Tears and Jeers: 2015 NFL Draft

May 1, 2015

With yet another successful night of trades, surprises, and pure business that left fans all over the country in both joy and fits of rage.

Every year we spend months analyzing and watching prospects’ every move. And mostly all of this hype and tension is built for the first round.

So following this years draft in Chicago here’s what we can take—

Draft#	Team	Player	Position	School	Grade	Comment
1	Tampa BayBuccaneers	Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State	A-	With a desperate need at QB, you can almost never blame a team for going that direction, While Winston has plenty of questions regarding his behavior on and off the field, he also has just as many upsides with a high game IQ and strong arm.
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon	B+	With over 4,500 yards, 42 TD’s, and close to 800 Yards rushing, he is one dangerous football player who gets his numbers and wins. The only questions that surround him are the uncertainty with how he’ll adapt in the pro’s where the receivers aren’t as wide open as at Oregon.
3	JacksonvilleJaguars	Dante Fowler Jr.	DE	Florida	A	A guy who hopes to be the next Lawrence Taylor,he sure sets the bar high for himself. Fowler is one of the most explosive players in the country who simply catapults himself at the QB. His size is often his downside, something he can easily change once he hits a professional weight room.
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama	B	Originally considered the best receiver in the draft, Cooper brings an amazing ability to get a ten yard pass and turn it into a 30 yard gain. Once he gets his quick hands on the ball he puts on the jets and runs it like RB. Many are unsure how he’ll translate against star covers. If he can’t get open, his running ability becomes useless
5	Washington Redskins	Brandon Scherff	OT	Iowa	B+	A physical tone setter, he plays with a force like many pro bowlers in the league today. Considered very pro-ready, after measurements his length could become a problem in the pros with D-lineman who are absolutely huge.
6	New York Jets	Leonard Williams	DL	USC	A	Who many consider the best defensive player in the draft, Williams has a knack for getting on top of the ball and moving people out of his way at will. Only a few can imagine what he has to bring to the table the Jets though, considering he’ll be alongside pro bowlers Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson
7	Chicago Bears	Kevin White	WR	West Virginia	A	After shipping Brandon Marshall to New York to remove some cap space, White fills a much needed role at the WR spot. A guy who is a physical specimen with a work ethic to match the skys the limit if he can get past his need to line up on the outside every play.
8	Atlanta Falcons	Vic Beasley	DE	Clemson	B	A position the Falcons desperately needed after having the fewest amount of sacks in the last four years. Purely a pass rusher, he doesn’t play with the right explosiveness to press against the rush. Something he lacked in college as well.
9	New York Giants	Ereck Flowers	OT	Miami	B-	Somewhat of a reach at nine, he someone considered for a mid to late first round pick. But he certainly has the size to play in the pros. 6’6 over 300 pounds, Flowers plays the run game beautifully but his pass protection needs work, especially considering New York’s rising passing attack.
10	St. Louis Rams	Todd Gurley	RB	Georgia	B	The biggest question mark in the draft, high hopes are placed on Gurley as he heads to St. Louis. In no doubt is he one of the most dynamic football players in the whole country but after tearing his ACL it all seemed to spiral downhill. A huge red flag no one knows if he’ll ever be himself again. He could be the next AP coming of a torn ACL or the next Jamal Anderson. Who? Exactly.
11	Minnesota Vikings	Trae Waynes	DB	Michigan St.	B	A pass coverage with a lot to offer with his athleticism and ability to get a hand on the ball to disrupt the catch. He plays mainly in man to man coverage and struggles in the zone and with his tackling.
12	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton	DT	Washington	B+	A very smart and emotional player, Delton is a unique player on the inside of the D-line. He plugs up lanes, defending the run and can chase down the ball after leading his team in tackles, a rarity amongst DT’s. If he improves his pass rushing he has the chance to be comparable to players like Haloti Ngata and Vince Wilfork.
13	New Orleans Saints	Andrus Peat	OT	Stanford	C+	A very tall player who has family ties to the NFL with his father playing when he was a boy. He seems to have a lot of natural talent that he hasn’t been able to tap into yet. Blocking for Brees he better learn pretty quick.
14	Miami Dolphins	DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville	B+	A versatile receiver who gives Miami the desperate need to stretch the field and open the offensive up for Tannehill, Parker is a great fit for the Dolphins and their rising stock in the AFC. He strength and durability could hinder him from moving forward though.
15	San Diego Chargers (from San Francisco)	Melvin Gordon	RB	Wisconsin	A	After falling short with Ryan Mathews, the Chargers have been looking for that guy in the back field since LT and Sproles. Drawing similarities to Jamaal Charles, Gordon has a lot to offer when it comes to running and catching the ball. Improving his fumble problem and cutting ability will decide how he produces in this league.
16	Houston Texans	Kevin Johnson	DB	Wake Forest	B-	Has mastered the back peddle and is very consistent in what he brings every week. He’s a great number two guy meaning he’ll fight well with guys around him who know what they’re doing. If he plans to cover the large receivers in the NFL, him putting on some weight is an absolute must.
17	San Francisco 49ers (from San Diego)	Arik Armstead	DE	Oregon	B-	A big maybe in this draft. He’s over 6’9 on the defensive line, but his numbers sure seem like he isn’t producing the way you’d like from a first rounder. Nonetheless, he played big in moments for the Ducks and has the potential to make something out of that in the NFL.
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Marcus Peters	DB	Washington	C+	Someone who has a history of being tardy, arguing with coaches, and failing drug tests, Peters didn’t even finish last season on the team. Some rate him as the hands down best DB in the draft and is a turnover machine. He’ll need to clean up his act if he doesn’t want to be out of this league before his 24th birthday.
19	Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo)	Cameron Erving	C	Florida St	C+	The guy who spent the season snapping the ball to the 1st overall pick, Erving solidified the offensive line for the Seminoles this year. He large but doesn’t seem to have the body to fit in on any pro offensive line. His skill is up there but he body is questionable.

20	Philadelphia Eagles	Nelson Agholor	WR	USC	C	An excellent return man who has great hands but doesn’t have the best speed or route running ability.
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Cedric Ogbuehi	OT	Texas A&M	B	Can play all through out the O-line and would have been considerably a top ten pick had he not been injured in college. If he can stay healthy he’s likely to be a star for an aging Cincinnati line.
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Bud Dupree	LB	Kentucky	B-	A natural born leader, he competes to his fullest every game. A great fit for what Pittsburgh is used to. Although he’s full of self motivation, questions of his actual talent but in the wonder how overrated he might be. Only time can tell if he can transition to the pros.
23	Denver Broncos (from Detroit)	Shane Ray	DE	Missouri	B	An absolute steal for the Broncos as a football talent. A guy who would have been a top ten pick in this very draft had he not gotten into trouble multiple times before the draft. First failing a drug test for Marijuana weeks before the draft and second only days before the draft he was cited for possession of a small amount of marijuana causing him to plummet down to the bottom of the first round.
24	Arizona Cardinals	D.J. Humphries	OT	Florida	C+	A natural left tackle who has seemed to under achieve throughout his career considering the flashes of what he’s capable. He’ll need to become more consistent to make his career last.
25	Carolina Panthers	Shaq Thompson	OLB	Washington	B-	This guy is one of the most versatile players you’ll ever see. A rare talent that can be drafted a LB and has the possibility to play S in the pros. Nothing can be predicted about what this guy will do on a week to week basis in the league.
26	Baltimore Ravens	Breshad Perriman	WR	UCF	C+	Lining up opposite of Steve Smith, Perriman certainly has a high ceiling and will have plenty of reps following the loss of Torrey Smith. Questions of his ability to play the slot with decide how he comes into the Ravens offense.
27	Dallas Cowboys	Byron Jones	CB	UConn	B-	The man who set the world record for the broad jump, Jones is one athletic beast. With speed and jumping ability to keep up with any receiver coming across his way. Once he improves his zone work and relies less on pure athleticism, he’ll make a difference in the Dallas secondary.
28	Denver Broncos	Laken Tomlinson	OL	Duke	C	Not many Duke football players make it to the pros. And with players like Malcom Brown still on the board, many question what it is the Lions see in Tomlinson.
29	Indianapolis Colts	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Miami	C+	Considered the by far fastest player in the draft, Dorsett matches the speed of fellow receiver and now teammate T.Y. Hilton. Filling the role of Waynes, Dorsett’s got to learn to not rely on his speed and polish his route running.
30	Green Bay Packers	Damarious Randall	S	Arizona	C	A guy who will need to be eased into the game and isn’t a starter from day one, Randall could become a force in the coveted Packers defense.
31	New Orleans Saints (from Seattle)	Stephone Anthony	LB	Clemson	C	Really someone who was considered a second rounder, Anthony goes here in the first solely based of the Saints need for a S. Someone who has shown signs of inconsistency, he’ll need to become more grounded in hopes to start.
32	New England Patriots	Malcom Brown	DL	Texas	B-	Someone who surprisely slipped to the last pick of the first round, the Patriots may have done it again by drafting a big name guy everyone overlooked. Very large and very strong Brown will look to fill the role of Wilfork.