NFL Draft 2015: Order and Predictions for Fringe 1st-Round Prospects

All 2015 NFL draft hopefuls live life on the edge. 

Every single thing a prospect does leading up to the draft is the subject of much scrutiny. Not only is each media interaction, team interview, actions on social media and perhaps even how they dress placed under a microscope, each workout, training session and audition presents an injury risk that will send an individual's draft stock tumbling.

The risk is especially dangerous for those flirting with official first-round status. One hiccup and it's the difference between continuing to chip away and being swapped out with a name perhaps more than 30 spots or more in the wrong direction.

As the journey to Chicago wears on, the fringe names with so much at stake continue to emerge from the shadows.

2015 NFL Draft Order and Predictions

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

Highlighting Fringe 1st-Round Prospects

P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State

Florida State's P.J. Williams is the perfect example of a player who can take a massive dive instead of making slow and steady progress up boards.

The state of the corner position doesn't help. There isn't a true No. 1 this year. Some argue for Trae Waynes, others say Marcus Peters.

Williams is on the outside of that battle looking in at the moment, and a bit of a rocky performance at the NFL Scouting Combine didn't help.

There, Williams measured in at 6'0" and 194 pounds, ideal size for a league that loves its bigger defensive backs. The problem is, while a 40-inch vertical and 132-inch broad jump are nice, he seemed to lack in the speed department, running a 4.57 40-yard dash.

That number in itself seems an improvement, as captured by the league's Twitter account:

The good news for Williams is that while he won't break into the top-two conversation, and he might even fall behind Quinten Rollins, there isn't much after that behind him in terms of stock.

Corner is a major need in a pass-happy league right now, so the worst that can happen to Williams is he falls into the early second round.

Prediction: Williams comes off the board in the early second round.

Nelson Agholor, WR, USC

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Injuries are a part of football, albeit one of those key sticking points mentioned above that really help to sort things out when it comes to fringe prospects. 

That's why it is unfortunate to hear that USC product Nelson Agholor injured his finger at the combine, per NFL Network's Kimberly Jones (h/t NFL.com's College Football 24/7):

As a result, the globe was only fortunate enough to see Agholor weigh in at 6'0" and 198 pounds and run a 4.42 40-yard dash.

Still, that proved enough for some to want another taste of what he brings to the table. Jones' colleague, Brian Billick, is one of many:

What folks will find on film is a speedy wideout who this past season recorded career-highs of 104 receptions, 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Agholor is a threat who can score from anywhere on the field. His biggest hurdle, outside of this latest health predicament, is the fact he is a bit lost in the first-round conversation thanks to the surprising depth of the 2015 wideout class.

He won't sniff being one of the first four off the board and is instead stuck in a battle with Jaelen Strong, Devin Funchess, Devin Smith and others to sneak into the first round.

Simple logistics make the USC product a better fit for the second round, provided he stays healthy.

Prediction: Agholor comes off the board in the early second round.

Carl Davis, DT, Iowa

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

There are only so many slots for defensive tackles in the first round of a draft these days, which puts someone such as Iowa's Carl Davis at a noticeable disadvantage. 

Davis is unfortunate enough to be a member of a class that features Leonard Williams, Danny Shelton, Malcom Brown and Jordan Phillips, among many others.

As of late, though, Davis has been on the climb in the stock department. The journey began at the Senior Bowl before he showed up at the combine at 6'5" and 320 pounds and displayed strong explosiveness via a number of drills and tests.

Inconsistent film is what plagues Davis, although his responsibilities at Iowa were not so cut and dry. ESPN's Mel Kiper is one who thinks he's still worth a spot in the first round, No. 27 overall to the Dallas Cowboys to be exact:

"

I'm not sure there was a player who did more to gain appeal as a potential first-round pick at the Senior Bowl. Davis brings a coveted ability to be disruptive as a pass-rusher from the inside, as he won't just push the pocket with strength, but also can win with quickness and get into the backfield.

"

Davis fits well in the first round because he is not a one-dimensional player who only excels in one area.

Versatility is key for defenders to make the first round. Whether it's an edge rusher who can stand up or put his hand in the dirt, a corner who can play inside or out or an interior player such as Davis who can rush or clog lanes, versatility rules all.

Davis has plenty of it, too, which will see him sneak into the bottom of the first round on draft day.

Prediction: Davis comes off the board late in the first round.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. ET. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.