NFL Draft 2015: Post-Championship Weekend Order and Rising Prospects to Watch
While Russell Wilson was busy pulling off one of the greatest comebacks of all time and Tom Brady shooed away someone who wants his throne, 2015 NFL draft prospects continued to work on their stock.
Yes, it is only January. The path to the draft for youngsters who know they will turn professional begins the moment they walk off the collegiate field for the final time—not everyone can troll the globe as well as Cardale Jones.
The 2015 Senior Bowl is the next big landmark on the route to the first round. As a number of experienced prospects put on shows, the official 2015 order continues to solidify.
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The order and some stocks to invest heavily in rest below.
2015 NFL Draft Round 1 Order
| 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 | San Diego Chargers |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 19 | Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo) |
| 20 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 22 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 23 | Detroit Lions |
| 24 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 25 | Carolina Panthers |
| 26 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 27 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 28 | Denver Broncos |
| 29 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers |
| 31 | New England Patriots |
| 32 | Seattle Seahawks |
Rising Prospects
Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State Buckeyes
Quick, name the top wideouts in the stock department—Amari Cooper, DeVante Parker, Kevin White and even Dorial Green-Beckham.
Ohio State's Devin Smith is a lock for the conversation given his current trajectory.
At 6'1" and 199 pounds, the Massillon, Ohio native will not blow away observers. That is, until he steps on the field. Smith can run the entire route tree, something that is becoming increasingly important at the NFL level, and has the speed to blow by even professional defensive backs.
Look at it this way. Smith caught 33 passes in 2014. That's it. But they went for 931 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Elite production and skills that translate to the pros are the reasons Smith just made his debut as a first-round pick on Mel Kiper's latest mock draft:
"The injury to Seahawks receiver Paul Richardson has me leaning toward Smith, a good size/speed combination at wide receiver and one of the better deep threats in college football, a guy fully capable of making contested catches down the field (as anybody who saw him against either Alabama or Oregon can attest to).
"
No. 32 overall to the Seattle Seahawks may be just the beginning for Smith as more folks get their hands on his film and compare him to others in the class.
T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh Panthers
Right now, offensive tackle is a lot like wide receiver.
Folks somewhat know about Brandon Scherff and Andrus Peat, among others.
Truth be told, though, the No. 1 slot is open for the taking in what, at least right now, looks to be a pretty weak class.
T.J. Clemmings is on the rise and may steal it with ease. As ESPN.com's Kevin Weidl explains, Clemmings is a raw prospect who continues to turn heads as he improves:
"Clemmings is generating chatter among inner scouting circles because of a significant improvement from his first to second year on the offensive side of the ball. Originally recruited to Pitt as a defensive tackle, Clemmings was forced to switch to offensive tackle in 2013, where he struggled particularly with technique and awareness. While he still has room to improve in these areas, he made big strides this past fall and appeared much more comfortable at the position.
"
One word—upside.
Clemmings has a ton of it. Forget that he is a monster at 6'6" and 315 pounds. The Teaneck, New Jersey, native continues to improve in the technique department and at the very least will excel as a run-blocker right away, making him an obvious starter at right tackle.
In time, the sky is the limit. It seems Clemmings is taking his sweet time to rise up draft boards, but once at the top, he isn't going anywhere.
Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
As things stand right now, only Minnesota's Maxx Williams stands a chance of sneaking into the first round in 2015.
There are more recognizable names. Florida State's Nick O'Leary and Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman come to mind. No tight end in the class really holds a torch to Williams, though.
At 6'4" and 250 pounds, Williams put on a show as a sophomore with the Golden Gophers, catching 36 passes for 569 yards and eight touchdowns.
It helps that folks continue to flick on the film and see things such as this:
As Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details, experts such as ESPN's Todd McShay tout some interesting comparisons for Williams:
This seems to be just the beginning for Williams, who plays an increasingly important position at the NFL level and manages to catch the eye of the globe despite being stuck in a run-first offense this past season.
With good size and a ridiculous catch radius, Williams will be a fixture in some team's first-round draft plans before long.
Get comfy with the name now, double X's and all.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise specified. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.
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