2015 NFL Draft: Matt Miller's Pre-Combine Big Board
Matt Miller@nfldraftscoutNFL Draft Lead WriterFebruary 9, 20152015 NFL Draft: Matt Miller's Pre-Combine Big Board

The NFL Scouting Combine is just over one week away, and with it, the draft will see a major shakeup. It's time for one last look at my Top 300 big board before Indianapolis.
NFL teams have a system that I've followed in my work, and it goes as follows: In the fall, I watch three games of any player in my database and either flag him as "undraftable" or assign a talent grade. I'll then revisit these players in the winter (after the NFL season ends) and update my notes and grades on the players while also including any juniors who declared for the draft. The next step in the process is to update players after the NFL Scouting Combine.
With the first big update of the year out of the way, here's a look at the Top 300 by position.
Top 50 Overall

You won't see anyone comparing this class to 2011 or 2014 in terms of overall talent, but the 2015 draft class is very strong at some positions. Running back, wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and edge-rusher are all quality positions with top-end talent and depth.
The 2015 class is the "Year of the Pass-Rusher," though, and my top 10 is anchored by four defensive linemen. Of my top 15 overall, only five play on offense. It's a surprisingly great year for defenders, which is good news for fans in Dallas and Chicago.
Rank | Player | Pos. | Pos. Rank | School | Class | Ht. | Wt. |
1 | Jameis Winston | QB | 1 | FSU | rSo | 6'4" | 232 |
2 | Leonard Williams | DT | 1 | USC | Jr | 6'5" | 298 |
3 | Randy Gregory | DE | 1 | Nebraska | rJr | 6'6" | 245 |
4 | Marcus Mariota | QB | 2 | Oregon | rJr | 6'4" | 215 |
5 | Kevin White | WR | 1 | West Virginia | Sr | 6'3" | 209 |
6 | Brandon Scherff | OT | 1 | Iowa | rSr | 6'5" | 320 |
7 | Amari Cooper | WR | 2 | Alabama | Jr | 6'1" | 202 |
8 | Shane Ray | DE | 2 | Missouri | rJr | 6'3" | 245 |
9 | DeVante Parker | WR | 3 | Louisville | Sr | 6'3" | 209 |
10 | Danny Shelton | DT | 2 | Washington | Sr | 6'2" | 332 |
11 | Dante Fowler | DE | 3 | Florida | Jr | 6'2" | 261 |
12 | Landon Collins | SS | 1 | Alabama | Jr | 6'0" | 215 |
13 | Shaq Thompson | OLB | 1 | Washington | Jr | 6'2" | 231 |
14 | Alvin Dupree | DE | 4 | Kentucky | rSr | 6'4" | 267 |
15 | Benardrick McKinney | ILB | 1 | Mississippi State | rJr | 6'4" | 249 |
16 | La'el Collins | OT | 2 | LSU | Sr | 6'5" | 321 |
17 | Devin Funchess | WR | 4 | Michigan | Jr | 6'5" | 230 |
18 | Todd Gurley | RB | 1 | Georgia | Jr | 6'1" | 232 |
19 | Marcus Peters | CB | 1 | Washington | rJr | 6'0" | 198 |
20 | Trae Waynes | CB | 2 | Michigan State | rJr | 6'1" | 183 |
21 | Malcom Brown | DT | 3 | Texas | Jr | 6'4" | 320 |
22 | Eli Harold | DE | 5 | Virginia | Jr | 6'4" | 250 |
23 | Cedric Ogbuehi | OT | 3 | Texas A&M | rSr | 6'5" | 300 |
24 | Andrus Peat | OT | 4 | Stanford | Jr | 6'7" | 312 |
25 | T.J. Clemmings | OT | 5 | Pittsburgh | rSr | 6'5" | 305 |
26 | Arik Armstead | DE | 6 | Oregon | Jr | 6'7" | 296 |
27 | Maxx Williams | TE | 1 | Minnesota | rSo | 6'4" | 254 |
28 | Gerod Holliman | FS | 1 | Louisville | rSo | 6'2" | 213 |
29 | Jaelen Strong | WR | 5 | Arizona State | rJr | 6'4" | 212 |
30 | Eddie Goldman | DT | 4 | Florida State | Jr | 6'3" | 320 |
31 | Ereck Flowers | OT | 6 | Miami (Fla.) | Jr | 6'5" | 324 |
32 | P.J. Williams | CB | 3 | Florida State | Jr | 6'0" | 196 |
33 | Jalen Collins | CB | 4 | LSU | rJr | 6'2" | 194 |
34 | Alex Carter | CB | 5 | Stanford | rJr | 6'0" | 202 |
35 | Carl Davis | DT | 5 | Iowa | rSr | 6'5" | 315 |
36 | Vic Beasley | OLB | 2 | Clemson | rSr | 6'2" | 235 |
37 | Nate Orchard | DE | 7 | Utah | Sr | 6'4" | 255 |
38 | Owamagbe Odighizuwa | DE | 8 | UCLA | rSr | 6'4" | 255 |
39 | Kevin Johnson | CB | 6 | Wake Forest | rSr | 6'0" | 175 |
40 | Devin Smith | WR | 6 | Ohio State | Sr | 6'1" | 197 |
41 | Paul Dawson | OLB | 3 | TCU | Sr | 6'2" | 230 |
42 | Nelson Agholor | WR | 7 | USC | rJr | 6'1" | 190 |
43 | Tevin Coleman | RB | 2 | Indiana | Jr | 6'0" | 210 |
44 | Michael Bennett | DT | 6 | Ohio State | Sr | 6'2" | 288 |
45 | Danielle Hunter | DE | 9 | LSU | Jr | 6'6" | 240 |
46 | Duke Johnson | RB | 3 | Miami (Fla.) | Jr | 5'9" | 206 |
47 | Eric Kendricks | ILB | 2 | UCLA | rSr | 6'0" | 230 |
48 | Denzel Perryman | ILB | 3 | Miami (Fla.) | Sr | 5'11" | 242 |
49 | Melvin Gordon | RB | 4 | Wisconsin | rJr | 6'1" | 207 |
50 | T.J. Yeldon | RB | 5 | Alabama | Jr | 6'2" | 221 |
Quarterbacks

If your favorite team needs a quarterback and is picking outside the top six in the draft, you might want to start looking at Christian Hackenberg highlights on YouTube.
After Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, the 2015 draft class is the worst one I've ever seen. There is no other player who has starting-caliber tools. UCLA's Brett Hundley has some talent and athleticism, but his quarterback tools are all over the place. The rest of the class is very disappointing in terms of actual QB play.
It's Winston, Mariota or wait until next year.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Jameis Winston | Florida State | 6'4" | 232 | rSo | 1 |
2 | Marcus Mariota | Oregon | 6'4" | 215 | rJr | 4 |
3 | Brett Hundley | UCLA | 6'3" | 227 | rJr | 60 |
4 | Bryce Petty | Baylor | 6'3" | 230 | rSr | 129 |
5 | Garrett Grayson | Colorado State | 6'2" | 220 | rSr | 137 |
6 | Brandon Bridge | South Alabama | 6'5" | 235 | rSr | 187 |
7 | Sean Mannion | Oregon State | 6'5" | 220 | rSr | 208 |
8 | Cody Fajardo | Nevada | 6'2" | 215 | rSr | 215 |
9 | Shane Carden | East Carolina | 6'2" | 221 | Sr | 232 |
10 | Connor Halliday | Washington St. | 6'4" | 201 | Sr | 242 |
11 | Blake Sims | Alabama | 6'0" | 208 | rSr | 249 |
12 | Bryan Bennett | SE Louisiana | 6'2" | 215 | rSr | 254 |
13 | Jerry Lovelocke | Prairie View A&M | 6'5" | 200 | Sr | 276 |
Running Backs

The running back is back.
An early look at the 2015 draft class shows multiple running backs graded higher than last year's top-drafted back, Bishop Sankey. That starts with Todd Gurley, a legit Heisman Trophy candidate and top-15 player before tearing his ACL in mid-November. The former Bulldog could still be a first-round pick if his rehab looks good by late April.
You can pick your flavor between Tevin Coleman (Mr. Compete), Duke Johnson (Mr. Speed), Melvin Gordon (Mr. Production) and T.J. Yeldon (Mr. Power) and have a good No. 2 back in this class. These four runners should all be off the board by the mid-second round.
The depth here is good, too. David Cobb, Ameer Abdullah, Mike Davis and Jay Ajayi all project as future starters.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Todd Gurley | Georgia | 6'1" | 232 | Jr | 18 |
2 | Tevin Coleman | Indiana | 6'0" | 210 | Jr | 43 |
3 | Duke Johnson | Miami (FL) | 5'9" | 206 | Jr | 46 |
4 | Melvin Gordon | Wisconsin | 6'1" | 207 | rJr | 49 |
5 | T.J. Yeldon | Alabama | 6'2" | 221 | Jr | 50 |
6 | David Cobb | Minnesota | 5'11" | 229 | Sr | 67 |
7 | Ameer Abdullah | Nebraska | 5'9" | 195 | Sr | 71 |
8 | Mike Davis | South Carolina | 5'9" | 216 | Jr | 89 |
9 | Jay Ajayi | Boise State | 6'0" | 216 | rJr | 109 |
10 | David Johnson | Northern Iowa | 6'2" | 229 | rSr | 118 |
11 | Javorius Allen | USC | 6'1" | 220 | rJr | 122 |
12 | Josh Robinson | Miss. State | 5'9" | 225 | Jr | 153 |
13 | Cameron Artis-Payne | Auburn | 5'10" | 210 | Sr | 159 |
14 | Jeremy Langford | Michigan St. | 6'0" | 205 | rSr | 166 |
15 | Malcolm Brown | Texas | 6'0" | 228 | Sr | 170 |
16 | Matt Jones | Florida | 6'1" | 235 | Jr | 186 |
17 | Dominique Brown | Louisville | 6'2" | 216 | rSr | 207 |
18 | Dee Hart | Colorado St. | 5'9" | 187 | Jr | 226 |
19 | Karlos Williams | Florida State | 6'1" | 225 | Sr | 228 |
20 | Trey Williams | Texas A&M | 5'8" | 195 | Jr | 239 |
21 | Terrence Magee | LSU | 5'9" | 218 | Sr | 243 |
22 | Jahwan Edwards | Ball State | 5'10" | 219 | Sr | 244 |
23 | Kenny Hilliard | LSU | 6'0" | 235 | Sr | 255 |
24 | Marcus Murphy | Missouri | 5'9" | 195 | rSr | 270 |
25 | John Crockett | North Dakota St. | 6'0" | 217 | Sr | 280 |
26 | Michael Dyer | Louisville | 5'9" | 215 | rSr | 299 |
Fullbacks

The fullback position isn't as widely used in the NFL as it was 20 years ago, but teams that rely on one will be surprised by the talent available in this class.
Alabama's Jalston Fowler might be my favorite player to watch on film in the entire class. He's big, powerful, mean and can both run with the ball and block. Connor Neighbors is a wrecking ball at fullback despite not having exceptional size.
The guy to watch here might be South Dakota State's Zach Zenner. He didn't get a combine invite, but I do like his upside.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Jalston Fowler | Alabama | 6'0" | 248 | rSr | 181 |
2 | Connor Neighbors | LSU | 5'11" | 230 | rSr | 220 |
3 | Michael Burton | Rutgers | 6'0" | 230 | rSr | 246 |
4 | Joey Iosefa | Hawaii | 6'0" | 245 | Sr | 263 |
Wide Receivers

The 2014 draft brought us Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans and Odell Beckham Jr. atop the class (and the same order for my pre-draft rankings). The 2015 class doesn't have any one player ready to compete with last year's top three, but there is a solid group of three studs with Day 1 talent.
Kevin White, Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker are all vying for the top spot right now, and it's a close race. White and Parker have size, length and the ability to beat defenders with their bodies, but Cooper is a silky smooth route-runner with speed. All three figure to be selected in the top 12 picks.
The depth in this class is very good, with the wild card being former Missouri and Oklahoma wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. He has a checkered past, though, and how early teams will want to invest in a first-round talent with seventh-round red flags remains to be seen.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Kevin White | West Virginia | 6'3" | 209 | Sr | 5 |
2 | Amari Cooper | Alabama | 6'1" | 202 | Jr | 7 |
3 | DeVante Parker | Louisville | 6'3" | 209 | Sr | 9 |
4 | Devin Funchess | Michigan | 6'5" | 230 | Jr | 17 |
5 | Jaelen Strong | Arizona State | 6'4" | 212 | rJr | 29 |
6 | Devin Smith | Ohio State | 6'1" | 197 | Sr | 40 |
7 | Nelson Agholor | USC | 6'1" | 190 | Jr | 42 |
8 | Dorial Green-Beckham | Oklahoma | 6'6" | 225 | Jr | 52 |
9 | Phillip Dorsett | Miami (Fla.) | 5'10" | 195 | Sr | 56 |
10 | Sammie Coates | Auburn | 6'2" | 201 | rJr | 59 |
11 | Jamison Crowder | Duke | 5'9" | 175 | Sr | 93 |
12 | Breshad Perriman | Central Florida | 6'3" | 214 | rJr | 94 |
13 | Rashad Greene | Florida State | 6'0" | 180 | Sr | 97 |
14 | Josh Harper | Fresno State | 6'1" | 185 | rSr | 100 |
15 | Justin Hardy | East Carolina | 6'0" | 188 | Sr | 105 |
16 | Tyler Lockett | Kansas State | 5'11" | 175 | Sr | 110 |
17 | Ty Montgomery | Stanford | 6'2" | 215 | Sr | 116 |
18 | Tre McBride | William & Mary | 6'2" | 205 | rSr | 130 |
19 | Antwan Goodley | Baylor | 5'10" | 225 | rSr | 133 |
20 | Tony Lippett | Michigan State | 6'3" | 190 | rSr | 135 |
21 | Dres Anderson | Utah | 6'2" | 190 | Sr | 144 |
22 | Davaris Daniels | Notre Dame | 6'2" | 203 | rJr | 155 |
23 | Devante Davis | UNLV | 6'3" | 210 | Sr | 166 |
24 | Vince Mayle | Washington St. | 6'3" | 219 | rSr | 167 |
25 | Stefon Diggs | Maryland | 6'0" | 195 | Jr | 169 |
26 | Kenny Bell | Nebraska | 6'1" | 185 | rSr | 179 |
27 | Dezmin Lewis | Central Arkansas | 6'4" | 212 | rSr | 180 |
28 | Titus Davis | Central Michigan | 6'2" | 190 | Sr | 190 |
29 | Rannell Hall | UCF | 6'1" | 200 | Sr | 193 |
30 | Cam Worthy | East Carolina | 6'2" | 220 | rSr | 200 |
31 | Deon Long | Maryland | 6'0" | 195 | rSr | 201 |
32 | Chris Conley | Georgia | 6'3" | 205 | rSr | 214 |
33 | Christion Jones | Alabama | 5'11" | 185 | Sr | 233 |
34 | Da'Ron Brown | Northern Illinois | 6'0" | 196 | Sr | 248 |
35 | Chris Harper | California | 5'11" | 175 | Jr | 250 |
36 | George Farmer | USC | 6'1" | 220 | rJr | 251 |
37 | Darren Waller | Georgia Tech | 6'5" | 241 | Sr | 252 |
38 | Deontay Greenberry | Houston | 6'3" | 200 | Jr | 253 |
39 | DeAndre Smelter | Georgia Tech | 6'3" | 222 | Sr | 259 |
40 | Austin Hill | Arizona | 6'2" | 210 | rSr | 260 |
41 | Mario Alford | West Virginia | 5'9" | 177 | rSr | 279 |
42 | Keith Mumphery | Michigan State | 6'0" | 207 | Sr | 285 |
43 | DeAndrew White | Alabama | 6'0" | 190 | Sr | 287 |
44 | Donatella Luckett | Harding | 6'0" | 206 | rSr | 298 |
Tight Ends

The 2015 tight end class doesn't have that one top-10 star, but this is a very good class in terms of depth and value.
Maxx Williams is a classic late first-rounder who could be a stud in the right scheme. He's a baby Travis Kelce but is super athletic and has unlimited upside. And the class as a whole has a lot of raw talent. Blake Bell (a former quarterback) and Clive Walford (a former basketball player) have high ceilings and could easily outplay their draft stock.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Maxx Williams | Minnesota | 6'4" | 254 | rSo | 27 |
2 | Clive Walford | Miami (FL) | 6'4" | 258 | rSr | 83 |
3 | Blake Bell | Oklahoma | 6'6" | 259 | rSr | 98 |
4 | Jeff Heuerman | Ohio State | 6'5" | 255 | Sr | 101 |
5 | Tyler Kroft | Rutgers | 6'5" | 240 | rJr | 120 |
6 | Ben Koyack | Notre Dame | 6'4" | 261 | Sr | 132 |
7 | E.J. Bibbs | Iowa State | 6'3" | 261 | Sr | 151 |
8 | Randall Telfer | USC | 6'4" | 260 | rSr | 156 |
9 | Nick O'Leary | Florida State | 6'3" | 247 | Sr | 172 |
10 | Jesse James | Penn State | 6'7" | 254 | Jr | 174 |
11 | Gerald Christian | Louisville | 6'3" | 242 | rSr | 176 |
12 | Nick Boyle | Delaware | 6'5" | 270 | Sr | 192 |
13 | Jean Sifrin | UMass | 6'7" | 250 | Jr | 194 |
14 | Wes Saxton | South Alabama | 6'4" | 235 | Sr | 213 |
15 | MyCole Pruitt | Southern Illinois | 6'3" | 255 | rSr | 217 |
16 | C.J. Uzomah | Auburn | 6'4" | 264 | Sr | 218 |
17 | Rory Anderson | South Carolina | 6'5" | 227 | Sr | 275 |
18 | Eric Tomlinson | UTEP | 6'7" | 265 | rSr | 284 |
19 | Cameron Clear | Texas A&M | 6'6" | 269 | Sr | 295 |
Offensive Tackles

Over the last five years, an average of 4.5 tackles have gone in the first round. That trend should continue in 2015, as the tackle class looks very solid yet again.
Seniors Brandon Scherff, La'el Collins, Cedric Ogbuehi (even with a torn ACL) and T.J. Clemmings carry Round 1 grades. Add in juniors Andrus Peat and Ereck Flowers and there are six tackles with legitimate claim to a first-round grade.
The depth here is very good, and that's anchored by juniors D.J. Humphries, Donovan Smith and Jeremiah Poutasi. Keep an eye on each as a potential riser as evaluators have more access to tape.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Brandon Scherff | Iowa | 6'5" | 320 | rSr | 6 |
2 | La'el Collins | LSU | 6'5" | 321 | Sr | 16 |
3 | Cedric Ogbuehi | Texas A&M | 6'5" | 300 | rSr | 23 |
4 | Andrus Peat | Stanford | 6'7 | 312 | Jr | 24 |
5 | T.J. Clemmings | Pittsburgh | 6'5" | 305 | rSr | 25 |
6 | Ereck Flowers | Miami (FL) | 6'5" | 324 | Jr | 31 |
7 | D.J. Humphries | Florida | 6'5" | 290 | Jr | 53 |
8 | Donovan Smith | Penn State | 6'5" | 335 | Jr | 61 |
9 | Jake Fisher | Oregon | 6'6" | 299 | Sr | 77 |
10 | Jeremiah Poutasi | Utah | 6'5" | 344 | Jr | 78 |
11 | Tyrus Thompson | Oklahoma | 6'5" | 336 | rSr | 82 |
12 | Rob Havenstein | Wisconsin | 6'8" | 327 | rSr | 95 |
13 | Daryl Williams | Oklahoma | 6'6" | 329 | rSr | 99 |
14 | Ty Sambrailo | Colorado State | 6'5" | 315 | rSr | 107 |
15 | Corey Robinson | South Carolina | 6'7" | 344 | rSr | 124 |
16 | Sean Hickey | Syracuse | 6'5" | 300 | rSr | 149 |
17 | Robert Myers | Tennessee St. | 6'5" | 310 | rSr | 185 |
18 | Andrew Donnal | Iowa | 6'6" | 310 | rSr | 222 |
19 | Austin Shepherd | Alabama | 6'5" | 315 | Sr | 230 |
20 | Mitch Morse | Missouri | 6'6" | 305 | rSr | 241 |
21 | Jamon Brown | Louisville | 6'5" | 350 | Sr | 265 |
22 | Brett Boyko | UNLV | 6'7" | 310 | Sr | 277 |
23 | Trenton Brown | Florida | 6'8" | 350 | Sr | 292 |
24 | Tayo Fabuluje | TCU | 6'7" | 358 | Sr | 293 |
Offensive Guards

Don't get your hopes up for a quick fix at offensive guard in Round 1 this year. Or Round 2. There's no Zack Martin or Joel Bitonio in this class, but remember that Brandon Linder was drafted in Round 3 and became a top starter in his rookie season.
A.J. Cann is a good run-blocker with the athleticism to improve in the pass game to get to that high level. He's talented enough to start as a rookie. The same could be said for Senior Bowl standout Laken Tomlinson, Josue Matias, Arie Kouandjio and Tre' Jackson—all are experienced, talented guards with starter upside.
Small-school star Ali Marpet—a player I hadn't heard of until December—is a legit starter inside too.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | A.J. Cann | South Carolina | 6'3" | 318 | rSr | 85 |
2 | Laken Tomlinson | Duke | 6'3" | 320 | rSr | 92 |
3 | Josue Matias | Florida State | 6'6" | 325 | Sr | 114 |
4 | Ali Marpet | Hobart | 6'4" | 310 | Sr | 119 |
5 | Jamil Douglas | Arizona State | 6'4" | 300 | rSr | 136 |
6 | Arie Kouandjio | Alabama | 6'5" | 315 | rSr | 143 |
7 | Tre' Jackson | Florida State | 6'4" | 330 | Sr | 145 |
8 | Jarvis Harrison | Texas A&M | 6'3" | 325 | rSr | 148 |
9 | John Miller | Louisville | 6'2" | 321 | Sr | 165 |
10 | Adam Shead | Oklahoma | 6'4" | 339 | Sr | 195 |
11 | Shaq Mason | Georgia Tech | 6'1" | 300 | Sr | 196 |
12 | Miles Dieffenbach | Penn State | 6'3" | 303 | rSr | 205 |
13 | Christian Lombard | Notre Dame | 6'5" | 315 | rSr | 206 |
14 | Aundrey Walker | USC | 6'6" | 318 | Sr | 216 |
15 | Ben Beckwith | Mississippi St. | 6'3" | 308 | rSr | 266 |
16 | Jon Feliciano | Miami (FL) | 6'4" | 316 | rSr | 271 |
17 | Leon Brown | Alabama | 6'6" | 320 | Sr | 274 |
18 | Mark Glowinski | West Virginia | 6'5" | 324 | rSr | 297 |
Centers

Making the transition from college center to pro center isn't easy, but it can be done well. Look at Travis Frederick or Corey Linsley as recent examples of rookies who have had a major impact on their new teams.
There are three players in the 2015 class who qualify as potential impact centers. Cam Erving, a former tackle, Reese Dismukes and Hroniss Grasu. Each has the athleticism and intelligence to make the jump from college to the NFL without slowing down.
A sleeper prospect here is Greg Mancz. He's been impressive on film but is flying under the radar a bit currently.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Cameron Erving | Florida State | 6'5" | 308 | rSr | 87 |
2 | Reese Dismukes | Auburn | 6'3" | 296 | Sr | 108 |
3 | Hroniss Grasu | Oregon | 6'3" | 297 | rSr | 112 |
4 | Andy Gallik | Boston College | 6'2" | 299 | rSr | 140 |
5 | Greg Mancz | Toledo | 6'5" | 300 | rSr | 204 |
6 | B.J. Finney | Kansas State | 6'4" | 301 | rSr | 238 |
7 | Max Garcia | Florida | 6'5" | 294 | Sr | 273 |
Defensive Ends

I've taken the liberty of naming the 2015 NFL draft the "Year of the Pass-Rusher," and if you see how many players are ranked below, you'll understand why.
An adjustment post-Senior Bowl has the class down to 25 players in my top 300 (from 32), but the overall talent is very impressive. With six players in the first round and another three (Orchard, Odighizuwa and Hunter) capable of pushing into that area, we could see nine defensive ends off the board very fast in the 2015 draft.
Two players I like a lot who may rise with more time—Preston Smith and Trey Flowers.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Randy Gregory | Nebraska | 6'6" | 245 | rJr | 3 |
2 | Shane Ray | Missouri | 6'3" | 245 | rJr | 8 |
3 | Dante Fowler Jr. | Florida | 6'2" | 261 | Jr | 11 |
4 | Alvin Dupree | Kentucky | 6'4" | 267 | rSr | 14 |
5 | Eli Harold | Virginia | 6'4" | 250 | Jr | 22 |
6 | Arik Armstead | Oregon | 6'7" | 296 | Jr | 26 |
7 | Nate Orchard | Utah | 6'4" | 255 | Sr | 37 |
8 | Owamagbe Odighizuwa | UCLA | 6'3" | 270 | rSr | 38 |
9 | Danielle Hunter | LSU | 6'6" | 240 | Jr | 45 |
10 | Mario Edwards | Florida State | 6'3" | 294 | Jr | 55 |
11 | Lorenzo Mauldin | Louisville | 6'4" | 243 | Sr | 62 |
12 | Preston Smith | Mississippi St. | 6'5" | 270 | Sr | 65 |
13 | Hau'oli Kikaha | Washington | 6'3" | 250 | rSr | 66 |
14 | Trey Flowers | Arkansas | 6'4" | 267 | Sr | 68 |
15 | Markus Golden | Missouri | 6'3" | 260 | rSr | 75 |
16 | Henry Anderson | Stanford | 6'6" | 295 | rSr | 81 |
17 | Za'Darius Smith | Kentucky | 6'5" | 264 | Sr | 134 |
18 | Cedric Reed | Texas | 6'6" | 271 | Sr | 150 |
19 | Corey Crawford | Clemson | 6'5" | 270 | rSr | 173 |
20 | B.J. Dubose | Louisville | 6'4" | 266 | Sr | 219 |
21 | Frank Clark | Michigan | 6'2" | 270 | Sr | 221 |
22 | Kyle Emanuel | North Dakota St. | 6'3" | 250 | rSr | 231 |
23 | Anthony Chickillo | Miami (Fla.) | 6'4" | 282 | Sr | 234 |
24 | Shaquille Riddick | West Virginia | 6'5" | 242 | Sr | 247 |
25 | Martin Ifedi | Memphis | 6'3" | 265 | rSr | 256 |
Defensive Tackles

If I could rank players "1a" and "1b" at the top of my rankings, I'd put Leonard Williams up there with Jameis Winston. But I can't—or rather, I think that's cheating—so Williams comes in at No. 2 overall. For now. That may change.
Williams is the star of the group, but nose tackle Danny Shelton is a damn good player in his own right. Shelton's lack of "wow" plays on the highlight reels is misleading, as he does the dirty work so the rest of the defense can make plays. Add in Malcom Brown, Eddie Goldman and Carl Davis, and this defensive tackle class is five deep in Round 1.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Leonard Williams | USC | 6'5" | 298 | Jr | 2 |
2 | Danny Shelton | Washington | 6'2" | 332 | Sr | 10 |
3 | Malcom Brown | Texas | 6'4" | 320 | Jr | 21 |
4 | Eddie Goldman | Florida State | 6'3" | 320 | Jr | 30 |
5 | Carl Davis | Iowa | 6'5" | 315 | rSr | 35 |
6 | Michael Bennett | Ohio State | 6'2" | 288 | Sr | 44 |
7 | Jordan Phillips | Oklahoma | 6'6" | 334 | rSo | 54 |
8 | Darius Philon | Arkansas | 6'2" | 272 | rSo | 64 |
9 | Ellis McCarthy | UCLA | 6'4" | 331 | Jr | 70 |
10 | Gabe Wright | Auburn | 6'2" | 284 | Sr | 91 |
11 | Rakeem Nunez-Roches | Southern Miss | 6'2" | 305 | rJr | 103 |
12 | Xavier Cooper | Washington St. | 6'4" | 299 | Jr | 111 |
13 | Christian Covington | Rice | 6'3" | 295 | rJr | 113 |
14 | Grady Jarrett | Clemson | 6'1" | 295 | Sr | 128 |
15 | Tyeler Davison | Fresno State | 6'2" | 309 | rSr | 147 |
16 | Louis Trinca-Pasat | Iowa | 6'2" | 290 | rSr | 154 |
17 | Leon Orr | Florida | 6'5" | 319 | rSr | 160 |
18 | Joey Mbu | Houston | 6'3" | 312 | Sr | 163 |
19 | Travis Raciti | San Jose State | 6'5" | 290 | rSr | 178 |
20 | Bobby Richardson | Indiana | 6'3" | 286 | Sr | 197 |
21 | Derrick Lott | Tenn-Chattanooga | 6'4" | 299 | rSr | 199 |
22 | J.T. Surratt | South Carolina | 6'1" | 297 | rSr | 202 |
23 | Kaleb Eulls | Mississippi St. | 6'3" | 295 | rSr | 226 |
24 | Angelo Blackson | Auburn | 6'5" | 319 | Sr | 258 |
25 | David Parry | Stanford | 6'1" | 308 | rSr | 261 |
26 | Deon Simon | Northwestern St. | 6'4" | 332 | Sr | 278 |
27 | Leterrius Walton | Central Michigan | 6'5" | 321 | rSr | 281 |
Outside Linebackers

With just one player ranked in the first round, the outside linebacker rankings look light, but consider that many of the defensive ends would be linebackers in a 3-4 defense and this class fills out a lot.
Shaq Thompson could have his position listed as "Athlete," as he's played running back, safety and linebacker, but sees his pro position on the outside. He's definitely talented enough but will have to adjust to the speed of the NFL, which will stress his instincts.
Vic Beasley is a nice edge-rusher, but it will be a shock if he actually weighed 235 pounds in-season. Kwon Alexander and Paul Dawson are both starting-quality linebackers who have just one or two holes in their games that keep them out of the first round.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Shaq Thompson | Washington | 6'2" | 231 | Jr | 13 |
2 | Vic Beasley | Clemson | 6'2" | 235 | rSr | 36 |
3 | Paul Dawson | TCU | 6'2" | 230 | Sr | 41 |
4 | Kwon Alexander | LSU | 6'2" | 227 | Jr | 57 |
5 | Max Valles | Virginia | 6'5" | 240 | Jr | 86 |
6 | Jordan Hicks | Texas | 6'2" | 244 | rSr | 88 |
7 | Zach Hodges | Harvard | 6'3" | 235 | Sr | 106 |
8 | Martrell Spaight | Arkansas | 6'1" | 231 | Sr | 125 |
9 | Lynden Trail | Norfolk St. | 6'6" | 260 | rSr | 139 |
10 | Geneo Grissom | Oklahoma | 6'4" | 252 | rSr | 146 |
11 | Tony Washington | Oregon | 6'3" | 250 | rSr | 175 |
12 | Xzavier Dickson | Alabama | 6'3" | 268 | Sr | 189 |
13 | J.R. Tavai | USC | 6'2" | 250 | Sr | 198 |
14 | Jake Ryan | Michigan | 6'3" | 238 | rSr | 210 |
15 | Aaron Davis | Colorado State | 6'0" | 220 | Sr | 212 |
16 | Davis Tull | Chattanooga | 6'2" | 242 | rSr | 240 |
17 | Alani Fua | BYU | 6'5" | 228 | rSr | 257 |
18 | Edmond Robinson | Newberry | 6'4" | 230 | Sr | 288 |
19 | Mark Nzeocha | Wyoming | 6'3" | 239 | Sr | 290 |
Inside Linebackers

Every NFL fan wants the next Luke Kuechly or C.J. Mosley, but unfortunately, there's no one of that level available in the 2015 class. But don't be too discouraged, as the top three linebackers here are all rookie-starter material.
Benardrick McKinney could play any linebacker spot in a 4-3 defense and offers unreal athleticism combined with instincts and production at the "Mike" spot. Eric Kendricks and Denzel Perryman won't meet ideal height metrics, but they both can fly to the ball and have taken over games during their careers. Perryman might be the hardest hitter in the entire draft too.
My sleeper here? Hayes Pullard. And yes, it's weird that a sleeper could come from USC, but he's being overlooked right now.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Benardrick McKinney | Mississippi St. | 6'4" | 249 | rJr | 15 |
2 | Eric Kendricks | UCLA | 6'0" | 230 | rSr | 47 |
3 | Denzel Perryman | Miami (FL) | 5'11" | 242 | Sr | 48 |
4 | Stephone Anthony | Clemson | 6'2" | 245 | Sr | 80 |
5 | Mike Hull | Penn St. | 6'0" | 232 | rSr | 131 |
6 | Hayes Pullard | USC | 6'1" | 235 | rSr | 138 |
7 | Ramik Wilson | Georgia | 6'2" | 237 | Sr | 158 |
8 | Ben Heeney | Kansas | 6'0" | 230 | Sr | 183 |
9 | A.J. Johnson | Tennessee | 6'2" | 242 | Sr | 188 |
10 | Bryce Hager | Baylor | 6'1" | 235 | rSr | 209 |
11 | Trey DePriest | Alabama | 6'1" | 250 | Sr | 227 |
12 | Damien Wilson | Minnesota | 6'2" | 240 | Sr | 235 |
13 | Amarlo Herrera | Georgia | 6'1" | 232 | Sr | 283 |
14 | Taiwan Jones | Michigan St. | 6'3" | 252 | Sr | 302 |
Cornerbacks

It can't be said lightly, so here it is: There isn't a top-10 or top-15 cornerback in the 2015 draft class. Not yet, at least.
The draft's best cornerback—Marcus Peters—was dismissed from the Washington Huskies and will have to answer questions about his character to keep his Round 1 status. After Peters, take your pick between Trae Waynes, Jalen Collins, Kevin Johnson, Alex Carter and P.J. Williams as the top corner. Each could lay claim to that ranking depending on what you (and what NFL teams) want from the position.
A few sleepers to track: JaCorey Shepherd, Jacoby Glenn and Imoan Claiborne.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Marcus Peters | Washington | 6'0" | 198 | rJr | 19 |
2 | Trae Waynes | Michigan State | 6'1" | 183 | rJr | 20 |
3 | P.J. Williams | Florida State | 6'0" | 196 | Jr | 32 |
4 | Jalen Collins | LSU | 6'2" | 194 | rJr | 33 |
5 | Alex Carter | Stanford | 6'0" | 202 | rJr | 34 |
6 | Kevin Johnson | Wake Forest | 6'0" | 175 | rSr | 39 |
7 | Quinten Rollins | Miami (OH) | 6'0" | 203 | rSr | 58 |
8 | Ronald Darby | Florida State | 5'11" | 195 | Jr | 63 |
9 | Jacoby Glenn | Central Florida | 6'1" | 186 | rSo | 69 |
10 | Charles Gaines | Louisville | 5'11" | 175 | rJr | 72 |
11 | Lorenzo Doss | Tulane | 5'11" | 187 | Jr | 74 |
12 | Quandre Diggs | Texas | 5'10" | 204 | Sr | 79 |
13 | Steven Nelson | Oregon State | 5'11" | 195 | Sr | 84 |
14 | Senquez Golson | Ole Miss | 5'9" | 176 | Sr | 96 |
15 | D'Joun Smith | Florida Atlantic | 5'11" | 190 | Sr | 104 |
16 | Kevin White | TCU | 5'10" | 175 | rSr | 117 |
17 | Ladarius Gunter | Miami (FL) | 6'2" | 198 | rSr | 123 |
18 | Ifo Ekpre-Olomu | Oregon | 5'9" | 195 | Sr | 126 |
19 | JaCorey Shepherd | Kansas | 5'11" | 195 | Sr | 142 |
20 | Eric Rowe | Utah | 6'1" | 201 | Sr | 152 |
21 | Doran Grant | Ohio State | 5'11" | 193 | Sr | 157 |
22 | Imoan Claiborne | Northwestern St | 5'10" | 187 | rSr | 168 |
23 | A.J. Jefferson | UCLA | 6'1" | 192 | rSr | 177 |
24 | Byron Jones | Connecticut | 6'1" | 196 | rSr | 182 |
25 | Cody Riggs | Notre Dame | 5'9" | 190 | rSr | 191 |
26 | Damian Swann | Georgia | 5'11" | 180 | Sr | 223 |
27 | Justin Coleman | Tennessee | 5'10" | 190 | Sr | 229 |
28 | Nick Marshall | Auburn | 6'1" | 210 | Sr | 237 |
29 | Julian Wilson | Oklahoma | 6'2" | 201 | rSr | 245 |
30 | Craig Mager | Texas State | 6'0" | 191 | rSr | 262 |
31 | Bobby McCain | Memphis | 5'10" | 192 | Sr | 267 |
32 | Tye Smith | Towson | 6'0" | 170 | Sr | 268 |
33 | D.C. Celiscar | Western Michigan | 5'11" | 197 | Sr | 272 |
34 | Garry Peters | Clemson | 6'0" | 185 | rSr | 294 |
35 | Cam Thomas | Western Kentucky | 6'1" | 190 | rSr | 296 |
Free Safeties

The best free safety in college football pulled down 14 interceptions in 2014, tying the NCAA record for single-season interceptions. Now he's headed to the NFL.
Gerod Holliman won't be a player everyone likes, but his ability to play in coverage and attack the football in the air makes him a Round 1 talent to me. He's not a big hitter, but he'll make his money by getting the ball into his hands.
The rest of the safety class is good, but not overwhelmingly so. Derron Smith, Durell Eskridge, Cody Prewitt and Kurtis Drummond could all be Day 2 guys and play early in their careers, but each also has a hole in his game that makes him less than a Round 1 talent. Josh Shaw, a cornerback at USC, projects best to free safety in these rankings, so keep an eye on him.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Gerod Holliman | Louisville | 6'2" | 213 | rSo | 28 |
2 | Derron Smith | Fresno State | 5'11" | 197 | rSr | 73 |
3 | Durell Eskridge | Syracuse | 6'3" | 203 | rJr | 76 |
4 | Cody Prewitt | Ole Miss | 6'2" | 217 | Sr | 90 |
5 | Josh Shaw | USC | 6'1" | 200 | rSr | 102 |
6 | Kurtis Drummond | Michigan State | 6'1" | 200 | rSr | 115 |
7 | Damarious Randall | Arizona State | 5'11" | 190 | rSr | 141 |
8 | Jermaine Whitehead | Auburn | 5'11" | 193 | Sr | 224 |
9 | Justin Cox | Mississippi St. | 6'2" | 190 | Sr | 264 |
10 | Dean Marlowe | James Madison | 6'2" | 205 | Sr | 289 |
11 | Detrick Bonner | Virginia Tech | 6'0" | 194 | rSr | 312 |
Strong Safeties

When scouting strong safeties, I'm looking for the next Sean Taylor. In the last decade, there hasn't been a player of that caliber, but he's the gold standard all others are compared to.
Landon Collins may get that comparison from some. He's freaky athletic, wears No. 26 and could be a top-10 pick. But he's not as insanely large as Taylor was, nor is he as good when the ball is up for grabs. Collins is a very good player, but not on the iconic level. He should still go in the top 10 picks of this draft.
After Collins, this class is fortunate that Chris Hackett entered the draft. He's a solid hitter, can play both in the box or single-high and has shown very good range.
Rank | Player | School | HT | WT | Class | OVR Rank |
1 | Landon Collins | Alabama | 6'0" | 215 | Jr | 12 |
2 | Chris Hackett | TCU | 6'2" | 195 | Jr | 51 |
3 | Jaquiski Tartt | Samford | 6'1" | 218 | rSr | 121 |
4 | Anthony Harris | Virginia | 6'1" | 190 | Sr | 127 |
5 | Jordan Richards | Stanford | 5'11" | 208 | Sr | 161 |
6 | Ibraheim Campbell | Northwestern | 5'11" | 205 | rSr | 162 |
7 | James Sample | Louisville | 6'2" | 191 | Sr | 171 |
8 | Adrian Amos | Penn State | 6'0" | 209 | rSr | 184 |
9 | Kyshoen Jarrett | Virginia Tech | 5'11" | 192 | Sr | 203 |
10 | Clayton Geathers | UCF | 6'2" | 208 | rSr | 236 |
11 | Tevin McDonald | Eastern Wash. | 5'11" | 190 | rSr | 269 |
12 | Ronald Martin | LSU | 6'1" | 220 | Sr | 291 |