NFL Draft 2015: Early Favorites to Be Taken with Top Overall Pick

It's never too early to look ahead to the top prospects of the 2015 NFL draft.

This year's crop of talent was as deep as we've seen in years. Next year's class has some quality prospects, but only those teams that pick near the top portion will be getting bona fide stars.

Then again, there's still another season of college football for these youngsters to play. Everything could change from now to next May.

The following three players are the early favorites to be taken No. 1 overall in the 2015 draft.

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

The talent at quarterback in the 2014 NFL draft was pretty deep—Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel, Derek Carr, etc.—but Brent Sobleski of USA Today believes that Oregon signal-caller Marcus Mariota would have gone ahead of each of them:

He is the prototypical new-wave quarterback. He has a big arm and quick feet that allow him to escape danger in the pocket and still make plays over the top of defenses. When the play breaks down, he can easily tuck the ball and run. He's a game-changer at the quarterback position.

He was superb with the Ducks last season, completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 3,665 yards, 31 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 715 yards and nine touchdowns.

Given the projections for Oregon next season, Mariota figures to be center stage. If he produces, the whole nation will know about it. Yes, Oregon lost key offensive weapons like De'Anthony Thomas and Josh Huff, but Mariota is a good enough quarterback to make up for those losses.

He's the favorite to go No. 1 next year.

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

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Poor judgment might continue to plague Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, but there's no denying his skills. The Seminoles were BCS champions last season because of him and his big arm, so NFL teams should give that more weight than his off-field problems.

He was stellar during his freshman year of college, passing for 4,057 yards and 40 touchdowns. He completed 66.9 percent of his passes, but he also threw 10 interceptions.

Winston has all the tools to be an NFL star. He has a huge frame (6'4", 228 lbs) and can make nearly every throw in the pocket. In October 2013, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com provided a more extensive scouting report on Winston:

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Winston is the dynamic athlete with polished pocket passing skills NFL offensive coordinators have coveted for years at the position. As a top baseball prospect and current pitcher/right fielder on Florida State's nationally ranked squad, Winston is an A-plus arm talent capable of making every throw in the book with zip and velocity. He can rifle balls into tight windows with superb pace, yet also shows exceptional touch, accuracy and ball placement on intermediate and deep throws. Winston's ability to alter the tempo and trajectory on his passes is uncommon for a player with little major-college experience.

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Those skills are what NFL teams are looking for in today's game. Teams want confident passers with big-time athleticism who can make plays in the air and keep plays going on the ground. Winston fits the mold.

Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M

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Texas A&M offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi had a chance to join former teammates Manziel, Jake Matthews and Mike Evans as NFL first-round picks, but he instead chose to return to school for another season. He announced the decision via his personal Twitter account:

He will likely shift to left tackle now that Matthews has left for the NFL, and he'll instantly become the top tackle in the SEC. He's the type of talent that teams can build their lines around, and NFL evaluators could potentially look at him just as they looked at Greg Robinson.

The young tackle does run a risk of injuring himself by returning to school. He had the guarantee of a million-dollar payday if he decided to enter the NFL this season, and even though it's an admirable decision to seek higher education, a lot can go wrong in one year's time.

Then again, the possible benefits are obvious. Ogbuehi, instead of being the No. 3 or 4 lineman in this draft, stands to be the top overall player at the position next year.