in 2015. Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas are all scheduled to hit free agency after the 2014 season. Whatever the outcome, Denver needs to have plenty of passing options for Peyton Manning. The Oregon Ducks will use Brown extensively in 2014 after losing several receivers from 2013. This will allow Brown to showcase his talents and sneak into the first round.

The Seattle Seahawks continue adding pieces to one of the best defenses in the NFL. With linebackers K.J. Wright and Malcolm Smith set to become free agents, Seattle must look to the draft to fill those voids. Denzel Perryman can play both inside and outside and his hard hitting will fit right in with the team's mentality.