2015 NFL Draft: Opening-Round Order and Prospects to Watch at Upcoming Pro Days

The saving-the-best-for-last notion applies to NFL pro days in a big way.

As the path to the 2015 NFL draft rages onward, pro days are winding down over the course of the next few weeks.

Top prospects such as Clemson's Vic Beasley, Alabama's Amari Cooper and a wealth of others have already used the platform to boost stock and remain ahead of others.

The best is yet to come, though. There's still elite defensive prospects and one polarizing quarterback with pro days on the schedule, and their performances will affect the entire first round.

2015 NFL Draft First-Round 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	Alvin Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky
4	Oakland Raiders	Leonard Williams, DL, USC
5	Washington Redskins	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
6	New York Jets	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
7	Chicago Bears	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
8	Atlanta Falcons	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
9	New York Giants	La'el Collins, OL, LSU
10	St. Louis Rams	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
11	Minnesota Vikings	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
12	Cleveland Browns	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
13	New Orleans Saints	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
14	Miami Dolphins	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
15	San Francisco 49ers	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
16	Houston Texans	Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Oklahoma
17	San Diego Chargers	A.J. Cann, OG, South Carolina
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)	Arik Armstead, DE/OLB, Oregon
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA
23	Detroit Lions	Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
24	Arizona Cardinals	Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia
25	Carolina Panthers	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
26	Baltimore Ravens	Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
27	Dallas Cowboys	Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
28	Denver Broncos	Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
29	Indianapolis Colts	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
30	Green Bay Packers	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Quinten Rollins, CB, Miami (Ohio)

Full list of Pro Days available at NFL.com.

Prospects to Watch at Upcoming Pro Days

Malcom Brown, DT, Texas (March 24)

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

It's easy to forget just how impressive this year's crop of interior defensive linemen is, even after the first two. 

Those two players, of course, are USC's Leonard Williams and Washington's Danny Shelton. A close third is Texas' Malcom Brown, a pass-rushing specialist first and foremost who is a scheme-versatile player, making him attractive to 4-3 and 3-4 teams alike.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Brown weighed in at 6'2" and 319 pounds before running impressive times in most drills, including a 5.05 40-yard dash time.

NFL Network's Ben Fennell puts it best:

With a skill set teasing elite upside as an every-down pro starter, it's not hard to imagine Brown using Texas' pro day to inch closer to Williams and Shelton. He needs a strong day just to fend off the likes of Arik Armstead, Eddie Goldman and Jordan Phillips too.

Look for Brown to post another strong performance, which will have obvious implications on the entire first round as well as those prospects around him at the position.

Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (March 31)

Everybody knows who the polarizing quarterback mentioned above is—Jameis Winston. 

No player has more on the line over the course of the next few weeks than Winston, whose off-field woes continue to overshadow his obvious pro potential.

Not only will Winston need a strong workout at Florida State's pro day, but he's also scheduled to meet with the Tennessee Titans, owners of the No. 2 pick, per NFL Network's Albert Breer:

The pro day will have even more eyes on Winston as he auditions in front of a crowd figuring to see all 32 teams represented.

On film, Winston boasts a strong arm and can work through his progressions, hence a breezy 3,907 yards and 25 touchdowns on a 65.3 completion percentage last season.

The thing is, Marcus Mariota touts many of the same traits but is under fire for a disappointing pro day. Winston isn't immune to this sort of stock hit, so it will be interesting to see if he turns in a strong performance and perhaps steals No. 1 in the minds of most.

If not, he may go back in the other direction a tad and just make things even more confusing.

Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida (April 7)

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Few players benefited more than Florida's Dante Fowler Jr. at the scouting combine.

After measuring at 6'3" and 261 pounds, Fowler put on a show with a 4.6 40-yard dash and other strong results in athleticism drills. Charley Casserly broke it down in brief form, per NFL Network:

It's not easy to stand out in a class also featuring Beasley, Randy Gregory, Shane Ray, Alvin Dupree and others, but Fowler managed to do so in Indianapolis.

What's scary is Fowler's ability to further sell his immense upside to scouts. As an AFC East college director of scouting told NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, the former Florida star seems to be just coming into his own: "He's had to play at different weights and different spots on the field, and I think he's finally understanding how to use his athleticism to dominate a game. He will be way better in the pros than what he is now."

Fowler should thank Florida—he is one of the last pit stops for NFL scouts on the pro-day tour, meaning he'll be fresh on the minds of front offices in comparison to other players. 

Should Fowler put on a show, he'll do nothing short of cement his top-10 status.

Note: Stats courtesy of NFL.com as of March 23. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.