Mock 2015 NFL Draft: Raiders trade down

Few things will go exactly to the draft day plans of most NFL teams Thursday. Some general managers will make terrible decisions, while others will deal themselves into position to fill needs and deepen their depth charts.

The 49ers’ Trent Baalke, for example, inherited a great roster, and over the four drafts, has run it into the ground. Or Dennis Hickey of the Miami Dolphins, who seems compelled to nail the top free agent, paying whatever they want, but can’t nail a first-round pick.

To be fair, this is just Hickey’s second draft with Miami.

This is merely one person’s projection. And it’s not going to be 100 percent accurate. No way, no how. But it shows one possible way Thursday’s NFL Draft first round could emerge.

1. Tampa Bay: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2. Tennessee: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
3. Jacksonville: Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
4. Cleveland (Trade via OAK): Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5. Washington: Leonard Williams, DT, USC
6. New York Jets: Brandon Scherff, OG, Iowa
7. Chicago: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
8. Atlanta: Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
9. New York Giants: Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
10. St Louis: Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan St.
11. Minnesota: Landon Collins, S, Alabama
12. Oakland (via trade with CLE): Alvin “Bud” Dupree, DE, Kentucky
13. New Orleans: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon
14. Miami: Jaelin Collins, CB, LSU
15. San Francisco: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
16. Houston: T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
17. San Diego: Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
18. Kansas City: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
19. Oakland (via trade with CLE): Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
20. Philadelphia: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
21. Cincinnati: Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas
22. Pittsburgh: Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
23. Detroit: Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24. Arizona: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
25. Carolina: D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
26. Baltimore: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
27. Dallas: Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State
28. Denver: Cameron Erving, C, Florida State
29. Indianapolis: Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State
30. Green Bay: Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
31. New Orleans: Davante Parker, WR, Louisville
32. New England: Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State

Jason Leskiw is SFBay’s Oakland Raiders beat writer and member of the Professional Football Writers of America. Follow @SFBay and @LeskiwSFBay on Twitter and at SFBay.ca for full coverage of the Oakland Raiders.