The NFL Draft takes place in Chicago on Thursday as all 32 teams gather to select the best players from the college game.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the first overall pick for the fifth time in the history of the franchise following their 2-14 record last season, and are widely touted to select a quarterback.
The Draft has been described as one of the deepest in many years, which will hold great influence over teams' selections, especially in the first round.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Jameis Winston – The Buccaneers are in dire need of a quarterback following their disastrous 2014 campaign and Winston has the skills to help turn the fortunes of the franchise around. The 21-year-old has some off-field issues, but will have an experienced head coach in Lovie Smith to help mature him as a player. Winston also comes to the NFL as a proven winner following his exploits with the Florida State Seminoles.
2. Tennessee Titans: QB Marcus Mariota – It appears the Titans have done everything in their power to trade the second overall pick, but they now look likely to select at the position. The best player available will be Leonard Williams, but the AFC South side, like the Buccaneers before them, need a quarterback. The pre-Draft talk played down the skills of Mariota, but the quarterback has proven pedigree in the college game with the Oregon Ducks and has the skillset to make an impact in the NFL.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: DL Leonard Williams – The Jaguars struggled once again in the NFL last season to land another pick in the top three of the Draft. Gus Bradley is a defensive-minded coach and should not pass up the chance to select the most complete player in the process, despite the fact that they have Sen'Derrick Marks and Jared Odrick already on their roster.
4. Oakland Raiders: DE Dante Fowler Jr – The Raiders have the opportunity to select the best pass-rusher available in the process. The club drafted Khalil Mack last year, who had an impressive season despite the team's struggles, and they will now get the chance to pair the duo together to form a formidable partnership, rushing opposing quarterbacks for years to come.
5. Washington Redskins: DE Bud Dupree – General manager Scot McCloughan outlined his desire to add a pass-rusher in the process to replace Brian Orakpo, who left the club during free agency. Dupree is an athlete with a good upside and should give the Redskins a good combo with Ryan Kerrigan on the opposite edge. Dupree notched 23.5 sacks in his four seasons at Kentucky.
6. New York Jets: OLB Vic Beasley – The run on pass-rushers continues as the Jets add Beasley out of Clemson. The AFC East side are in desperate need of a player that can rush the passer to compete in their division, although they may have reservations following their struggles at drafting the position. Beasley had 12.5 sacks in his final year with Clemson and should provide sheer power coming off the edge.
7. Chicago Bears: WR Kevin White – The Bears find themselves in a fortunate position as they have their pick of wide receivers in the Draft. John Fox's men do have other needs such as cornerback and defensive tackle, but White could turn out to be the best prospect in the entire class. It would be very hard for the Bears to pass up the chance to select him, especially given the departure of Brandon Marshall.
8. Atlanta Falcons: DE Shane Ray – Ray may have put his Draft stock in jeopardy when was caught with possession of marijuana earlier this week. However, the Falcons have declared that the 21-year-old is still on their board, and the player has the talent to make an immediate impact on their struggling defense. The NFC South side were at their best in past years when John Abraham was able to put pressure on the opposing quarterback, but since his departure they have been unable to generate the same effect. Ray has the skillset to be an excellent pass-rusher in the NFL, if his off-field digressions don't hold him back.
9. New York Giants: OL Brandon Scherff – The Giants struggled to protect Eli Manning last season following the retirements of David Diehl and Chris Snee. Scherff has the versatility to play guard or tackle for the Giants and will start from day one for Tom Coughlin's men.
10. St Louis Rams: OL Andrus Peat – The Rams used the second overall pick on Greg Robinson last year but they still require help on the offensive line. Peat was a standout player in his days at Stanford and is rightly in the mix to be a top-10 pick. He has the ability to play at left or right tackle and fill a need for the NFC West side following the retirement of Jake Long.
11. Minnesota Vikings: CB Kevin Johnson – The Vikings added veteran cornerback Terence Newman to their roster in free agency, but with Calvin Johnson in their division you can never have enough good cornerbacks. Johnson has good coverage skills and the ability to play in zone as well as man coverage, and should provide a good tandem with former first-round selection Xavier Rhodes.
12. Cleveland Browns: WR Amari Cooper – Mike Pettine's men land a quality player at a position of need due to their struggles with their wide receiving corps last season. Cooper can play in a variety of roles and could help bring out the best in Johnny Manziel due to his skillset, which earned him many plaudits in his college career at the Alabama Crimson Tide.
13. New Orleans Saints: OLB Randy Gregory – The Saints could go in a number of directions with this selection following their curious moves so far in the off-season. They could select a wideout to offset the departures of Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills, but they do they need to fix their struggling defense and could pick up one of the best pass-rushers in the Draft due to his off-field problems. However, he has the athleticism and power to be an effective rush linebacker in the NFL.
14. Miami Dolphins: CB Trae Waynes – The Dolphins have Waynes fall into their laps in the 14th back to help solidify their secondary. Jamar Taylor and Will Davis have been disappointing for the club in their first two seasons with the AFC East side, while Zack Bowman is not the answer to be starting opposite Brent Grimes. Waynes in an outstanding coverage corner with good speed and will help Joe Philbin's men against the new wideout threats in their division.
15. San Francisco 49ers: DE Arik Armstead – Armstead has been the common pick for the 49ers during the pre-Draft talk and the selection makes too much sense for the NFC West side to pass up. He has the size and diverse skillset they covet in their defensive lineman, and could be the long-term replacement to Justin Smith.
16. Houston Texans: WR Devante Parker – The Texans released veteran wideout Andre Johnson during free agency and get the chance to replace him with one of the highest-rated wideouts coming out of the college game in the last few years.
17. San Diego Chargers: RB Todd Gurley – Gurley's torn ACL drops him down the selection process, but only as far as the Chargers, who finally get their long-awaited replacement for Ladainian Tomlinson. The back has shown tremendous ability at running the ball between the tackles as well as being a threat at catching the ball out of the backfield. He should alleviate the pressure on Philip Rivers if he is fully fit in his rookie campaign to help the AFC West side back to the playoffs.
18. Kansas City Chiefs: CB Marcus Peters – The cornerback caused controversy when he was kicked off the Washington Huskies last season for arguing with his coaches. However, he is arguably the most talented defensive back in the Draft due to his skills in man coverage. Andy Reid is an experienced coach and should be able to get the best out of Peters, who will provide his team with the ability to match up against the wide receivers of the Denver Broncos.
19. Cleveland Browns: DT Danny Shelton – The Browns were poor against the run last season, but they get a chance to reverse their fortunes by adding a run-stuffer in the form of Shelton, whose huge frame will clog up the middle of the line.
20. Philadelphia Eagles: DB Landon Collins – Collins is widely regarded as the best safety in the Draft and the Eagles' secondary struggled immensely last season, so it would make great sense for Chip Kelly's men to add the former Alabama Crimson Tide man to their team. Collins is a solid tackler and good enough in coverage to be a great asset to the NFC East side.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: OL Cameron Erving – The Bengals could do with help in their secondary, but their options are limited. They could also select a defensive tackle, but their offensive line is in need of depth and strengthening in the middle. Irving was an integral part of the recent success of the Florida State Seminoles and can play any position across the line.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Jalen Collins – The Steelers are in desperate need of help in their secondary following the retirements of Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu. A lot of the best prospects are off the board at this early stage in the Draft, but Collins proved to be a competitive corner last season for the LSU Tigers and has the prototypical size the Steelers like in their corners.
23. Detroit Lions: DT Malcom Brown – Jim Caldwell's men lost All-Pro Ndamukong Suh during free agency and with him went a huge presence in the middle of their defensive line. Nick Fairley has been inconsistent in his four seasons at the club, so Brown could be an instant impact player for the NFC North side.
24. Arizona Cardinals: OL Ereck Flowers – The Cardinals have a few areas of need, but considering the division they play in, they need to fortify their offensive line to give Carson Palmer as much protection as possible on his comeback from injury. Flowers was a rock for Miami during his days with the Hurricanes and looks to be a lock to play in the NFL for the next 10 years.
25. Carolina Panthers: WR Jaelen Strong – The Panthers continue to add weapons for Cam Newton following their successful selection of Kelvin Benjamin in the Draft last year. Strong looks a solid outlet to have opposite Benjamin, giving Newton variety in his passing attack, which showed signs of improvement in the 2014 campaign.
26. Baltimore Ravens: WR Nelson Agholor- Baltimore can claim that they are perfectly happy with their receiving options for the new season, but given the fact that 36-year-old Steve Smith is their top wideout, it might be in their best interests to select a receiver early in the Draft. Agholor has become more of a notable name in the selection process in recent weeks and would instantly become a starter in the Ravens' offense.
27. Dallas Cowboys: RB Melvin Gordon – The NFC East side lost DeMarco Murray in free agency to their rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, but have insisted that they are under no pressure to select a back in the Draft. However, the Cowboys have invested heavily in their offensive over the past few years and one of the major reasons for their success was the running game. Taking Gordon at this stage in the Draft would be perfect for him after he excelled in his time with Wisconsin.
28. Denver Broncos: OT Jake Fisher – Protecting Peyton Manning was a major issue for the Broncos towards the end of last season as they struggled to settle on a starting offensive line. Fisher can come into the side and start immediately at right tackle to move Louis Vasquez back into his preferred position at guard.
29. Indianapolis Colts: DT Eddie Goldman – The Colts' problem in the post-season has been stopping the run. Every time they have faced the New England Patriots, LeGarrette Blount has powered through them like they weren't there, so they need to select a player who can clog up the middle and prevent that from happening. At 335lbs, Goldman looks to fit the bill following his impressive career at Florida State.
30. Green Bay Packers: CB Byron Jones – Jones has risen up Draft boards since his outstanding performance in the Combine and looks a lock to be selected in the first round. The Packers lost Tramon Williams in free agency and need some cornerback depth behind Casey Hayward and Sam Shields. His versatility appears to be what the Packers value in their cornerbacks, so the two parties should be a good fit.
31. New Orleans Saints: DL Jordan Phillips – The Saints use the pick they received in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for Jimmy Graham on a disruptive defensive lineman in Phillips to help them improve their struggling defense.
32. New England Patriots: OL AJ Cann – The Super Bowl champions are in need of help on their offensive line despite their triumph last season. Bill Belichick's men also need a cornerback, but the club have focused on offensive linemen in their pre-Draft scouting and Cann appears to be the best fit for the AFC East side to protect Tom Brady.
Simon Sinclair
