2015 NFL draft round 1 grades
Round 1 of the 2015 NFL draft is in the books. As expected, Jameis Winston went No. 1 to the Buccaneers, followed by Marcus Mariota to the Titans at No. 2. What didn't we expect? How about Leonard Williams slipping to the Jets at No. 6, Todd Gurley going to the Rams at 10 and the Eagles standing pat and taking a wideout (Nelson Agholor).
Which team was the real Day 1 winner? Catch up on all the round 1 action below, with grades for each and every pick of the first round from SI.com draft experts Chris Burke and Doug Farrar.
• Who's left? Best remaining players|2015 NFL draft rumors: Latest buzz
1. Buccaneers:Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State
GRADE: B The least surprising No. 1 pick since the Colts started negotiating with Andrew Luck a month before he was selected in 2012, Winston will be the face of the Buccaneers franchise from Day 1, and head coach Lovie Smith has said that he's comfortable with that. That great arm, though, could be his ultimate downfall—he believes so much in his ability to throw into tight windows that he'll make some really questionable decisions. READ MORE
2. Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon
GRADE: A- The mystery leading up to the No. 2 pick Thursday night wasn't so much which player would be selected. It was which team would be making the choice. In the end, it was the team that held that spot all along: Tennessee. The Titans rejected rumored trade offers to stay put and select Oregon quarterback Mariota. He has the physical and mental talents to be a long-term success in the league, despite coming from Oregon's spread system. It may take him a bit, though, to adjust to a less wide-open offense. READ MORE
3. Jaguars: Dante Fowler, Jr., DE/OLB, Florida
GRADE: A Defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks led the Jags with 8.5 sacks in 2014, and there was a clear need for coach Gus Bradley to get his hands on a legitimate edge rusher. Bradley loves to move his pass rushers around, and Fowler, who amassed 8.5 sacks and 60 tackles last season, will be a real force in a defense that has been quietly improving over the past two seasons.READ MORE
4. Raiders:Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama
GRADE: A- The Raiders badly needed a true No. 1 wide receiver to pair with QB Derek Carr. They may have found one, in the form of Alabama wide receiver Cooper.READ MORE
5. Redskins: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
GRADE: A- There have been a lot of over-hyped Iowa linemen over the years, but Scherff isn't one of them. READ MORE
6. Jets: Leonard Williams, DE, USC
GRADE: A Leonard Williams adds even more punch to what now may be the most formidable D-line in the league. READ MORE
7. Bears:Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
GRADE: A There are few players in this draft class who will make Cutler happier than Kevin White, a burner who can beat just about any coverage with his raw speed and vertical physicality.READ MORE
8. Falcons: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
GRADE: A Beasley is arguably the top pass-rusher in this draft class, filling a massive need in Atlanta.READ MORE
9. Giants: Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
GRADE: C With some technique work, Flowers could be a complete tackle, but NFL teams don't take linemen in the top 10 to let them develop. READ MORE
10. Rams:Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia
GRADE: B When general managers insist they will draft the "best player available," this is what they have in mind.READ MORE
11. Vikings:Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
GRADE: B Minnesota resides in a division with Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler, so shoring up that secondary was a must.READ MORE
12. Browns:Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
GRADE: A- Simple: The Browns' defense just got tougher.READ MORE
13. Saints: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford
GRADE: A- The Saints have another first-round pick with which to grab a much-needed top receiver, so this is a good pick here. READ MORE
14. Dolphins:DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville
GRADE: A Parker is a complete nightmare for cornerbacks when the ball is in the air. From the outset he ought to be Ryan Tannehill's go-to weapon in the red zone. READ MORE
15. Chargers(via San Francisco): Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
GRADE: A Philip Rivers might want to stick and stay with the Chargers after this move. READ MORE
16. Texans:Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest
GRADE: A- There will be much flashier selections made this year, but Johnson may be as solid a prospect as there is.READ MORE
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17. 49ers(via San Diego): Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon
GRADE: B- If the 49ers are thinking of rebuilding over multiple years (and with all the defections, they should be), this pick makes sense, but Armstead could be overwhelmed early on at the NFL level. READ MORE
18. Chiefs: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington
GRADE: B+ Kansas City was rather stout against the pass last season as it was, but the cornerback spot needed some depth and a bruiser like Peters. READ MORE
19. Browns(via Buffalo):Cameron Erving, OL, Florida State
GRADE: B+ Erving does make sense here—even to distressed Browns fans who would like to know why they didn't take a receiver with either of their first-round picks. READ MORE
20. Eagles:Nelson Agholor, WR, USC
GRADE: B+ For the second consecutive draft, Chip Kelly and the Eagles have found themselves a wide receiver that appears to be a near-perfect fit for their unique scheme.READ MORE
21. Bengals: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M
GRADE: B Cedric Ogbuehi is an interesting pick here because Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth was one of the NFL's best blockers in 2014, but Whitworth will be 34 in December, and both he and right tackle Andre Smith are in the final years of their current contracts. READ MORE
22. Steelers: Bud Dupree, OLB/DE, Kentucky
GRADE: A- The Pittsburgh defensive approach also could make Dupree an impact defender right away—he's a strong, athletic force outside, at his best when he can pin his ears back and get downhill.READ MORE
23. Broncos(via Detroit): Shane Ray, DE, Missouri
GRADE: B+ Ray grades out as a top-15 pick on tape, but this fall could be good for him. READ MORE
24. Cardinals:D.J. Humphries, OT, Florida
GRADE: B This pick will help Arizona in 2015; it could really pay off a couple years down the road. READ MORE
25. Panthers: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington
GRADE: B- One thing's for sure: If the Panthers can field a trio of Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson, they'll have the league's most athletic linebacker corps.READ MORE
26. Ravens:Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF
GRADE: B Perriman will not be able to fill Torrey Smith's shoes in full immediately, but he could be better than him in the long run. The Ravens just have to be a little patient. READ MORE
27. Cowboys:Byron Jones, CB, UConn
GRADE: A Jones scored very high in all athletic tests, and that shows up on the field; this is a great get this late in the draft. READ MORE
28. Lions (via Denver): Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke
GRADE: A- Tomlinson is an intelligent player (as his Duke education might indicate) and can dominate defenders at the line. He is not all that agile, but the Lions' system may not ask him to be. READ MORE
29. Colts:Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami
GRADE: B- The Colts are clearly looking to stretch the field in a major way, making life very difficult for enemy defenses. READ MORE
30. Packers: Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State
GRADE: B If nothing else, he'll help Green Bay match up down the middle of the field, as Clinton-Dix has since his arrival. The league, and especially Green Bay's division, makes having players of that ilk a necessity. READ MORE
31. Saints(via Seattle):Stephone Anthony, LB, Clemson
GRADE: C Trading Jimmy Graham for what amounts to Max Unger and a decent inside linebacker? Well, that will have a lot of Saints fans scratching their heads. READ MORE
32. Patriots: Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
GRADE: A Brown was productive at Texas, and he's a great value for New England here. READ MORE
