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2015 NFL Mock Draft

It’s becoming something of a tradition here at Mad Men Marketing to predict the NFL draft. This is our third year doing it. As always, we will update as needed and after the draft, we will juxtapose the actual picks with our own.

Buccaneers– Jameis Winston:  The obvious choice, and probably a safe bet.  His leadership and football IQ are very high, and he probably doesn't get enough credit for being intelligent.  He's a mobile guy that prefers to stay in the pocket.  Will he do some questionable things in his personal life, away from the field?  Almost a guarantee.

Titans– Marcus Mariota: Let's face it, the QB of the future isn't currently on the Titans roster.  This kind of reminds everyone of when Andrew Luck and RGIII went 1 & 2… the decision is between a pure passer and exceptional athleticism.  Mariota can run like a runningback with a 40 time in the 4.5's.  I think he projects as a Colin Kaepernick type of guy without as much arm strength.  Durability will be a concern due to his willingness to run.

Jaguars– Dante Fowler: I almost mocked Vic Beasley here, but Fowler is insanely athletic (not quite as freakish as Beasley) and has the bigger body.  If he can develop his pass-rushing arsenal beyond his inside move, he could be dangerous coming off the edge.

Raiders– Leonard Williams: Some say Williams is the best prospect in the entire draft.  He's a tackle that can be moved around on the line and he has demonstrated that he has the strength to play in the trenches.  It's going to come down to his motor and his work ethic once he turns pro as to whether or not Williams is a future Pro-Bowler or a bust.

Redskins– Vic Beasley: The Redskins find Orakpo's replacement with the incredibly athletic Beasley.  The only real knock on him is his weight.  If he demonstrated the same abilities and weighed ten pounds more, he could have been chosen higher.

Jets– Kevin White: The Jets forego the sure thing with Amari Cooper here and opt for the height/speed combo in White.  In this scenario, they draft White due to his high ceiling.

Bears– Landon Collins: Remember when the Bears were incredibly dominant on defense?  Well now that defense is a shadow of its former self.  They draft the standout safety in this draft class and take a well-rounded future leader in Collins in their secondary.

Falcons–  Brandon Scherff: The Falcons are fine at WR and QB.  What they need to do is give Matt Ryan some time to heave that ball down the field.  This move gives them bookend tackles for years to come.

Giants–  Gerrod Holliman: Maybe a bit too high to take him here, but Holliman is an absolute ball hawk!

Rams– Amari Cooper: Nick Foles is going to need a target.  Tavon Austin has proven he's not a #1 receiver, but he may be a more adept #2.  Cooper allows Austin to increase his productivity and gives the Rams the draft's top route runner.

Vikings– Trae Waynes: The Vikings get the most NFL ready CB in the draft.  He's drawing comparisons to Antonio Cromartie, so he will be a cornerstone of a young defense for years to come.

Browns– Danny Shelton: His stats suggest he could be the next Ndamukong Suh, but the reality is that he's more likely to be like Senderrick Marks or Terrence Knighton.  Both of those are very good tackles, though.  It's a strong possibility the Browns could trade this pick because of the other pick they have in the first round.

Saints– Arik Armstead: Freakish size and a power rusher. He will definitely be able to bat some balls down at the line of scrimmage, but he needs to improve his pass rush technique and repertoire to develop into a better overall player.

Dolphins– Devante Parker: He's fast and he's strong and the Dolphins have a severely depleted WR corp.  Jennings is a band-aid, not the future, but at least he could mentor the younger Parker.

49ers– Bud Dupree:  Dupree takes advantage of Shane Ray's off the field miscue and rumored turf toe and moves up the draft board. Freakish athlete that someone could easily pick much earlier than this.  Think of Jason Pierre Paul in terms of how raw he was, but this  guy is more athletic.  He ran in the 4.5's and jumped 42 inches!  Concerns may be that he played at Kentucky instead of a more perennial power even though he still played in the SEC.

Texans– Dorial Green Beckham: Formerly the top high school talent in the country, his college career was a little underwhelming, but not many receivers exist with his build.  He has above average speed and would be an interesting pairing with Hopkins.  Houston could also trade for a QB, possibly Rivers.  They have the potential to be a pretty elite team.

Chargers– Marcus Peters: All the talent in the world with a volatile personality (remind you of Pacman Jones?).  The Chargers will need to defend against the pass-happy Broncos.

Chiefs– Jaelen Strong: The definition of a solid receiver.  He's well-built and will probably be a more technically sound receiver and not a home run threat, but you can make a good living in the NFL as a posession receiver that nets 50-60 yards a game.

Browns– Breshad Perriman: Josh Gordon's NFL career is likely at its end.  Breshad Perriman is one of those high risk/high reward picks that may or may not pay off, but the metrics are there, so if he's got the right kind of mentality and if he's coachable, this could be a really good selection by Cleveland.

Eagles– Randy Gregory: This would be pretty nice for the Eagles.  Gregory got in trouble during the Combine, but Chip Kelly covets speed, and the athletic Gregory might be a good fit in the City of Brotherly Love.

Bengals– Ereck Flowers: Not a sexy pick, but a solid offensive lineman.  As such, I don't have much more to contribute to this pick.

Steelers– PJ Williams: Height? Check.  Weight?  Check.  Speed?  Check.  Could possibly fall to the 2nd round, but a depleted Steelers secondary has Williams getting plucked late in the first round.

Lions– Malcom Brown: Brown has the size and strength to be a good defensive tackle and it certainly fills a need for the Lions.  The trouble is that Brown's determination can sometimes be found lacking if his initial pass rush is unsuccessful.  Given enough time to work on technique and apply his size and strength, he could anchor the next generation of Detroit lines.

Cardinals– Todd Gurley:  The Cardinals take a chance on Gurley, undoubtedly the draft's best runningback (as long as his knee isn't Jell-O already).  This would give Arizona a weapon in the backfield that they really haven't had since Edgerrin James.

Panthers– Eli Harold: This would be a very nice compliment to Luke Kuechly.  I know Carolina's been known for their defense in recent years and not really known for their offense, so they could go WR here or any number of offensive moves, but Harold is a pretty legit LB.

Ravens– La'el Collins: Size and strength are of no concern and he was one of the best tackles out there this past year and he had plenty of top-notch opposition in the SEC.  The problem is that, like Andrus Peat, he's susceptible to lunging a little too much which gets him off balance and sacrifices his strength.

Cowboys– Eddie Goldman: A play-making 3-4 tackle who played on a championship caliber team.  If he can learn to play lower in terms of pad level, he could make a name for himself.

Broncos– DJ Humphries: Needs to develop as a pass blocker with better technique, but he's got a nasty streak in him that some teams may like.  Montee Ball would love this pick.  The kind of guy that can chip the end and get to the second level.

Colts– Shaq Thompson- The University of Washington product is incredibly versatile, having played in the secondary, as well as linebacker and runningback for the Huskies.  He could be a fast-twitch athlete used at either the strong safety position or outside linebacker, adding some much-needed athleticism and an injection of youth to an aging Colts defense.

Packers– Bernardrick McKinney: My co-worker raises a good point on this pick.  It's a little high to take him just based on the inside linebacker position, but he's got rare athleticism for the position.  He's fast and can go sideline to sideline with tons of height and jumping ability to spare.  Think about an inside linebacker with an outside linebacker's skill set, or maybe if Brandon Jacobs played inside backer.

Saints– Jordan Philipps: For any of you that have followed Terrence Knighton's career, you know that he flashes a lot of playmaking ability, but doesn't have the stamina to be an every down tackle.  The same is true of Philipps.  He's not taking plays off, but he can't keep his motor running consistently at a high level, so if he's in there every play of every defensive series, he will lose his effectiveness over time.

Patriots– Kevin Johnson: Could be the next really good Patriots cover CB.  A little bit of a liability when tackling, but can press at the line well.