The NFL draft is the next big event in 2015 for the teams not in the playoffs and names like Jameis Winston, Brett Hundley, Amari Cooper, Melvin Gordon, Vic Beasley and Marcus Mariota could be targets for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders, NY Jets, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons.
Winston and Mariota are expected to be the top names in the draft at quarterback this season, while players like Shane Carden, Taylor Kelly and Bryce Petty also could stand out. Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon are running backs to watch later in the draft, while Amari Cooper and Jaelen Strong are top players at wide receiver. The Buccaneers may look at trading the pick, but everyone expects the team to pick one of the quarterbacks number one.
The Buccaneers have Josh McCown and Mike Glennon, but Lovie Smith and the front office were not the group that drafted Glennon and they could trade him this offseason. The Buccaneers reportedly like Mariota, but there is a lot of analysis left to go for both of the quarterbacks. Winston has his off the field issues, but many scouts see him as the players with a higher ceiling in the NFL and the player that is closer to being NFL-ready.
The Titans also will be in the market for a quarterback this offseason and even if they sign someone like Brian Hoyer or Mark Sanchez in free agency, they still could draft Winston or Mariota. The Buccaneers clinched the number one pick over the Titans with their loss to the Saints in Week 17 and they will pick second ahead of the Jaguars. The Raiders pick fourth, while the Washington Redskins are fifth, NY Jets are sixth, Chicago Bears are seventh, Hawks are eighth and NY Giants are ninth ahead of the Rams.
The Raiders are a team that could go after Cooper, as he was fantastic this season for Alabama with over 100 catches and they need playmakers. Strong is a name to watch as well, as he is declaring from Arizona State after putting up 82 catches for 1165 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Buccaneers ranked 25th in passing yards per game and 29th in rushing yards per game last season and that is why everyone expects the team to go with offense at number one.
Check here for a 2015 mock draft.