I have never put together a mock draft for anything before in my entire life, but as usually happens, curiosity finally got the best of me. So, after reading multiple other mock drafts and realizing I probably can't possibly sound too much less educated than everybody else on this subject, let's give this a whirl.
Some of these picks are based on logic. Some are based on a hunch. Some are simply what I would really like to see happen. And so, with the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select:
1 - TB: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
Not much of a surprise here. The Bucs need direction in their offense. Winston lost one game in college. Plus, he knows where to find all the good Florida seafood. #TeamBuilding
2 - TEN: Leonard Williams, DT, USC
The Titans need a QB. But, the Titans need a lot of things. Rather than reach, Tennessee grabs a guy who will anchor their line for a decade.
3 - JAX: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
SURPRISE! There's a reason here. The Jags used a 1st round pick on Blake Bortles, a 2nd round pick on Marqise Lee, and signed Julius Thomas. But Denard Robinson is their leading rusher. Grab Gurley and suddenly the Jags offense looks pretty good.
4 - OAK: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
It's going to be White or Cooper. The Raiders, true to their form, take the one with more game-breaking big play ability.
5 - WAS: Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida
They need a real QB, but Daniel Snyder doesn't comprehend that so they grab the top-rated pass rusher on the board.
6 - NYJ: Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky
For some reason, I think the Jets will give Geno Smith another shot. He's never had a top-notch offensive coordinator to work with, and I'm not saying Chan Gailey fits that description, but he does know the spread offense and how to make a QB successful in it. So, new head coach Todd Bowles gets much-needed pass rush help.
7 - CHI: La'el Collins, OT, LSU
Jay Cutler is a lame duck QB, but head coach John Fox is not a guy who looks to the future. He wants to win now. Grabbing Collins gives the Bears a better chance to do that.
8 - ATL: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
The Falcons line had Matt Ryan applying for hazard pay in 2014. Get Scherff and they might be able to keep their QB upright for more than 2 seconds this year.
9 - NYG: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
As Tom Brady will tell you, the Giants can never have too many pass rushers. Ray is aggressive, athletic and productive.
10 - STL: Cameron Erving, C, Florida State
The Rams interior line was abysmal in 2014. Roger Saffold played through a shoulder injury and was their top performer. Erving solidifies the line for new QB Nick Foles.
11 - MIN: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
SURPRISE (Part 2)! The Vikings will work out a deal for Adrian Peterson, opening up a hole for Gordon and a new era in the Twin Cities.
12 - CLE: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
Contrary to popular belief, nobody, not even the Browns, are going to use a 1st round pick on a quarterback in 2 straight Drafts. So forget the Mariota talk. Cooper falls to them, giving Johnny Manziel a reliable replacement for Josh Gordon (No, he does not celebrate with a beer. Grow up, people!)
13 - NO: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
The Saints have had lots of defensive problems since they stopped paying guys under the table to wreck opposing players. Waynes is a physical corner who can help immediately.
14 - MIA: DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
Ryan Tannehill could not find a way to get Mike Wallace the ball down the field. So, Wallace was replaced by Kenny Stills. Parker adds more depth to help the Dolphins' QB.
15 - SF: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
New head coach Jim Tomsula is a defensive line guru. He gets the heir apparent to Justin Smith in Shelton, who is roughly the size of a Winnebago.
16 - HOU: Paul Dawson, LB , TCU
Brian Cushing's body keeps breaking down so the Texans need somebody to take over as the top linebacker. Dawson has been slapped with the dreaded "Character Issues" tag, but if J.J. Watt can't keep a guy in line, nobody can.
17 - SD: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
Even if Gurley or Gordon is available here, the Chargers see depth in the running back class. So, they address another need and take Brown, a space-eater who's effective against the run or pass. Defensive end Corey Liuget has shown ability to get to the QB, but has not had the benefit of much assistance from the interior linemen. If Brown is as good as his tape shows, he'll immediately impact multiple positions on the Chargers defense.
18 - KC: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
The Chiefs plucked Jeremy Maclin out of Philly but bringing in another threat on the outside will keep defenses from paying too much attention to him. Strong, Maclin, Kelce, Charles, Davis? Alex Smith can manage his way to a lot of wins with that group.
19 - CLE: Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
The Browns addressed the offense in their first pick, time to get defensive again. Armstead is raw but the tools to be a dominant pass rusher are there.
20 - PHI: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
You're welcome.
21 - CIN: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
Peat has the makings of a solid, dependable tackle. Exactly the kind of guy the Bengals need to 11-5 and watch Andy Dalton throw 4 interceptions in playoff loss.
22 - PIT: Landon Collins, S, Alabama
Blah blah blah Polamalu blah blah retired blah blah replace the All-Pro safety blah blah shampoo commercial blah blah. Nobody is Troy Polamalu but Collins can play at a position of need.
23 - DET: T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
With all the top defensive tackles off the board, the Lions get a guy to help keep their offense humming.
24 - ARI: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
He tested positive for marijuana. At the NFL Scouting Combine. That's not making a bad decision, that's an alarming lack of self-control. Of course, self-control is not something NFL executives are known for, so the Cardinals grab the athletic pass rusher.
25 - CAR: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
The Panthers need help in the secondary and saw Johnson play a lot just up the road at Wake Forest. He made big improvements in 2014, showing Panthers head coach Ron Rivera the kid can take coaching.
26 - BAL: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
Controlling the line of scrimmage is the key to Baltimore's success. Their defense does it a lot better than their offense does. Flowers can help with that.
27 - DAL: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
Jason Witten must be retiring at some point. Tony Romo will love to have Gavin Esocobar and the athletic Williams to throw to.
28 - DEN: MyCole Pruitt, TE, Southern Illinois
Manning has lost a couple of his favorite targets this off-season. Pruitt has size and hands and those are good things to have when playing with Manning.
29 - IND: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
The back end of the Colts defense had trouble staying with decent passing attacks. Shaq is a diverse linebacker who does not have to come off the field on 3rd downs.
30 - GB: Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
Although he can play inside or outside linebacker, Clay Matthews needs some younger, more athletic company. Kendricks is the perfect fit.
31 - NO: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
Peters has the reputation of being a hothead. He was even suspended for a game for throwing what can aptly be described as a temper tantrum on the sidelines in 2014. Still, talent talks and Peters is one of the top defensive backs of this class.
32 - NE: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
Because Tom Brady needs more weapons. Sure, why not?
I know you all have issues with a lot of this, so fire away in the comments or get a-hold of me on Twitter (@DerekNBCSD) or Facebook (Derek Togerson NBC 7 San Diego).
