2015 NFL Draft Order: Day 2 List of Picks and Predictions

Following an opening day that was, for the most part, a predictable affair, the 2015 NFL draft gets more interesting on Friday with the second and third rounds. There are still a number of high-caliber players on the board, as well as some sleepers, who will hear their name called read to make an impact at the highest level. 

The theme of Day 1 seemed to be playing it safe. Even the "surprises" in the first 32 picks, like Shaq Thompson to Carolina or Stephone Anthony to New Orleans, make sense in the macro because they are hyper-athletic stars who can impact the defense for their new teams. 

Only two trades happened on the first day, but with first-round talents like Randy Gregory and Eddie Goldman still on the board, expect to see a lot more teams hoping to move up. 

Here's B/R's updated draft tracker, as well as predictions for the biggest moves that will be made on Day 2 from Chicago. 

Oakland Will Steal Randy Gregory at No. 35

It's easy to beat up on the Oakland Raiders for things they have done in past drafts. Darrius Heyward-Bey and JaMarcus Russell were top-10 picks in a three-year span, so it's no wonder the franchise has had trouble winning games for a long time. 

But the Raiders have the chance to nail this draft after just two picks. Amari Cooper at No. 4 was a fantastic addition to an offense that needed a dynamic, impact wide receiver to give Derek Carr help. Andre Holmes is nice, but if James Jones and Michael Crabtree are options two and three, there is a serious lack of depth at the position. 

Now, with the 35th pick, Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie can add a player to the defense who at one time seemed like a top-five pick in Gregory. It's a perfect marriage, speaking strictly on the field, between team need and player skill set. 

The Raiders run a 3-4 base defense and found a dynamic outside linebacker who dominates against the run in Khalil Mack. Now, they need to find a true edge-rusher who can get after the quarterback. Last year, they had just 22 sacks, with 32-year-old Justin Tuck leading the team with five. 

Scott Bair of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area did note that Oakland under McKenzie's watch has shied away from players with off-field concerns:

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That said, the Raiders have generally avoided players with character issues in free agency and the draft. They’ll take calculated risks at times, trying to insert a troubled player into a locker room with strong leadership throughout. It has worked out well in the Reggie McKenzie era, when Raiders have stayed out of trouble, but often with less potent selections.

"

There's no doubt Gregory comes with red flags. The former Nebraska star told Kimberly Jones of NFL.com he failed a drug test at the combine. Jones' report also mentions he officially failed drug tests for marijuana two other times with the Cornhuskers. 

With that kind of baggage, it's no wonder Gregory fell out of the first 32 picks. It's not like teams in Round 1 weren't tempted, as Peter Schrager of Fox Sports noted Dallas had significant interest at No. 27 before going with Byron Jones:

With less financial risk and the potential for big reward on Day 2, it won't be a surprise to see a team needing help sacking the quarterback pull the trigger on Gregory. 

Gregory is an undersized edge-rusher, weighing in at 235 pounds during the combine. He will have to add bulk to his frame to power through NFL offensive linemen, but his speed and explosiveness off the edge is special. 

The Raiders got arguably the best wide receiver in the class with their first pick. They can add one of the best pure pass-rushers in the second round. For a roster still in need of high-impact talent at multiple positions, Gregory would be a nice addition even with some off-field baggage. 

Ronald Darby Would Be Perfect for New England

You know it's a weird draft when the New England Patriots have a first-round pick they don't trade. It seems to be head coach Bill Belichick's mission to move as far down as possible before making a selection, but things broke so well that he didn't have to in order to get value with Malcom Brown dropping to No. 32. 

Brown was a value- and need-based selection, able to step in and take the place of Vince Wilfork at defensive tackle. The Patriots' biggest need area heading into Day 2 is cornerback. Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner are both gone. 

Their starting cornerbacks on the unofficial depth chart heading into 2015 are Logan Ryan and Kyle Arrington. They do still have Devin McCourty at safety to help out, but finding a quality defensive back should be a priority for the defending Super Bowl Champions. 

Enter: Ronald Darby. 

The Florida State star was a borderline first-round talent, projected to go No. 27 to Dallas in B/R draft expert Matt Miller's final mock with this explanation:

"... Ronald Darby has the speed and instincts to become a starter early in his career," Miller wrote. "He doesn't have great ball skills, but his speed and confidence make him a threat who most college offenses completely avoided."

Scouting reports on Darby, like this one from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, note he is better as a long-term development project than an instant-impact player because some scouts and opposing college coaches "have commented on Darby's toughness."

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Belichick has a knack for finding the strengths in a player while simultaneously being able to hide the weaknesses. Darby has outstanding feet, speed and the ability to play press or off-coverage, which is a good starting base for the NFL. 

The Patriots don't pick again until No. 64, behind other cornerback-needy teams like Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Miami, but he would look really strong in Belichick's defense. The coach just has to decide if he wants to make one of those savvy deals, or if the board will fall his way again like it did in Round 1. 

No QB Will Go in Round 2

The draft works in unusual ways. Even though this wasn't considered a deep year for quarterbacks, the top two players taken were Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. After that, there wasn't a mention of any other quarterbacks on Day 1. 

While not a surprise because so many teams are either set at the position or have a young star who shows enough promise to warrant more development time, quarterbacks are always the story of a draft. It makes the show that much better.

Remember the 2013 draft with Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel going No.s 1 and 2? Of course you don't, because it's more fun to look at a draft like 2014 with Blake Bortles' rise and Johnny Manziel's fall. 

Winston and Mariota got their moment in the sun, but all the attention on Day 2 will be on Baylor's Bryce Petty, Colorado State's Garrett Grayson and UCLA's Brett Hundley. 

Even though it's foolish to think at least one of those three won't hear their name called on Friday, don't expect it to come until the third round. 

Grayson is the quarterback generating a lot of late buzz, with B/R's Jason Cole reporting New Orleans worked him out four days ago with multiple teams expressing interest:

The Saints should start thinking about their future at quarterback. Drew Brees is still exceptional, but he's also 36 years old and carries cap hits totaling $53.1 million over the next two years (h/t Spotrac). 

But even if Saints head coach Sean Payton wants to find a potential replacement for Brees, does he really want to do it in the second round with the 44th pick given all the talent still on the board and needs this team has on defense?

Just going down the list of teams looking for a quarterback at the start of round two, Tennessee (No. 33) and Tampa Bay (No. 34) are out. Ditto Oakland (No. 35) and Jacksonville (No. 36). The first spot where it would be reasonable to see one come off the board is the New York Jets at No. 37. 

Analysts like Bart Hubbuch of The New York Post were raving about the Jets being able to get Leonard Williams at No. 6, while still acknowledging the gaping void under center:

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The good news: The Jets just got the best defensive player in the draft. The bad news: Geno Smith is still their quarterback.

— Bart Hubbuch (@BartHubbuch) May 1, 2015"

Yet the Williams selection can be an indicator that the Jets are focused more on the best player available than need. With Geno Smith at quarterback, Kevin White was still on the board at No. 6 and would have made a nice target, but that's not how they wanted to go. 

St. Louis is in a similar situation to the Jets, boasting a great defense and adding a dynamic running back in Todd Gurley with the 10th pick but still lacking at quarterback. Nick Foles was great in 2013, but he was inconsistent and battled injuries in 2014. 

After Cleveland picks at 43, only the Bills at 50 have the most glaring need at quarterback. Petty said in an interview with ESPN Radio 1660 (via Bryan Fischer of NFL.com) that he was meeting with Buffalo on Tuesday before the draft and sounded optimistic about what it could mean:

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This is a really big thing. I'm hoping that any time (a team) meets with you, it's a level of interest -- you're not going to talk to somebody you're not interested in. I really think this is a level of interest (with the Bills) that might be more so than others. But who knows?

... It could just be fodder or a ploy to get other teams riled up. I guess we'll see tonight.

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The Bills didn't have a first-round pick this year, trading it to Cleveland in the deal that netted them Sammy Watkins last year, so do they really want to invest their first pick in a quarterback who isn't seen as an impact player at the NFL level?

Eventually the quarterbacks will come off the board again, but with so much depth at other spots still available, it won't happen until the third round.