NFL Draft 2015: Complete Order and Defensive Prospects to Watch
March 4, 2015In less than two months, the 2015 NFL draft will finally commence. That leaves little room for error for some of the top draft prospects following the NFL Scouting Combine.
Several players emerged during the showcase event and moved up draft boards, including Vic Beasley, Trae Waynes and Byron Jones. Following the combine, Jones went from being virtually unknown to a near lock as at least a second-round pick.
On the other side, players like Paul Dawson and Shaq Thompson were underwhelming during the process. Both will have some work to do to convince teams that they can excel as linebackers at the next level.
Before the draft process winds down, here's a look at the full draft order and defensive stars to watch.
2015 NFL Draft First-Round Order | |
Pick | Team |
1 | Tampa Bay |
2 | Tennessee |
3 | Jacksonville |
4 | Oakland |
5 | Washington |
6 | New York Jets |
7 | Chicago |
8 | Atlanta |
9 | New York Giants |
10 | St. Louis |
11 | Minnesota |
12 | Cleveland |
13 | New Orleans |
14 | Miami |
15 | San Francisco |
16 | Houston |
17 | San Diego |
18 | Kansas City |
19 | Cleveland (From Buffalo) |
20 | Philadelphia |
21 | Cincinnati |
22 | Pittsburgh |
23 | Detroit |
24 | Arizona |
25 | Carolina |
26 | Baltimore |
27 | Dallas |
28 | Denver |
29 | Indianapolis |
30 | Green Bay |
31 | Seattle |
32 | New England |
NFL.com |
Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
Coming into the combine, there was some doubt as to whether or not Vic Beasley was an elite prospect. At just 235 pounds, the 6'3" defensive end was seen as undersized and lacking the bulk it takes to shine as a defensive end in the NFL.
He erased any concerns by blowing up his competition at the combine. Beasley had the fastest 40-yard dash (4.53 seconds), most reps on the bench press (35) and ranked inside the top three in the vertical jump and broad jump.
While several analysts will make comparisons for Beasley, he believes he's already similar to a certain Denver Broncos linebacker.
"A lot of teams saw me with my hand in the ground, comparing me to guys like Cameron Wake, but I like to compare myself to Von Miller," Beasley said, per Reid Ferrin of AtlantaFalcons.com. "He's able to drop in coverage, and we have the same body size, so I try to compare myself after him."
If he puts together a career like either one of those players, Beasley has a chance to be a superstar in the NFL. After standing out at the combine, the sky is literally the limit for this Clemson prospect.
Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
Quickly becoming known as "Cornerback U," Waynes is just the latest top defensive star to come out of Michigan State. Following in the footsteps of Darqueze Dennard from last season, the 6'0" Waynes didn't need to prove much to remain a first-round lock for the 2015 draft.
Let's just say he didn't rest on his laurels.
Waynes went out and posted a 4.31 40-yard dash and 19 reps on the bench press, both topping all corners at the combine. Instead of improving his stock, Waynes essentially just stayed at the top of the cornerback class.
Former cornerback-turned-NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders believes Waynes will be elite.
"Trae Waynes solidified himself as one of the elite amongst this group," Sanders said, via NFL.com. "He can flat out fly. He's really smooth in his ball drills and breaking and coming in and out of his breaks. I like that."
If there's one former defensive back that knows what it takes to thrive at the next level, it's Primetime. Thanks to his stellar career and standout numbers at the combine, Waynes has a chance to be the top overall corner when the draft rolls around.
Dante Fowler, DE/OLB, Florida
Dante Fowler has a chance to be phenomenal at the NFL level. That seems like a given, but his stock saw another jump following the combine.
He wasn't exactly a workout warrior like Waynes or Beasley, but Fowler still lived up to the hype. His 4.60 40-yard dash and 112-inch broad jump make him a terror for any opposing quarterback. Whoever takes this former Gator will potentially have a rookie that can start Week 1, via Matt Miller of Bleacher Report:
With several teams in the top 10 that need a game-changing defensive player, Fowler might have guaranteed himself a spot near the top. Look for Fowler to have his name called early and make an impact right away for some lucky NFL team.
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