NFL Draft 2015: Pre-Super Bowl Order and Top Prospects to Watch

The focus for many football fans is on the Super Bowl, but for the rest of the NFL without a horse in the race, the attention has shifted to the 2015 NFL draft.

With the draft order almost set and the top prospects in college football announcing whether they are entering the draft or staying in school, the picture of how the first round of the draft will shake out is starting to become clearer.

Here is the full first-round draft order before the matchup between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks and the top prospects to watch.

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

Top Prospects to Watch

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Many football fans and experts believe that the No. 1 overall draft pick in this year’s event will be the Oregon Ducks' Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Marcus Mariota. At 6’4” and 220 pounds, Mariota has the size to be a star.

Add in the fact that the junior has a strong arm that mixes power and accuracy—he also has the maneuverability to avoid pressure—and there is little doubt that he will be one of the first players selected, if not the No. 1 overall pick.

While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers currently hold the first selection of the draft, there may be several teams willing to trade up to that spot to make this pick.

According to Mark Eckel of NJ.com, one of the teams looking to trade up to draft Mariota will be the Philadelphia Eagles and former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly: “Admitting it's not going to be easy, a person familiar with the Eagles' offseason plans says the team 'is going to try' to move up in the NFL Draft to select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.”

While Philadelphia would make sense as a landing spot, the asking price to move from No. 20 overall to No. 1 may just be too high. There will be other teams in need of a quarterback willing to move up, but Tampa Bay’s need for a franchise QB may trump all trade offers.

Regardless of where he lands, Mariota has the tools to be a star at the next level. In 15 games this season, he racked up 4,454 yards, 42 touchdowns and just four interceptions passing. With another 770 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing, he is the all-around face of a franchise that teams picking early in the first round need.

Leonard Williams, DL, USC

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

A player like Mariota will get much of the mainstream attention, but the top defensive prospect in this year’s draft is USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams. The junior is 6’5” and 300 pounds and has the speed and strength needed to play any position along the defensive front.

Former NFL scout and NFL network analyst Daniel Jeremiah views Williams as the top prospect in the draft:

In 13 games this season, Williams amassed 80 total tackles. 9.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. Add in the power he showed stopping the run, and he is the versatile player every team is looking for on the defensive line.

While Williams would be better suited for a defensive end position in a 3-4 defense (similar to Haloti Ngata of the Baltimore Ravens), he has the versatility to slide to the inside on a 4-3 defense and still be a dominant force.

Many franchises believe in building a winner through the trenches, and adding Williams will make the team that selects him exponentially better moving forward.

*Stats via NFL.com.