NFL Draft 2015: Team-by-Team Day 1 Results and Grades Listing

The first round of the 2015 NFL Draft is in the books. It turns out all the outrageous pre-draft rumors proved to be for naught, as Day 1 mostly went chalk with a few surprises mixed in.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans got things started as we all thought they would, running to the podium to snag Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Jameis Winston of Florida State and Marcus Mariota from Oregon respectively.

When grading each pick, we will factor in a player's overall fit, potential impact and whether they were a bit of a reach. This was certainly one of the more predictable first rounds in recent memory, a testament to the deep overall talent level of this draft. Very few picks caused viewers to raise an eyebrow.

Here are the grades for every selection, as well as a rundown of the top storylines from the first day of the draft.

2015 NFL Day 1 Draft Grades 

Pick	Team	Selection	Grade
1.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State	A-
2.	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon	A+
3.	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida	A
4.	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama	A+
5.	Washington Redskins	Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa	B-
6.	New York Jets	Leonard Williams, DE, USC	A+
7.	Chicago Bears	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia	A-
8.	Atlanta Falcons	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson	A
9.	New York Giants	Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami	A-
10.	St. Louis Rams	Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia	B
11.	Minnesota Vikings	Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State	A-
12.	Cleveland Browns	Danny Shelton, DT, Washington	A
13.	New Orleans Saints	Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford	B+
14.	Miami Dolphins	DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville	A-
15.	San Diego Chargers	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin	B+
16.	Houston Texans	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest	B+
17.	San Francisco 49ers	Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon	C+
18.	Kansas City Chiefs	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington	B
19.	Cleveland Browns	Cameron Erving, C, Florida State	B
20.	Philadelphia Eagles	Nelson Agholor, WR, USC	B+
21.	Cincinnati Bengals	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M	B
22.	Pittsburgh Steelers	Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky	A
23.	Denver Broncos	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri	C
24.	Arizona Cardinals	D.J Humphries, OT, Florida	B-
25.	Carolina Panthers	Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington	B+
26.	Baltimore Ravens	Breshad Perriman, WR, UCF	B
27.	Dallas Cowboys	Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut	B+
28.	Detroit Lions	Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke	B+
29.	Indianapolis Colts	Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami	C
30.	Green Bay Packers	Damarious Randall, S, Arizona State	B
31.	New Orleans Saints	Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson	C+
32.	New England Patriots	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas	A-

Titans Stay Put at No. 2 and Select Marcus Mariota

Thomas Boyd/Associated Press

Speculation had been running rampant for months. Teams were reportedly kicking down the door for a chance to move up to No. 2, with Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles at the front of the line.

At the end of the day, the Tennessee Titans made the right choice by staying put and taking Oregon’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota.

General manager Ruston Webster not only snagged his franchise quarterback but immediately put an end to trade talks by emphatically stating that Marcus Mariota is their guy, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.

The 2-14 Tennessee Titans lacked an identity last season. You could ask most casual fans to name five players on their current roster, and most wouldn’t be able to. This pick was as much about credibility as it was about fit.

Zach Mettenberger showed promise at quarterback last year, but the Titans have had a revolving door at quarterback for 12 years. They whiffed on Vince Young and Jake Locker in the top 10 recently, so head coach Ken Whisenhunt will be hoping the third time's a charm.

Mariota is not the ideal fit in Whiz’s system, but with a talent this great, Tennessee is going to have to tailor the offense around him a bit. Questions remain about Mariota’s ability to secure the ball—he registered a whopping 27 fumbles at Oregon—as well as his skills throwing from the pocket.

He is going to have to iron out those kinks quickly, because according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean, Whisenhunt plans on Mariota being his starting quarterback.

The Titans were smart to encourage the feeding frenzy of trade offers, but no proposal filled their need. This was a home run pick by the Titans.

Running Backs Return to 1st Round

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

In a first round with very few surprises, two of the biggest were a pair of running backs being selected in the top 15. Todd Gurley went to the St. Louis Rams way up at No. 10 despite his torn ACL, and the San Diego struck a deal with San Francisco to trade up from No. 17 to No. 15 and snag Melvin Gordon out of Wisconsin.

Without question, 2012 No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson is a big reason why teams don’t select running backs too high anymore. Before this year, Richardson had been the only back taken in the top 15 since C.J. Spiller in 2010.

The Rams get a B because they had bigger needs. That offensive line has had a ton of problems, and they now have a running back fresh off a torn ACL, as well as new quarterback Nick Foles coming off injury woes of his own. Gurley is an extraordinary talent, but this was a little too bold for the top 10.

Rams running back Zac Stacy had similar sentiments.

"

Yikes

— Zac Stacy (@ZSTACY_) May 1, 2015"

Recent history does not support taking running backs this high. Not only was Richardson a bust, but we must not forget the hype that surrounded Darren McFadden and Reggie Bush. As incredible as Gurley is, this is no sure thing.

St. Louis has also taken five running backs in four years under Jeff Fisher, and none have truly emerged. Fisher took Tre Mason in the third round last year, and he ran for 745 yards and four touchdowns in 2014. He didn’t set the world on fire, but he showed enough promise to avoid taking another running back this draft.

This pick might have been better off being used on an offensive lineman, but it does give the Rams a much-needed playmaker to pair with Mason in what could become one of the league’s most dynamic backfields.

Gordon will look to break a spell of disappointing running backs coming out of Wisconsin, with Montee Ball falling flat so far despite putting up monstrous numbers in college. The Chargers moved up two spots in a trade with the 49ers to nab their Ryan Mathews replacement. This was a strong move, as Gordon should see heavy touches from the get-go.

It was refreshing to see some truth amid the usual draft-day rumor mill. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco was about as straightforward as you can be regarding his new running back, according to Derek Togerson of NBC7.

"

#Chargers GM Tom Telesco on why he traded up to get Melvin Gordon: "It’s Melvin Gordon." #NuffSaid #NBC7Sportswrap

— Derek Togerson (@DerekNBCSD) May 1, 2015"

In such a pass-happy NFL, it is exciting to see two running backs selected so high. Both these studs will now be given the responsibility of carrying the torch that Trent Richardson fumbled.

Wide Receivers Reign Supreme Once Again

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

After all five of the receivers taken in the first round last season lived up to expectations, a whopping six went this year.

It was no shock to see Alabama's Amari Cooper go at No. 4 to the Oakland Raiders or Kevin White go at No. 7 to the Chicago Bears, but it was shocking to see Nelson Agholor, Breshad Perriman and Phillip Dorsett all have their names called on the first day.

This is a deep draft for wide receivers. Jaelen Strong and Dorial Green-Beckham were two other names many projected would be off the board by Friday.

Even though six receivers went, it was justified. The Raiders haven't had a 1,000-yard wideout in 10 years, making Cooper an obvious fit. White replaces Brandon Marshall for the Bears. DeVante Parker replaces Mike Wallace with the Miami Dolphins. Agholor fills in for Jeremy Maclin on the Philadelphia Eagles. Perriman takes Torrey Smith's spot on the Baltimore Ravens.

It almost made too much sense.