Live Commentary: 2015 NFL Draft - as it happened

Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary of the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

All 32 teams have converged on Chicago for the first round of the selection process where 32 young players will join NFL teams tonight.

In the NFL parity is the name of the game, so in the subject of fairness the worst team gets to choose the best players coming out of the college game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hold the first pick in the Draft as they posted the worst record in the NFL in the 2014 with a 2-14 campaign.

The Buccaneers posted the worst record in the 2014 season mainly because their quarterbacks last season were not up to standard as Mike Glennon and Josh McCown both struggled immensely. McCown has moved on to the Cleveland Browns and Glennon will likely serve as backup to the club's selection with the first overall pick as reports suggests Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston will be the pick for the NFC South side.

Winston won the Heisman Trophy as the best player in the college game in the 2013 season and guided the Seminoles to the college championship in the same year. He has talent in abundence with the strength of his arm and accuracy, and also seems to have a decent amount of flair. However, the 21-year-old has been involved in several off-the-field incidents which have damaged his reputation.

The Buccaneers face a difficult decision as the selection of Winston is not straightforward. The number one selection does not guarantee a Hall of Fame quality player as for every Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, there is a JaMarcus Russell, who has been called the biggest bust in Draft history. Given, Winston's off-the-field problems, the Buccaneers could think twice about selecting him first overall tonight.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota is also highly touted and was the suggestion for the first overall pick before the start of the season, but has fallen behind Winston in the eyes of most pundits. The 21-year-old has great skills throwing and running the ball, but it has been suggested that he may not be ready to run an NFL offense in his rookie season. Only time will tell.

The other candidate that could be selected first overall is Leonard Williams. The defensive tackle has been a standout player in his three year at the University of Southern California and has been named the next Richard Seymour. Very high praise as Seymour was the anchor of the New England Patriots' team that won three Super Bowls in four years. However, Williams seems to have a lot of good traits and would be a solid pick for the Buccaneers should they opt away from Winston tonight.

The Tennnessee Titans hold the second pick after they also went 2-14 in their season. However, they have been very mysterious in their prepartation for the Draft as reports have speculated that they could trade the pick for players and future picks with the Cleveland Browns and the Philadelphia Eagles both reported to have expressed an interest. Both teams reportedly want Mariota and it will be interesting to see what will happen if Winston is indeed the first pick leaving the Oregon man avaiable at number two.

Three years ago the St Louis Rams got themsevles three first round picks when they traded the second pick to the Washington Redskins for them to select Robert Griffin III. The quarterback looked a solid prospect and proved so in his rookie year when he guided the NFC East side to the playoffs, but his career since then has been plagued by injuries and inconsistent form. The Rams haven't come out of the trade well either as they have failed to a great deal in the three years since with the picks, but still decided to parade them around the middle of the pitch when they played the Redskins last year like they won the Super Bowl. Humble pie guys... try a slice.

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert talked about the use of media to influence picks this weeks, and it appears that some of the prospects have done themselves a real disservice. Randy Gregory was tipped to be picked in the top 10 in January, but drug releated issues emerged and have dropped him down in the views of pundits. Shane Ray was also expected to be a top-10 pick, but just this week he was cited for possession of marijuana after being pulled over by a police officer for speeding. Not the brightest move, and one that could cost him a lot of money. Finally the case of La'el Collins who police want to question in connection of the death of a 29-year-old pregnant woman, but have insisted that the LSU Tigers man is not a suspect. It may still be enought to warrant caution from some teams to select him tonight.

In case you hadn't seen it before. Sports Mole made an attempt to predict the first round of the Draft take a gander here. Yes, I will be bragging when I get a pick right. Here's hoping on an improvement on the eight for 32 in last year's mock.

There have been a lot of reports that certain teams are wanting to move up in the Draft. The Eagles and the Browns as previously mentioned are actively looking at Mariota, but there are suggestions that the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints could also move up from 32 and 31 respectively. All depends on how the players fall.

Remember just because a player is not selected in the first round by no means suggests that they will not go on to be a success in the NFL. Four-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady was selected in the sixth round with the 199th pick by the New England Patriots and is arguably the best quarterback ever to play the game. Other recent examples are Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks who were selected in the fifth round, while their quarterback Russell Wilson was branded a terrible pick by the club when he went in the third.

It may be prudent to watch the back end of the Draft for trades as teams get a level of protection with contracts for first-round players, by the fact they can use an option to extend contract's into a fifth year should they desire. The Colts have already done this with Andrew Luck, while other teams have snapped up the players they selected in the first round in 2012. It's a very useful tool to have especially considering the salary cap.

Ed Werder says on ESPN that the Eagles indeed called the Buccaneers about a trade to No. 1.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 30, 2015

OH BOY! The Eagles could be on the move to number one!

The Eagles seem determined to move to number one or two in the Draft, according to NFL Network. Chip Kelly could be going insane. The head coach has already traded his quarterback and All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy this off-season.

What package are #Eagles talking about to go to No. 1 or No. 2? Two 1st rounders, a 3rd rounder, Fletcher Cox, Boykin, Kendricks, more. Wow. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 30, 2015

It's 1am and the Draft is finally here. We're just awaiting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to put the Buccaneers on the clock.

Here is the commissioner and he puts the Buccaneers on the clock!

Here we go and the Buccaneers can make their selection now. Will it be Winston, Mariota, Williams or even a wildcard. We will know soon enough.

The Buccaneers are milking the clock here. The pick hasn't gone straight in, which is slightly surprising. Could they be trading out to the Eagles?

Yes the Buccaneers do pick Jameis Winston despite his off-the-field problems. The 21-year-old is the most talented quarterback in the Draft and should be a day one starter for the NFC South side. He does have a problem with interceptions, but has enough quality around him in the receiving positons to be a success with the club. Winston's behaviour will be something to monitor in the near future.

It's very hard to suggest that Winston will not be a success in Tampa as he guided the Florida State Seminoles to a college championship in the 2013 season. He has all the fundamentals to be a quality starter, but whether he is able to translate those skills and work ethic in the NFL is another matter. We shall see.

On an even better note, the Sports Mole mock Draft is one for one. Hurray!!!

No trade for Tennessee as they have used the second overall pick in the Draft after reportedly rebuffing offers from the Eagles for the selection. Who will it be?

The Titans stay where they are and they select a franchise quarterback in Mariota, who won the Heisman Trophy last year for being the best player in the college game. He has the diverse skill set to make an immediate impact for the AFC South side and should reignite the struggling franchise to help them compete once again. Talent around him could be an issue at first, but he seems to have good head on his shoulders to be able to ride the rookie lumps and turn into a quality starter in the NFL.

More importantly two for two on the mock!

So proud to be @TBBuccaneers #JameisDraft2015 — Jameis Winston (@Jaboowins) May 1, 2015

The Jaguars select the best pass-rusher in the Draft as they take Fowler out of the Florida Gators. Fowler recorded 8.5 sacks for the Gators in the 2014 season and will make an immediate impact for the AFC South side in his rookie season. Gus Bradley gets an excellent player to start in his defense in the next campaign to turn the fortunes of the franchise around. A comparison could be Von Miller from the Denver Broncos or as NFL Network has suggested Ryan Kerrigan.

The first wide receiver comes off the board and Amari Cooper of the Alambama Crimson Tide is now a member of the Oakland Raiders. Cooper showed great talent in his days with Nick Saban's side and was locked onto be selected in the top 15 at the very least. He has the versatility to play across the formation as either out wide on the sidline or in the slot. He will give Derek Carr something to target this season as the Raiders quarterback had nothing to throw at in the last campaign. Cooper recorded 124 receptions for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns last season for Alabama. The 21-year-old should be a top-quality wideout in the NFL.

First questionable pick of the night as the Redskins opt to strengthen their offensive line with Brandon Scherff out of Iowa. He was a first-round talent, but this seems a little bit to high for him as Leonard Williams remains on the board. Scherff has the ability to play at tackle and at guard, so his versatility will aid the Redskins in the ground game and offer protection to Robert Griffin III. A solid pick if unspectacular.

In other news, the Sports Mole mock draft is in tatters now!

Talk of a trade for the Jets pick as time is running out on their clock.

The defensive line of the Jets was already formidabble, but now they add Williams to the mix who was highly regarded as the best player in the Draft. Scary for the other teams in the AFC East, as the 20-year-old is stout against the run and can rush the passer. He might have to share time with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison, but he is likely to have an excellent NFL career.

The Bears land a replacement for Brandon Marshall - who they traded to the New York Jets - as they select White out of West Virginia with the seventh pick. White had an excellent season in the 2014 campaign as he recorded 109 receptions for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns. There is a little bit of criticism that he was one-dimensional as he only played on the right side for West Virginia, but he has the athleticism to give opposing cornerbacks nightmares.

Thank you Chicago for getting the mock back on track. We're three for eight now.

The Falcons get a pass-rusher they so desperately need at the eighth overall pick with Beasley out of the Clemson Tigers. The NFC South side mustered just 22 sacks in the 2014 campaign so they needed someone to rush the passer and the appear to have found that player in Beasley, who has great athleticism and speed off the edge. Beasley recorded 33 sacks in his four years with the Tigers so he should provide the Falcons with a successor for Jon Abraham who left the club after the 2012 season.

Interesting move from the Giants who appear to have gone for a need rather than the best player available. Every pundit suggested that the NFC East would move for an offensive lineman, most predicting Scherff but since he went off the board to their rivals the Redskins they've moved onto Flowers. The 21-year-old was a solid player for the Miami Hurricanes and should provide an excellent anchor on the left or right side of the offensive line for Tom Coughlin's men.

The Rams select Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick. Gurley was a top-five talent before he tore his ACL in the 2014 season which was said to have dropped him into the depths of the first round. However, the Rams have moved to pick the back who has 911 rushing yards in six games last season before his injury. Gurley has great speed and vision, and although he will be playing behind a poor offensive line, he should be able to rack up the yards for the NFC West side. Shades of Steven Jackson for the Rams, and he had an excellent 10-year career with the club.

Gurley has also been compared to Adrian Peterson, who was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2007 Draft. He was called a steal at that position, and Gurley has the ability to have the same sort of career as Peterson has enjoyed in the league.

The Vikings were rumoured to be selecting a defensive back and they have not disappointed as they have picked Trae Waynes out of Michigan State. The 22-year-old is a rangy cornerback with good size at 6ft 1in and should provide an excellent pairing with Xavier Rhodes on the opposite side. Minnesota are slowly building a quality secondary, which is needed when you play Aaron Rodgers twice a season. A nice pick from the Vikings.

With the 12th pick in the Draft the Browns get a much needed run-stuffer in the form of Danny Shelton. He's 335lbs and clogs up holes in the middle of the line. The AFC North side had one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL last season and he will quickly remedy that problem. Just to show off his brute strength he has lifted the commissioner off his feet in their man hug on stage. Shelton seems quite the character and has been likened to All-Pro Vince Wilfork, who has had a very succesful NFL career.

The Saints make a sensible pick with the 13th selection as they try to protect Drew Brees by drafting Peat to serve as one of the club's starting tackles. Peat can play on the left or the right side, and appears to have the strength and athleticism to be a force for the next 10 years for the NFC South side.

Solid selection by the Saints and it follows the trend of wise picks in the first round, which is highly unusual. Where is Jerry Jones to restore the balance?

The Dolphins bolster their receiving corps by selecting Parker out of the Louisville Cardinals. The AFC East traded Mike Wallace to the Vikings and allowed Brian Hartline to leave the club so they were in need of another wideout despite the signings of Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills. Parker can run all the routes in the playbook and not just the deep ones that quarterback Ryan Tannehill struggles with. The Dolphins are giving Tannehill weapons and now the pressure is on him to deliver.

The Chargers trade up to select running back Melvin Gordon. The AFC West side may have found their replacement for LaDainian Tomlinson at long last. Gordon can do it all out of the backfield and is an exceptional runner between the tackle as he racked up over 2,000 rushing yards for the Wisconsin Badgers last season. He will alleviate the pressure off Philip Rivers and could be the spark that fires the Chargers back into the playoffs in the 2015 campaign.

The Texans resist the temptation to select a wide receiver and decide to bolster their secondary with a move for Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson who can play in either zone or man coverage. Jonathan Joseph is getting up there in age for the Texans, and Bill O'Brien's side appeared to have selected his successor to be the club's shutdown cornerback for the years to come.

As everyone predicted the 49ers select the long-term replacement for Justin Smith as they move to pick Arik Armstead. The defensive end has the bulk to be a run-stuffer on left or right side of the line, and can also help the 49ers rush the passer. A solid selection and one that the NFC West side needed to rebuild their defense, which was been decimated by retirements and injuries over the past year.

The Chiefs go with Peters to help them lock down the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. 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. He has the size and speed to compete with the best wideouts in the NFL and should be a model citizen under experienced head coach Andy Reid.

The Browns go sensible again as they fortify their line with the versatile Cameron Erving out of the Florida State Seminoles. Erving can play anywhere on the offensive line as he displayed in his final year in the college game, where he moved from tackle to center. The Browns may ask him to play at guard to pair him with Joel Bitonio, who had great success at the club last season as a rookie.

After all the speculation about trading up to select Mariota, the Eagles stay put with the 20th selection and select a wideout to replace Jeremy Maclin. The 21-year-old has a similar skill set to Maclin and the USC wide receivers that are currently in the NFL such as Robert Woods. He will be an excellent fit in Chip Kelly's offense and could be one to watch in the 2015 campaign as an under-the-radar player.

As predicted the Bengals take an offensive lineman. Erving would have been on their board but he was taken by the Browns, so they go to the next best player in Ogbuehi who was a solid player for the Texas A&M Aggies. He played tackle for the Aggies on the blindside and may have to wait for his chance unless there is some movement on the line with with Clint Boling moving to center so he or another can play guard. Solid choice, but it will be interesting to see where they put him on their line.

Pittburgh continue their run on defense in the first round as they select Bud Dupree. It's the third year in a row that the AFC North side have selected a defensive player with their first round and they decided to go with the explosive Dupree, who has speed and power to get after the quarterback. They need a player like Dupree to compete against the Denver Broncos, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.

Hmmm perhaps the first pick of the Draft where I'm not sure of the need for the Broncos as they select a pass-rusher in Ray. The club needed help on the offensive line where they struggled to protect Peyton Manning last season, but have opted for defense where they already have Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware and Quanterus Smith to rush the passer. Ray was tipped to drop out of the first round after being cited for possession of marijuana, so he will be one relieved man to have landed with a contender in the AFC.

The Cardinals surprise no one by taking an offensive lineman with their pick and it was just a matter of who they liked the most. They've chosen Humphries out the Florida Gators who played as an offensive tackle and he could be a lock to compete with Bobby Massie to be the club's right tackle for the 2015 season. Arizona need to protect Carson Palmer to have a successful campaign as their season fell apart last year when he was injured, so this is a smart pick in theory.

Irony folks as Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis announces his would be replacement in the club's defense. Davis has made his name for being an athletic coverage linebacker, and that is what Thompson is in a nutshell. The 21-year-old was not great against the run for the Washington Huskies, but showed great ability to cover in space and even played safety, which shows incredible range for a man his size. The Panthers have a very exciting linebacking corps with Luke Kuechly, Davis and now Thompson.

The Ravens were not fooling anyone by suggesting that they weren't going to select a wide receiver in the Draft. They were in dire need of a wideout and have addressed that need by selecting Perriman, who shot up pundits' Draft boards with an impressive performance at his Pro Day. The Ravens lost Torrey Smith during free agency and appear to have got a like-for-like replacement with Perriman out of Central Florida.

The Cowboys select a cornerback in Byron Jones who showed his athleticism at the Combine with an exceptional broad jump as he broke the record. He has decent speed and coverage skills in his days at UCONN, and it will be interesting to see if those skills can translate into NFL with the NFC East side.

Detroit required some help on the offensive line and have selected Tomlinson who has a great deal of intelligence and poise, along with power to play on the inside the in the NFL. Tomlinson studied for a degree in Evolutionary Anthropology and Psychology at Duke, which displays his smarts, but that doesn't always translate into the NFL.

Another questionable pick as the Colts cannot seem to understand that their inability to stop the run has cost them in the playoffs for two years. However, that doesn't stop general manager Ryan Grigson from adding another wideout to the club's already bloated wide receiving corps by selecting Dorsett out of Miami. The wideout has a lot of speed and is quite similar to TY Hilton, which makes the pick even more bemusing.

The Packers pick a safety for the second straight year in the Draft following their successful pick of Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix in the 2014 Draft. Randall moved up Draft boards as we approached the first day of the selection process and will provide healthy competition amongst the club's defensive backs to battle for a starting spot in their defense in the 2015 campaign.

Stephane Anthony becomes the first middle linebacker off the board as the Saints select him with the 31st overall selection in the process. The Sants needed a linebacker to clear up the middle of the field and to accumulate tackles in the mould of former player Jonathan Vilma.

The Super Bowl champions end the first round of the Draft by selecting defensive tackle Malcom Brown, who falls right into their laps at number 32. The Patriots allowed Vince Wilfork to leave the club after 11 years with the AFC East side, and they've added his replacement to start in the middle of their defense for the next 10 years. Fun fact to end on - every time the Patriots have selected a defensive lineman under Bill Belichick in the first round of the Draft they have won the Super Bowl the following the season.

Thanks for joining our coverage this evening. Be sure to stick with Sports Mole for news from the Draft on Friday and Saturday. But from me, it's goodbye.