2015 NFL Draft: First-Round Order and Top Prospects Before Playoffs

At this point in the season, there are 20 teams that have already learned their fates for the 2015 NFL draft. Meanwhile, the other 12 are battling to finish as late in the first round as possible by making a deep playoff run.

The players at the top of the boards have changed drastically since the beginning of the season. Thanks to breakout years for quite a few notable names, they have skyrocketed up into the top 10 picks in mock drafts.

With the draft still months away and 12 franchises still likely to move up or down the board, here's a look at the current order and top prospects in the class.

Pick	Team
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2	Tennessee Titans
3	Jacksonville Jaguars
4	Oakland Raiders
5	Washington
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*

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

No draft-eligible player in the country has been as impressive as Marcus Mariota this season. The Oregon quarterback started the year as a Heisman Trophy favorite and hoisted the illustrious trophy in December.

Following the Rose Bowl, where his Ducks curb-stomped Florida State, Mariota has now accounted for 56 total touchdowns and just three interceptions. One of those touchdowns came on an impressive run, via ESPN:

Needless to say, Mariota has some of the most impressive dual-threat ability in any recent draft. He has more height than Russell Wilson and better decision-making than most of the versatile signal-callers in the NFL at this point.

In terms of fit at the next level, Scott Carasik of Bleacher Report and Falcons PFC offers his take:

Quarterbacks are typically hit or miss, and Mariota still has a long process before he'd become the No. 1 pick. Given the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' glaring hole at the position, however, he seems like a lock to wind up passing deep bombs to Mike Evans in the future.

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

His team may have come up short against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, but Amari Cooper still has a bright future ahead in the NFL. That is, of course, if he chooses to make the jump.

The junior receiver exploded this season with an SEC-record 124 receptions for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns for Alabama. In fact, John Buccigross of ESPN points out a staggering statistic about just how valuable he was in the Tide's offense:

Despite being slightly neutralized in the final game of the year, he still came away with two touchdowns on nine receptions for 71 yards. That took beating out double coverage and issues for his quarterback, Blake Sims, who threw a season-high three interceptions.

Prior to the game, Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell spoke about just how difficult it would be to stop the dynamic receiver, via Nicole Auerbach of USA Today:

"

The ideal way to defend him is a pouring rainstorm, winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour, but I don't think that's going to happen in a dome.

It's not just his ability to catch the ball. It's his ability to come out of the backfield, take a swing pass, take the deep ball, and his ability to break tackles. Those are the things that make that guy special.

"

Future defensive coordinators might want to take some notes from Fickell, who only allowed Cooper to score two touchdowns. He may not be in the spotlight for the national championship game, but Cooper will solidify his spot as the No. 1 receiver in the draft during the coming months.

Leonard Williams, DT, USC

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Enough with the offense. Let's talk about one of the most physical freaks in the upcoming draft.

Leonard Williams looks like a wild animal with his helmet on or off, and his play reflected that this season with USC. As a result, he decided to forgo his final season with the Trojans to enter the draft. Williams spoke about the decision, via Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com:

"

This was a very hard decision for me. I love USC, Coach [Steve Sarkisian] and the coaching staff, my teammates and the fans, and I love the game of college football. It's hard to leave all of that. I know life is never the same once you leave college. But I feel like it's the right time for me to go. I feel like I'm ready. I'm looking forward to the new challenge that the NFL presents.

"

Along with his announcement, Williams also put an interesting post on Instagram about where he'd like to land:

Compiling seven sacks this season from the tackle position along with an interception and three passes defended, Williams clearly has the tools to succeed in the NFL.

Though it seems like a great fit for the Oakland Raiders alongside last year's first-round pick, Khalil Mack, he might not be available at that point. Depending on how the top three shapes up, Oakland might just have to settle for Cooper or others, with Williams likely being the first defensive player off the board.

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