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2015 NFL Draft Grades: AFC

Posted on May 8, 2015

One of the best sports weekends ever has come and went, and with it, the NFL Draft has been completed. The NFL Draft has become a spectacle in recent years, and while some fans may not know every player their favorite team selected, every fan has the same question after the draft ends. “How did my team do?” Well, here are my 2015 NFL Draft Grades for the AFC teams.

AFC EAST 

New York Jets (A-)

Picks: DE Leonard Williams (6^th), WR Devin Smith (37^th), OLB Lorenzo Mauldin (82^nd), QB Bryce Petty (103^rd), OG Jarvis Harrison (152^nd), NT Deon Simon (223^rd)- The Jets hit a home run with their first pick in the draft when they selected Leonard Williams. Any time you get the best player in the draft outside of the top five, you basically can snooze for the next six rounds. While I would’ve rather seen the Jets take Jaelen Strong at the 37, they needed a guy that could stretch the field, and Devin Smith is that. Mauldin and Petty were good value picks (I had Brett Hundley over Petty), and you can’t forget that the Jets turned a fifth and seventh round pick in a horrifically weak draft class into Brandon Marshall and Zac Stacy. This was a great first draft for Mike Maccagnan.

New England Patriots (B-)

Picks: DT Malcom Brown (32^nd), SS Jordan Richards (64^th), DL Geneo Grissom (97^th), DE Trey Flowers (101^st), OG Tre Jackson (111^th), OG/C Shaq Mason (131^st), LS Joe Cardona (166^th), LB Matthew Wells (178^th), TE A.J Derby (202^nd), CB Darryl Roberts (247^th), LB Xzavier Dickson (253^rd)- This draft was a tale of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good was Malcom Brown. Belichick stole someone who many, including myself, was a top 20 player in this draft. Brown will be a force in the middle of the Pats defensive line. The bad were the Patriots later round picks. Now in New England’s defense, there was not a lot of back end talent in this draft. However, any time you take a long snapper, you’ve got some explaining to do. Many felt that Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason were good value, but I never felt either team would be a key contributor at the next level. Then there were the Patriots day two selections, aka the ugly. Jordan Richards and Geneo Grissom were extreme reach picks, and both will probably be special teams players. Overall, Malcom Brown and Trey Flowers keep this draft afloat, but it was average at best.

Buffalo Bills (F)

Picks: CB Ronald Darby (50^th), OG John Miller (81^st), RB Karlos Williams (155^th), LB Tony Steward (188^th), TE Nick O’Leary (194^th), WR Dezmin Lewis (234^th)- The Bills easily had the worst draft in the AFC. Ronald Darby is a good player, and he will be a solid addition to the Bills secondary. Outside of that, the Bills did not address a need, nor did they take anyone that was a good value pick. Not a good first draft for Rex Ryan and company. However, there’s no reason to panic in Buffalo. Rex is great at maximizing talent, and his teams are typically not built through the draft anyway.

Miami Dolphins (A-)

Picks: WR DeVante Parker (14^th), DT/NT Jordan Phillips (52^nd), OL Jamil Douglas (114^th), CB Bobby McCain (145^th), RB Jay Ajayi (149^th), S Cedric Thompson (150^th), CB/WR Tony Lippett (156^th)- The Dolphins had a great draft. They got a wide receiver with true number one potential in Parker. They nabbed one of my favorite players in the in Jordan Phillips, who will bolster their defensive line even further. Phillips will help gap the run and free up Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake. Jay Ajayi in the fourth round was incredible value. He will help take pressure off Lamar Miller, and, in my opinion, replace him one day. The final piece was Tony Lippett, who is a terrific football player. He may not be great at one particular thing, but he will contribute from day one.

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens (A-)

Picks: WR Breshad Perriman (26^th), TE Maxx Williams (55^th), NT Carl Davis (90^th), OLB Za’Darius Smith (122^nd), RB Buck Allen (125^th), CB Tray Walker (136^th), TE Nick Boyle (171^st), OL Robert Myers (176^th), WR Darren Waller (204^th)- Ozzie Newsome addressed offense early in the draft, a rarity in the Ozzie Newsome regime. Perriman has a lot of upside, but he’s raw. Just like the Jets earlier, I think Jaelen Strong should’ve been the pick. However, just like Devin Smith, I had Perriman with a top 40 grade, so I don’t mind the selection. Maxx Williams makes a lot of sense as well. While I would’ve rather seen the Ravens go with an impact defensive player, Williams can help the Ravens offense from day one. Of course, in classic Ozzie Newsome fashion, he got his impact defensive player in round three. Carl Davis was an absolute steal. Buck Allen was an underrated pick as well. He will be an impact player on third down. Overall, Ozzie Newsome got a lot of weapons for Joe Flacco in this draft, and helped sure up the middle of the Ravens defense.

Cincinnati Bengals (A-)

Picks: OT Cedric Ogbuehi (21^st), OT/OG Jake Fisher (53^rd), TE Tyler Kroft (85^th), LB Paul Dawson (99^th), CB/S Josh Shaw (120^th), DE Marcus Hardison (153^rd), TE C.J Uzomah (157^th), FS Derron Smith (197^th), WR Mario Alford (238^th)- The Bengals had a great draft, because they preemptively addressed their needs for next year. Ogbuehi and Fisher are great insurance for Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith, both of whom are expiring contracts and neither of whom appear to be high on the Bengals priority list. Ogbuehi can sit the year and fully recover from his injury. Fisher can move to guard for the time being and replace Clint Boling. Tyler Kroft is a good blocking tight end, and while he may have been a reach, the Bengals needed a blocking tight end after losing Jermaine Gresham. Paul Dawson can play anywhere on the Bengals linebacking core, and Derron Smith or Josh Shaw is bound to be productive enough to replace Reggie Nelson. This was a great draft for Cincinnati.

Pittsburgh Steelers (C+)

Picks: OLB Bud Dupree (22^nd), CB Senquez Golson (56^th), WR Sammie Coates (87^th), CB Doran Grant (121^st), TE Jesse James (160^th), DT Leterrius Walton (199^th), DE Anthony Chickillo (212^th), FS Gerod Holliman (239^th)- This is a polarizing draft for me. On the one hand, they nabbed Bud Dupree about ten picks later than he should’ve gone. On the other hand, every single other pick was either a reach or a risk. Golson is undersized, and there were plenty of other corners I would’ve rather have seen them selected. Sammie Coates has a bad case of the drops and I’m not sure it’ll be corrected during his NFL career. Last but certainly not least, Doran Grant wasn’t worth drafting. The Steelers got good value in Dupree and Gerod Holliman, but other than that the draft was below average.

Cleveland Browns (B)

Picks: NT Danny Shelton (12^th), C/OG Cameron Erving (19^th), OLB Nate Orchard (51^st), RB Duke Johnson (77^th), DE/DT Xavier Cooper (96^th), S Ibraheim Campbell (115^th), WR Vince Mayle (123^rd), CB Charles Gaines (189^th), TE Malcolm Johnson (195^th), TE Randall Telfer (198^th), ILB Hayes Pullard (219^th), CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (241^st)- The Browns drafted a ton of players that I really like, yet I’m not a huge fan of this draft. Shelton is a big body to put in the middle of an improving defense, but I would’ve rather have seen them take the versatility of Eddie Goldman or Jordan Phillips. Cameron Erving is best suited at center, but unless Alex Mack opts out of his contract after this season, Erving will be playing guard for the Browns, and I’m not a huge fan of him there. Nate Orchard was better served as a 4-3 defensive end, Duke Johnson was unnecessary because of Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell, and Xavier Cooper will have to convert to a 3-4 defensive end. Having said all of that, I can’t get on the Browns too much, because they took a lot of talent in this draft, and addressed needs in the process (minus wide receiver).

AFC South

Tennessee Titans (B)

Picks: QB Marcus Mariota (2^nd), WR Dorial Green-Beckham (40^th), OL Jeremiah Poutasi (66^th), DE/DT Angelo Blackson (100^th), FB Jalston Fowler (108^th), RB David Cobb (138^th), LB Delontrez Mount (177^th), C Andy Galilk (208^th), WR Tre McBride (245^th)- The Titans made the difficult, yet correct decision in taking Marcus Mariota. I believe he can be a franchise quarterback, and Ken Whisenhunt should be able to work with him to get the best out of him. DGB is a great risk/reward pick because he can learn to grow on a team that is still a few years away. Also, I fully expect David Cobb to compete for the majority of touches in the Titans backfield as early as next season. Outside of those three, there wasn’t much value. Yet, the Titans did what they had to do.

Jacksonville Jaguars (A-)

Picks: DE Dante Fowler (3^rd), RB T.J Yeldon (36^th), OG A.J Cann (67^th), S James Sample (104^th), WR Rashad Greene (139^th), DT Michael Bennett (180^th), WR Neal Sterling (220^th), TE Ben Koyack (229^th)- The Jags draft would’ve been the best of all the 32 teams if it weren’t for unnecessarily reaching on T.J Yeldon, who I full on expect to be a waste of a pick. Fowler, Cann, Sample, Greene and Bennett can all contribute from day one, and Greene and Bennett were absolute steals. The Jags are on the rise.

Houston Texans (C)

Picks: CB Kevin Johnson (16^th), ILB Benardrick McKinney (43^rd), WR Jaelen Strong (70^th), WR Keith Mumphery (175^th), LB Reshard Cliett (211^th), DT Christian Covington (216^th), RB Kenny Hilliard (235^th)- The Texans draft didn’t start off great. I felt Kevin Johnson was a major reach, even though they needed a corner. Benardrick McKinney is just very overrated, and I’ve made my opinions on him well known. However, their draft took a turn when they grabbed Jaelen Strong in round three. I think Strong might just be their number one receiver by the end of this year. Unfortunately, there were no day three value picks at all. Overall, the draft was sub par, despite addressing needs. Despite that, draft Strong late in your fantasy football leagues this year, especially in keeper leagues.

Indianapolis Colts (C-)

Picks: Phillip Dorsett (29^th), CB D’Joun Smith (65^th), DE Henry Anderson (95^th), S Clayton Geathers (109^th), NT David Parry (151^st), RB Josh Robinson (205^th), LB Amarlo Herrera (207^th), OL Denzell Goode (255^th)- I was baffled when the Colts selected Phillip Dorsett with their first pick. Dorsett is a good player, but he won’t play much his first year and wide receiver wasn’t a need. The first pick needed to be an impact defensive player. I like Smith and Anderson in the second and third rounds. Both are needs on defense, and both have a lot of upside. However, there was no late round value picks and they missed on their first selection.

AFC West

Denver Broncos (C-)

Picks: DE Shane Ray (23^rd), OG Ty Sambrailo (59^th), TE Jeff Heuerman (92^nd), C Max Garcia (133^rd), CB Lorenzo Doss (164^th), DT Darius Kilgo (203^rd), QB Trevor Siemian (250^th), CB Taurean Nixon (251^st), S Josh Furman (252^nd): Shane Ray was a good value pick if you talked to most, however I had him as a second round grade. I like the fit because he can learn from Demarcus Ware and Von Miller, but I still say Ray shouldn’t have been a first round pick. Now, Sambrailo was a good selection because he adds versatility to the Broncos offensive line. Other than that though, this was a very weak draft. There’s no value in the picks in the later rounds, and just not enough contributors to their team for the upcoming season.

Oakland Raiders (B)

Picks: WR Amari Cooper (4^th) DE/DT Mario Edwards Jr. (35^th) TE Clive Walford (68^th) OG Jon Feliciano (128^th) LB Ben Heeney (140^th) LB Neiron Ball (161^st) LB Max Valles (179^th) OL Anthony Morris (218^th) WR Andre Debose (221^st) CB Dexter McDonald (242^nd): Mike and I said throughout the whole draft process that scouts would make their money in the second, third and fourth round. The Raiders had a very solid draft in the first four rounds. I’ll move past the Amari Cooper selection because it’s self-explanatory. Mario Edwards isn’t a 4-3 fit as a defensive end, so he’ll probably move inside as a defensive tackle. I’m not opposed to that, but I felt there were a number of better players on the board for the Raiders to take. Clive Walford will provide a good safety blanket for Derek Carr on third down, assuming Walford can keep his head on straight. Lastly, Feliciano has good upside and could become a starting guard. It wasn’t a particularly “sexy,” draft, but the Raiders drafted players of need and a true number one wide receiver.

Kansas City Chiefs (B+)

Picks: CB Marcus Peters (18^th), C Mitch Morse (49^th), WR Chris Conley (76^th), CB Steven “Mighty Mouse” Nelson (98^th), ILB Ramik Wilson (118^th), LB D.J Alexander (172^nd), TE James O’Shaughnessy (173^rd), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (217^th), WR Da’Ron Brown (233^rd): I was surprised the Chiefs didn’t address offensive tackle in this draft, but other than that this was another solid draft from Andy Reid and company. Peters has a ton of upside, and Reid has done well with guys with character issues in the past. Morse and Conley both elevated their stocks during the NFL Combine, and both have very good upside themselves. I loved the selections of Nelson and Wilson. Nelson should develop into a very solid nickel corner and Ramik Wilson could become their second ILB in the Chiefs 3-4 set. This was a really good draft for Kansas City.

San Diego Chargers (B-)

Picks: RB Melvin Gordon (15^th), ILB Denzel Perryman (48^th), CB Craig Mager (83^rd), OLB Kyle Emanuel (153^rd), DE/DT Darius Philon (192^nd): The Chargers went into this draft with the intention of getting a number one running back, and they did that with Melvin Gordon. Even though I think it was a little too high for Gordon, after Gurley went tenth, can you really blame San Diego for being cautious and trading up? Perryman was a solid choice because his biggest asset is stopping the run, and the Chargers needed help in the middle of their defense. The Chargers draft will hinge upon Craig Mager. He’s raw, but his upside is immense. If they get a productive corner out of Mager, and Perryman pans out, this could prove to be a very good draft. For now, it’s an average one with potential.