Top 15 Former 5-Star Recruits Selected in the 2015 NFL Draft

The 2015 NFL draft proved that stars and rankings aren't as important as some assume. Of the top 10 players drafted, only one—No. 1 draft pick Jameis Winston—was a 5-star player in his high school class.

In fact, three players were 3-star athletes. Even late first-rounder Breshad Perriman, the No. 26 player taken in the draft, was a 2-star receiver in high school. Chalk his success—and the success of many others—to the efforts put in at college, as well as the knowledge acquired through college coaches.

This draft of 2-star, 3-star and 4-star players should give young athletes something to shoot for, but aspiring for excellence is never a bad idea. Being a 5-star high school talent can have great results with hard work, as the following players drafted in the first and second rounds can attest.

QB Jameis Winston

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Hometown (high school):Hueytown, Alabama (Hueytown)

NFL draft selection: No. 1 overall

NFL team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Recruiting class: 2012 (Florida State)

Class rank: No. 15 overall (No. 1 DUAL)

Jameis Winston was the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school. He made evaluators look smart with his play on the field. He was able to parlay his skills to a Heisman Trophy in 2013.

Winston was drafted by Tampa Bay and, per NFL.com, signed a four-year, $23.35 million deal that includes a $16.7 million signing bonus. Before his college success, Winston chose Florida State over Alabama, LSU, Stanford and others.

OT Andrus Peat

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Hometown (school): Tempe, Arizona (Corona Del Sol)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 13 overall (first round)

NFL team: New Orleans Saints

Recruiting class: 2012 (Stanford)

Class rank: No. 30 overall (No. 4 OT)

Andrus Peat proved to be a valuable member of the Stanford offensive line. He started all 14 games for the Cardinal as a sophomore, and as a junior, he earned the Morris Trophy, which is awarded to the top lineman in the Pac-12.

Peat nearly had 40 scholarship offers in high school and chose Stanford over USC, Florida State, Nebraska and other programs. He's the son of Todd Peat, an offensive tackle who played seven seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Los Angeles Raiders.

DE Arik Armstead

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Hometown (school): Elk Grove, California (Pleasant Grove)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 17 overall (first round)

NFL team: San Francisco 49ers

Recruiting class: 2012 (Oregon)

Class rank: No. 14 overall (No. 1 ATH)

Coming out of high school as a two-sport standout, Arik Armstead had the size and savvy to play multiple positions on the offensive and defensive lines. He went to Oregon as a defensive end and also was a member of the basketball team before using his junior year to play football full time. He had nine tackles in the College Football Playoff national title game against Ohio State.

Armstead signed with Oregon over offers from USC, Cal, Washington, Auburn and Notre Dame. Armstead can play defensive end, but his athleticism and overall upside should give the 49ers the option to play him either at defensive end or defensive tackle.

WR Nelson Agholor

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Tampa, Florida (Berkeley Prep)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 20 overall (first round)

NFL team: Philadelphia Eagles

Recruiting class: 2012 (USC)

Class rank: No. 31 overall (No. 3 ATH)

In high school, Nelson Agholor was considered one of the nation's most versatile players. When he made it to USC, he showed himself to be a premier wide receiver in the Pac-12, leading the Trojans in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,313) and touchdowns (12) as a junior. He also was USC's primary punt returner.

Agholor has emerged as one of the best route-runners in the draft. Back in 2012, he chose USC over Notre Dame, Florida State, Florida and Oklahoma.

OT D.J. Humphries

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Hometown (school): Charlotte, North Carolina (Mallard Creek)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 24 overall (first round)

NFL team: Arizona Cardinals

Recruiting class: 2012 (Florida)

Class rank: No. 3 overall (No. 1 OT)

There's a lot to like about D.J. Humphries. When healthy, Humphries is a dominant lineman with a level of tenacity and nastiness that earned him all-conference honors as a freshman. Humphries has had to overcome injuries the last two years, but the ceiling is high for him in a Cardinals uniform.

Humphries, now 6'5" and 307 pounds, was the nation's top-ranked offensive tackle in the 2012 class. He chose Florida over offers from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and a handful of other programs.

LB Shaq Thompson

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Sacramento, California (Grant Union)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 25 overall (first round)

NFL team: Carolina Panthers

Recruiting class: No. 4 overall (No. 1 S)

Class rank: 2012 (Washington)

Arguably the most versatile player drafted in the first round, Shaq Thompson played outside linebacker, inside linebacker, safety and running back for Washington. Look for him to be used as an outside linebacker in the NFL, but don't be surprised if the Panthers take advantage of his versatility.

Thompson chose Washington over Oregon, Notre Dame, Arizona State and several other schools. In addition to being a football standout, he also was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.

DT Malcom Brown

Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Brenham, Texas (Brenham)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 32 overall (first round)

NFL team: New England Patriots

Recruiting class: 2012 (Texas)

Class rank: No. 9 overall (No. 2 DT)

Malcolm Brown could be the steal of the draft. The former Texas Longhorns defensive lineman was a Nagurski Trophy (top defensive player) and Outland Trophy (top interior lineman) finalist, and he led the Longhorns in both tackles for loss and sacks last season.

Brown's recruiting process ended relatively early. While he was a 2012 signee, he committed to Texas on April 3, 2011, choosing the Longhorns over offers from Texas A&M, Oklahoma, TCU and several other schools.

S Landon Collins

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Hometown (school): Geismar, Louisiana (Dutchtown)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 33 overall (No. 1 in the second round)

NFL team: New York Giants

Recruiting class: 2012 (Alabama)

Class rank: No. 7 overall (No. 2 S)

When he was in the box, Landon Collins was one of the most impressive safeties in all of college football this past season. As an all-SEC selection and a finalist for several individual honors, Collins had a team-high 103 tackles and three interceptions, helping Alabama advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Collins, the No. 2 safety in the country as a high school senior, chose Alabama over LSU during the 2012 Under Armour All-America Game. His commitment ultimately became one of the most discussed recruiting stories of the class.

DT Mario Edwards Jr.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Denton, Texas (Ryan)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 35 overall (No. 3 in the second round)

NFL team: Oakland Raiders

Recruiting class: 2012 (Florida State)

Class rank: No. 2 overall (No. 1 DT)

Depending on with whom you talk, Mario Edwards Jr. was the best player of the entire talented 2012 class. The son of a former Seminole and former NFL defensive back, Edwards is capable of playing defensive tackle or defensive end. He ended his college career as a two-time all-ACC selection.

Edwards' recruiting process included Texas, LSU and Oklahoma, but he chose to follow in his father's footsteps at Florida State. The decision proved to be a good one, as he won a BCS national championship as a sophomore.

RB T.J. Yeldon

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Daphne, Alabama (Daphne)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 36 overall (No. 4 in the second round)

NFL team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Recruiting class: 2012 (Alabama)

Class rank: No. 28 overall (No. 2 RB)

The Jaguars have been looking for someone to take the reigns as a running back leader since Maurice Jones-Drew left. T.J. Yeldon can be the answer. A big back at 6'1" and 226 pounds, Yeldon possesses good speed, solid hands to catch passes out the backfield and excellent lateral movement.

Before Yeldon was an all-SEC player for Alabama, he was the nation's No. 2 running back in the Class of 2012. He signed with Alabama over schools such as Auburn and USC.

DT Eddie Goldman

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Hometown (school): Washington, D.C. (Friendship Academy)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 39 overall (No. 7 in the second round)

NFL team: Chicago Bears

Recruiting class: 2012 (Florida State)

Class rank: No. 10 overall (No. 3 DT)

Eddie Goldman made it a priority to disrupt run plays using his size (6'4", 336 lbs) and strength. As an all-ACC defensive tackle, Goldman was a key contributor on a defensive unit that helped the Seminoles win the BCS national title in 2013. He is a bull-rusher who is reliable in short-yard situations.

Goldman committed to Florida State in early February 2012, days before national signing day. He chose the Seminoles over Auburn, Alabama, Miami and several other programs.

WR Dorial Green-Beckham

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Springfield, Missouri (Hillcrest)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 40 overall (No. 8 in the second round)

NFL team: Tennessee Titans

Recruiting class: 2012 (Missouri)

Class rank: No. 1 overall

It's been a roller-coaster ride for Dorial Green-Beckham, the No. 1 player out of the 2012 class. Multiple off-field issues led to his dismissal from Missouri. He then transferred to Oklahoma and sat out a year before choosing to enter the draft.

With everything that's happened, Green-Beckham still is considered an outstanding football player, and he can help the Titans if he stays on the right path. The former No. 1 overall player of the 2012 class had 20 reported offers coming out of high school.

CB Ronald Darby

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Oxon Hill, Maryland (Potomac)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 50 overall (No. 18 in the second round)

NFL team: Buffalo Bills

Recruiting class: 2012 (Florida State)

Class rank: No. 25 overall (No. 2 CB)

Buffalo has a nice group of cornerbacks, and it added another solid addition in Ronald Darby, a smothering prospect with blazing speed (4.38 40-yard dash). Darby is an all-ACC defensive back who relies on his speed and good hands to break up plays. He was a member of Team USA's sprint medley relay group that won a gold medal at the 2011 World Youth Championships in France.

Darby was the nation's No. 2 cornerback in the 2012 class, and he had nearly 30 reported offers in high school. He chose Florida State over Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame, Maryland and others.

RB Duke Johnson

Joel Auerbach/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Miami, Florida (Norland)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 77 overall (No. 13 in the third round)

NFL team: Cleveland Browns

Recruiting class: 2012 (Miami)

Class rank: No. 19 overall (No. 3 APB)

Of all the running backs of the past to come out of Miami, Duke Johnson left the school as the all-time rushing leader with 3,519 career yards. That includes 1,652 rushing yards during the 2014 season. Johnson is a shifty, athletic back who could be an impact player for a rising Cleveland team.

Johnson's college recruiting included offers from Florida, Texas and several other programs. The 2012 standout, however, chose Miami early in the process, committing to the Hurricanes in October 2010. He runs with power, speed and elusiveness.

WR Stefon Diggs

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Hometown (school): Olney, Maryland (Good Counsel)

NFL draft selection (round): No. 146 overall (No. 10 in the fifth round)

NFL team: Minnesota Vikings

Recruiting class: 2012 (Maryland)

Class rank: No. 8 overall (No. 2 WR)

Considered an instinctive playmaker, Stefon Diggs has home run capabilities every time he touches the ball. Diggs may have been a steal in the fifth round, as he is a solid route-runner who can line up effectively at multiple spots on the field. He was an all-Big Ten selection last season.

Diggs was a top-10 national target for multiple schools but chose Maryland to stay close to home and help build a program moving from the ACC to the Big Ten. Diggs had more than 30 reported offers but had Ohio State, Florida and Auburn high on his list, along with Maryland.

Damon Sayles is a national recruiting analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles