NFL Draft Grades 2015: Final Results and Team-by-Team Letter Chart

The enigma of the 2015 NFL draft lies in the fact that we won't truly know how smart or dumb all 256 picks were until a few years down the road. But for better or worse, teams' draft classes are beginning to assume their identities.

It's all predicated on what happens in Round 1 (sorry, Buffalo and Seattle), as a game-changing talent at the right need is the ultimate tone-setter. While teams can ill afford a miss that early, ground can be made up with the right moves later on in the draft. Just as easily, a strong start to the draft can evaporate in the process of a few head-scratching mid-rounders.

The three-day spectacle is finally complete, which means it's time to take a look at how every team fared on a letter-grade chart. Let's get right to it below.

2015 NFL Draft Team Grades

Team	Grade	Analysis
Arizona Cardinals	B-	They can't miss on D.J. Humphries, and Markus Golden (Round 2) won't be a reach if he pans out. But what about a CB or LB?
Atlanta Falcons	A	The Falcons landed two 1st-round talents to propel an awful defense, and found Matt Ryan more help. Job well done.
Baltimore Ravens	B+	Nabbed a WR of the future and a plethora of help for Joe Flacco, but holes remain on defense.
Buffalo Bills	B-	Buffalo quietly got three Florida State players (two on offense) to help E.J. Manuel, but little action overall.
Carolina Panthers	C+	Shaq Thompson could've been had in Round 2, and moving up for Devin Funchess left Carolina with just five picks in total.
Chicago Bears	A+	Franchise-caliber wideout? Check. Huge nose tackle? Check. Secondary and O-line help? Check. No team filled its plethora of needs better.
Cincinnati Bengals	B+	Their first two picks (both OT) both have potential to be anchors, or fizzle out entirely. We'll assume the former.
Cleveland Browns	B-	The Browns got nose tackle and edge help, and that's great. But it's hard to win football games without a quarterback or receiver.
Dallas Cowboys	C	Byron Jones is a bit of a reach. Randy Gregory is the ultimate gamble. But failing to draft a running back is what puts it over the top.
Denver Broncos	B+	Shane Ray may be a top-10 talent at No. 23. Ty Sambrailo may be a 1st-round talent at No. 59. Jeff Heuerman's versatility will be huge.
Detroit Lions	B+	Where there was a need, the Lions filled it in the draft. Laken Tomlinson and Ameer Abdullah are much-needed investments in the run game.
Green Bay Packers	C+	Damarious Randall isn't a great fit, and Ty Montgomery was a reach in the third round.
Houston Texans	A	After nabbing the underrated Kevin Johnson and Benardrick McKinney, the Texans took advantage of a slipping Jaelen Strong in Round 3.
Indianapolis Colts	C+	They didn't address their biggest need (OL) until Round 7, and went away from need to get another undersized wideout Phillip Dorsett in Round 1.
Jacksonville Jaguars	B-	Dante Fowler Jr. is a guarantee, but there are few others among a draft class that includes many iffy and polarizing prospects.
Kansas City Chiefs	B+	Marcus Peters is an appropriate gamble, while they added much-needed depth at receiver, cornerback and linebacker.
Miami Dolphins	A-	DeVante Parker was a steal at No. 14, as was Jordan Phillips. Jay Ajayi will turn some heads as a rookie.
Minnesota Vikings	A	Mike Zimmer again got one of the best defensive players in the draft, and added some value in T.J. Clemmings, Eric Kendricks and Stefon Diggs to that.
New England Patriots	B-	Every pick other than Malcolm Brown seemed odd, but the Patriots have a way of bucking conventionalism.
New Orleans Saints	B+	Andrus Peat has upside, but has a lot on his plate as a rookie. The Saints quietly got considerable help on defense in the mid-rounds.
New York Giants	A-	Landon Collins was well worth the trade up, and Ereck Flowers is a sure bet.
New York Jets	B+	Leonard Williams joins a scary defense, while Devin Smith and Bryce Petty give the fans something to look forward to.
Oakland Raiders	A	Amari Cooper and Clive Walford coming to town? Derek Carr is doing jumping jacks. Oh, and Jack del Rio got his guy in Mario Edwards Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles	B-	Nelson Agholor and Eric Rowe both fit nicely and fill a need, but the Marcus Mariota hangover is real in Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh Steelers	A-	Steelers got game-changing talent in Rounds 1-3. Senquez Golson and Sammie Coates could turn out to be steals.
San Diego Chargers	B	Melvin Gordon will make Philip Rivers better, and Denzel Perryman fills a huge need. But failed to address O-line at all.
San Francisco 49ers	B-	Trent Baalke hauled in 10 players, but the jury is out on most. Mike Davis and Blake Bell in Round 4 are two to keep an eye on.
Seattle Seahawks	B-	The Seahawks had as many picks as anyone until they traded a ton for Tyler Lockett—who was a reach anyway. But positions of need were filled.
St. Louis Rams	C	One of the only settings where Todd Gurley would be a bad pick. Rams already have a running-back stable, with no offensive line to block for them.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	A-	Jameis Winston set the tone, but the next two picks got him much-needed help up front followed by two late-round wideouts.
Tennessee Titans	B	Marcus Mariota and Dorial Green-Beckham (for different reasons) are boom-or-bust players, but David Cobb is a strong value in Round 5.
Washington Redskins	B+	Brandon Scherff was a perfect fit, and Washington added more value with Arie Kouandjio and Martrell Spaight.

Notable Team Grades

Tennessee Titans

Remember what I said about it taking a few years before a draft class can truly be analyzed? That's never been more true than it is in Tennessee.

The Titans took the popular road by selecting Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota at No. 2 overall, but for all of the hype and excitement surrounding his NFL potential, it's just that—potential. His prototypical size and pocket awareness make him intriguing as a franchise quarterback, but he's far from a sure thing.

That gamble paled in comparison to the gamble at No. 40 overall, as the Titans nabbed Dorial Green-Beckham. An immensely talented and athletic prospect, Green-Beckham is also very raw and comes with off-the-field baggage.

From what DGB is saying, however, he sees an exciting partnership in their future, per The Associated Press' Teresa Walker:

Of course, spectacular young players can't develop properly without the right pieces around them. But in the draft, the Titans attempted to be all-in on helping Mariota out by grabbing guard Jeremiah Poutasi (Round 3), Alabama fullback Jalston Fowler (Round 4) and Minnesota running back David Cobb (Round 5).

With youngsters Bishop Sankey, Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright already in the fold, the Titans' offensive nucleus is alarmingly young but also chock-full of talent. And now that there's seemingly a franchise quarterback in place along with a plethora of new weapons around him, a blueprint is starting to surface in Tennessee.

Houston Texans

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

For teams that struggle to put together a strong draft in the middle of the pack, take notes on the Houston Texans.

Picking smack-dab in the middle with the No. 16 overall pick, the Texans got incredible value by grabbing cornerback Kevin Johnson out of Wake Forest—a complete defensive back with the quickness to be able to contend against Andrew Luck in the AFC South. 

But it was the next two rounds where Houston really did its damage, selecting Benardrick McKinney in the second round before Jaelen Strong fell in their laps in Round 3. That gave them an incumbent replacement for Andre Johnson, in a player that seems to be built in his mold—big, athletic, strong and fast.

Injury concerns may have caused him to slip, but the Texans had no such worries, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

The big question still revolves around who is going to be throwing the ball, but you don't win in the NFL without impact players on defense and playmakers on the outside. The Texans just added a little bit of both, to add to a team that made considerable strides from 2013 to 2014 and promises to continue into 2015.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders put together one of the best drafts in the NFL. This is going to take some getting used to.

Alas, the arrival of head coach Jack Del Rio has helped to bring a reversal of fortune in Oakland. After years of offensive ineptitude, the Raiders now seemingly have a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr and have now paired him with a spectacular wideout.

Amari Cooper flew off the board at No. 4 overall as the Raiders opted not to grab an impact defensive player like Leonard Williams. But they were rewarded for it in Round 2, as Mario Edwards Jr. of Florida State was available to help shore up a huge need.

To aid in matters even more, the Raiders nabbed one of the best tight end prospects in Clive Walford in the third round—a 6'4" vertical threat who has the size to develop into a stronger blocker. Few are better pass-catchers in the class, as Pro Football Focus showed:

It's going to take a couple of years before things turn around in full force in Oakland, but it also takes a few strong draft classes to even make that possible. If 2015 is any indication, the Raiders are well on their way to becoming relevant again.