NFL Teams Looking to Create New Identities with the Draft

Philosophers will tell you that identity is a shifting, overdetermined, social construction, but the identity of a football team consists of something slightly more concrete, molded from a combination of the franchise's best players and a consensus narrative about the nature of the team's play.

Whether it's the Purple People Eaters or The Greatest Show on Turf, some identities leave a lasting impression. For these eight teams, they're all looking either to return to the successful dynamic of a previous identity or break out from the nondescript doldrums that go along with, say, losing 14 games and getting the top pick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1): Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

The Bucs need a home run with this pick to improve both ticket sales and results on the field. After a 2-14 season and a recent history marred by the misguided idea that a Rutgers head coach could somehow turn around the franchise, they can't afford to miss their target.

And they will not be able to resist Jameis Winston, the controversial pocket passer with quick legs and a barrel chest. Despite a laundry list of indiscretions varying from laughable to gravely concerning, Winston's draft stock remains extremely high—as in, the top pick on 20 mock drafts out of 20 surveyed, per SB Nation.

Winston won a Heisman and a national title playing for Florida State, and a Florida team drafting him is what marketing departments call synergy. Winston passing to 2014 rookie Mike Evans is what offensive coordinators call strategy.

The Bucs haven't had a great QB since Vinny Testaverde, and even when they won the Super Bowl, the pedestrian's pedestrian, Brad Johnson, was under center. They will roll the dice on the vexing Winston.

Jacksonville Jaguars (3): Dante Fowler, OLB, Florida

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars need a pass-rusher. Actually, they need many things, as usual, but defense has been an annual deficiency in North Florida, and Dante Fowler can help solve that. 

According to MMQB's Peter King, the third pick is something of a confusing cauldron of options: "With Jacksonville picking third, I asked 12 people I talk to fairly often to tell me if they heard anything they trust about the Jaguars at three. Eight answered the question with a name. Amari Cooper, Dante Fowler and Leonard Williams all got mentioned as names they heard reliably."

Mel Kiper reinforced the good fit with Fowler, telling reporters in March, via Jaguars.com: "I think Fowler gives them the pass-rusher they’ve been looking for for a long, long time."

The New York Giants proved against Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLII that even a great quarterback can't throw comfortably when under constant duress. So defending the pass doesn't necessarily require a top secondary; it just requires some aspect of defense to thwart the passing game's timing and mechanics. A potent pass rush can be one of the those methods, and that's something the versatile Fowler can help create.

The Jags already posed a fairly threatening pass rush last season, tying for sixth in the league with 45 sacks. If they can improve that further into an elite unit, they just might have the cornerstone of a tough defense. That would be a welcome change for a team that has ranked in the bottom third for yards allowed in each of the last three seasons.

Oakland Raiders (4): Leonard Williams, DE, USC

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In the last 10 years, when the Oakland Raiders have drafted an offensive playmaker in the first round, they got JaMarcus Russell and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Perhaps the universe is trying to tell them something. Amari Cooper will likely be on the board when the Raiders select fourth overall, and they should resist the temptation to take the Alabama wideout, lest they cast a pall over his career.

Instead, they need to leap at USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

The Raiders enjoyed significant returns from linebacker Khalil Mack out of Buffalo with the fifth pick last year, and opting for defense once again can fill their need for a pass-rusher while still taking arguably the best player in the entire draft.

As ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith wrote: "Williams is the consensus best player in the 2015 NFL draft. Mike Mayock thinks so, Mel Kiper thinks so, and most of the lesser-known draft 'experts' who pop up around this time of year think so." Finding Williams at No. 4 is a mitzvah they shouldn't miss.

Washington Redskins (5): Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

After allowing 58 sacks last year, more than any team that doesn't play home games in Jacksonville, the Washington Redskins should stock up on the O-line. They ranked 31st in pass protection as measured by adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

While this might be considered a slight reach at No. 5, Brandon Scherff is the best lineman in the draft and a top-12 pick on most boards. He has the skill to make an immediate impact at the pro level, in a similar vein to All-Pro rookie Zack Martin with the Dallas Cowboys last season.

Whether he's blocking for Robert Griffin III or a different quarterback entirely (recall RGIII's injuries as a result of scrambling), Scherff represents a solid investment in the future. He can play at both guard and tackle, though he probably can't handle the taxing transition to being a starting blindside protector in the NFL.

Then again, for a guy who could throw a shotput 60 feet in high school, who's to tell him what he can't accomplish?

As noted by the team's website, general manager Scot McCloughan announced on April 27 that the team would pick up Griffin's fifth-year option, securing the embattled QB through 2016. Washington must protect Griffin at all costs. And if the 'Skins want to get really shrewd with their draft strategy, they would likely be able to trade down a few picks and still land Scherff while adding more draft assets.

Chicago Bears (7): Danny Shelton, DT, Washington

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Now that defensive guru John Fox has taken over as head coach, it's time for the Chicago Bears to return to their historical roots as a bruising defensive presence.

The Bears gave up 34 passing TDs last year after drafting cornerback Kyle Fuller 14th overall, though they added safety Antrel Rolle during the offseason thanks to a little divine intervention from an Orbitz travel alert email. Fuller should continue to learn and improve, so while they could opt for another defensive back, they also have needs on the line.

Defense begins in the trenches, and the Bears have 33-year-old tackle Jeremiah Ratliff in the middle. That's just one of the reasons why selecting Washington's Danny Shelton makes sense. He can stuff the middle of the line and could greatly bolster the front seven as it shifts to a 3-4 scheme.

Even though the team could also use a pass-rusher on the edge, the stars seem to be aligning for Shelton in Chicago. Team officials met with him in February, and in April, he told the Chicago Sun-Times, "I can see myself playing over there [in Chicago]." As the Sun-Times' Patrick Finley also noted, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network sees it as an ideal fit as well: “I would say, at seven, Danny Shelton was made to play the nose tackle on that defense. I think he would be a perfect fit there.”

Adding Shelton won't turn the Bears back into the Monsters of the Midway, but it would make a good start to the John Fox era.

Atlanta Falcons (8): Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

While the Atlanta Falcons only yielded 20 touchdowns through the air last season, fewer than all but four teams, they also gave up a league-worst 280 passing yards per game, via NFL.com. And their league-worst 21 rushing touchdowns allowed were due in part to the porous pass defense so easily allowing the opponent to waltz into the end zone.

The Birds know the importance of a passing game, as they make their hay with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. That's why they need to better prepare themselves for aerial assaults, and Spartans cornerback Trae Waynes can answer the call.

As noted by MLive.com's Kyle Austin, NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said he could see Waynes going as high as seventh in the draft during his April 23 conference call with reporters. Mayock assessed the reason for Waynes being the consensus top defensive back on the board as a mix of upstanding character and impressive talent: "He comes from a college program where they tackle and they're held accountable. People perceive him to be the No. 1 press corner who's clean on and off the field."

Falcons corner Robert Alford suffered a season-ending wrist injury in December, and adding Waynes to the position along with Desmond Trufant would serve to strengthen that scuffling pass defense.

Detroit Lions (23): Malcom Brown, DT, Texas

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

The Detroit Lions have a gaping hole in their defensive line after the departures of Ndamukong Suh (to the Miami Dolphins) and Nick Fairley (to the St. Louis Rams). Suh's role as an impact player commanded big money in free agency, and though Fairley persistently battled against injury, he was a difference-maker when healthy.

Despite the ever-improving Ezekiel Ansah still on the line and the addition of veteran Haloti Ngata, the team needs more help at the tackle position.

Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown would be a suitable selection to both fill a need and land a mid-first-round talent down at No. 23. The Lions could also opt for Florida State's Eddie Goldman if he's still on the board, but Brown arguably fits their criteria even better.

In a quirk noted by MLive.com's Kyle Meinke: "[Brown is] married with two kids, which fits right into the Martin Mayhew prototype. (Detroit's first three picks last year were all engaged or married.) OK, he can play some football as well. He is an excellent run-stuffer who contributed 6.5 sacks last season."

Family man? Check. Big enough to plug the middle but quick enough to get to the QB? Check.

Arizona Cardinals (24): Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington proved to be both explosive and vulnerable to injury in roughly equal measure, qualities that don't serve a feature back well. It would make sense for the Cards to limit his touches with the goal of keeping him healthy, and he possesses all the versatility of a scatback ideal for third-down situations and gadget plays.

Enter Georgia running back Todd Gurley, whose 2014 Heisman campaign was cut short by an ACL tear in November. That injury will give teams picking ahead of the Cardinals some pause even if they need a ball-carrier. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon could be the safer choice in the short term, but Gurley's ceiling as a pro is much higher.

We know that the Cardinals seek a talented back to solidify their running game, as they've been active in pursuing Adrian Peterson, but Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported that the Cardinals are not willing to give up a first-round pick, and the Minnesota Vikings won't accept a second-round pick for the former 2,000-yard rusher.

In a unique coincidence, Gurley compared the goal for his rehab from the ACL injury to that of the Vikings All-Pro, saying via USA TODAY's Jim Corbett: "I'm definitely not Adrian Peterson. That guy is a freak of nature. But my goal is to be a freak of nature as well. ... My goal is to try to get back as fast as possible. But I'm not going to rush anything. I definitely have the heart to do it."

The question about Gurley is not whether he has the heart to make a complete comeback to form; it's whether teams drafting ahead of Arizona will jump at his potential.