NFL Draft 2015: Team-by-Team Analysis and Grades for Rounds 1-7 Results

It took three days and plenty of drama, but the 2015 NFL draft is in the books. There were 256 players taken by the time all was said and done, providing hope and potential for all 32 teams that this will be the year to bring a championship home.

There are several check-mark days on the NFL calendar that get fans excited. The start of free agency and release of the schedule immediately jump to mind, but it's the work done over the course of these three days that defines a football team.

No one knows it right away because of the optimism brought from the draft, but titles are won and lost based on what happens in these seven rounds. There's more work to be done from the players and coaches, so let's take a look at what happened.

Here's a look at all 256 draftees, starting with Jameis Winston to Tampa Bay and ending with Mr. Irrelevant, followed by draft grades for each team and thoughts on the biggest winner, loser and surprise team.

NFL Draft Grades

Team	Overall Grade
Arizona Cardinals	B
Atlanta Falcons	B-
Baltimore Ravens	A
Buffalo Bills	C+
Carolina Panthers	C
Chicago Bears	B+
Cincinnati Bengals	B
Cleveland Browns	B+
Dallas Cowboys	B
Denver Broncos	B-
Detroit Lions	A-
Green Bay Packers	B+
Houston Texans	B+
Indianapolis Colts	B-
Jacksonville Jaguars	B+
Kansas City Chiefs	B
Miami Dolphins	A-
Minnesota Vikings	B+
New England Patriots	B
New Orleans Saints	C+
New York Giants	A
New York Jets	A
Oakland Raiders	A-
Philadelphia Eagles	B-
Pittsburgh Steelers	B
San Diego Chargers	C+
San Francisco 49ers	B
Seattle Seahawks	C
St. Louis Rams	A-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	B
Tennessee Titans	C
Washington	B

Biggest Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Big surprise that Ozzie Newsome had a great draft. There aren't many general managers in the sport better than Baltimore's because he understands what his team needs now and how to build a roster for the future, and he always blends the two better than a Cuisinart. 

Just look at the first three picks Newsome brought in. The Ravens lost Torrey Smith in free agency, so they drafted an explosive, high-ceiling receiver in Breshad Perriman in the first round. They didn't have a proven solution at tight end with Dennis Pitta's history of hip problems, so grabbing the top player at the position in Maxx Williams was a good idea.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King noted on Twitter how much the Ravens sought Williams and had to be thrilled at getting him 55th overall:

At the start of free agency, Newsome traded star defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to Detroit. Carl Davis isn't a safe pick because he's not a polished college player, but NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote in a scouting report for the Iowa star that there's first-round talent in the package:

"Davis has the height, weight and length of a first-rounder, but his draft value will be hindered by his lack of productivity as a pass rusher," Zierlein wrote. "If Davis can get his overall production to match his talent and traits, he'll have a long NFL career."

The combination of ceiling and need on those three picks alone is enough to make Baltimore's draft stand out. Yet they still had six more picks to play with and managed to get quality depth, as noted by B/R's Matt Miller:

It seems like the Ravens go through more roster changes due to salary-cap constraints every offseason than any other team, yet they've only missed the playoffs once since 2008 and won a Super Bowl in 2012. That's because they draft and develop as smart as anyone in the NFL.

This year's class is further evidence of Newsome's brilliance as an evaluator of talent and ability to play the board.

Biggest Loser: Carolina Panthers

There's no doubt the Carolina Panthers had an interesting draft, but in terms of answering major questions about the roster following last season, they came out of this draft having made a lot of head-scratching moves. 

Shaq Thompson is a freak athlete who played linebacker, safety and running back in college, but CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora noted on Twitter that no evaluators he had spoken to had him as the No. 25 player in this class:

Devin Funchess in the second round seems to fit the mold of what Carolina wants its wide receivers to be. He's a huge target, measuring in at 6'4" and 232 pounds during the combine, but his 4.70 40-yard dash doesn't suggest a lot of separation ability at the next level. 

Picking Funchess also stands out because the Panthers traded a second-, third- and sixth-round pick to St. Louis to draft the former Michigan star.

The one thing that seemed like a given for the Panthers—offensive line, since Cam Newton has been hit or sacked more than any other quarterback in the league since 2011, not by ESPN's Adam Schefter—wasn't addressed until the fourth round with the drafting of Daryl Williams. 

That's not to say Williams is without talent, as Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus noted that the former Oklahoma star didn't give up a sack last year:

Yet the fact Carolina went through this whole draft adding just one offensive lineman and no defensive backs makes it a missed opportunity. Trading away multiple picks to move up 16 spots for Funchess also looks like a steep price looking at the entire class.

Biggest Surprise: Oakland Raiders

Guys, something weird is happening in Oakland. The Raiders are starting to draft smartly. It started last year with Khalil Mack turning into a star right away and Derek Carr looking like a capable starting quarterback. 

Now, the Raiders got Carr a legitimate weapon at wide receiver, with Amari Cooper falling in their lap at No. 4. They added a versatile defensive lineman in Mario Edwards at No. 35, a big physical tight end in Clive Walford in Round 3 and a diverse mix of talent on both sides of the ball late in the draft. 

Cooper is the key to making this class. The Raiders have lacked explosiveness at wide receiver for years, which is a big problem when building around a young quarterback.

B/R's Matt Miller raved about Cooper's potential ability to make an instant impact while still growing as a player:

"

An explosive, polished receiver with instant-impact skills, Amari Cooper was college football’s best receiver in 2014. Cooper is a fluid, fast and smart player capable of lining up at any of the three wide receiver spots and giving you production. He’s the best route-runner in this draft class and has the confidence in his feet and hips to break off routes and accelerate away from defenders.

"

Walford could prove to be a steal in the third round. ESPN's Adam Caplan broke down some of the tight end's measurables after the Raiders picked him:

It's been a long time since Oakland fans had a reason to be excited about, well, anything. Mack was the foundation piece last year. Cooper has that kind of potential on offense, to say nothing of what his presence could do for Carr's development.

There's still a long way for the Raiders to go before they are playoff contenders, but the last two drafts provide the kind of hope that's been lacking since losing Super Bowl XXXVII.