We have ranked prospects for the 2015 NFL draft since last summer, and are providing our final update with our Top 300 on Wednesday. But another tool that I find valuable every year is our draft tier rankings, which identifies the different levels of talent drop-off in this class. This can help when comparing players who are close to each other in the rankings. It also helps with predicting where players will come off the board during the first three rounds of the draft.
Here are our draft tiers for 2015, covering players with first-, second- and third-round grades (which are in parentheses next to each player's name):
Tier 1
This is the elite class of prospects in the 2015 NFL draft. They should be starters from day one and project as perennial Pro Bowl players.
1. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (Grade: 97)
2. Leonard Williams, DE, USC (96)
Tier 2
A notch below the elite class, but still worthy of a top-10 pick in most drafts.
3. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama (94)
Tier 3
These players are good values between picks 10 and 20 in an average draft class.
4. Kevin White, WR, West Virginia (93)
5. Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida (93)
6. Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon (93)
7. Brandon Scherff, G/T, Iowa (93)
8. DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville (92)
9. Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia (92)
Tier 4
These players carry late first-round grades.
10. Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon (91)
11. Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska (91)
12. Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State (91)
13. Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford (91)
14. Danny Shelton, NT, Washington (90)
15. Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF (90)
16. Cameron Erving, C, Florida State (90)
17. Shane Ray, OLB, Missouri (90)
18. Malcom Brown, DT, Texas (90)
19. Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami (FL) (90)
20. La'el Collins, G/T, LSU (90)
21. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin (90)
22. Marcus Peters, CB, Washington (90)
23. Landon Collins, S, Alabama (90)
Tier 5
Teams would rather not reach for these prospects in the late first round, but they are good value picks in Round 2.
24. Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest (89)
25. Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky (89)
26. Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State (89)
27. Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State (89)
28. D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida (89)
29. Nelson Agholor, WR, USC (89)
30. Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA (88)
31. Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State (88)
32. Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (FL) (88)
33. Eli Harold, OLB, Virginia (88)
34. Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson (88)
35. Byron Jones, CB, UConn (88)
36. T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh (88)
37. Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M (88)
38. Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan (87)
39. Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB, Washington (86)
40. Jalen Collins, CB, LSU (86)
41. Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State (86)
42. Mike Bennett, DT, Ohio State (86)
43. Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami (FL) (86)
44. Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State (85)
45. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska (85)
46. Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri/Oklahoma (85)
47. Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma (85)
Tier 6
These are mid-to-late second-round prospects.
48. Mario Edwards Jr., DE, Florida State (84)
49. Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota (84)
50. Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson (83)
51. Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon (83)
52. Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson (83)
53. Owa Odighizuwa, DE, UCLA (82)
54. Eric Rowe, CB, Utah (82)
55. Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke (81)
56. Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State (81)
57. Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State (81)
58. Carl Davis, DT, Iowa (81)
59. Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas (80)
60. P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State (80)
61. Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State (80)
62. Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State (80)
63. Clive Walford, TE, Miami (FL) (80)
Tier 7
These players are late Day 2 prospects.
64. T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama (79)
65. Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn (79)
66. Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah (78)
67. Duke Johnson, RB, Miami (FL) (78)
68. Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana (78)
69. Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State (78)
70. Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington (78)
71. Senquez Golson, CB, Ole Miss (78)
72. P.J. Dawson, OLB, TCU (77)
73. A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina (77)
74. Markus Golden, DE, Missouri (77)
75. Quinten Rollins, Miami (OH) (77)
76. Kwon Alexander, LSU (76)
77. Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers (75)
78. Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU (74)
79. Tre' Jackson, G, Florida State (73)
80. Justin Hardy, WR, ECU (73)
81. Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor (73)
82. Anthony Harris, S, Virginia (73)
83. Henry Anderson, DE, Stanford (73)
84. Ali Marpet, G, Hobart (72)
85. Ty Sambrailo, OT, Colorado State (72)
86. Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State (72)
87. D.J. Smith, CB, Florida Atlantic (72)
88. Doran Grant, CB, Ohio State (71)
89. Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon (71)
90. Daryl Williams, OT, Oklahoma (71)
91. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon (70)
92. James Sample, S, Louisville (70)
93. Robert Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin (70)
94. Buck Allen, RB, USC (70)
95. Sean Mannion, QB, Oregon State (70)