2015 NFL Draft: 1st-Round Order, Predictions and More

Football fans are just starting to get over the wild ending to the Super Bowl, but the focus is already beginning to shift to the 2015 NFL draft and where every team selects in the first round.

With mock drafts beginning to appear and top college prospects like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston getting mainstream publicity and intense scrutiny, it can mean only one thing: draft season.

Here is the full first-round order, predictions for all 32 picks and a focus on the top-five player who can make the biggest first-year impact.

Pick	First-Round Order	Projected Selection
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
2	Tennessee Titans	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
5	Washington Redskins	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
6	New York Jets	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
7	Chicago Bears	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
9	New York Giants	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
10	St. Louis Rams	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
11	Minnesota Vikings	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
12	Cleveland Browns	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
13	New Orleans Saints	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
14	Miami Dolphins	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
15	San Francisco 49ers	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
16	Houston Texans	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
17	San Diego Chargers	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
23	Detroit Lions	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
24	Arizona Cardinals	Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
25	Carolina Panthers	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
26	Baltimore Ravens	Carl Davis, DL, Iowa
27	Dallas Cowboys	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA
28	Denver Broncos	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
29	Indianapolis Colts	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
30	Green Bay Packers	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
31	Seattle Seahawks	Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
32	New England Patriots	Nate Orchard, DE, Utah

Top-Five Player Who Will Make Biggest First-Year Impact

Everyone is looking at the top quarterbacks in the draft like Mariota and Winston, but the player who has the most first-year potential is Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Cooper may not be the biggest receiver in the draft at 6’1” and 210 pounds, but he has the physicality needed to catch the ball at its highest point over taller defenders. With large, powerful hands, Cooper is exactly what a team like the Oakland Raiders needs at No. 4 overall.

During the 2014 season, Cooper racked up 124 receptions for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was a major reason the Crimson Tide offensive unit found the success it did this season, and his hard work will be noticed by scouts across the NFL.

When asked about Cooper’s skill set and what he brings to an offensive unit, analyst Bucky Brooks said Thursday on NFL Now, via NFL.com:

"The No. 1 receiver in your offense should be able to command a double team, and you absolutely have to double team him to contain him. But what I really like about him, he is a guy who is still hungry, working on his craft. I think he's going to be better as a pro than he was as a collegian."

Sigmund Bloom of FootballGuys.com gave his prediction and what makes Cooper a special player:

Oakland has drafted poorly in the past at wide receiver (look no further than Darrius Heyward-Bey), but Cooper would buck that trend and provide the consistent threat the franchise has lacked for years.

With rookie quarterback Derek Carr proving he could be the future of the franchise, getting him a viable weapon and allowing him to flourish is the smart long-term plan. Cooper is exactly what Carr needs on the deep pass and in the red zone.

The hope is that Cooper can follow in the footsteps of last year’s rookie wide receivers like Mike Evans and Sammy Watkins and give Oakland the dynamic quarterback-to-wide receiver combination it desperately needs.

*Stats via NFL.com.