2015 NFL Draft: Opening-Round Order and Underrated Prospects to Know

Underrated NFL draft prospects can change a franchise just as well as a top-five pick.

This is true any year near the end of the first round. Each year, players with a few flaws capable of sending them to the second round or even just unknown names climb into the first round and can change the fortunes of a franchise.

Look at last year, when Kelvin Benjamin almost fell out of the first round. While a familiar name, his big issue (dropped passes) helped him hit underrated territory. He went on to catch 73 balls for 1,008 yards and a team-high nine scores.

The point is, underrated players who can overcome weaknesses or lack of name recognition to enter the first round are quite important. Let's take a look at three names who fit the bill this year.

2015 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	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
6	New York Jets	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
7	Chicago Bears	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida
8	Atlanta Falcons	Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri
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	Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska
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	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
30	Green Bay Packers	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)	Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan
32	New England Patriots	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Underrated Prospects to Know

Owamagbe Odighizuwa, OLB, UCLA

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

It's tough for a defensive end or outside linebacker to stand out this year when Shane Ray, Randy Gregory, Alvin Dupree, Dante Fowler Jr. and a wealth of others steal the spotlight.

Even eye-popping numbers don't seem to be enough for an underrated prospect this year. Look at UCLA's Owamagbe Odighizuwa, who weighed in at 6'3" and 267 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine before running a stunning 4.62-second 40-yard dash and ranking among the best at his position in four other drills.

Few prospects have as much momentum as Odighizuwa, who put on a show at the Senior Bowl, posted strong numbers in Indianapolis and then performed well at UCLA's pro day in positional drills.

In fact, NFL.com’s Bryan Fischer hints at teams perhaps coming around on his stock:

At this point, the lone negative surrounding the UCLA product comes on the medical side. He missed the entire 2013 campaign with a hip issue, but it continues to become less of a red flag the more Odighizuwa showcases his tantalizing upside.

A scheme-versatile player with one of the best under-the-radar paths to the draft this year, don't be shocked to hear Odighizuwa's name called in the first round.

Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Corner isn't as tough as pass-rusher to figure out this year. 

Trae Waynes and Marcus Peters, in no particular order, are the top names.

Kevin Johnson is right behind, if not capable of passing both.

It's easy to not know Johnson's name at this juncture given where he spent his college days, although it means folks ignored one of the combine's top performers. There, he came in at 6'0" and 188 pounds and ranked among the best in his position in four drills, highlighted by a 41.5-inch vertical jump.

As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller points out, Johnson continues to show a strength in the intangibles:

Sometimes a prospect takes a while to climb draft boards, but a freak athlete who comes equipped with plenty of things coaching cannot teach doesn't stay hidden too long.

Johnson is one of the best corners in the class, so it's time to know his name. After all, if things keep up at this pace, he might just be the first off the board.

Devin Funchess, WR/TE, Michigan

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Things have hit this point for Devin Funchess.

Once a surefire top pick, Funchess went out last season and caught just 62 passes for 733 yards and four scores on a bumbling Michigan squad refusing to use him in a proper manner. 

Things got worse for Funchess in Indianapolis, where he stood at 6'4" and 232 pounds. The rest of the numbers weren't encouraging, either:

40-Yd Dash	Bench	Vertical	Broad
4.7 sec	17 reps	38.5"	122"

To summarize, the numbers are too small for Funchess to thrive as an in-line blocker at tight end. They're also too slow for him to take the top off defenses as a wideout.

The thing is, Funchess improved on his numbers from the combine at Michigan's pro day, perhaps running around 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, per Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News.

It's an important point to remember, as is a conclusion crafted by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein about Funchess:

"

Has mismatch-caliber size, but lack of vertical talent and below-average hands might negate the size to an extent. Funchess was used outside and inside at Michigan and had success from the slot. He has the feel of a hybrid player who can be a big guy at wide receiver or a mismatch nightmare as a move tight end with more weight on his rangy frame.

"

It takes just one team to fall in love with any prospect and pull the trigger, even in the first round.

For Funchess, he's a bit of a household name in a negative light right now. Maybe folks still have the bad taste of Eric Ebron in their mouths from last year. While not as good of an athlete, teams can put Funchess to work in a similar way, making him an underrated candidate for the first round. 

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and accurate as of March 31. All advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.