Recapping the 2015 NFL Draft: This Is a Football

Well, that was a boring draft.

After the many trades in last year's draft and the incredible amount of intrigue leading up to this one (will Sam Bradford be traded, will the Chargers or Eagles or Browns or your mom trade up to snag Marcus Mariota, etc.), I was thoroughly disappointed by how boring it was. On a positive note, at least the league finally realized that running backs actually kinda matter. Sure, the good ones are a dime a dozen, but the great ones are much harder to find and have a tremendous impact (see Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson). I would briefly summarize each team's draft and grade them, but that would take forever, so instead, let's do it by division (I am not lazy...).



NFC West

RB Todd Gurley (3) making another man miss.

The Rams pulled the biggest "what" of the draft by taking RB Todd Gurley with their No. 10 pick. I don't understand why, with 1000-yarder Zac Stacy and promising Tre Mason in the stable already. The Saints have already proven that having more than two good RBs results in them all being underused, with Mark Ingram only finally doing well when they gave him enough chances. The Seahawks grabbed some offensive and defensive linemen, as well as WR Tyler Lockett in the third round, which makes for a solid if unspectatular draft. But who can question the drafting record of Pete Carroll and John Schneider? The Cardinals got a solid OT in D.J. Humphries, which rounds off their originally terrible offensive line which looks much better with Humphries and Jason Veldheer at the tackle positions. They also got a good RB with David Johnson, but not quite the firepower that horrendous ground game needed. The 49ers got a good DT in Arik Armstead, but otherwise had an unmemorable draft. Everyone said that they needed linebackers with the losses of Patrick Wills and Chris Borland to retirement, but I see NaVorro Bowman, Michael Wilhoite, Desmond Bishop, Aldon Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Aaron Lynch and Philip Wheeler on that roster. I think they're far more capable than people realize, so mark my words: they won't miss a beat if they can stay injury-free.

Verdict: None of these picks blow me away, but the Gurley pick could end up giving St. Louis a dominant running game. Grade: C+



NFC North

Eric Kendricks (6 left) leaping over a blocker to make the sack.

The Vikings got a decent press corner with Trae Waynes, but ILB Eric Kendricks is the man to watch. If he's half the professional athlete that his brother Mychal (go Eagles!) is, he will be a force to be reckoned with and the linebacker the Vikings needed. The Packers focused on upgrading their defensive backs early in the draft, taking cover safety Damarious Randall and ballhawk corner Quinten Rollins, but neither of these possess the talent of, say, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman. The Bears got one of the best receivers in the draft with Kevin White, who should pair excellently with Alshon Jeffrey (complimented by superb slot man Eddie Royal) to give Jay Cutler more ways to show that he's just not a good quarterback. I also like C Hroniss Grasu and RB Jeremy Langford to help solidify their ground game, especially the void left by Roberto Garza at center. The Lions got a very good OG with Laken Tomlinson, but who's going to help fill the void at defensive tackle that Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley left behind? Haloti Ngata and fourth rounder Gabe Wright? Riiiiiiiight.

Verdict: Chicago came away with a lot of quality players at positions of need, while Green Bay and Minnesota upgraded their defenses. Grade: B+



NFC South

Jameis Winston (5) preparing to hit the crab legs dealer.

The Bucs took their man Jameis Winston with the No. 1 pick, but can he actually live up to that reputation? The rest of their draft was meh, so it all rides on Winston at quarterback (I personally think that he's another JaMarcus Russell). The Falcons got a terrific pass rusher with OLB Vic Beasley, then stole CB Jalen Collins in the second round and NT Grady Jarrett in the fifth round. They had quite the haul this year and I expect that defense to improve tremendously with these picks and their head coach, the former Seahawks DC Dan Quinn. The Panthers first three picks were all solid (OLB, WR, OG) but none stand out to me. The Saints pick of OT Andrus Peat would be great if they were a team like the Packers or Steelers with enough talent to stockpile future starters, but here it makes no sense for a Saints team that drastically needs defensive help. With so many other positions of need and a weak following draft, they have not convinced me that they will improve at all this season.

Verdict: Tampa Bay bet it all on Winston, but Atlanta was the only team to truly upgrade their roster with their whole draft. Verdict: C+



NFC East

Randy Gregory (44) getting a sack.

My Iggles bombed tremendously by missing out on QB Mariota, but we got a decent receiver with Nelson Agholor and a great corner in Eric Rowe. I'm skeptical on Agholor, but Rowe was a steal in the second round. The Cowboys filled a need with CB Byron Jones, but their steal of OLB Randy Gregory sticks out to me as a potentially defense-altering pick, especially with the loss of DeMarcus Ware still stinging. OG Ereck Flowers and SS Landon Collins were both great picks for the Giants, filling areas of tremendous need, but did they overreach here a bit? OG Brandon Scherff was also a good pick for the Redskins, but I don't see any other playmakers on that team.

Verdict: Everyone made solid picks, but the second round seemed to be a steal-happy round for Dallas and Philly. Verdict: B



AFC West

Amari Cooper (9) catches a touchdown.

I love what the Chiefs did this year, it just seemed like they nailed every pick. CB Marcus Peters, OG Mitch Morse, WR Chris Conley, CB Steven Nelson and ILB Ramik Wilson all could potentially be starters by the end of the year, and they all filled needs on this team. Andy Reid, can you please come back to Philadelphia now? The Raiders came on strong with their first two picks, taking the best receiver with Amari Cooper and the impressive DT Mario Edwards, Jr., but will they regret passing on DE Leonard Williams? The Chargers' draft is defined by their move to grab Melvin Gordon, one of the best running backs in the draft, which hopefully will fill the void left by former first-rounder Ryan Mathews (the Eagles sure love former Charger RBs). The Broncos pulled the trigger on sliding DE Shane Ray, but it remains to be see if he can handle not going so high (!).

Verdict: Everyone made great first round picks, but Kansas City had the most complete draft in the division. Verdict: A



AFC North

Paul Dawson (47) stuffs a Cowboy running back.

The Steelers got their man in OLB Bud Dupree to help alleviate the pain of Jason Worilds abruptly retiring, then stole WR Sammie Coates in the third round to bolster their young receiving corps. The Ravens snatched speed demon WR Breshad Perriman, followed by another receiver in TE Maxx Williams, but I didn't see any other great picks here. The Browns got a good NT with Danny Shelton, but I don't get their second first-round pick, C Cameron Erving. So you're really going to let Pro-Bowler Alex Mack leave? The Bengals decided to grab two OTs with their first two picks, but I really like their third rounder ILB Paul Dawson. I think he can push that corps to start alongside Vontaze Burfict.

Verdict: Lots of very solid picks in this bunch, but Cleveland confuses me and Pittsburgh continues to get younger. Verdict: B-



AFC South

Dorial Green-Beckham (15) catches a touchdown in front of his man.

The Titans shocked the world by holding onto their pick and taking QB Marcus Mariota, but I like the move (well, not as much as I'd like if he were an Eagle, but anywho). They needed a quarterback and he was the best available (I think more so than Winston), and then they grabbed him a great young receiver with Dorial Green-Beckham (whom some had a first round grade on). I think DGB will end up being the next Dez Bryant. The Colts grabbed a good WR with Phillip Dorsett, but I don't see how he fits into their already crowded receiving corps. They needed defensive help but GM Ryan Grigson gave very little. The Jaguars snagged a terrific pass rusher with Dante Fowler, Jr., but who were the rest of these players they got? Nobodies. I think the Texans missed on their first two picks, but the third round steal of WR Jalen Strong immediately upgraded that offense, who will miss the production of Andre Johnson, no matter how old they think he is.

Verdict: Wide receiver was the name of the game, and everybody upgraded their rosters through this draft. Grade: B+



AFC East

Leonard Williams (94) breaks through the line for another tackle for a loss.

The Jets came away with players that had first-round grades with their first four picks, snatching DE Leonard Williams, WR Devin Smith, OLB Lorenzo Mauldin and QB Bryce Petty. Although Williams was not a position of need, they took the best player available and I think that will pay off down the road. The Patriots' picks were all over the place, so I don't understand anything about what they were thinking, but DT Malcolm Brown and DE Geneo Grissom seem to be good fits at least. The Bills got another corner for some reason, then proceeded to draft no one overly talented. The Dolphins nailed their first two picks with WR DeVante Parker and NT Jordan Phillips, and continued to make good picks for the rest of the draft. They needed receiver help, and Phillips bolsters a defensive line that needed another big man.

Verdict: Defensive linemen were plentiful in this division's draft, and New York and Miami both upgraded their lacking receiving corps. Grade: B




Here's hoping for an interesting summer of football camps followed by an awesome season! Chip Kelly, I pray you know what you're doing to my team...