2015 NFL Draft Order: Complete Listing of Every 1st-Round Selection

First things first when you’re watching the 2015 NFL draft—you have to know when your team picks.

Actually, you should probably know when every team picks so you have an understanding of which squads are threats to steal that top-flight wide receiver you have your eyes on or how potential trades shake up the board.

Look no further than right here.

Below is a list of the complete first-round draft order and a few potential Rookie of the Year candidates who could immediately bolster their teams' postseason chances.

Rookie of the Year Candidates from 2015 Draft Class

Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

Alabama’s Amari Cooper was a one-man force in the Crimson Tide’s passing attack last season and finished with 1,727 receiving yards and 16 touchdown catches. He was the best wide receiver in college football and was virtually unstoppable throughout the year.

There is legitimate debate about whether he or West Virginia’s Kevin White will be the first receiver drafted, but both will likely go in the top 10. Cooper is the one most likely to win Rookie of the Year, though.

For one, SEC receivers who are drafted in the first round waste little time making an impact, as ESPN Stats & Information (via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com) noted in this table:

YEAR	PLAYER	PICK	ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2014	Mike Evans	7th	68 rec, 1,051 yards, 12 TD
2014	Odell Beckham Jr.	12th	NFL Offensive ROY, 91 rec, 1,305 yds., 12 TD
2013	Cordarrelle Patterson	29th	2013 Pro-Bowler, 29.4 career avg. on kickoff returns
2011	A.J. Green	4th	4-time Pro-Bowler, career 329 rec, 4,874 rec yds, 35 TD
2011	Julio Jones	7th	Led NFC with 1,593 receiving yards last year

That doesn’t even include second-rounder Alshon Jeffery from South Carolina, who is now the No. 1 wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. Cooper was a touchdown and yardage machine at Alabama and will follow in the shoes of these recent SEC receivers. 

Bucky Brooks of NFL Media passed along an intriguing difference between the perception of White and Cooper:

If Cooper truly is ready to contribute from the first day, he will be an immediate contender for Rookie of the Year. So much of the NFL is based on passing in today’s game, and Cooper can fit into any offense with the ability to go deep or beat corners on underneath routes and slants. His soft hands also help him haul in passes in traffic.

Look for him to top 1,000 yards in year one.

Leonard Williams, DT, USC

It is easy to point to the offensive players as potential Rookie of the Year candidates, but USC’s Leonard Williams will destroy enough offensive game plans to garner consideration.

The first-team All-Pac 12 defensive tackle finished the 2014 season with 80 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception, which are incredible stats for a position that often is simply asked to occupy space.

At 6’5” and 302 pounds, Williams has the length, strength and athleticism to contribute right away, and he demonstrated critical versatility at USC by lining up at multiple points along the line. He is also too powerful to simply block with one lineman, especially in short-yardage situations.

Ndamukong Suh is a game-changer in the middle of the line because of his ability to occupy multiple blockers and free up his teammates to make plays in space. Williams can do exactly that and get in the quarterback’s face by attacking off the edge or through the middle.

Confidence is not an issue either given Williams' quotes, per Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News: “I felt that (I was the best player in the draft) for awhile. I’m a player that pushes myself the best I can. It was hard (to say I was the best) but I believe in myself.”

If Williams is the best player in the draft, he will contend for Rookie of the Year even as a defensive tackle.

Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Much like Cooper and White at wide receiver, there is a debate at running back between Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley.

In reality, both have the tools to be NFL stars, but Gurley is coming off a serious knee injury. All Gordon does is produce monster numbers, and he will contribute right away if he is drafted into a winning situation with an opening in the backfield (think the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals or San Diego Chargers).

Gordon finished the 2014 campaign with the second-most single-season rushing yards in FBS history at 2,587 to go along with his 32 total touchdowns. He failed to reach 100 rushing yards in only two games, and one of them was an early blowout against Western Illinois that saw him only carry the ball 17 times.

By comparison, Gordon topped 200 rushing yards in six games last year, including the 408 yards he tallied against Nebraska.

There is a stereotype about Wisconsin football that the Badgers grind out tough yards over the middle with physical play, but Gordon has the explosiveness to turn a five-yard play into a 40-yard touchdown. He is also more than capable of picking up those difficult yards in the red zone if needed.

Gordon will carry the load for a contender right away if he is drafted late in the first round. That will be enough for Rookie of the Year consideration.