The NFL draft for 2015 is still months away, but the mock drafts are starting and the pick order is getting clearer, as the Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NY Jets and Washington Redskins all are in the mix in the top five picks and this year names like Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and Amari Cooper should be among the top selections.
The current standings have the Oakland Raiders, Titans and Buccaneers all with two wins at the bottom of the league, while the Jaguars, Jets and Redskins have three wins each. The Buccaneers and the Titans look most likely to finish at the bottom and they are options for Winston and Mariota, as they need quarterbacks. The Raiders may stick with Derek Carr and that is why many think they will select Cooper.
The Jets and the Redskins will be in interesting situations, as they could look at trading up or they could draft Winston if he slips to them. The Jets are going to be interested in a quarterback and many have speculated that the team will pick Winston if they have the chance. Other teams in the top 10 picks mix include the Falcons, Giants, Panthers and Chicago Bears. The Buccaneers reportedly will go for Mariota if they get the top pick, while the Titans may do the same if they are there.
SI.com put together an early mock draft and they have Mariota going number one to Tampa Bay. The list has the Titans and Jaguars going for defensive players, while the Raiders have Cooper at number four. Whether the team makes a QB change or sticks with Derek Carr, they need offensive playmakers and Cooper surely fits that bill. Naturally Winston is going to the Jets at six and boy wouldn't that be a perfect storm for the NY media.
Winston is a crisis waiting to happen and that is exactly why the Jets will draft him, talk about how great he is, dismiss his past sexual assault accusations as nothing and push him as the new franchise QB. Geno Smith is all but done in NY and now the team likely will turn to Winston as his replacement, as they have been bad, but not bad enough to get Mariota. The Heisman winner has over 3700 yards this season with 38 TDs and just two picks and he is completing over 68 percent of his passes.
The current order has the Raiders, Titans and Buccaneers with two wins, but the Tennessee has 13 losses for the time being since Week 16 is not yet completed. The Jaguars have three wins along with the Redskins and Jets, while the Falcons, Giants, Panthers and Bears have five wins. The Vikings, Saints, Rams are next with six wins, while the Dolphins, Texans, Browns and 49ers have seven wins.