Which College Programs Dominate the 2015 NFL Draft?

One way that college football fans love to talk up their teams is by boasting about how many players their team sends to the NFL draft. Bragging about the number of first-round picks your team has generated, or taking a head count of Pro Bowl players from one’s alma mater, is commonplace.

As a longtime draft pundit, I love seeing players with NFL talent from less prestigious schools, especially at the top of the draft. However, this is typically an outlier, and it's tough for a lesser-known program to churn out a significant draft class.

Let’s break down the top 10 schools for 2015 in terms of the draft talent they are going to produce. The metric to calculate this is fairly simple. Points are assigned for each individual prospect with a draftable grade, and bonus points issued for a school that generates a significant number of prospects. 

The scoring breaks down like this:

1st Round: 7 points

2nd Round: 6 points

3rd Round: 5 points

4th Round: 4 points

5th Round: 3 points

6th Round: 2 points

7th Round: 1 point

Having five or more prospects with a draftable grade: two points

In the event of a tie, the program with more first-round picks gets the edge. If that is also a tie, the school with the most second- and third-round picks gets the bump.

Where does their round projection come from? This list is exhaustive from countless hours of film study and analysis. Once my list was complete, I compared it to those of CBSSports.com, as well as Bleacher Report’s own Matt Miller and his most recent seven-round mock draft. Finding fellow draft writers who will dig this deep is challenging; however, both go the extra mile.

So with that, let’s rank the top 10 college football programs for the 2015 NFL draft.

10. Mississippi State

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First on this list is Mississippi State. This might be a bit of a shock, but when you consider that linebacker Benardrick McKinney is a late first-round prospect and rising defensive end Preston Smith is going to go be in the second-round mix, you understand how it checks in here.

The sleeper of this bunch is running back Josh Robinson, who might be a late-round selection but could end up with major touches as a rookie. Overall, getting five players in the first five rounds would be a major win for the Bulldogs. 

Benardrick McKinney, LB: 1st

Preston Smith, DE: 2nd

Kaleb Eulls, DT: 4th

Justin Cox, CB: 4th

Josh Robinson, RB: 5th

Total: 26 points

9. USC

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It is expected for the USC Trojans to find a spot on this list. Every season USC churns out a handful of quality players, and 2015 is no different. This group is led by defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who will be one of the first players off the board. However, the reason USC makes this list is the depth of this group.

Wide receiver Nelson Agholor is one of the most underrated receivers in this draft, and Javorius “Buck” Allen looks as NFL-ready as any running back in the draft. Also, some team is going to get a starting cornerback in the third round with a healthy Josh Shaw. 

Leonard Williams, DT: 1st

Nelson Agholor, WR: 2nd

Javorius Allen, RB: 3rd

Josh Shaw, CB: 3rd

Hayes Pullard, LB: 5th

J.R. Tavai, LB: 7th

Total: 29 points

8. Washington

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All you have to do is look at the Washington draft class to understand just how much the offense struggled. The defense and its stars carried this team. Even though I only have first-round grades on two players, there’s a real chance that three will come off the board in the first round. Massive defensive tackle Danny Shelton is a polarizing prospect, but you cannot deny his ability to impact a football game.

The deep sleeper of this group is wide receiver Kasen Williams. Williams was lost on a terrible Huskies offense that just ran the ball over and over again. Nevertheless, he can play and just needs to end up on the right team to get a shot. 

Danny Shelton, DT: 1st

Marcus Peters, CB: 1st

Shaq Thompson, LB: 2nd

Hau’oli Kikaha, LB: 3rd

Kasen Williams, WR: 6th

Total: 29 points

7. Alabama

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At No. 7 we find the Alabama Crimson Tide. You expect to see Alabama on this list, but this is perhaps lower than Bama faithful might have expected. Players like wide receiver Amari Cooper and safety Landon Collins are stars, but this group is more about depth, with eight prospects with draftable grades on this list.

Some might not consider quarterback Blake Sims a true draftable prospect, but with this quarterback class some team will take a chance on him. There’s no guarantee Sims will make a roster, but I don’t expect him to get through all seven rounds. 

Amari Cooper WR: 1st

Landon Collins S: 1st

T.J. Yeldon, RB: 4th

Arie Kouandjio, OG: 4th

Trey DePriest, LB: 6th

Austin Shepherd, OT: 6th

Blake Sims, QB: 7th

Xzavier Dickson, LB: 7th

Total: 30 points

6. LSU

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Just outside the top five we find the LSU Tigers. The power of the metric shows, with LSU edging Alabama by a point with two fewer prospects. Offensive tackle La’el Collins is the star of this show, but cornerback Jalen Collins and defensive end Danielle Hunter should both come off the board early in the second round and be impact players.

The player to watch late on this list is linebacker Kwon Alexander. He had a strong season, and while he won’t be drafted until the third day, his NFL future looks bright. 

La’el Collins, OT: 1st

Jalen Collins, CB: 2nd

Danielle Hunter, DE: 2nd

Terrence Magee, RB: 4th

Kwon Alexander, LB: 4th

Jermauria Rasco, LB: 6th

Total: 31 points

5. Oklahoma

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As we hit the top five, there’s a bit of controversy. I have a second-round grade on both wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. Many pundits consider both as first-round prospects, which would give the Sooners a bump to the No. 4 spot. However, I have a hard time giving either of those players that grade with so many questions surrounding each.

The value pick of this group is cornerback Julian Wilson. Wilson has starting experience at both cornerback and safety in the Big 12. Given the right situation, Wilson has all the tools to be a starting free safety in the NFL. Also, jot down fullback Aaron Ripkowski if your team wants and old-school head-knocker on special teams and offense.

Doral Green-Beckham, WR: 2nd

Jordan Phillips, DT: 2nd

Daryl Williams, OT: 3rd

Blake Bell, TE: 4th

Geneo Grissom, LB: 5th

Adam Shead, G: 6th

Julian Wilson, CB: 6th

Aaron Ripkowski, FB: 7th

Chuka Ndulue, DT: 7th

Total: 32 points

4. Louisville

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Perhaps the biggest shocker of this list is the inclusion of Louisville. And having the Cardinals at No. 4 is an even bigger surprise. However, this is a team deep with prospects, starting with wide receiver DeVante Parker. Louisville is tied for second on this list with nine total prospects.

The value guy on this list is running back Michael Dyer. Dyer is well-traveled but still talented. He is going to need some grooming and to be monitored closely, but the risk in his selection is almost zero. Also, Dyer’s backfield teammate Dominique Brown also has a legitimate NFL skill set. Just another example of the depth of this class. 

DeVante Parker, WR: 1st

Gerod Holliman, S: 3rd

Lorenzo Mauldin, LB: 3rd

John Miller, OG: 4th

James Sample, S: 5th

Charles Gaines, CB: 5th

Gerald Christian, TE: 7th

Dominique Brown, RB: 7th

Michael Dyer, RB: 7th

Total: 32 points

3. Miami

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The state of Florida is well represented as we get to the final three teams on our list. The University of Miami sneaks in with a plethora of Day 2 talent that gives their score a serious boost. Offensive tackle Ereck Flowers gets all the press, but guys like linebacker Denzel Perryman and wide receiver Phillip Dorsett are fascinating mid-round guys with starter potential.

For the Hurricanes, cornerback Ladarius Gunter is the sneaky guy who could see a boost on draft day. Gunter has excellent size and has the look of an NFL free safety. Gunter could learn the ropes playing the deep middle and potentially become a solid slot cornerback as well. 

Ereck Flowers, OT: 1st

Duke Johnson, RB: 3rd

Clive Walford, TE: 3rd

Phillip Dorsett, WR: 3rd

Denzel Perryman, LB: 3rd

Anthony Chickillo, DE: 4th

Ladarius Gunter, CB: 5th

Jon Feliciano, G: 7th

Total: 37 points

2. Oregon

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It only makes sense that one of the best teams in all of college football last year generates one of the two highest scores on this list. The University of Oregon is just brimming with NFL prospects, starting with quarterback Marcus Mariota. However, don’t overlook defensive end Arik Armstead and offensive tackle Eric Fisher to be drafted early and in their teams’ starting lineups straight from the jump.

One of the big snubs of the NFL combine was Oregon safety Erick Dargan. This will hurt Dargan’s draft stock but doesn’t diminish his skills. Oregon asked him to play a ton of coverage, and for the most part he was solid. As a single-high free safety with a strong safety mentality, Dargan is going to make some team very happy. 

Marcus Mariota, QB: 1st

Arik Armstead, DE/DT: 1st

Jake Fisher, OT: 1st

Hroniss Grasu, C: 3rd

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB: 3rd

Erick Dargan, S: 5th

Derrick Malone Jr., LB: 7th

Tony Washington, LB: 7th

Troy Hill, CB: 7th

Total: 39 points

1. Florida State

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In the least climactic finale since Sons of Anarchy, this list is topped by the Florida State Seminoles. Even though FSU couldn’t close the season on a winning note, they still have 11 guys with draftable grades, including two first-round picks and three second-rounders. Don’t count out either or both of the FSU cornerbacks to sneak into the end of the first round.

As for a mid-round value guy, it is all about Rashad Greene. Greene is one the most polished wide receivers in the draft. If not for the fact that he lacks ideal size and athleticism, he'd be mentioned among the top receivers in this class. As it stands, some team is going to get a steal in the middle rounds. 

Jameis Winston, QB: 1st

Eddie Goldman, DT: 1st

P.J. Williams, CB: 2nd

Ronald Darby, CB: 2nd

Cameron Erving, C: 2nd

Rashad Greene, WR: 3rd

Tre Jackson, G: 3rd

Mario Edwards Jr., DE: 3rd

Nick O’Leary, TE: 5th

Josue Matias, OG: 5th

Karlos Williams, RB: 6th

Total: 57 points