2015 NFL Draft: Updated Order and Top 1st-Round Prospects

Marcus Mariota to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has a nice ring to it, but try not to get too ahead of the pack when it comes to the 2015 NFL draft.

Quite a lot can happen between now and the draft, so while one of the most dominant Heisman winners in history going first overall makes sense, it is no sure thing.

Besides, today's NFL is shy about taking quarterbacks so high. EJ Manuel and Blake Bortles have been the first two quarterbacks off the board in recent years, which says plenty about how unpredictable things can be.

The full 2015 order is known outside of just 12 slots. Now is the time to pair that knowledge with an early look at the top prospects who may enter the draft after strong showings at the collegiate level.

2015 NFL Draft Order

Round 1	Team
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2	Tennessee Titans
3	Jacksonville Jaguars
4	Oakland Raiders
5	Washington Redskins
6	New York Jets
7	Chicago Bears
8	Atlanta Falcons
9	New York Giants
10	St. Louis Rams
11	Minnesota Vikings
12	Cleveland Browns
13	New Orleans Saints
14	Miami Dolphins
15	San Francisco 49ers
16	Houston Texans
17	Kansas City Chiefs
18	San Diego Chargers
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)
20	Philadelphia Eagles
21	Carolina Panthers
22	Baltimore Ravens
23	Cincinnati Bengals
24	Detroit Lions
25	Arizona Cardinals
26	Indianapolis Colts
27	Pittsburgh Steelers
28	Green Bay Packers
29	Seattle Seahawks
30	Denver Broncos
31	Dallas Cowboys
32	New England Patriots

2015 NFL Draft Big Board

Rank	Prospect
1	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon Ducks
2	Leonard Williams, DE, USC Trojans
3	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama Crimson Tide
4	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State Seminoles
5	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska Cornhuskers
6	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri Tigers
7	Shawn Oakman, DE, Baylor Bears
8	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa Hawkeyes
9	Dante Fowler, DE, Florida Gators
10	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M Aggies
11	Landon Collins, S, Alabama Crimson Tide
12	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville Cardinals
13	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia Mountaineers
14	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington Huskies
15	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington Huskies
16	La'el Collins, OT, LSU Tigers
17	Nate Orchard, DE, Utah Utes
18	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma Sooners
19	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State Spartans
20	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson Tigers
21	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State Seminoles
22	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington Huskies
23	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford Cardinal
24	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State Sun Devils
25	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State Bulldogs

Prospects to Watch

Leonard Williams, DE, USC Trojans

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

It takes quite a talent to knock Mariota or Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston out of the way, but few are like USC's Leonard Williams. 

Williams is a scheme-versatile defender who can provide plenty of pressure on opposing passers from the exterior or interior of a formation. That versatility is key, but it is also important to understand that he can hold his own against the ground game, too.

All that really remains is for Williams to make things official, as ESPN's Joe Schad points out:

Players in the defensive trenches such as Williams do not come around very often. If a team such as, say, Tennessee, gets jumpy about the quarterbacks available to them, it is not all that hard to see the USC star crashing the party.

Kevin White, WR, West Virginia Mountaineers

USA TODAY Sports

Major names such as Amari Cooper hog the spotlight in the 2015 class for the time being, but the hype levels surrounding West Virginia's Kevin White will only increase. 

White caught 102 passes on 151 targets this season for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns. He not only exploded to start the season thanks to seven straight 100-yard outings, he made a mockery of strong secondaries such as Alabama's with nine catches for 143 yards and a score.

For White, such an ascension to the pro game continues to be the goal.

“It changed dramatically,” White said, per ESPN.com's Brandon Chatmon. “I knew if I focused in I would be able to play on Sundays despite how my junior season went. I always knew I could do it … but the world didn’t know.”

Part of White's explosive numbers come from a pass-happy scheme, but that is not exactly something teams in the first round will knock him for given his strong overall skill set. 

White is not a major name just yet, but he will be when he surpasses most others at his position to the podium.

Marcus Peters, CB, Washington Huskies

USA TODAY Sports

Controversy surrounds former Washington corner Marcus Peters, but there is little debate about his status as a top corner in the 2015 class. 

It says a lot that Peters remains in high regard given the large amount of spread offenses he dealt with during his stay in the Pac-12.

There is a reason that even ESPN's Mel Kiper (subscription required) ranked Peters as the top corner available before his dismissal from Washington:

"

Moved him up, and he's now my No. 1 CB. I think he would be the first cornerback taken if the draft were this week. A very good athlete with good size for the position and top-of-the-charts ball skills, Peters has developed into arguably the top cornerback in the Pac-12. He has played well in 2014 when he's been able to stay on the field -- the coaches made him sit out the Illinois game -- so coachability will be something to watch, but he's a competitor.

"

Bleacher Report Draft Analyst Matt Miller points out that the controversy may not knock Peters in a major way:

In short, talent and a cloud around alleged issues with his former coaching staff combine to make Peters one of the must-watch prospects on the path to the draft.

The league and its scouts will pick Peters apart, although one thing is for sure—his talent is something any team in need should covet.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).