Analyzing What the 15th Pick in the Draft has Produced for NFL Teams Since 2010

Drew Lock ended his season going 4-1 by helping the Denver Broncos beat the Oakland Raiders in the season finale. Some fans view this as a moral loss because of the simple reason that this victory was the difference between picking 10th overall and picking 15th where they currently finished.

Those fans seem to think that picking at 15 means that there is no talent left on the board and that the whole draft will be ruined as a result. To get an idea about the caliber of talent that may still be there, let’s look at the previous 10 drafts. Let’s just look at those that were selected with the 15th overall.

2019 saw QB Dwayne Haskins get selected by Washington. The jury is still out on him and whether he will be a good NFL QBor not. The nine games he did play in 2019 were rough, but he is a rookie and Washingtion has a new coaching staff coming in.

OT Kolton Miller was selected by Oakland at pick 15 in 2018. Once he was drafted, he was plugged in at left tackle. His play improved from year one to year two, but he still has a ways to go.

It was S Malik Hooker for the Colts in 2017 and he has been a very good player in the NFL. There were many surprised that he fell out of the top 10 that year.

The first confirmed bust for the No. 15 overall list is WR Corey Coleman. He never caught on with Cleveland and is now with the Giants. In his career, he's yet to pass 800 receiving yards.

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In 2015, it was RB Melvin Gordon, who is a very good running back in the NFL. Some can argue about positional value, but he has been worth it, for the most part, for the Chargers.

In 2014, LB Ryan Shazier drafted No. 15 by Pittsburgh and was on his way to being one of the best linebackers in the NFL before his serious injury. Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game and can happen at any point.

Back in 2013, the Saints drafted S Kenny Vaccaro, who had a good rookie year but his play fell off quickly. It was Bruce Irvin in 2012 at pick 15, who was a solid pass rusher for the Seahawks, but many felt when they selected him that he was a big reach.

C Mike Pouncey was No. 15 in 2011, and became one of the best centers in the NFL for a long time.

The final pick, back in 2010, was the Giants taking Jason Pierre-Paul, who was one of the top pass rushers for many years. Very talented and more than worth that 15th overall pick.

So while the history isn’t great, and there are busts as there are at any selection in the draft historically, there is still talent that can be had there. This list doesn’t even get into talented players that fell that were passed on, like how Oakland took Kolton Miller in 2018 over Derwin James.

Talent falls in the draft all the time. The Broncos are going to be evaluating all their options and select who the best player is that fits their team. Picking at 15 doesn’t mean Denver's guaranteed a bust, just as picking at 10 wouldn’t guarantee them a sure-fire hit.

Also, check out the video above for a few names to keep an eye on for Denver at pick 15.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.

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