The 2015 NFL Draft officially came to a close last night after three action-packed days in Chicago. Now that the chaos of the draft has subsided, here are my picks for what teams made the biggest splash and what teams missed the mark, the biggest reaches and steals, and a deep collection of other post-draft lists and analysis that you may or may not want.
Biggest Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have quietly been getting stronger by the season under head coach Gus Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell and their third draft together was easily their most impressive work to date. They addressed all of their needs on both sides of the ball and made consistently smart selections throughout the draft. 1st round pick Dante Fowler Jr. has the most upside of any pass-rusher in the draft, 3rd round pick A.J. Cann is a mauler that immediately adds toughness to an offensive line that desperately needs it and the late-round selections of two players that were touted as 2nd-3rd round talents (wide receiver Rashad Greene and defensive tackle Michael Bennett) were amongst the top value picks of the entire draft. This strong draft class could be a huge factor in speeding up the Jaguars goal of finally getting out of the league's basement.
Honorable Mentions: Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings
Biggest Loser: Carolina Panthers
I've been critical of Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman's picks in the past and been proven wrong. Hell just last year I ripped the Panthers for taking wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the 1st round, who made me look like a total ass by having one of the strongest seasons of any rookie in the league in 2014. That being said, I'm really struggling to see how this draft class will improve this roster. The Panthers spent a 1st- round pick on a guy in Shaq Thompson who doesn't have a true position then proceeded to trade away their 3rd and 6th picks to move up 16 spots in the 2nd round and select wide receiver Devin Funchess, who is a boom-or-bust prospect with some of the most inconsistent hands and route-running of any wideout in this draft class. Worst of all, the Panthers once again all but completely ignored their biggest need at offensive line. Tackle Daryl Williams, who was selected in the 4th round, has some potential, but they really needed to bring more bodies in since they have no reliable starters aside from center Ryan Kalil currently on their line. The Panthers are knocking on the door of being legitimate title contenders, but I don't believe this draft class will do much to help improve their standing in the talent-loaded NFC.
Dishonorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts, San Fransisco 49ers
Biggest Steal: Malcom Brown, defensive tackle (Round 1, 32nd overall, New England Patriots)
I'm still in awe that Malcom Brown fell into the Patriots lap at the tail-end of the 1st round. Brown was a top 15-caliber prospect who has a nose for the ball and is quite possibly the best pure interior run-stuffer in this draft class. Brown should help immediately patch up the defensive line and rush defense woes that plagued the Patriots a year ago.
Honorable Mentions: Shane Ray, defensive end/outside linebacker (Round 1, 23rd overall, Denver Broncos), Jaelen Strong, wide receiver (Round 3, 70th overall, Houston Texans), Maxx Williams, tight end (Round 2, 55th overall, Baltimore Ravens), Eric Kendricks, inside linebacker (Round 2, 45th overall, Minnesota Vikings)
Biggest Reach: Marcus Mariota, quarterback (Round 1, 2nd overall, Tennessee Titans)
Marcus Mariota has already been touted as a savior for the Tennessee Titans, but I just don't see it. Spending the 2nd pick in the draft on a guy who's never played in a pro-style system, panics when his first read isn't open and has next-to-no pocket awareness doesn't really make a whole lot of sense to me, especially given how talent-barren the Titans roster is on the whole. If Mariota ends up failing, the entire organization is going to regret not taking Philadelphia's insane trade offer for the number 2 pick.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ereck Flowers, tackle (Round 1,9th overall, New York Giants), Shaq Thompson, (Round 1, 25th overall, Carolina Panthers), Cedric Ogbuehi, tackle (Round 1, 21st overall, Cincinnati Bengals), Frank Clark, defensive end (Round 2, 63rd overall, Seattle Seahawks)
Top 5 Potential Sleepers:
1.Jamison Crowder, wide receiver (Round 4, 105th overall, Washington Redskins)
2.Ifo Expre-Olumu, cornerback (Round 7, 241st overall, Cleveland Browns)
3.Kwon Alexander, outside linebacker (Round 4, 124th overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
4.JaCorey Shepard, cornerback (Round 6, 191st overall, Philadelphia Eagles)
5.MyCole Pruitt, tight end (Round 5, 143rd overall, Minnesota Vikings)
Top 5 Potential Busts
1.Marcus Mariota, quarterback (Round 1, 2nd overall, Tennessee Titans)
2.Arik Armstead, defensive tackle/end (Round 1, 17th overall, San Fransisco 49ers)
3.Jalen Collins, cornerback (Round 2, 42nd overall, Atlanta Falcons)
4.Cedric Ogbuehi, tackle (Round 1, 21st overall, Cincinnati Bengals)
5.Shaq Thompson, outside linebacker/safety (Round 1, 25th overall, Carolina Panthers)
Top 50 Prospects
1.Leonard Williams, defensive tackle/end (USC) selected 6th overall by the New York Jets
2.Dante Fowler Jr., outside linebacker/defensive end (Florida) selected 3rd overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars
3.Kevin White, wide receiver (West Virginia), selected 7th overall by the Chicago Bears
4.Vic Beasley, outside linebacker (Clemson), selected 8th overall by the Atlanta Falcons
5.Amari Cooper, wide receiver (Alabama), selected 4th overall by the Oakland Raiders
6.Brandon Scherff, guard/tackle (Iowa), selected 5th overall by the Washington Redskins
7.Todd Gurley, running back (Georgia), selected 10th overall by the St. Louis Rams
8.Trae Waynes, cornerback (Michigan State), selected 11th overall by the Minnesota Vikings
9.Alvin "Bud" Dupree, defensive end/outside linebacker (Kentucky), selected 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers
10.Danny Shelton, defensive tackle (Washington), selected 12th overall by the Cleveland Browns
11.Shane Ray, defensive end/outside linebacker (Missouri), selected 23rd overall by the Denver Broncos
12.Dorial Green-Beckham, wide receiver (Missouri), selected 40th overall by the Tennessee Titans
13.Malcom Brown, defensive tackle (Texas), selected 32nd overall by the New England Patriots
14.Kevin Johnson, cornerback (Wake Forest), selected 16th overall by the Houston Texans
15.Landon Collins, safety (Alabama), selected 33rd overall by the New York Giants
16.Nelson Agholor, wide receiver (USC), selected 20th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles
17.Cameron Erving, center/guard/tackle (Florida State), selected 19th overall by the Cleveland Browns
18.Andrus Peat, tackle (Stanford), selected 13th overall by the New Orleans Saints
19.Jameis Winston, quarterback (Florida State), selected 1st overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20.Eric Kendricks, inside linebacker (UCLA), selected 45th overall by the Minnesota Vikings
21.Laken Tomlinson, guard (Duke), selected 28th overall by the Detroit Lions
22.Jaelen Strong, wide receiver (Arizona State), selected 70th overall by the Houston Texans
23.Denzel Perryman, inside linebacker (Miami) selected 48th overall by the San Diego Chargers
24.DeVante Parker, wide receiver (Louisville), selected 14th overall by the Miami Dolphins
25.Maxx Williams, tight end (Minnesota), selected 55th overall by the Baltimore Ravens
26.Byron Jones, cornerback (Connecticut), selected 27th overall by the Dallas Cowboys
27.D.J. Humphries, tackle (Florida), selected 24th overall by the Arizona Cardinals
28.Breshad Perriman, wide receiver (Central Florida), selected 26th overall by the Baltimore Ravens
29.Ameer Abdullah, running back (Nebraska), selected 54th overall by the Detroit Lions
30.Jake Fisher, tackle (Oregon), selected 53rd overall by the Cincinnati Bengals
31.Ronald Darby, cornerback (Florida State), selected 50th overall by the Buffalo Bills
32.Jay Ajayi, running back (Boise State), selected 149th overall by the Miami Dolphins
33.Carl Davis, defensive tackle (Iowa), selected 90th overall by the Baltimore Ravens
34.Marcus Peters, cornerback (Washington), selected 18th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs
35.Ereck Flowers, tackle (Miami), selected 9th overall by the New York Giants
36.Randy Gregory, outside linebacker (Nebraska), selected 60th overall by the Dallas Cowboys
37.Eddie Goldman, defensive tackle/end (Florida State), selected 39th overall by the Chicago Bears
38.Benardrick McKinney, inside linebacker (Mississippi State), selected 43rd overall by the Houston Texans
39.Phillip Dorsett, wide receiver (Miami), selected 29th overall by the Indianapolis Colts
40.Eli Harold, outside linebacker (Virginia), selected 79th overall by the San Fransisco 49ers
41.A.J. Cann, guard (South Carolina), selected 67th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars
42.Damarious Randall, safety (Arizona State), selected 30th overall by the Green Bay Packers
43.Duke Johnson, running back (Miami), selected 77th overall by the Cleveland Browns
44.Paul Dawson, inside linebacker (TCU), selected 99th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals
45.Jordan Phillips, defensive tackle (Oklahoma), selected 52nd overall by the Miami Dolphins
46.Stephone Anthony, inside linebacker (Clemson), selected 31st overall by the New Orleans Saints
47.Devin Smith, wide receiver (Ohio State), selected 37th overall by the New York Jets
48.Melvin Gordon, running back (Wisconsin), selected 15th overall by the San Diego Chargers
49.Tyler Lockett, wide receiver (Kansas State), selected 69th overall by the Seattle Seahawks
50.T.J. Yeldon, running back (Alabama), selected 36th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Top 5 Players by Position
Quarterback
1.Jameis Winston (Florida State) NFL Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2.Bryce Petty (Baylor) NFL Team: New York Jets
3.Brett Hundley (UCLA) NFL Team: Green Bay Packers
4.Marcus Mariota (Oregon) NFL Team: Tennessee Titans
5.Sean Mannion (Oregon State) NFL Team: St. Louis Rams
Running Back
1.Todd Gurley (Georgia) NFL Team: St. Louis Rams
2.Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) NFL Team: Detroit Lions
3.Jay Ajayi (Boise State) NFL Team: Miami Dolphins
4.Duke Johnson (Miami) NFL Team: Cleveland Browns
5.Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) NFL Team: San Diego Chargers
Wide Receiver
1.Kevin White (West Virginia) NFL Team: Chicago Bears
2.Amari Cooper (Alabama) NFL Team: Oakland Raiders
3.Dorial Green-Beckham (Missouri) NFL Team: Tennessee Titans
4.Nelson Agholor (USC) NFL Team: Philadelphia Eagles
5.Jaelen Strong (Arizona State) NFL Team: Houston Texans
Tight End
1.Maxx Williams (Minnesota) NFL Team: Baltimore Ravens
2.Clive Walford (Miami) NFL Team: Oakland Raiders
3.Blake Bell (Oklahoma) NFL Team: San Fransisco 49ers
4.Nick O'Leary (Florida State) NFL Team: Buffalo Bills
5.Tyler Kroft (Rutgers) NFL Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Tackle
1.Andrus Peat (Stanford) NFL Team: New Orleans Saints
2.D.J. Humphries (Florida) NFL Team: Arizona Cardinals
3.Jake Fisher (Oregon) NFL Team: Cincinnati Bengals
4.Ereck Flowers (Miami) NFL Team: New York Giants
5.T.J. Clemmings (Pittsburgh) NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings
Center
1.Cameron Erving (Florida State) NFL Team: Cleveland Browns
2.Hrnoiss Grasu (Oregon) NFL Team: Chicago Bears
3.Ali Marpet (Hobart) NFL Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4.Resse Dismukes (Auburn) NFL Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
5.Andy Gallik (Boston College) NFL Team: Tennessee Titans
Guard
1.Brandon Scherff (Iowa) NFL Team: Washington Redskins
2.Laken Tomlinson (Duke) NFL Team: Detroit Lions
3.A.J. Cann (South Carolina) NFL Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
4.Tre' Jackson (Florida State) NFL Team: New England Patriots
5.John Miller (Louisville) NFL Team: Buffalo Bills
Defensive End
1.Dante Fowler. Jr (Florida) NFL Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
2.Bud Dupree (Kentucky) NFL Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
3.Shane Ray (Missouri) NFL Team: Denver Broncos
4.Owamagbe Odighizuwa (UCLA) NFL Team: New York Giants
5.Danielle Hunter (LSU) NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings
Defensive Tackle
1.Leonard Williams (USC) NFL Team: New York Jets
2.Danny Shelton (Washington) NFL Team: Cleveland Browns
3.Malcom Brown (Texas) NFL Team: New England Patriots
4.Carl Davis (Iowa) NFL Team: Baltimore Ravens
5.Eddie Goldman (Florida State) NFL Team: Chicago Bears
Inside Linebacker
1.Eric Kendricks (UCLA) NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings
2.Denzel Perryman (Miami) NFL Team: San Diego Chargers
3.Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State) NFL Team: Houston Texans
4.Paul Dawson (TCU) NFL Team: Cincinnati Bengals
5.Stephone Anthony (Clemson) NFL Team: New Orleans Saints
Outside Linebacker
1.Vic Beasley (Clemson) NFL Team: Atlanta Falcons
2.Randy Gregory (Nebraska) NFL Team: Dallas Cowboys
3.Eli Harold (Virgina) NFL Team: San Fransisco 49ers
4.Preston Smith (Mississippi State) NFL Team: Washington Redskins
5.Hau'oli Kikaha (Washington) NFL Team: New Orleans Saints
Cornerback
1.Trae Waynes (Michigan State) NFL Team: Minnesota Vikings
2.Kevin Johnson (Wake Forest) NFL Team: Houston Texans
3.Byron Jones (Connecticut) NFL Team: Dallas Cowboys
4.Ronald Darby (Florida State) NFL Team: Buffalo Bills
5.Marcus Peters (Washington) NFL Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Safety
1.Landon Collins (Alabama) NFL Team: New York Giants
2.Damarious Randall (Arizona State) NFL Team: Green Bay Packers
3.Jaquiski Tartt (Samford) NFL Team: San Fransisco 49ers
4.Derron Smith (Fresno State) NFL Team: Cincinnati Bengals
5.James Sample (Louisville) NFL Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Team Draft Grades (For a list of every team's selections, click here: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/tracker/by-round#dt-tabs:dt-by-team)
Arizona Cardinals: B-
Atlanta Falcons: B
Baltimore Ravens: A-
Buffalo Bills: B+
Carolina Panthers: C-
Chicago Bears: A
Cincinnati Bengals: A-
Cleveland Browns: A
Dallas Cowboys: B-
Denver Broncos: B
Detroit Lions: B+
Green Bay Packers: B-
Houston Texans: A
Indianapolis Colts: C
Jacksonville Jaguars: A
Kansas City Chiefs: C
Miami Dolphins: A-
Minnesota Vikings: A
New England Patriots: B+
New Orleans Saints: B+
New York Giants: B-
New York Jets: B+
Oakland Raiders: B
Philadelphia Eagles: B+
Pittsburgh Steelers: A-
San Diego Chargers: B
San Fransisco 49ers: C+
Seattle Seahawks: C
St. Louis Rams: B
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B
Tennessee Titans: B
Washington Redskins: B+
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