Here is my third edition of my NFL mock draft.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Florida State: The only know about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is that they need a franchise quarterback and neither Mike Glennon and the recently cut Josh McCown are the answer. Despite throwing 18 interceptions as a redshirt sophomore, Winston obviously possesses a high level of talent.
2. Tennessee Titans- Leonard Williams, Defensive End/Tackle, USC: A Quarterback is tempting here, but getting after Andrew Luck and the Colts with an elite pass-rusher is a must, especially the fact Indianapolis is on Tennessee's schedule twice a season.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars- Randy Gregory, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Nebraska: The Jaguars' record isn't pretty but head coach Gus Bradley's infectious enthusiasm, a hard-hitting defense and talented rookie quarterback Blake Bortles have this franchise on the upswing. Gregory is well-suited to starring in Bradley's hybrid 4-3 alignment at the LEO defensive end, as he's long (6-5, 242 pounds), explosive and passionate against both the run and pass.
4. Oakland Raiders- Amari Cooper, Wide Receiver, Alabama: Oakland needs at least one, more likely two, very good wide receivers. Cooper could be the type of player who helps quicken Derek Carr's development.
5. Washington Redskins- Shane Ray, Defensive End, Missouri: Washington needs a pass rusher. Ray is explosive and totaled 13 sacks last season.
6. New York Jets- Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, Oregon: The Jets need a quarterback that is capable of being a franchise player. Mariota can absolutely become one and the Jets should gamble on him.
7. Chicago Bears- Vic Beasley, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Clemson: Chicago must get younger on the defensive side of the ball and Beason would be a great addition to this team. Alabama safety Landon Collins sure would be tempting, but this draft offers several get-after-the-QB types.
8. Atlanta Falcons- Dante Fowler, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Florida: By drafting Fowler, the Falcons would have a versatile, movable player up front on defense who gives great effort and will get into the backfield. Under Dan Quinn, the Falcons will need to figure out how to get pressure from the front four. They can do that with Fowler, a player who can work inside and outside, and even move to linebacker.
9. New York Giants- Brandon Scherff, Offensive Tackle, Iowa: Scherff is the safe pick here for the Giants. The need some offensive line help and Scheriff would improve that unit.
10. St. Louis Rams- La'el Collins, Offensive Tackle, LSU: The Rams boast one of the league's fastest defenses, but one-dimensional teams won't be successful in the highly competitive NFC West. Massive LT Greg Robinson showed flashes of why the Rams invested the No. 2 overall selection in him in 2014 and the Rams will have veteran Jake Long returning from injury in 2015. The interior, however, was a mess for St. Louis. Collins starred at left tackle for LSU but projects best to guard. His brute strength and tenacity make him one of the draft's elite run blockers.
11. Minnesota Vikings- DeVante Parker, Wide Receiver, Louisville: The Vikings have yet to see much return on their 2013 first-round investment of Cordarrelle Patterson and head coach Mike Zimmer isn't the type to wait around. Parker and Teddy Bridgewater have ties via Louisville and the two can reunite in Minnesota.
12. Cleveland Browns- Kevin White, Wide Receiver, West Virginia: Who knows how much longer Josh Gordon will last in Cleveland, which is why wide receiver could be a possibility in the first round for the Browns. No player boosted his stock more this season than White, a 6-3, 209-pounder who climbs the ladder to make contested catches look easy.
13. New Orleans Saints- Bud Dupree, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Kentucky: The future of Junior Galette in New Orleans is questionable, and the pass rush beyond him is questionable. Dupree has enough power to stick at end and the athleticism to play linebacker if needed.
14. Miami Dolphins- Shaq Thompson, Outside Linebacker, Washington: The Dolphins allowed an average of 121.1 yards per game on the ground in 2014. None of the teams that finished worse than Miami in this category qualified for the playoffs. Thompson starred at safety, linebacker and running back for the Huskies but projects best as a hybrid defender in the NFL. He's instinctive, athletic and a reliable open-field tackler whose game is well-suited to today's wide-open NFL.
15. San Francisco 49ers- Dorial Green-Beckham, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma: The potential for Green-Beckham is incredible, but that's also an indictment on his development. Green-Beckham has the sort of skills to be not only the best wide receiver in this year's draft, but among the five best players overall. He enters the NFL with a bevy of off-field issues and hasn't played football in more than a year.
16. Houston Texans- P.J. Williams, Cornerback, Florida State: Starting cornerback Kareem Jackson is set to enter free agency. In a mock scenario where free agency isn't projected, this choice is assuming Jackson signs elsewhere. Williams is a good sized, physical and athletic cornerback that Houston would like to have.
17. San Diego Chargers- Andrus Peat, Offensive Tackle, Stanford: San Diego is very likely to lose some key offensive lineman in free agency, so the offensive line should be a top priority. Peat can move right down the coast and become a starter in his first season. He's long, athletic and technically sound and has big potential as a blindside blocker. He has shown all the tools to be an early player in pass protection and the run game.
18. Kansas City Chiefs- Devin Funchess, Wide Receiver/Tight End, Michigan: It's impressive the Chiefs are able to run the ball so effectively considering how little respect defenses have for their wide receivers. Whether Dwayne Bowe stays or not, help is needed.
19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo Bills)- Bernardrick McKinney, Middle Linebacker, Mississippi State: McKinney is a big linebacker who can run and hit -- exactly what is needed in the tough AFC North.
20. Philadelphia Eagles- Landon Collins, Safety, Alabama: Philadelphia needs to bolster their secondary and Collins would certainly do that. It would be fascinating to see if Chip Kelly trades up to get his former college quarterback Marcus Mariota.
21. Cincinnati Bengals- Eddie Goldman, Defensive Tackle, Florida State: The Bengals need help up front. Whether that's a pure pass rusher or a big body in the middle, Cincinnati would benefit. Goldman is the sort of defensive tackle who can handle multiple blocks and get into the backfield when he's playing one gap.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers- Trae Waynes, Cornerback, Michigan State: Troy Polamalu may be cut, so that leaves a hole in the Pittsburgh secondary. Waynes would give Pittsburgh a young boost in their secondary that they can totally use.
23. Detroit Lions- Carl Davis, Defensive Tackle, Iowa: With Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley expected to hit free agency, the Lions will be in the market for interior defensive line depth next off-season. Davis is athletic enough to play the 3-technique position right away, and he's shown the power and run-stuffing skill to line up as a 1-technique too.
24. Arizona Cardinals- Eric Kendricks, Inside Linebacker, UCLA: Although a player like Kendricks wouldn't improve the team's pass rush, he would give them an impactful player in every other area. He's arguably the draft's best coverage linebacker, plays with good instincts and displays good range. He could replace Larry Foote and be brought in to start next to Kevin Minter.
25. Carolina Panthers- Ereck Flowers, Offensive Tackle, Miami: Byron Bell had his struggles this season as Carolina's starting left tackle. He could be better on the right side and a true left tackle like Flowers could give the Panthers a nice piece up front. Along with Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell at the guard spots, the Panthers would have a solid young nucleus up front.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Jaelen Strong, Wide Receiver, Arizona State: At 35, Steve Smith is a short-term fix, and Torrey Smith is a pending free agent. The aptly named Strong has the size, power and body control to win contested passes, traits that project well with the strong-armed Joe Flacco delivering passes.
27. Dallas Cowboys- Melvin Gordon, Running Back, Wisconsin: The Cowboys could have to make a tough decision choosing between running back DeMarco Murray and wide receiver Dez Bryant. The belief seems to be that Murray will be let go. Considering the legal issues surrounding backup Joseph Randle, the Cowboys could rely on the impressive talent of the running back class in this draft.
28. Denver Broncos- Maxx Williams, Tight End, Minnesota: Like the Cowboys, the Broncos could be faced with choosing between two offensive skill players. For the Broncos it's wide receiver Demaryus Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas. If they can't afford the latter, Williams could be brought in and become the team's starter.
29. Indianapolis Colts- T.J. Clemmings, Offensive Tackle, Pittsburgh: Protecting Andrew Luck is really, really important and the Colts could do better at that job. Many believe he has the talent to play left tackle in the pros despite his struggles at the Senior Bowl.
30. Green Bay Packers- Jalen Collins, Cornerback, LSU: Green Bay has three corners set to hit free agency this March. Collins has shut down great receivers in the SEC and may just be a project Green Bay may willing to try.
31. Seattle Seahawks- Malcolm Brown, Defensive Tackle, Texas: Defensive tackle Kevin Williams played like a 25-year-old version of himself in 2014, filling in for Beandon Mebane and Jordan Hill and keeping the Seattle interior defensive line stabilized. There's no guarantee he'll be back next year, and even if he is, scooping up Brown, a big, run-stuffing defensive tackle, could be the move if he's still on the board. He can play multiple spots along the 4-3 scheme that'll likely be employed in Seattle next season.
32. New England Patriots- A.J. Cann, Guard, South Carolina: There is a chance New England loses Dan Conolly in free agency. Cann is the draft's best pure guard and could be brought in to start at left guard and would be the ideal replacement if Conolly leaves.
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