2015 NFL Draft: Round 1 Order and Sleeper Prospects to Monitor

For all the obsession of where football's hottest prospects will go during the 2015 draft, the final outcome is just a number.

Sure, a higher draft position means a better rookie salary, and teams may feel more pressure to play an earlier selection than a late-round flier. But by the end of the year, will it matter who went No. 19 compared to who was grabbed at No. 23?

The rigorous evaluations eventually fade away, amounting to no more than an anecdote to tell around draft season. (Yes, we all know Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round. Now let's move on.) These guys aren't receiving considerable hype, but that could change by April 30.

Pick	Team
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2	Tennessee Titans
3	Jacksonville Jaguars
4	Oakland Raiders
5	Washington Redskins
6	New York Jets
7	Chicago Bears
8	Atlanta Falcons
9	New York Giants
10	St. Louis Rams
11	Minnesota Vikings
12	Cleveland Browns
13	New Orleans Saints
14	Miami Dolphins
15	San Francisco 49ers
16	Houston Texans
17	San Diego Chargers
18	Kansas City Chiefs
19	Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo)
20	Philadelphia Eagles
21	Cincinnati Bengals
22	Pittsburgh Steelers
23	Detroit Lions
24	Arizona Cardinals
25	Carolina Panthers
26	Baltimore Ravens
27	Dallas Cowboys
28	Denver Broncos
29	Indianapolis Colts
30	Green Bay Packers
31	New Orleans Saints (via Seattle)
32	New England Patriots

Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State

Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley have absorbed all the attention as rare running backs warranting first-round consideration. Yet countless rushers have emerged from the middle and late rounds, with more even soaring from undrafted to NFL contributor.

Teams looking for a top-tier starter at a better value can wait until the second or third round to snag Boise State's Jay Ajayi. During his junior year, he scored 32 touchdowns while becoming the first FBS back to compile 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season.

Throw in blocking ability, and Bleacher Report's Matt Miller sees Ajayi as an every-down back:

Listed at 6'0" and 221 pounds, Ajayi has the desired size for a workhorse role. His soccer background also polished his footwork, making the big, nimble runner tough to corral.

As a guest on NBC Sports Radio's PFT Live, via NBCSports.com's Mike Florio, Ajayi mentioned the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars as interested teams. While the Ravens least need to invest a high pick in the backfield after retaining Justin Forsett, the Cowboys are most likely to take Gurley or Gordon at pick No. 27.

After juggling multiple running backs all year, San Diego and Jacksonville are both strong candidates to look his way.

Kyle Emanuel, OLB, North Dakota State

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

How do 19.5 sacks and 32.5 tackles for loss sound? North Dakota State's Kyle Emanuel registered both lofty totals during his senior year, but scouts are chalking his dominance up to bullying inferior competition.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein warns against writing off Emanuel's gaudy numbers, citing his 10 sacks in eight games against Top 25-ranked opposition:

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Small-school prospects often come with inflated statistics, but Emanuel's tape shows a combination of motor and skill that should be respected inside NFL buildings once he's studied closely. Emanuel has the leverage and hips to get under tackles and turn the corner, but his explosion off the snap will be tested. With his foot quickness and surprising lateral agility, there might be defensive coordinators willing to give him a shot as a 4-3 SAM linebacker.

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The feverish pass-rusher is expected to transition into an outside linebacker role after spending his collegiate career as a defensive end. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah endorsed Emanuel's ability to handle the change:

With a motor that never turns off, Emanuel's intensity will make him a welcome addition for an NFL defense. A projected third-round selection, his game-changing aggression should offset competition concerns.

DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech

David Goldman/Associated Press

Having torn his ACL late last season, DeAndre Smelter is a major health hazard entering draft day. That uncertainty, however, will make him a cheap buy-low gambit for someone willing to roll the dice.

Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2010, Smelter decided to go to Georgia Tech, where lingering shoulder injuries stifled a professional baseball career. No longer able to improve his MLB stock, the pitcher turned to football. 

Through 12 games last year, Smelter compiled 715 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets. Yet he never caught more than five passes in a single game, a product of a run-first (and second, and then third again) offense that gained 342.1 of its 476.5 yards per game on the ground.

David Goldman/Associated Press

And now another injury blocks his path to the pros. The 6'2" wideout brandished the propensity to win jump balls with exceptional leaping. Joining the football program as a junior, the quick learner still has more to figure out, but he has all the tools to complete the puzzle.

Yet there are plenty of healthy alternatives, so Smelter will drop to the third day, where no selectees are close to a sure thing. Rather than taking a player who can round out a depth chart, someone might as well swing for the fences. 

Height and weight information courtesy of NFL.com.