NFL Draft Results 2015: Initial Round 1 Grades and Updated Selection Order

The first round of the 2015 NFL draft is in the books, and it included a healthy dose of chalk atop the board along with more than enough surprises throughout the 32 selections.

Two 2-14 teams from a season ago secured franchise quarterbacks, starting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafting Jameis Winston No. 1 overall. The Tennessee Titans answered a bevy of calls and entertained offers but gladly settled with Marcus Mariota of Oregon. The last two Heisman Trophy winners and top two selections will face off in Week 1, assuming each wins the starting job before the season begins.

While those two selections were forecast by many long before Thursday night, that trend was bucked very early in Round 1 as surprise names popped up and sure-fire early picks slid down. Let's waste no time by breaking down immediate grades for all of the first-round picks.

Pick	Team	Selection	Grade
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Jameis Winston, QB, FSU	A
2	Tennessee Titans	Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon	B+
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr., DE, Florida	A-
4	Oakland Raiders	Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama	A
5	Washington Redskins	Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa	B
6	New York Jets	Leonard Williams, DE, USC	B+
7	Chicago Bears	Kevin White, WR, West Virginia	A-
8	Atlanta Falcons	Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson	B+
9	New York Giants	Ereck Flowers, G, Miami	B-
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 (via SF)	Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin	A-
16	Houston Texans	Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest	B+
17	San Francisco 49ers (via SD)	Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon	B+
18	Kansas City Chiefs	Marcus Peters, CB, Washington	B
19	Cleveland Browns	Cameron Erving, C, FSU	B
20	Philadelphia Eagles	Nelson Agholor, WR, USC	A-
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M	C+
22	Pittsburgh Steelers	Bud Dupree, OLB, Kentucky	A
23	Denver Broncos	Shane Ray, DE, Missouri	A-
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	A-
28	Detroit Lions	Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke	B
29	Indianapolis Colts	Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami	B-
30	Green Bay Packers	Damarious Randall, FS, Arizona State	B-
31	New Orleans Saints	Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson	B-
32	New England Patriots	Malcom Brown, DT, Texas	A-

Key First-Round Picks and Grades

4. Oakland Raiders: WR Amari Cooper, Alabama (A)

For all of the promise that Derek Carr showed in his rookie season with the Oakland Raiders, his need for a dynamic No. 1 receiver jumped off the screen even more than his potential. That became apparent to the Raiders front office, which wasn't about to miss out on a potential star receiver.

With defensive lineman Leonard Williams still on the board, Oakland stuck to its board and biggest needs by taking Amari Cooper out of Alabama at No. 4 overall. In doing so, they immediately inserted one of the most NFL-ready receivers of the past several years into the fold.

Cooper isn't a high leaper or a speed demon, but he will burn you with his legs or with his strong hands by high-pointing the ball. A crisp route-runner and slippery in coverage, Cooper has no trouble emerging from special coverages.

New head coach Jack Del Rio is a defensive guy, but he couldn't help lauding Cooper's readiness to contribute right off the bat, as CSN's Fallon Smith reported:

With the best skill-position player in the draft still available as they were put on the clock, the Raiders didn't hesitate to draft Cooper, and it's not hard to see why. Everything about him screams long-term star receiver, and that's one thing Oakland could use to begin gaining traction in the AFC West.

6. New York Jets: DE Leonard Williams, USC (B+)

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The New York Jets entered the draft with the No. 6 overall pick and serious needs across the board, but the defensive line was not one of them. With Muhammad Wilkerson, Kevin Vickerson and Sheldon Richardson wreaking havoc, New York's front line is among the most formidable in football.

But as the saying goes, the rich get richer.

When Williams fell to the sixth pick following Washington's surprise selection of Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff, the Jets got the green light to improve an already boisterous defensive front. Williams became the team's fourth first-round selection on the D-line since 2011. 

He's already talking a big game, as he targeted division rival Tom Brady as his ideal first sack. But he probably didn't realize that would include a sackless first six games, as CineSport's Noah Coslov quipped:

However, it would be surprising to see Williams take that long to get to his first quarterback. A defensive centerpiece in most other situations, Williams will be the third or fourth option initially on the Jets' front and will get every one-on-one opportunity imaginable.

The Jets could have nailed the draft by getting a similarly skilled player at a position of need, but there's no shame in adding the best player available—especially when he can help to bolster the team's biggest strength.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers: OLB Bud Dupree, Kentucky (A)

If the Jets' selection of Williams at No. 6 was a steal, consider Bud Dupree at No. 22 the next great train robbery. 

This year's class was loaded with elite-level pass rushers, and a few of them flew off the board early as Dante Fowler Jr., Williams and Vic Beasley heard their names called in the first eight picks. Dupree figured to follow close behind, but he continued falling as the mid-round picks went along.

When the Steelers looked up and saw Dupree still available, the pick was easy, as the Steelers' Twitter account reported:

Pittsburgh's defense has long been the staple of the franchise, but that has subsided in recent years with an aging unit that has struggled to stay healthy. That showed in 2014, as the Steelers ranked 26th in the league in sacks with just 33.

James Harrison is back for the short term, but a young stud is needed to chase the quarterback—or at least generate some more pressure in the backfield. Dupree will be much more than that and should prove over his first few years just how much of a steal he truly was.