2015 NFL Draft: Post-Draft Stock Report for All 32 Teams

Now that the 2015 NFL draft is in the books, it is time for a stock update for the entire league. Every team hopes that as it puts the wraps on another draft, things are looking up for the upcoming season. However, as we have seen, some of the picks that teams made just muddied the waters of where their teams are.

Most franchises dedicate countless hours and a significant portion of their operating budgets to scout and select the very best players for their respective rosters. So why is it, when the smoke clears, some teams just look like they drew names out of a hat?

I understand we are not privy to all the underlying reasons for some of these puzzling selections. Nevertheless, that doesn’t minimize the confusion some of these picks can cause.

What about your favorite team? Are you buying stock in the future after this weekend, or is it sell, sell, sell on this group of new players?

Arizona Cardinals

Stock Down

How you view the draft for the Arizona Cardinals weighs heavily on whether you view Florida tackle D.J. Humphries as a value or a reach. Missouri defensive end Markus Golden was a bit of a reach, and running back David Johnson is solid and fits with this new philosophy of power football.

However, it’s hard to buy when the player this draft is measured by is a first-round tackle after all the free-agent additions along the offensive line already. I’m selling Humphries as an elite tackle, and that means stock down on the Cardinals after the draft.

Atlanta Falcons

Stock Up

When draft grades come out over the coming days, look for the Atlanta Falcons to be the NFL version of an honor-roll student with straight A’s. It’s true, however, that everything Atlanta touched this weekend turned to gold. After getting the top pass-rush specialist in the first round in Vic Beasley, the Falcons followed it up with a starting cornerback in Jalen Collins and finally a feature running back in Tevin Coleman. 

Even with the rest of the draft rounding out nicely for Atlanta, those first three picks are sufficient to get excited about. The Falcons could have as many as four rookie starters and have a much-improved team.

Baltimore Ravens

Stock Up

The Baltimore Ravens are always a shrewd franchise when it comes to moves. Baltimore took wide receiver Breshad Perriman in the first to give quarterback Joe Flacco a deep threat and then followed it up with a trade up to get Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams. The Ravens recognized they had to move ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers to secure Williams and in the process made their offense much more efficient. 

The rest of the Ravens draft was pretty typical for what Baltimore does—a lot of hard-nosed, physical players on both sides of the football, including USC running back Javorius Allen. As a fourth-round pick, Allen has an opportunity to really splash as a rookie.

Buffalo Bills

Stock Down

Unfortunately for the Buffalo Bills, they were without a first-round pick in 2015, so they had to make the most of the picks they had left. And to be honest, it doesn’t seem like they did. Buffalo decided to try to summon the college football gods to help this team by selecting not one but three members of college football dynasty Florida State Seminoles.

However, there really isn’t a player—Seminole or otherwise—among this class to really get excited about. The player who might have the most positive impact early in his career is Central Arkansas wide receiver Dezmin Lewis. Bear in mind that Lewis was a seventh-round selection.

Carolina Panthers

Stock Down

Going into the draft, it seemed that offensive line and wide receiver were the top needs for the Carolina Panthers. Both positions would benefit franchise quarterback Cam Newton. You are doing a disservice to your best player by not doing everything in your power to surround him with as much talent as possible. 

So when the offensive line and wide receiver are addressed with an oversized tackle in Daryl Williams and a converted tight end in Devin Funchess, it is hard to buy that stock. The Panthers didn’t even adequately address the running back position to replace the departed DeAngelo Williams.

Chicago Bears

Stock Up

You just have to appreciate when a team recognizes its primary needs and can marry that with some exceptional talent. The Chicago Bears needed to add a weapon in the passing game, and so they got West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White. Chicago also needed to add a physical presence along the defensive line, and so it brought in FSU defensive tackle Eddie Goldman.

Those two moves alone should make bears fans feel good. Nevertheless, the Bears weren’t done. Oregon center Hroniss Grasu will challenge for a starting spot, as will safety Adrian Amos. Overall, this was a great draft for making the draft host city better.

Cincinnati Bengals

Stock Up

I am giving the Cincinnati Bengals a stock up here, but it was close. Taking Texas A&M offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi in the first round was a huge risk. If he is ready to play this year, then the Bengals look like geniuses. If he isn’t or is never the quite the same, this pick will look terrible. 

The saving grace for that risk lies in the fact that Cincinnati hedged its bets by taking offensive tackle Jake Fisher in the second round. Fisher might be the most NFL-ready tackle prospect in this draft. The Bengals got themselves a great football player in the third round with linebacker Paul Dawson, and cornerback Josh Shaw has starter potential.

Cleveland Browns

Stock Up

If you are a Cleveland Browns fan, you have to like what you saw out of your team in this draft. Cleveland focused early on building the lines with defensive tackle Danny Shelton and center Cameron Erving. Both guys are 10-year starters with Pro Bowl potential. 

The pick of running back Duke Johnson didn’t wow, and linebacker Nate Orchard is hard to rate because he isn’t much of an athlete. However, third-round pick Xavier Cooper is a defensive tackle prospect who could outplay plenty of guys taken before him.

Dallas Cowboys

Stock Down

This might not be a popular opinion, but the Dallas Cowboys' draft didn’t really help this team. Cornerback Byron Jones is more athlete than football player, and the Cowboys have taken on any potential problems that go along with linebacker Randy Gregory. 

The fact that the rest of the Dallas picks were uninspired and they still don’t have a running back just compounds things. An awful lot has to go right for this draft to turn out right three years from now. Right now, it is all sell, sell, sell.

Denver Broncos

Stock Up

The Denver Broncos recognized how they could combine a need with a top talent, and they made an aggressive move in the first round. As a potential replacement for defensive end DeMarcus Ware, DE/LB Shane Ray is ideal. Then Denver added two offensive linemen (Ty Sambrailo and Max Garcia) who could both be starters as rookies. 

However, the sneaky good pick of this draft is Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman. It is no secret that the Broncos will target the tight end early and often, and Heuerman is really underrated in the passing game. The rest of the draft is a little bit questionable, but four starters are hard to argue against.

Detroit Lions

Stock Up

This is another close one for me. The Detroit Lions were all over the place in this draft. You can’t hate on guard Laken Tomlinson in the first round because there’s little doubt he is going to be a great player for a long time. However, using a second-round pick on a running back such as Ameer Abdullah is a risk. The former Nebraska star has shown he can break off huge chunks of yardage. However, he puts the ball on the turf, and that is career suicide for an NFL running back. 

The pick that could make or break this draft is fourth-round pick defensive tackle Gabe Wright. It’s tricky to put so much on a fourth-round pick, but the Lions are going to expect Wright to be ready sooner rather than later.

Green Bay Packers

Stock Down 

Ted Thompson has built a reputation while being the general manager of the Green Bay Packers as an exceptional drafter. This year, I just don’t see it. I'm not sure how safety Damarious Randall fits in that secondary, especially when the following pick is a cornerback in Quinten Rollins, and he does a lot of the same things.

There just isn’t a whole lot to get excited about on this list. Looking ahead five years, there might not be a starter among the group, and that includes quarterback Brett Hundley. Overall, this was a disappointing group across the board.

Houston Texans

Stock Up

Cornerback was a glaring need for a mediocre Houston Texans secondary, and the team went for it early with Kevin Johnson. Nonetheless, the Texans weren’t done. Linebacker Benardrick McKinney in the second round offers athleticism and scheme versatility. And they got Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong in the third round to help cushion the loss of Andre Johnson. 

The remainder of the Texans' draft wasn’t great, but a guy such as Rice defensive tackle Christian Covington and running back Kenny Hilliard have enough potential that they will be in the mix for reps as rookies.

Indianapolis Colts

Stock Up

As if the Indianapolis Colts weren’t good enough, they added multiple plus-talent players in this draft. It might seem redundant to draft wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, but he is going to be unstoppable with Andrew Luck throwing him the football. 

Oh, and it appears as if Luck has taken over duties as general manager with two more Stanford players in the fold. In fact, defensive end Henry Anderson paired up with D’Joun Smith (Florida Atlantic) could be the future at defensive end in that Indianapolis 3-4 defensive line.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Stock Up

It is hard to look at this draft as anything but a positive because this roster was bad last year. Adding defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. makes the defense better. And both running back T.J. Yeldon and guard A.J. Cann will probably start this season. 

Jacksonville went strong on the final day, adding defensive tackle Michael Bennett and wide receiver Rashad Greene to bolster depth. And keep an eye on wide receiver Neal Sterling. He is a huge target with deep speed and could be a real sleeper this season.

Kansas City Chiefs

Stock Down

As good as cornerback Marcus Peters is, that isn’t enough to salvage the Kansas City Chiefs' draft. Guard Mitch Morse was a late-rising prospect but is more solid than spectacular. And for a team that was practically devoid of wide receiver talent, adding combine star Chris Conley to pair with Jeremy Maclin doesn’t feel like a solid effort.

The rest of the Chiefs' draft was pretty uninspired. The next-best player they chose was cornerback Steven Nelson, whose selection was essentially redundant with Peters already in the mix.

Miami Dolphins

Stock Up

Even if you don’t believe that all of these Miami Dolphins picks are great, it is hard to do anything but buy after securing wide receiver DeVante Parker. His skill set is tremendous, and on this team, he has a chance to be special from the first week of the year. 

The rest of the draft is solid but not spectacular. Miami is going to hope that defensive tackle Jordan Phillips can play with consistent effort and running back Jay Ajayi can be healthy. If those things happen, this team will be much better.

Minnesota Vikings

Stock Up

I was prepared to give the Minnesota Vikings' draft a big, fat stock down after the first two days. That wasn't because the picks were bad—quite the contrary. Minnesota went all-in on defense and got several guys with starter potential. Linebacker Eric Kendricks in particular is an aggressive and violent playmaker reunited with one of his best friends in linebacker Anthony Barr. 

The Vikings save their stock on this draft by using picks on the third day to get some weapons for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is a do-it-all wide receiver, and tight end MyCole Pruitt is an exciting project player. The Vikings had 10 total picks, so you just have to think a couple more guys will stick as well.

New England Patriots

Stock Down

It has turned into an accepted truth that the New England Patriots can do no wrong in the draft. However, this season, that theory is going to be put to the test. The Patriots did get nice value at the end of the first round with defensive tackle Malcom Brown, but the Patriots will need to be cautious how they use him. 

However, beyond Brown, who are the players who are going to surprise and be stars in the NFL? The best bet might be defensive end Trey Flowers, but it is going to take some magic for this draft to end up being great. The sleeper of this draft is linebacker Xzavier Dickson, taken in the seventh round. His versatility makes him enticing for that Patriots defense.

New Orleans Saints

Stock Up

One team that really knocked this draft out of the park was the New Orleans Saints. They identified needs, paired those up with top talent and scored multiple potential starters. The Saints hoarded players on defense such as linebackers Stephone Anthony, Hau’oli Kikaha and Davis Tull. The saints also double-dipped on cornerbacks, including P.J. Williams, who has serious starter potential. 

New Orleans didn’t focus on offense too much, but project quarterback Garrett Grayson is interesting. There aren’t many situations more ideal for a young player such as him. Also, running back Marcus Murphy could give the offense an element of quickness and explosion missing since Darren Sproles was on the roster.

New York Giants

Stock Down

The big head-scratcher of the first round was the New York Giants reaching for Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers with the No. 9 overall pick. It doesn’t even matter that the Giants snared future starters in the second and third rounds—that first pick is way too much. 

Speaking of those starters, second-round safety Landon Collins and third-round defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa were great value picks, and they will get plenty of snaps as rookies. However, that does not excuse the Giants for needing a top offensive lineman and getting Flowers instead.

New York Jets

Stock Up

The New York Jets had the good fortune of having the top defensive player in the draft fall to them in the first round as defensive tackle Leonard Williams fell to pick No. 6. The Jets needed to add weapons in the passing game and players to rush the passer. They got one of each with wide receiver Devin Smith and linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin. 

The rest of the Jets' draft is pretty average, but quarterback Bryce Petty is fascinating. If the Jets' situation isn’t so dire that he has to be rushed into action, the Baylor product has a chance to develop nicely.

Oakland Raiders

Stock Up

Similar to the situation with the Dolphins, the Oakland Raiders’ stock is up because they got their franchise quarterback a truly elite weapon. Quarterback Derek Carr has to love that he is going to have Amari Cooper to throw to. Cooper is the best all-around wide receiver in this draft and should flourish with Carr getting him the football. 

To be fair, the rest of this draft is pretty underwhelming, with some real long shots among the picks. If tight end Clive Walford can contribute and linebacker Neiron Ball can play up to his potential, this class could turn out to be down right great.

Philadelphia Eagles

Stock Down

Good luck trying to figure out what the Philadelphia Eagles are doing. Drafting wide receiver Nelson Agholor in the first round was something of a reach, and it is difficult to know for sure where exactly cornerback Eric Rowe is going to play. Both are talented, but I’m not sure either represents a great fit or value. 

The rest of the draft consisted mainly of project players and halfhearted attempts to upgrade the secondary and pass rush. These players don't have a lot of athletic potential, so their ability to make a dent in the starting lineup is a real challenge.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Stock Up

When linebacker Alvin “Bud” Dupree fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, you just knew it was the beginning of a great draft. Pittsburgh also added two potential starting cornerbacks in Senquez Golson and Doran Grant. Golson was probably taken a round too early, but both will contribute. 

The Steelers also snatched up wide receiver Sammie Coates in the second round to add depth, and keep an eye on seventh-round pick safety Gerod Holliman. For all his shortcomings with his tackling, you can’t argue with his ability to create turnovers and flip the field.

San Diego Chargers

Stock Up

After losing running back Ryan Mathews, the San Diego Chargers had to find an adequate replacement. After the St. Louis Rams took Todd Gurley at pick No. 10, the Chargers knew they couldn’t afford to sit and wait. They moved up to pick No. 15 and got Melvin Gordon. This pick and picking linebacker Denzel Perryman were so smart, you have to buy on what the Chargers did. 

The other pick that really sways the stock for the Chargers is linebacker Kyle Emanuel. As a fifth-round pick, Emanuel—and his ability to harass opposing quarterbacks—is a value.

San Francisco 49ers

Stock Up

You have to respect the fact that the San Francisco 49ers didn’t panic with their numerous draft needs. The 49ers had a plan and adhered to it. Going down the line, every one of the 49ers' first six picks has a shot to start at some point in his career.

Outside of those six, the guy to keep an eye on is Florida guard Trenton Brown. He is a gigantic, powerful drive-blocker who just overwhelms defensive players. Guard isn’t a principal need, but Brown’s potential is still high.

Seattle Seahawks

Stock Down

There aren’t a lot of flashy names to get excited about with the Seattle Seahawks' draft. Defensive end Frank Clark might be more trouble than he is worth. And for as exciting as wide receiver Tyler Lockett is, this team has proved it can win without a top target. 

Speaking of top targets, the reason this draft outcome is less relevant is because the Seahawks used their first-round pick to secure tight end Jimmy Graham as a free agent. The draft itself might not move the meter, but Graham is a huge get.

St. Louis Rams

Stock Up

Going over the St. Louis Rams' draft picks, it is clear that this team needed to rebuild its offensive line in the worst way. Drafting three tackles and a guard is a commitment to improving an offensive line. So if you are going to do that, why not add a bulldozer of a running back to run behind it? Todd Gurley certainly qualifies. 

The rest of the Rams' draft is pretty uninspired, but it doesn’t matter. There’s a genuine possibility that the Rams' draft netted three starting offensive linemen and one of the best young running backs in the league.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stock Up

Any time you are a bad team that uses a high draft pick on a quarterback, the needle is pointing north for now. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are all-in on quarterback Jameis Winston as their future. Hope springs eternal in Tampa Bay with the talented young man under center. 

Along those same lines, Tampa did its part to help out its young quarterback by adding two promising offensive line prospects and two talented wide receivers later on. The defense is still a work in progress, but the table is set for initial success with Winston and that offense.

Tennessee Titans

Stock Up

Like the Buccaneers, the situation with the Tennessee Titans is exciting. The addition of quarterback Marcus Mariota gives all Titans fans hope for the future. And akin to how the Buccaneers handled their situation, the Titans make a dedicated effort to add talent around him. Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham is a boom-or-bust prospect with unlimited potential. Running back David Cobb gives Mariota two viable backs to balance out the offense. 

It would have been nice to see Tennessee get some help on defense, but that isn’t what this draft is about. Even the addition of wide receiver Tre McBride in the seventh round could reap rewards in the new Tennessee offense.

Washington Redskins

Stock Up

It was refreshing to see the Washington Redskins put together an impressive draft like this. Washington just kept ringing the register round after round with quality players on both sides of the football. Offensive tackle Brandon Scherff has a chance to be elite, and defensive end Preston Smith will pair well with linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. 

And for all the heat that is on quarterback Robert Griffin III, adding running back Matt Jones and wide receiver Jamison Crowder gives an element of power with Jones and elite speed with Crowder to take some heat off RGIII.