USA TODAY NFL mock draft: Lions take RB Melvin Gordon

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Florida State QB Jameis Winston: The Bucs didn't seem publicly dissuaded by Winston's past at the combine, where he proceeded to give teams plenty of reasons to fall in love with him between the lines. The starting QB job in Tampa is vacant and waiting.

2. Tennessee Titans — Florida OLB/DE Dante Fowler, Jr.: So many options. The Titans could consider Marcus Mariota, but incumbent QB Zach Mettenberger seems like a better fit for Ken Whisenhunt's offense. DL Leonard Williams would surely help, though the D-line is already anchored by Jurrell Casey. Barring a trade, edge rusher seems like the biggest need for a 27th-ranked defense likely to lose Derrick Morgan to free agency. Fowler (6-3, 261) is big and quick and might be just what new assistant Dick LeBeau needs.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars — USC DL Leonard Williams: If he "falls" this far, coach Gus Bradley will be thrilled to add such a versatile lineman to a suspect defensive front. Williams could provide similar options and versatililtiy as Michael Bennett does for the Seahawks.

4. Oakland Raiders — West Virginia WR Kevin White: A big (6-3, 215), physically imposing, speedy (4.35 40 speed) target to potentially pair with rookie QB Derek Carr for the next decade.

5. Washington Redskins — Washington DT Danny Shelton: The Redskins need to get younger and stronger up front to help their secondary while opening rush lanes for OLBs Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Murphy. Shelton will tie up plenty of blockers with his massive body (6-2, 339) and relentless effort.

6. New York Jets — Oregon QB Marcus Mariota: The reigning Heisman Trophy winner brings plenty of unknowns as he transitions from the Ducks' spread offense. But he is athletic, smart and a strong leader, all traits the new Jets regime could use in the wake of the failed Geno Smith experiment. New offensive coordinator Chan Gailey could also be the right guy to shepherd Mariota's development.

7. Chicago Bears — Nebraska OLB/DE Randy Gregory: He'll need to put weigh back onto his 6-5, 235-pound frame. But with new coordinator Vic Fangio recasting this defense into a 3-4 base, he'll need a pass rusher like Gregory to provide the kind of pressure that Aldon Smith did for Fangio in San Francisco.

8. Atlanta Falcons — Missouri DE Shane Ray: The Falcons ranked dead last in defense in 2014 and had the fewest sacks (22) in the NFC. Ray would provide an instant cornerstone for new coach (and former Seahawks coordinator) Dan Quinn as he rebuilds Atlanta's underachieving front seven.

9. New York Giants — Iowa OL Brandon Scherff: Whether he's plugged into the beleaguered interior O-line or takes over at right tackle to allow Justin Pugh to kick inside, Scherff would be an immediate asset to a team that struggled to run and must protect pocket-anchored QB Eli Manning.

10. St. Louis Rams — Alabama WR Amari Cooper: The Rams haven't had a receiver compile as many as 800 yards in a season since Torry Holt (1,189 in 2007), to whom Cooper has drawn comparisons. Cooper won't outmuscle defenders like 'Bama predecessor Julio Jones, but he is a polished route runner who would provide a needed go-to guy for QB Sam Bradford.

11. Minnesota Vikings — Louisville WR DeVante Parker: Think QB Teddy Bridgewater won't be lobbying for his former college teammate given the struggles the Vikings have had trying to find a reliable No. 1 wideout? Of course this equation could change depending on the fate of RB Adrian Peterson.

12. Cleveland Browns — Texas DT Malcom Brown: The Browns have some interesting decisions but also options as the only team currently holding two first-round picks. They remain unsettled at quarterback with Johnny Manziel as big a wild card as ever. They need a receiver to replace Josh Gordon, but gambling on another troubled player like Dorial Green-Beckham seems unlikely. A defense that allowed the most rushing yards in 2014 could definitely use some girth, and Brown (6-2, 319) provides that.

13. New Orleans Saints — LSU OL La'El Collins: The Saints certainly have needs on defense. But they might be wise to go with local guy Collins, who could play guard or tackle, to replenish an aging O-line that's allowed too many hits on aging QB Drew Brees.

14. Miami Dolphins — Michigan State CB Trae Waynes: The premium corner in the draft may not last this long, but the Dolphins could definitely use him to revitalize an aging secondary.

15. San Francisco 49ers — Oregon DL Arik Armstead: He's a bit of a project, but new head coach Jim Tomsula typically gets the most out of defensive linemen, and the Niners need to start reloading there.

16. Houston Texans —Alabama S Landon Collins: The draft is light on safeties, so this is a good spot for Houston to pounce on Collins and perhaps worry about another developmental quarterback later.

17. San Diego Chargers — Clemson OLB Vic Beasley: One of the combine's stars could be the latest candidate to invigorate a pass rush that managed just 26 sacks last season.

18. Kansas City Chiefs — Michigan WR Devin Funchess: The Chiefs' issues at wideout are well documented with none of them catching a TD pass last season. Funchess (6-4, 232) could have a red-zone impact on par with 2014 rookie star Kelvin Benjamin.

19. Browns (from Buffalo Bills) — Arizona State WR Jaelen Strong: He'll need some time to develop, but he's another guy who will instantly bring size (6-2, 217) and speed to the red zone for a team that lost Gordon and may say goodbye to TE Jordan Cameron in free agency.

20. Philadelphia Eagles — Ohio State WR Devin Smith: He would provide the true deep strike capability lost when DeSean Jackson was cut last year. And Smith could be starting alongside sophomore Jordan Matthews if Jeremy Maclin gets out the door in March.

21. Cincinnati Bengals — Pittsburgh OT T.J. Clemmings: LT Andrew Whitworth is 33 and could shift back to guard once promising Clemmings is ready to go.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers — Kentucky OLB Bud Dupree: Free agency threatens to decimate the Steelers' pass rush. But Dupree could form a nice tandem with holdover Jarvis Jones for years to come.

23. Detroit Lions — Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon: The Lions could be searching for defensive tackles depending on what happens in free agency, but they may also be trying to replace Reggie Bush. Snapping up Gordon would be one way to keep a potentially revamped defense off the field longer with no comparable penetrating linemen similar to Ndamukong Suh or Nick Fairley available here.

24. Arizona Cardinals — Florida State DL Eddie Goldman: The Cards are currently scheduled to lose underrated NT Dan Williams to free agency, but could replace him with wide-bodied Goldman (6-4, 336).

25. Carolina Panthers — Miami (Fla.) OT Ereck Flowers: They need to shore up their O-line, especially since Cam Newton's mobility may decline as he gets older and the hits he absorbs continue to take a toll.

26. Baltimore Ravens — Washington LB Shaq Thompson: He says he's a linebacker. But is he a safety? Perhaps a running back? There's little argument that Thompson is an excellent football player, and the Ravens could decide to plug him into any of those spots.

27. Dallas Cowboys — Georgia RB Todd Gurley: Once his knee is fully healed, he's got the ability to potentially take the offense to a level beyond what DeMarco Murray did.

28. Denver Broncos— Florida State OL Cameron Erving: Free agency will likely dictate Denver's draft direction. But Erving could bolster the O-line while providing some of the quickness coach Gary Kubiak needs for his zone-blocking schemes.

29. Indianapolis Colts — Stanford OT Andrus Peat: Running back will certainly be a priority. But assuming Gordon and Gurley are gone, never hurts to give QB Andrew Luck more protection from a promising fellow Stanford product.

30. Green Bay Packers — Washington CB Marcus Peters: They could need help at any number of positions depending on how free agency plays out, not to mention DL Letroy Guion's legal issues. But Peters could be a steal if GM Ted Thompson is comfortable he's matured after the Huskies kicked him off last year's squad.

31. Seattle Seahawks — Oklahoma WR Dorial Green-Beckham: His character questions present a roll of the dice, but the Seahawks rarely come up snake eyes in such scenarios and could really use a game-breaking outside threat to help QB Russell Wilson.

32. New England Patriots — Oklahoma DT Jordan Phillips: It's time to find the heir apparent for longtime run stuffer Vince Wilfork.