NFL Draft Grades 2015: Final Results, Team-by-Team Scores and Analysis

Figuring out who "won" the 2015 NFL draft will take at least a few years as all of the players selected get their feet wet in the league.

With the event officially over, though, fans can at least make an early analysis for which teams did the most to solve their biggest issues while also adding high-upside stars who can lead their franchises going forward.

Sure, it's an inexact science, but it wouldn't be any fun ignoring the draft and not making predictions that could prove to be completely off-base in the future.

The three teams below look to have made the biggest step forward on draft day.

Draft Results

Draft Grades

Team	Grade	Notes
Arizona Cardinals	B+	The Cardinals did very well with the David Johnson and Markus Golden picks. Shaquille Riddick might also fly under the radar.
Atlanta Falcons	A	From top to bottom, the Falcons did great in the draft. They addressed their biggest issues and walked away with value picks like Grady Jarrett, Jalen Collins and Tevin Coleman.
Baltimore Ravens	A-	The Ravens get knocked slightly after Day 3. They made good picks but nothing substantial. Getting Maxx Williams and Carl Davis in back-to-back rounds deserves a lot of praise, though.
Buffalo Bills	C+	The lack of a first-rounder hurts the Bills' overall grade. The bigger problem is that they didn't do much with the picks they did have. Don't sleep on Nick O'Leary, though.
Carolina Panthers	C	Shaq Thompson was the worst pick of the first round, and things didn't get much better from there. Daryl Williams provides help on the offensive line, but the Panthers should've addressed the O-line much earlier.
Chicago Bears	A-	The Bears nailed their first three picks and then took a detour with Jeremy Langford in the fourth. Chicago already has Matt Forte and Ka'Deem Carey. That was the only miss on an otherwise strong draft.
Cincinnati Bengals	B-	The Bengals get docked points for drafting a player (Cedric Ogbuehi) unlikely to see much time in 2015. Cincinnati slightly redeemed itself with Josh Shaw, Jake Fisher and Paul Dawson.
Cleveland Browns	B-	Give the Browns credit for eschewing name recognition and instead going for guys who will help them. Still, you wonder why Cleveland didn't draft a wideout earlier than Vince Mayle in the fourth.
Dallas Cowboys	A-	The Cowboys might have walked away with the best pass-rusher in the draft (Randy Gregory). Byron Jones should also improve the secondary in 2015 and beyond.
Denver Broncos	B	A lot of the Broncos' draft will hinge on Shane Ray. If he works out, Denver will look like a genius. If he flops, the Broncos will get a lot of deserved criticism, especially for ignoring their biggest issues in the first round.
Detroit Lions	B	None of the players the Lions drafted really jump off the page. It just doesn't feel like Detroit got anybody destined for multiple Pro Bowls. A solid, if unspectacular draft haul.
Green Bay Packers	C+	I really dislike the Ty Montgomery pick and feel the Packers should've gone with an inside linebacker in the second round after drafting Damarious Randall.
Houston Texans	B+	The Texans made up for a first-round reach (Kevin Johnson) by getting great value picks in Jaelen Strong and Benardrick McKinney. Strong is a first-round talent, while McKinney is right on the fringe.
Indianapolis Colts	B+	It's understandable to question taking Phillip Dorsett in the first round since wideout wasn't a pressing issue. Dorsett should come good for the Colts, and Indianapolis did well with its subsequent picks.
Jacksonville Jaguars	A	Still not too crazy about taking T.J. Yeldon that early, but that's a minor critique of what was a great draft. The Jaguars had a myriad of issues going in and addressed seemingly every one. Getting Michael Bennett and Rashad Greene on Day 3 was huge.
Kansas City Chiefs	B	The Chiefs got the 2015 draft's best cornerback in Marcus Peters. Kansas City couldn't carry that luck into the later rounds. It had some reaches with Mitch Morse, Chris Conley and Ramik Wilson.
Miami Dolphins	A	Jay Ajayi is a great gamble in the fifth round. He obviously comes with some risk, but getting him so late offsets a lot of that. DeVante Parker and Jordan Phillips were both excellent picks in the first two rounds.
Minnesota Vikings	B+	T.J. Clemmings and Eric Kendricks provide great value for the Vikings in this draft. Clemmings is the big one. He's extremely gifted athletically and has more upside than most tackles in this year's draft pool.
New England Patriots	B-	Malcom Brown was one of the better picks in the first round, but the Patriots didn't create much of a stir after that. New England had a bunch of picks on Day 3, and with the team's record, somebody is bound to hit.
New Orleans Saints	B	The Saints reached on their first two picks, and their third was a bit confusing. Yes, Drew Brees is on the wrong end of the aging curve at 36, but Garrett Grayson probably isn't the guy to replace him.
New York Giants	B-	Trading up to get Landon Collins was a masterstroke, but that can't cover for the fact that Ereck Flowers is a serious gamble in the top 10. The Giants could've gotten more value there.
New York Jets	A	The Jets had one of the better drafts overall. Leonard Williams doesn't fit a need, but he was clearly the best player available. New York also did well getting Devin Smith and Lorenzo Mauldin in Rounds 2 and 3. It will be interesting to see if Bryce Petty seriously challenges Geno Smith.
Oakland Raiders	B	I really, really like the Amari Cooper pick. He's the best wide receiver in this draft and gives Derek Carr a great target in the passing game. The Raiders really blew it with the Mario Edwards Jr. pick, though.
Philadelphia Eagles	B+	It’s a bit disappointing the Eagles didn’t make a move for Marcus Mariota, but Philadelphia otherwise did well. Nelson Agholor is an underrated wideout, and Eric Rowe is the cornerback the team really needs.
Pittsburgh Steelers	B+	Perhaps the Steelers should have addressed the secondary earlier, but Bud Dupree is too good for the team to have passed up. The combination of Senquez Golson and Doran Grant might be the answer for Pittsburgh.
San Diego Chargers	B	Still not convinced that Melvin Gordon was worth trading up to at No. 15. He has a lot of mileage on his body over last two years. Denzel Perryman should be a solid addition, though.
San Francisco 49ers	B	It seems somewhat odd that the San Francisco 49ers didn't seriously address cornerback. Are they going to ask Jaquiski Tartt to move over? Otherwise, that pick didn't make much sense.
Seattle Seahawks	C	Frank Clark has some serious off-field question marks. Why the Seahawks would decide he was worth a second-rounder is anybody's guess. Ryan Murphy and Obum Gwacham could prove to be Day 3 gems.
St. Louis Rams	B-	Todd Gurley is a great player, but the Rams aren't in a position where Gurley will put them over the top. St. Louis should have focused elsewhere in the first round. Sean Mannion was a puzzler as well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	B+	The Buccaneers' first three picks really carry their draft. They got a franchise QB in Jameis Winston and two guys (Donovan Smith, Ali Marpet) who could protect him for years to come.
Tennessee Titans	B+	The Titans might have the most boom-or-bust draft. Between Marcus Mariota and Dorial Green-Beckham, Tennessee is banking heavily on two risky rookies.
Washington Redskins	B	A slightly above-average draft is a big upgrade for Washington, which has fallen flat on its face on draft day in recent years. It will be interesting to see how much Brandon Scherff and Arie Kouandjio help improve the offensive line.

Teams that Helped Themselves the Most

Atlanta Falcons

Last year, the Atlanta Falcons finished tied for 30th in team sacks. They struggled to pressure the quarterback, which in turn severely hampered their defense.

Drafting Vic Beasley should help turn that around.

Beasley was one of the best pass-rushers available, and he’s a physical freak of nature. There’s the threat that the Clemson Tigers star only becomes a one-dimensional defender, unable to help much on the run. If that proves to be the case, he will at least give Atlanta a strong presence up front against the pass.

Where the Falcons really did well was with Jalen Collins and Grady Jarrett.

Collins didn't have a ton of starting experience at LSU, but it's clear that he has the talent to thrive in the NFL. The Tigers star uses his speed and quickness to brake quickly on the ball to make the play.

Pro Football Focus added that Collins excelled when tested deep:

Meanwhile, Jarrett is a great blend of run-stopper and pass-rusher for a defensive tackle. Nobody would’ve been shocked to see him go early on Day 2, so for the Falcons to get him in the fifth round is tremendous value:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Speaking of great value at defensive tackle, does anybody have an explanation for why Michael Bennett fell all the way to the sixth round?

Bennett did have stretches where he'd disappear while at Ohio State, but he's a very good athlete for his size. Like Jarrett, he can be a factor both against the run and against the pass. According to Pro Football Talk's Nathan Jahnke, only one other interior defensive lineman in the draft had more quarterback pressures:

Before that, the Jacksonville Jaguars did very well in grabbing A.J. Cann and Rashad Greene. Cann will help shore up the interior of the offensive line, while Greene is an NFL-ready wideout.

Dante Fowler will be the crown jewel. Some might have felt that Leonard Williams was the better choice, but ESPN's John Clayton argued before the draft that Jacksonville couldn't have gone wrong either way:

Fowler is setting a rather lofty standard for himself:

He's so fast and quick off the ball that he'll be a terror for opposing quarterbacks after getting a little NFL experience under his belt. The Florida Gators used him in a variety of ways, adding to his value.

New York Jets

It may be a new era for the New York Jets. The franchise not only failed to completely screw up draft day, but it also compiled one of the best draft hauls of any team.

It all starts with Leonard Williams. Sure, another talented defensive lineman was one of the last things the Jets needed, but his presence will help turn a strength into an even bigger strength. New York might also be able to turn around one of its veteran defensive linemen for future picks or another major asset.

Basically, the Jets couldn't not draft Williams after he had slipped a little bit. Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley won't enjoy the fact that his team will be seeing Williams at least twice a year:

Devin Smith and Lorenzo Mauldin also addressed two of New York's biggest issues. The team could only do so much to improve the passing game, and Smith is a versatile deep threat who offers a different dimension to the offense. Mauldin is a solid pass-rusher who will take some of the pressure off the guys on the interior of the line.

Bryce Petty is the wild card of the group. Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman spoke to an NFL coach who is extremely high on the Baylor Bears quarterback:

The fact that the Jets lack a franchise quarterback is no secret. Geno Smith simply isn't working out, and there's no reason to believe that he'll turn things around.

If Petty can at least establish himself as the long-term starter, then the 2015 draft will have been a transformative moment for the organization.