NFL Draft Grades: First-Round Picks From 2015 NFL Draft Get Graded

NFL Draft grades have come in from the first round of selections. The 2015 NFL Draft began on Thursday night (April 30) in Chicago, and the excitement has spread across the country. Though there had been a lot of rumors about possible trades being made, no real action in that regard actually took place. What did happen, though, was 32 football players getting the news that they had just become first-round picks in the NFL Draft. As for the grades, the Washington Post gave some interesting ones when the first-round was completed.

As previously reported on the Inquisitr, the Seattle Seahawks traded out of the first round in exchange for All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham. It left the Seahawks without a pick on Day 1 of the draft. The Washington Post didn’t have a problem with that at all when handing out the first-round grades.

“The Seahawks didn’t have a first-round pick Thursday. But they do have Jimmy Graham after their trade with the Saints, and there was no comparable player to be found at 31st overall. Grade: A“

There were other grades given out for the Seahawks at the NFL Draft, with NFL.com writer Bryan Fischer releasing his opinions on the big day. Seahawks fans have to be pleased with what he said about the team as well. Though he gave Seattle an incomplete as his grade so far, the explanation was quite good.

“This would be an A+ for the Seahawks, considering they turned the second-to-last pick in the first round into a Pro Bowl tight end/receiver in Jimmy Graham. Yes, the price was high, but Graham is a proven commodity who can help get this team another ring.”

As for some of the other 2015 NFL Draft grades given out so far, the Tennessee Titans are at the top of the list when it comes to football fans debating their first-round selection. The Titans ended up selecting Marcus Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick, rather than trading it to either the Cleveland Browns or Philadelphia Eagles. The Washington Post and NFL.com both gave the Titans a B+ grade for the choice. The agreement was that Mariota was the right pick due the need of a new quarterback, but that he might not be ready to lead an NFL team.

The Cleveland Browns had two selections in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and went with defensive tackle Danny Shelton (No. 12) and offensive lineman Cam Erving (No. 19). NFL.com gave the team a B for the effort, but the Washington Post gave them a B- for still leaving the quarterback situation unsettled. It was clear that they weren’t sold on Johnny Manziel at this point.

Other teams that received good grades were the Chicago Bears selecting Kevin White (A-), the New York Jets nabbing Leonard Williams (A), the New England Patriots getting Malcom Brown (A+), and the Oakland Raiders going with Amari Cooper (A-). The Tampa Bay Buccaneers received a B+ for going with the obvious move of selecting Jameis Winston first overall. As for the worst NFL Draft grades, those went to the Carolina Panthers selecting Shaq Thompson (C-), the New Orleans Saints getting Stephone Anthony (C+), and the Indianapolis Colts drafting Phillip Dorsett (C-).

For the second-round selections, the Tennessee Titans have the first pick, followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Television coverage begins at 4 p.m. PT on Friday (May 1), with each team getting seven minutes per pick in the second round, and then five minutes per pick in the third round. More 2015 NFL Draft grades will follow, including updates on whether the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Titans, or Buccaneers continue to add good players.

[Image Source: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]