NFL Draft 2015: Team-by-Team Analysis and Grades for Round 1 Results

Unfortunately for NFL fans, the first round of the 2015 draft wasn't quite as enjoyable as it could have been. The Tennessee Titans didn't trade the No. 2 pick and took Marcus Mariota, while no team completely fell on its face with a pick completely out of left field.

With that said, plenty of talking points emerged from Day 1 that few foresaw heading into the draft. The event always springs a surprise or two, and this year was no different.

Here's a look at the full Round-1 results, early grades for each team and three of the bigger shocks from the first 32 picks.

Draft Results

First-Round Grades

Team	Grade	Notes
Arizona Cardinals	B	Cardinals probably could've avoided addressing the OL on Day 1, but D.J. Humphries is a good pick. He is still pretty raw, though.
Atlanta Falcons	B+	The Falcons were in dire need of a pass-rusher, and Vic Beasley is exactly that. Only question you have is whether he's too limited on the field.
Baltimore Ravens	B+	Wide receiver was one of the Ravens' top needs heading into draft, and Breshad Perriman was one of the best on the board. He just needs to grow into a more balanced pass-catcher.
Buffalo Bills	INC	The Buffalo Bills didn't have a first-round draft pick in 2015.
Carolina Panthers	C-	I consider myself a big Shaq Thompson fan, but this seems like a reach—the biggest in the first round. Thompson's position is still somewhat in flux, and he does nothing to help out Cam Newton in terms of pass protection.
Chicago Bears	A-	With Brandon Marshall gone, the Bears needed to add another target for Jay Cutler. Kevin White adds a different dimension to the passing game and fulfilled both the need/value boxes.
Cincinnati Bengals	C	This pick gets a "C" for now only because Cedric Ogbuehi is probably a year away. Bengals have a habit of drafting players and essentially "redshirting" them, so this pick shouldn't have been a huge surprise.
Cleveland Browns	B-	While I love the Danny Shelton pick, I seriously question why the Browns went another Day 1 without addressing the WR position. Yes, Amari Cooper, DeVante Parker and Kevin White were gone, but there were still plenty of options on the board.
Dallas Cowboys	B+	This would seem to finally signal the end of Morris Claiborne in Dallas, and credit the Cowboys for already getting the backup plan in place. Byron Jones provides great value for Dallas at No. 27.
Denver Broncos	B	The Broncos got great value in Shane Ray, but pass-rusher wasn't exactly one of their top needs. Still, Denver couldn't have waited any longer for Ray, and he could provide an impact for years to come.
Detroit Lions	B	Feel like the Lions should have gone defensive tackle, but Laken Tomlinson undoubtedly turns the interior of Detroit's offensive line into a strength.
Green Bay Packers	C+	Not entirely crazy about this one since it doesn't fill any of the Packers' biggest voids. Wouldn't be surprised, though, if Damarious Randall makes me eat my words. He's a very good coverage guy, and teams can never have too many of those.
Houston Texans	C+	Can understand the Texans' thought process since secondary was an area of concern. Just question whether Kevin Johnson was the guy to take, especially with Marcus Peters sitting there.
Indianapolis Colts	B	Won't really complain about Colts giving Andrew Luck another target in the passing game. Andre Johnson is only a stopgap, so Phillip Dorsett will provide long-term value.
Jacksonville Jaguars	A	Jaguars get the pass-rusher they missed last year by passing on Khalil Mack. Couldn't have gone wrong with Leonard Williams, but Dante Fowler Jr. was one of the best players available.
Kansas City Chiefs	A	Marcus Peters may well be the best cornerback in this draft, and the Chiefs got him with the 18th pick. Kansas City was one of the bigger Day 1 winners.
Miami Dolphins	A-	Was surprised to see DeVante Parker fall this far, but his bad luck is the Dolphins' gain. With all of the weapons at his disposal, Ryan Tannehill won't have any excuses in 2015.
Minnesota Vikings	B	The Vikings should have their CB partnership of the future in Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes. Only critique I have is that Minnesota should've prioritized Parker over Waynes.
New England Patriots	A	How do the Patriots keep doing this? Once again, a player the caliber of Malcom Brown falls right into New England's lap.
New Orleans Saints	B-	The Saints reached with both of their first-rounders. I'm really high on Stephone Anthony, but New Orleans probably could've waited until Day 2 to get him.
New York Giants	B-	Ereck Flowers is still a work in progress as a pass-blocker, so taking him at No. 9 comes with some risk. If he can put it all together, the Giants will have walked away with a great pick.
New York Jets	A-	Jets grabbed best player on the board, even if they already have enough talented defensive linemen. Leonard Williams gives New York some flexibility should it want to flip Muhammad Wilkerson or another veteran for future picks.
Oakland Raiders	A	Simply put, Amari Cooper was the best wide receiver in the 2015 draft, and he gives Derek Carr the No. 1 WR he so sorely needs. We're entering a brave new world where the Raiders actually know what they're doing on draft day.
Philadelphia Eagles	B+	I can understand why some might question the selection of Nelson Agholor, but he should succeed despite his lack of insane athleticism. Perhaps the best pure route-runner in the draft, he should provide an immediate impact.
Pittsburgh Steelers	A	Given all of the problems the Steelers had in the secondary last year, a defensive back was the better choice for Pittsburgh strictly in terms of need. However, you can't pass up the chance to draft Bud Dupree this late into the first round.
San Diego Chargers	C+	With all of the carries Melvin Gordon has had in the last two years, you have to wonder how much long-term value he'll provide. Then again, the Chargers are built to win now, so he fits that criteria.
San Francisco 49ers	B+	On the fence a bit about this one. Arik Armstead makes sense here, and his potential is through the roof. There's a good chance this goes badly for the 49ers, but Jim Tomsula might be the guy to coax the best out of Armstead.
Seattle Seahawks	INC	The Seattle Seahawks didn't have a first-round draft pick in 2015.
St. Louis Rams	C+	Don't have a problem with somebody taking Todd Gurley 10th overall. The issue stems from the fact that the Rams were the team to select him. Tre Mason wasn't so bad that he should be an afterthought after a year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	B+	The obvious pick. Jameis Winston is the best QB in the draft, and Bucs desperately need one. Off-field concerns keep this from being an "A" pick, and he's not a can't-miss prospect in terms of on-field ability.
Tennessee Titans	B	Have to feel that Titans' best option was to trade No. 2 pick and stockpile draft picks. Marcus Mariota could be franchise QB Tennessee doesn't have, but there are obviously scheme issues to iron out.
Washington Redskins	B	First sort-of questionable pick in the first round, but you can understand why Washington took Brandon Scherff. Probably needs to stay at tackle to ensure Washington maximizes the value of the pick.

Biggest Surprises

Cincinnati Bengals Gamble on Cedric Ogbuehi

Over the past few years, the Cincinnati Bengals haven't been afraid of drafting players early and then letting them play a periphery role in their rookie years. Darqueze Dennard, last year's first-rounder, didn't start a single game in 2014.

Taking Cedric Ogbuehi was a surprise, even with Cincinnati's track record. He tore his ACL in January, so he'll probably need a full season before he's even back to full strength.

Despite that, the Bengals feel confident Ogbuehi's medical history won't be a lingering issue.

"You do as much as you can," said head coach Marvin Lewis, per Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com. "The doctors look at the operative reports and MRIs with a player like that. We had him here. He was at the recheck. We feel he's right on track for a great recovery."

Should Ogbuehi reach the heights he seemed destined for before the ACL injury, the Bengals will walk away with a massive steal. According to Fox Sports' Alex Marvez, the former Texas A&M Aggie could have been a top-10 or even top-5 pick:

With both Andre Smith and Andrew Whitworth set to be free agents in 2016, you can see Cincinnati is already planning for the departure of at least one of the veterans.

Carolina Panthers Reach for Shaq Thompson

Earlier in the article, I mentioned no team did so poorly with its first-round pick that it should be met with universal derision. The Carolina Panthers come closer than anybody to meeting that standard.

Shaq Thompson is an extremely versatile athlete—whom the Panthers probably could've waited until the second round to snag. As SportsNation alluded to, nobody seems to know for sure where Thompson will play in the NFL:

Obviously, the Panthers felt Thompson was the best player on the board, and normally that strategy isn't a bad line of thinking. Why reach for a player of need when somebody much better is still on the board?

First, you have to question whether Thompson really was the top option on the board. Then, there's the issue of Carolina ignoring the offensive line. Yes, a lot of offensive tackles were already gone, but Jake Fisher or T.J. Clemmings wouldn't have been that bad of a pick.

When are the Panthers going to improve the pass protection?

It's a tie between the Panthers and Cleveland Browns for who had the worst first round among the teams who had a pick.

Cleveland Browns Avoid Taking a Wideout in First Round Again

The Browns knocked the Danny Shelton pick out of the park. According to Football Outsiders, Cleveland ranked 31st in rush defense. Shelton not only addresses one of the team's biggest needs, but he was also one of the best players on the board.

That's the perfect draft cross section.

As much as the Browns did well by drafting Shelton, they squandered the good feeling by going with Cameron Erving at No. 19. It's less an indictment of Erving as it is Cleveland's management, which decided to spurn a wide receiver like Breshad Perriman, Jaelen Strong or Phillip Dorsett.

According to NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano, the Browns are now going on five years without taking a wideout in the first 32 picks:

Maybe Cleveland is happy enough to roll with Dwayne Bowe, Taylor Gabriel, Andrew Hawkins and Brian Hartline as its top wide receivers. If that's the case, then the Browns likely won't be a playoff team in 2015.