The NFL draft order is nearly set for 2015 and mock draft picks have already started going out for teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans and NY Jets, as those teams are likely in the top five and that means they will be in line to target names like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota or Amari Cooper come the spring.
The Titans, Buccaneers and Jets are all likely to target quarterbacks in the first round of the draft this year, while the Raiders may stick with Derek Carr over making another major move. The Raiders are projected to pick Amari Cooper by some draft predictions, as they could end up in the top three of the top five depending on how the final week shakes out. The Titans and Buccaneers both have been rumored in connection with Mariota, while Winston is likely the second QB taken off the board.
Names like Marcus Mariota, Amari Cooper, Jameis Winston, Vic Beasley and Shane Ray are considered to be some of the top prospects in the drafts and players like Melvin Gordon and Jaelen Strong also could be opt picks. The Buccaneers have the inside track to the number one pick, as they have the advantage in strength of schedule with the Titans. That means the Bucs can lose on Sunday and so can the Titans, but it will be Tampa Bay who gets the top pick if they have the same record.
The Jets are in the mix for a top three pick along with the Jaguars and Raiders, while Washington now has four wins no the season. The Bears are in with the Carolina Panthers, Vikings, Giants and Falcons, while the Saints and Rams are next on the list. Mariota likely will go to the Bucs if they get that pick and the Titans also could be in the mix for him if they want to trade or end up on top. The Jets are a target for Winston, but it's unclear if he will get past the top few picks if they are back farther than three.
Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong is another name to watch and he comes in as a underclassman. Strong comes in after putting up great numbers with Arizona State, going for 75 catches for 1,062 yards and 10 touchdowns. Along with Cooper he should be one of the top receivers and after the way the WR position has performed this season, teams will be looking at these young stars.
In the NFL this year there have been a number of stellar rookie WRs, including Odell Beckham and Kelvin Benjamin. Beckham has been the most impressive and he may win rookie of the year. Beckham tops the class with Benjamin, Mike Evans, Brandin Cooks, Jordan Matthews and John Brown among others.
