Post by Danchat on Jun 21, 2019 21:17:56 GMT -6
Last time on Draft Class Grading, which was about a year ago, I evaluated the 2014 Draft Class for 5 different teams. Those being the Vikings, the Patriots (considered to be the best of the best), the Seahawks (the up-and-coming team), the Browns (the criminally incompetent team), and the Packers (the rivals). Here is how things turned out:
(from left to right: Vikings GM Rick Spielman, Patriots HC Bill Belichick (considered to be the GM), Seahawks GM John Schneider, Browns GM Sashi Brown, Packers GM Ted Thompson)
Now, how did things fare for these same 5 teams in 2015? Let's find out!
Minnesota Vikings 2015 Draft Class
New England Patriots 2015 Draft Class
Seattle Seahawks 2015 Draft Class
Cleveland Browns 2015 Draft Class
Green Bay Packers 2015 Draft Class
Final Results Summarized:
Vikings: A
Patriots: C
Seahawks: A-
Browns: F
Packers: D+
Now... if you'd like to argue a plus or a minus on these grades, go ahead, I'm game!
But I have a few topics I think might be worth discussing here...
#1: Do the Patriots even need to draft well to supplement their great team? The Patriots 2014 and 2015 draft classes were both mediocre, yet this team has made SB appearances in 2018-19. Is drafting well actually overrated?
#2: The Seahawks and Packers have had glaring issues with their O-line and secondary respectively. Should teams try to aggressively fix these issues in the draft or should they focus on free agency? These two teams took very different approaches to their weakness - the Seahawks largely ignored the O-line and tried to coach up mediocre players and rely on their QB to do everything. Meanwhile, the Packers threw pick after pick at DBs with lackluster results. Both units have since improved, but which approach was better or what better alternative might there be?
#3: Is there any point in hoarding late round picks? 6th and 7th rounders flame out very frequently. However, I've found 3rd and 4th rounders are succeeding at a higher rate than I thought they would. Is there value in hoarding mid-round picks?
Those are just a few ideas for discussion. I hope you enjoyed this review of the 2015 Draft Class!
(from left to right: Vikings GM Rick Spielman, Patriots HC Bill Belichick (considered to be the GM), Seahawks GM John Schneider, Browns GM Sashi Brown, Packers GM Ted Thompson)
Now, how did things fare for these same 5 teams in 2015? Let's find out!
Minnesota Vikings 2015 Draft Class
Pick 1-11: CB Trae Waynes
Waynes has had an up-and-down career with the Vikings, but through 4 seasons, he's turned into a solid starting CB. He was a part time starter in 2016 and it took until the 2017 season for him to break out. He can cover #2 WRs with no problems, but he struggles against top WRs. You'd hope for a CB who can shadow #1 WRs when you spend the 11th overall pick on a CB, but compared to other top CBs (Justin Gilbert, Dee Milliner, Mo Claiborne) in previous drafts, he's turned out decently.
Grade: B-
Pick 2-45: OLB Eric Kendricks
I was stunned to see Kendricks fall into the second round, and the Vikings wisely snatched him up. As a very fast LB, he's been one of the NFL's best covering linebackers, especially with taking on HBs. He's had struggles with tackles at some points, but he's been totally worth a 2nd round pick.
Grade: A
Pick 3-88: DE Danielle Hunter
You'd think selecting a guy with 4.5 sacks in college would be a bad idea. It didn't take long for the coaches to unlock the potential, and the Vikings turned him into one of the NFL's premier pass rushers. Not only that, but he's also a phenomenal run stopper as well. The Vikings got a 1st round talent in the 3rd round... what a great pick!
Grade: A+
Pick 4-110: OT T.J. Clemmings
Many saw Clemmings as a raw O-lineman with the potential to be a future LT. Most draftniks had him as a 2nd-3rd round prospect. However, most of us know how it went - he started all of 2015 as the starting RT and was bad. But you'd think after another offseason he'd get better... he took over at LT with Matt Kalil going down, and he was beyond abysmal. Clemmings was one of the worst O-linemen this franchise has even seen start games, and thankfully he was waived after just two seasons with the team. Teams whiff on 4th round picks all the time, but rarely do they provide so much negative value.
Grade: F
Pick: 5-143: TE MyCole Pruitt
The Vikings billed Pruitt as a receiving TE / H-back who could be a threat alongside Rudolph on the field. Pruitt never panned out as the Vikings waived him midway through the 2016 season. He's bounced around as a journeyman and recently has had a little success in Tennessee.
Grade: D
Pick: 5-146: WR Stefon Diggs
I don't remember much about the Vikings drafting Diggs, but whoa, he went from an unknown to great WR in the blink of an eye. He immediately took advantage of his playing time in his first start against Denver in 2015 and never looked back. He's shown dynamic playmaking ability when he's got the football, and he's got some of the best hands in all the NFL. He runs fantastic routes and has looked like a borderline #1 WR. All that in a 5th round pick?! Holy crap, yes!
Grade: A++
Pick: 6-185: T Tyrus Thompson
Thompson was placed on the IR before his rookie season started, but was released only two weeks later - basically, he failed to make the team outright. He's never been on a 53 man roster before. Swing and a miss.
Grade: F
Pick:
6-193: DE/DT B. J. Dubose
ubose made the Vikings' practice squad in 2015 and was promoted to the roster for the Seahawks playoff game. That turned out to be the only game he ever played (though he was inactive) as he tore his ACL in the 2016 training camp. He seemed like more a fit in a 3-4 defense.
Grade: F
Pick: 7-228: OT Austin Shepherd
The third Vikings O-lineman drafted this season, Shepherd was active on most gamedays and ended up playing some snaps due to injuries. He seemed like a decent backup, but he failed to make the 2016 roster. He hasn't resurfaced since.
Grade: D+
Pick 7-232: OLB Edmond Robinson
The Vikings used Robinson as their 5th/6th LB for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He made a couple starts, but that was as just as a run down-role only. He was a fine backup but didn't amount to much.
Grade: C-
Overall Grade: A
This draft class is Rick Spielman's crown jewel on his resume and helped him build the franchise to what it is today. Unearthing Hunter and Diggs in the later rounds alongside adding decent starters in Waynes and Kendricks was absolutely crucial to the team's success from 2015 to 2018. If it weren't for this class, Spielman probably wouldn't be the Vikings GM at this point.
Waynes has had an up-and-down career with the Vikings, but through 4 seasons, he's turned into a solid starting CB. He was a part time starter in 2016 and it took until the 2017 season for him to break out. He can cover #2 WRs with no problems, but he struggles against top WRs. You'd hope for a CB who can shadow #1 WRs when you spend the 11th overall pick on a CB, but compared to other top CBs (Justin Gilbert, Dee Milliner, Mo Claiborne) in previous drafts, he's turned out decently.
Grade: B-
Pick 2-45: OLB Eric Kendricks
I was stunned to see Kendricks fall into the second round, and the Vikings wisely snatched him up. As a very fast LB, he's been one of the NFL's best covering linebackers, especially with taking on HBs. He's had struggles with tackles at some points, but he's been totally worth a 2nd round pick.
Grade: A
Pick 3-88: DE Danielle Hunter
You'd think selecting a guy with 4.5 sacks in college would be a bad idea. It didn't take long for the coaches to unlock the potential, and the Vikings turned him into one of the NFL's premier pass rushers. Not only that, but he's also a phenomenal run stopper as well. The Vikings got a 1st round talent in the 3rd round... what a great pick!
Grade: A+
Pick 4-110: OT T.J. Clemmings
Many saw Clemmings as a raw O-lineman with the potential to be a future LT. Most draftniks had him as a 2nd-3rd round prospect. However, most of us know how it went - he started all of 2015 as the starting RT and was bad. But you'd think after another offseason he'd get better... he took over at LT with Matt Kalil going down, and he was beyond abysmal. Clemmings was one of the worst O-linemen this franchise has even seen start games, and thankfully he was waived after just two seasons with the team. Teams whiff on 4th round picks all the time, but rarely do they provide so much negative value.
Grade: F
Pick: 5-143: TE MyCole Pruitt
The Vikings billed Pruitt as a receiving TE / H-back who could be a threat alongside Rudolph on the field. Pruitt never panned out as the Vikings waived him midway through the 2016 season. He's bounced around as a journeyman and recently has had a little success in Tennessee.
Grade: D
Pick: 5-146: WR Stefon Diggs
I don't remember much about the Vikings drafting Diggs, but whoa, he went from an unknown to great WR in the blink of an eye. He immediately took advantage of his playing time in his first start against Denver in 2015 and never looked back. He's shown dynamic playmaking ability when he's got the football, and he's got some of the best hands in all the NFL. He runs fantastic routes and has looked like a borderline #1 WR. All that in a 5th round pick?! Holy crap, yes!
Grade: A++
Pick: 6-185: T Tyrus Thompson
Thompson was placed on the IR before his rookie season started, but was released only two weeks later - basically, he failed to make the team outright. He's never been on a 53 man roster before. Swing and a miss.
Grade: F
Pick:
6-193: DE/DT B. J. Dubose
ubose made the Vikings' practice squad in 2015 and was promoted to the roster for the Seahawks playoff game. That turned out to be the only game he ever played (though he was inactive) as he tore his ACL in the 2016 training camp. He seemed like more a fit in a 3-4 defense.
Grade: F
Pick: 7-228: OT Austin Shepherd
The third Vikings O-lineman drafted this season, Shepherd was active on most gamedays and ended up playing some snaps due to injuries. He seemed like a decent backup, but he failed to make the 2016 roster. He hasn't resurfaced since.
Grade: D+
Pick 7-232: OLB Edmond Robinson
The Vikings used Robinson as their 5th/6th LB for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He made a couple starts, but that was as just as a run down-role only. He was a fine backup but didn't amount to much.
Grade: C-
Overall Grade: A
This draft class is Rick Spielman's crown jewel on his resume and helped him build the franchise to what it is today. Unearthing Hunter and Diggs in the later rounds alongside adding decent starters in Waynes and Kendricks was absolutely crucial to the team's success from 2015 to 2018. If it weren't for this class, Spielman probably wouldn't be the Vikings GM at this point.
New England Patriots 2015 Draft Class
Pick 1-32: DT Malcom Brown
Brown was perceived as a great value at the 32nd pick here, as the big 320 pound DT was a very good run stuffer at Texas. Basic stats don't always tell you the story about run stuffers in the NFL - looking at tackles just doesn't do it for me - and PFF liked him in years 2 and 3, but he tailed off last season and the Patriots gave him less and less reps. He left the team in free agency and signed a 3 year $15M deal with the Saints. He was an above average run stuffer, but offers little pass rush.
Grade: C+
Pick 2-64: S Jordan Richards
Walterfootball called his selection a "Bill Belichick YOLO pick". Richards was considered a 7th-UDFA prospect, but reportedly, Belichick sometimes "gives up" on draft classes where his favorite prospects have been already taken. Richards was a good special teamer, but rarely saw the field (7 starts, and most were rotational starts I assume). They shipped him off for a 7th rounder to Atlanta, where he started 12 games in 2018 and was a gaping sieve. This is not how you spend a 2nd round selection.
Grade: D-
Pick 3-97: OLB/DE Geneo Grissom
This was another curious pick that didn't turn out. Grissom is built like a 4-3 DE but played OLB instead and was simply a end-of-the-roster guy. He recorded 9 tackles in the 38 games he appeared in with a single sack. Not good!
Grade: D-
Pick 4-101: DE Trey Flowers
After lighting their first three picks on fire, the Patriots made two fantastic selections in the 4th round, with one being Flowers. All I need to tell you about him is that the Lions just gave him a 5 year $90M deal in free agency. While that's an overpay for a guy who averages 7 sacks a season, he was the Patriots key pass rusher who forced 5 fumbles the past 2 seasons and kicked butt in the postseason, and he's also very good against the run. This was a home-run selection.
Grade: A+
Pick 4-111: G Tre' Jackson
The Patriots usually know what they're doing when they take an offensive lineman, but Jackson was a swing and a miss. As a rookie, he started 9 games but graded poorly. He suffered multiple knee injuries and missed the entire 2016 season with knee problems, and was then cut. He now plays for the Massachusetts Pirates (I have no idea who they are either).
Grade: D
Pick 4-131: G Shaq Mason
This guard worked out far better than Jackson did - Mason got a 5 year $45M deal from the Patriots a year ago [2018], which is a sizable contract they don't offer to many of their players. Mason was the #1 guard in the NFL in 2018 according to PFF and has 3 stellar seasons under his belt. Somehow the 4th round turned out much better than the first three rounds did...
Grade: A+
Pick 5-166: LS Joe Cardona
No! Please no! Never spend a draft pick on a long snapper, ever! And why in the 5th round, for heaven's sake?! They had to navigate around Cardona's commitment to the Navy just to get him to play. He's a good long snapper, but it's a total waste of draft capital. Now, why am I feeling deja vu?
Grade: F
Pick 6-178: LB Matthew Wells
Wells failed to make the Patriots roster in 2015 and has never made an NFL roster.
Grade: F
Pick 6-202: TE A.J. Derby
Oddly enough, the Patriots traded Derby one season into his career to the Broncos, and he caught 35 passes in 15 games before getting unceremoniously cut by Denver. He's nothing better than your average 3rd string TE, but the Patriots were wise to trade high on his stock while they could... and for that, they get a good grade!
Grade: B+
Pick 7-247: CB Darryl Roberts
Roberts may sound vaguely familiar to you, and that's because he covered Adam Thielen one-on-one in the Jets game in 2018. He hit the IR in 2015 and failed to make the Patriots squad in 2016, but was then claimed by the Jets. Defying the odds, Roberts has started 16 games in 3 seasons and earned a 3 year $18M extension. It's rare for a 7th rounder to play this well, but the Patriots didn't benefit from this selection whatsoever.
Grade: D
Pick 7-253: LB Xzavier Dickson
Dickson never cracked an NFL roster, only making a cameo in the AAF. I'll say this - I've never seen a first name with the letters V, X, and Z in it.
Grade: F
OVERALL GRADE: C
Overall, this is a tough draft class to grade because the Patriots got 2 fantastic players out of it, but New England blatantly wasted several draft picks on bad players. The 2nd pick was egregious and they essentially threw away a 5th rounder. They came out with some good players but they could have done so much better.
Brown was perceived as a great value at the 32nd pick here, as the big 320 pound DT was a very good run stuffer at Texas. Basic stats don't always tell you the story about run stuffers in the NFL - looking at tackles just doesn't do it for me - and PFF liked him in years 2 and 3, but he tailed off last season and the Patriots gave him less and less reps. He left the team in free agency and signed a 3 year $15M deal with the Saints. He was an above average run stuffer, but offers little pass rush.
Grade: C+
Pick 2-64: S Jordan Richards
Walterfootball called his selection a "Bill Belichick YOLO pick". Richards was considered a 7th-UDFA prospect, but reportedly, Belichick sometimes "gives up" on draft classes where his favorite prospects have been already taken. Richards was a good special teamer, but rarely saw the field (7 starts, and most were rotational starts I assume). They shipped him off for a 7th rounder to Atlanta, where he started 12 games in 2018 and was a gaping sieve. This is not how you spend a 2nd round selection.
Grade: D-
Pick 3-97: OLB/DE Geneo Grissom
This was another curious pick that didn't turn out. Grissom is built like a 4-3 DE but played OLB instead and was simply a end-of-the-roster guy. He recorded 9 tackles in the 38 games he appeared in with a single sack. Not good!
Grade: D-
Pick 4-101: DE Trey Flowers
After lighting their first three picks on fire, the Patriots made two fantastic selections in the 4th round, with one being Flowers. All I need to tell you about him is that the Lions just gave him a 5 year $90M deal in free agency. While that's an overpay for a guy who averages 7 sacks a season, he was the Patriots key pass rusher who forced 5 fumbles the past 2 seasons and kicked butt in the postseason, and he's also very good against the run. This was a home-run selection.
Grade: A+
Pick 4-111: G Tre' Jackson
The Patriots usually know what they're doing when they take an offensive lineman, but Jackson was a swing and a miss. As a rookie, he started 9 games but graded poorly. He suffered multiple knee injuries and missed the entire 2016 season with knee problems, and was then cut. He now plays for the Massachusetts Pirates (I have no idea who they are either).
Grade: D
Pick 4-131: G Shaq Mason
This guard worked out far better than Jackson did - Mason got a 5 year $45M deal from the Patriots a year ago [2018], which is a sizable contract they don't offer to many of their players. Mason was the #1 guard in the NFL in 2018 according to PFF and has 3 stellar seasons under his belt. Somehow the 4th round turned out much better than the first three rounds did...
Grade: A+
Pick 5-166: LS Joe Cardona
No! Please no! Never spend a draft pick on a long snapper, ever! And why in the 5th round, for heaven's sake?! They had to navigate around Cardona's commitment to the Navy just to get him to play. He's a good long snapper, but it's a total waste of draft capital. Now, why am I feeling deja vu?
Grade: F
Pick 6-178: LB Matthew Wells
Wells failed to make the Patriots roster in 2015 and has never made an NFL roster.
Grade: F
Pick 6-202: TE A.J. Derby
Oddly enough, the Patriots traded Derby one season into his career to the Broncos, and he caught 35 passes in 15 games before getting unceremoniously cut by Denver. He's nothing better than your average 3rd string TE, but the Patriots were wise to trade high on his stock while they could... and for that, they get a good grade!
Grade: B+
Pick 7-247: CB Darryl Roberts
Roberts may sound vaguely familiar to you, and that's because he covered Adam Thielen one-on-one in the Jets game in 2018. He hit the IR in 2015 and failed to make the Patriots squad in 2016, but was then claimed by the Jets. Defying the odds, Roberts has started 16 games in 3 seasons and earned a 3 year $18M extension. It's rare for a 7th rounder to play this well, but the Patriots didn't benefit from this selection whatsoever.
Grade: D
Pick 7-253: LB Xzavier Dickson
Dickson never cracked an NFL roster, only making a cameo in the AAF. I'll say this - I've never seen a first name with the letters V, X, and Z in it.
Grade: F
OVERALL GRADE: C
Overall, this is a tough draft class to grade because the Patriots got 2 fantastic players out of it, but New England blatantly wasted several draft picks on bad players. The 2nd pick was egregious and they essentially threw away a 5th rounder. They came out with some good players but they could have done so much better.
Seattle Seahawks 2015 Draft Class
Pick 2-64 DE Frank Clark
The Seahawks just traded Clark for a 1st round pick and 2020 2nd rounder... that's all I need to tell you about the value of this pick. Clark had some off-the-field issues before being drafted, but the Seahawks were rewarded for believing in him as he averaged 11 sacks per year between 2016-18. That's a fantastic pick in my book.
Grade: A+
Pick 3-69 WR Tyler Lockett
Lockett was seen as a reach in the 3rd round as he was known as a return specialist, but a project as a WR. Well, it turned out that Lockett figured things out at the NFL level quickly, opening with a 51/664/6 rookie season and a 194/2781/19 line in 4 seasons. He also returned 3 punts and kicks combined for TDs. He's now the team's de facto #1 WR with Doug Baldwin retiring. This is a great turnout for the 3rd round.
Grade: A+
Pick 4-130: G Terry Poole
Poole immediately failed to make the team in his rookie season, spending the year on the practice squad. He never made an NFL roster.
Grade: F
Pick 4-134: G Mark Glowinski
Glowinski, unlike Poole, made the team and was a key reserve. He started 16 games at LG in 2016, but graded poorly and was demoted in 2017. He was waived in 2018, and the Colts claimed him and plugged him in at RG, where he finished the 2018 season out strong. It seems the Seahawks should have been more patient with Glowinski...
Grade: C
Pick 5-170: CB Tye Smith
Smith lasted one season on Seattle's roster before getting axed. He ended up starting one game for the Titans in 2017.
Grade: D-
Pick 6-209: DE Obum Gwacham
Gwacham failed to make the Seahawks roster and bounced around with the Saints and Jets.
Grade: F
Pick 6-214: DT Kristjan Sokoli
Sokoli was the first Albanian-born player in the NFL, but never made an impact, lasting one season on the roster.
Grade: F
Pick 7-248: S Ryan Murphy
Murphy ended up on some practice squads, but didn't end up doing much more than that.
Grade: F
Final Grade: A-
With this limited amount of draft capital, landing Frank Clark and Tyler Lockett make this draft class a success for Seattle. They really needed to hit on one of the 4th round guards, but alas, their offensive line's demise came to be instead. It's still a good class even without a first rounder.
The Seahawks just traded Clark for a 1st round pick and 2020 2nd rounder... that's all I need to tell you about the value of this pick. Clark had some off-the-field issues before being drafted, but the Seahawks were rewarded for believing in him as he averaged 11 sacks per year between 2016-18. That's a fantastic pick in my book.
Grade: A+
Pick 3-69 WR Tyler Lockett
Lockett was seen as a reach in the 3rd round as he was known as a return specialist, but a project as a WR. Well, it turned out that Lockett figured things out at the NFL level quickly, opening with a 51/664/6 rookie season and a 194/2781/19 line in 4 seasons. He also returned 3 punts and kicks combined for TDs. He's now the team's de facto #1 WR with Doug Baldwin retiring. This is a great turnout for the 3rd round.
Grade: A+
Pick 4-130: G Terry Poole
Poole immediately failed to make the team in his rookie season, spending the year on the practice squad. He never made an NFL roster.
Grade: F
Pick 4-134: G Mark Glowinski
Glowinski, unlike Poole, made the team and was a key reserve. He started 16 games at LG in 2016, but graded poorly and was demoted in 2017. He was waived in 2018, and the Colts claimed him and plugged him in at RG, where he finished the 2018 season out strong. It seems the Seahawks should have been more patient with Glowinski...
Grade: C
Pick 5-170: CB Tye Smith
Smith lasted one season on Seattle's roster before getting axed. He ended up starting one game for the Titans in 2017.
Grade: D-
Pick 6-209: DE Obum Gwacham
Gwacham failed to make the Seahawks roster and bounced around with the Saints and Jets.
Grade: F
Pick 6-214: DT Kristjan Sokoli
Sokoli was the first Albanian-born player in the NFL, but never made an impact, lasting one season on the roster.
Grade: F
Pick 7-248: S Ryan Murphy
Murphy ended up on some practice squads, but didn't end up doing much more than that.
Grade: F
Final Grade: A-
With this limited amount of draft capital, landing Frank Clark and Tyler Lockett make this draft class a success for Seattle. They really needed to hit on one of the 4th round guards, but alas, their offensive line's demise came to be instead. It's still a good class even without a first rounder.
Cleveland Browns 2015 Draft Class
Pick 1-12: DT Danny Shelton
Cleveland had 2 1st rounds in 2014 and blew them, and now the Browns get another shot to do the same thing. Did they? Yep, pretty much. Shelton was billed as a big nose tackle who could also rush the passer occasionally. He turned out to be a quality run stuffer, but brought zero pass rush with 1.5 sacks in 59 career games. The Browns traded him after his 3rd year to New England for a 3rd rounder, and the Patriots only used him as a rotational body, and he barely played in their 2018 playoff run. He hit free agency for the first time and signed a one year $880K deal in New England, which shows his current value - almost nothing.
Grade: D
Pick 1-19: T/G/C Cameron Erving
Erving was billed as a player who could handle all 5 positions on the offensive line. You could probably guess what happened to him - he became a jack of all trades, master of none. He ended up starting 17 games at 4 different positions, and was terrible. He was shipped off to Kansas City (for a measly 5th round pick) where he's become their starting LG, but PFF has given him very poor grades all 4 seasons. This was another massive blunder.
Grade: F
Pick 2-51: DE/LB Nate Orchard
The Browns had no idea how to identify talent back in the mid 2010s. Orchard is another bust who started only 13 games, lining up as a linebacker and failing to stick at the position. The Browns must have salivated at seeing how he racked up 18.5 sacks in the 2014 season at Utah, but perhaps they missed the fact that he was a 4-3 DE there. He also never seemed to have the strength to beat NFL blockers, racking up just 5 sacks in his career.
Grade: D-
Pick 3-77: HB Duke Johnson
Johnson has turned into a receiving-only back, catching a whopping 235 passes in 4 years with the Browns, totalling 2170 yards and 8 TDs. He's never really been the starter before - he's averaged 4.7 running attempts per game - but he's a very good role player. That's a decent way to spend your 3rd round pick.
Grade: B+
Pick 3-96: DT Xavier Cooper
Cooper turned into yet another bust the Browns could display on their impressive mantlepiece of wasted draft picks - he started 2 games and is already out of the NFL. The run-stuffer brought little to the table and lasted two seasons in Cleveland, notching just 22 tackles.
Grade: D
Pick 4-115: S Ibraheim Campbell
Campbell took over the starting position at strong safety for Cleveland in 2016, starting 8 games, but he quickly lost the job and failed to make the team the following season. He's spent the last 2 seasons on 5 different NFL squads - he reminds me of a MLB journeyman.
Grade: D+
Pick 4-123: WR Vince Mayle
The Mayle pick was terrible at the time of the 2015 NFL Draft, as I believe I had him as a 7th round pick (as did many other pundits who know far than I do). Mayle had terrible hands and couldn't catch anything. He failed to make the roster as a 4th rounder and bounced around as a practice squad player for Dallas and Baltimore. He has not caught a single pass in his NFL career, but has 2 rushing attempts for 2 yards and a TD. There was also this guy named Stefon Diggs still on the board...
Grade: F
Pick 6-189: CB Charles Gaines
Gaines started 4 games with the Browns in 2015 and then immediately failed to make the roster the next season. He bounced around a couple practice squads and never ended up anywhere else.
Grade: D
Pick 6-195: FB Malcolm Johnson
Johnson appeared in 19 games over 2 seasons with the Browns and played poorly as the leadblocker, touching the ball a measly 10 times. He's bounced around practice squads since and is currently a Green Bay Packer. Drafting fullbacks doesn't make a lot of sense these days unless the guy is a next-level blocker.
Grade: D-
Pick 6-198: TE Randall Telfer
A blocking-only TE, Telfer spent his rookie season on the IR and played in 30 games in his sophomore and junior seasons. He was a middling blocker, and has retired due to injuries.
Grade: C
Pick 7-219: LB Hayes Pullard
Pullard failed to make the team in 2015, and was claimed by Jacksonville, where he was active as a backup for 24 games. He then signed with the Chargers and started 10 games as a part time ILB. He's currently a free agent, but he wouldn't be a terrible backup at this point. It's another pick the Browns got zero value out of.
Grade: C
Pick 7-241: CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
I like this pick because Ekpre-Olomu was supposed to be a 1st round pick before blowing his ACL and dislocating his knee (FYI that's the Bridgewater injury) in December of 2014. Ifo was a legitimate shutdown CB at Oregon, but the injury cost him any chance at having an NFL career as he spent the 2015 season on the IR and was waived in 2016, as it must have been clear he wasn't the same after the surgery. Thankfully, I've read Ekpre-Olomu earned $3M of injury insurance due to falling to the 7th round, so that's a nice consolation. I like it when teams swing for the fences with 7th rounders, so I don't hate this pick.
Grade: C
Total Grade: F
What an abhorrent waste of draft capital. The Browns threw basically all of these picks into a tire fire and watched them burn, with only Duke Johnson remaining on the team (he currently wants to be traded away). The Browns new regime quickly gutted this draft class away via trade, but that can't hide how horrible each selection was. To not come away with a single starter in a class with two 1sts, a 2nd, two 3rds, and 2 4ths... yikes. Cleveland truly is the factory of sadness.
Cleveland had 2 1st rounds in 2014 and blew them, and now the Browns get another shot to do the same thing. Did they? Yep, pretty much. Shelton was billed as a big nose tackle who could also rush the passer occasionally. He turned out to be a quality run stuffer, but brought zero pass rush with 1.5 sacks in 59 career games. The Browns traded him after his 3rd year to New England for a 3rd rounder, and the Patriots only used him as a rotational body, and he barely played in their 2018 playoff run. He hit free agency for the first time and signed a one year $880K deal in New England, which shows his current value - almost nothing.
Grade: D
Pick 1-19: T/G/C Cameron Erving
Erving was billed as a player who could handle all 5 positions on the offensive line. You could probably guess what happened to him - he became a jack of all trades, master of none. He ended up starting 17 games at 4 different positions, and was terrible. He was shipped off to Kansas City (for a measly 5th round pick) where he's become their starting LG, but PFF has given him very poor grades all 4 seasons. This was another massive blunder.
Grade: F
Pick 2-51: DE/LB Nate Orchard
The Browns had no idea how to identify talent back in the mid 2010s. Orchard is another bust who started only 13 games, lining up as a linebacker and failing to stick at the position. The Browns must have salivated at seeing how he racked up 18.5 sacks in the 2014 season at Utah, but perhaps they missed the fact that he was a 4-3 DE there. He also never seemed to have the strength to beat NFL blockers, racking up just 5 sacks in his career.
Grade: D-
Pick 3-77: HB Duke Johnson
Johnson has turned into a receiving-only back, catching a whopping 235 passes in 4 years with the Browns, totalling 2170 yards and 8 TDs. He's never really been the starter before - he's averaged 4.7 running attempts per game - but he's a very good role player. That's a decent way to spend your 3rd round pick.
Grade: B+
Pick 3-96: DT Xavier Cooper
Cooper turned into yet another bust the Browns could display on their impressive mantlepiece of wasted draft picks - he started 2 games and is already out of the NFL. The run-stuffer brought little to the table and lasted two seasons in Cleveland, notching just 22 tackles.
Grade: D
Pick 4-115: S Ibraheim Campbell
Campbell took over the starting position at strong safety for Cleveland in 2016, starting 8 games, but he quickly lost the job and failed to make the team the following season. He's spent the last 2 seasons on 5 different NFL squads - he reminds me of a MLB journeyman.
Grade: D+
Pick 4-123: WR Vince Mayle
The Mayle pick was terrible at the time of the 2015 NFL Draft, as I believe I had him as a 7th round pick (as did many other pundits who know far than I do). Mayle had terrible hands and couldn't catch anything. He failed to make the roster as a 4th rounder and bounced around as a practice squad player for Dallas and Baltimore. He has not caught a single pass in his NFL career, but has 2 rushing attempts for 2 yards and a TD. There was also this guy named Stefon Diggs still on the board...
Grade: F
Pick 6-189: CB Charles Gaines
Gaines started 4 games with the Browns in 2015 and then immediately failed to make the roster the next season. He bounced around a couple practice squads and never ended up anywhere else.
Grade: D
Pick 6-195: FB Malcolm Johnson
Johnson appeared in 19 games over 2 seasons with the Browns and played poorly as the leadblocker, touching the ball a measly 10 times. He's bounced around practice squads since and is currently a Green Bay Packer. Drafting fullbacks doesn't make a lot of sense these days unless the guy is a next-level blocker.
Grade: D-
Pick 6-198: TE Randall Telfer
A blocking-only TE, Telfer spent his rookie season on the IR and played in 30 games in his sophomore and junior seasons. He was a middling blocker, and has retired due to injuries.
Grade: C
Pick 7-219: LB Hayes Pullard
Pullard failed to make the team in 2015, and was claimed by Jacksonville, where he was active as a backup for 24 games. He then signed with the Chargers and started 10 games as a part time ILB. He's currently a free agent, but he wouldn't be a terrible backup at this point. It's another pick the Browns got zero value out of.
Grade: C
Pick 7-241: CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
I like this pick because Ekpre-Olomu was supposed to be a 1st round pick before blowing his ACL and dislocating his knee (FYI that's the Bridgewater injury) in December of 2014. Ifo was a legitimate shutdown CB at Oregon, but the injury cost him any chance at having an NFL career as he spent the 2015 season on the IR and was waived in 2016, as it must have been clear he wasn't the same after the surgery. Thankfully, I've read Ekpre-Olomu earned $3M of injury insurance due to falling to the 7th round, so that's a nice consolation. I like it when teams swing for the fences with 7th rounders, so I don't hate this pick.
Grade: C
Total Grade: F
What an abhorrent waste of draft capital. The Browns threw basically all of these picks into a tire fire and watched them burn, with only Duke Johnson remaining on the team (he currently wants to be traded away). The Browns new regime quickly gutted this draft class away via trade, but that can't hide how horrible each selection was. To not come away with a single starter in a class with two 1sts, a 2nd, two 3rds, and 2 4ths... yikes. Cleveland truly is the factory of sadness.
Green Bay Packers 2015 Draft Class
Pick 1-30: CB/S Damarious Randall
Randall was an odd pick, as I had him as a 2nd round talent safety... but the Packers decided to use him as a corner instead. Randall bounced between outside and slot CB before settling in as the slot corner in 2017. He picked off 10 passes in 2 seasons with the Packers, but his coverage grades left a lot to be desired. Enough, in fact, that the Packers traded him for Browns QB DeShone Kizer (and swapping a few draft picks)... and then the Browns moved him to free safety where he had a great first season there. Whoops! This was an odd example of a good draft pick, but the team couldn't figure out how to use him right, and the Packers' awful DB situation could have been fixed earlier if they realized Randall would have worked at safety. Instead, now they replaced their bad backup QB with another bad one and let the Browns fleece them in a trade.
Grade: C+
Pick 2-62: CB Quinten Rollins
The Packers knew they needed DBs, but they lacked execution. Rollins had a promising rookie season with 4 starts, 2 interceptions, and decent play in coverage. His 2016 season saw him start 10 games but deal with injuries and his play declined. Finally, in a 2016 tilt against the Vikings, his Achilles ruptured and he hasn't been able to make a roster since. Another swing and miss for the Pack.
Grade: D+
Pick 3-94: WR/HB Ty Montgomery
Montgomery is one of the few NFL players to make the transition from WR to HB full-time admist his NFL career. The dynamic player wasn't quite clicking at WR in his rookie season, and he switched to HB in 2016 with plenty of success. He only ran the ball 77 times in 6 starts, but he averaged 5.9 yards a yard and caught 44 passes out of the backfield, proving to be an effective dual threat HB. However, The next season saw him suffer multiple injuries as he proved to not be able to be a bellcow. He fell out of favor in 2018 and was exiled to Baltimore after defying instructions to not take a kickoff out of the endzone... which resulted in a win for the LA Rams. They got decent value out of this pick, but it'd be nice if he could have filled a role as a receiving HB for longer than this.
Grade: C+
Pick 4-129: LB Jake Ryan
Ryan is another player who was used heavily in 2016 and 2017, and yet isn't on the team to this day. It took Ryan a year to break out as a starter and another to become a good player. Ryan received below-average grades for his 2016 season, but proved to be a much better run stopper in his 3rd season. However, he blew his ACL in the 2018 offseason, which hurt the Packers defense big time. He signed a one year deal with the Jags, but it's unknown if he'll start Week 1 there as it seems the ACL hasn't healed as quickly compared to average recoveries. This was a good pick, but the injury damaged the value of it.
Grade: B
Pick 5-147: QB Brett Hundley
So at the time, I thought this was a great move - I had Hundley as a 2nd/3rd round prospect, and landing behind Rodgers as the long-term backup seemed like a great place to develop. After spending a year behind Scott Tolzien, Hundley was the backup for two seasons, and he notched 10 starts in 2017. The team famously collapsed once Rodgers went down, as Hundley looked totally overmatched as a starter with a pathetic 1836/9/12 (60.9%, 5.8 Y/A) line, but was a good scrambler when he got out there. He's recently been the Seahawks backup and now he'll back up Kyler Murray in Arizona. It's not a waste of draft capital, but you'd think the QB whisperer Mike McCarthy could have coached him up better than this.
Grade: C-
Pick 6-206: FB Aaron Ripkowski
Ripkowski was used heavily in 2016, where he touched the ball 43 times and was a decent blocker. He fell out of favor in 2017 as he was barely used, and eventually let go. Drafting a fullback usually doesn't end well.
Grade: D
Pick 6-210: DE Christian Ringo
Ringo is a journeyman defensive lineman who made 2 tackles and a forced fumble with the Packers, and has journeyed with the Lions, Cowboys, and Bengals. He's still hanging on in Cincinnati, with 1.5 sacks last year.
Grade: D
Pick 6-213: TE Kennard Backman
Backman was active for 7 games in 2015, making just a single tackle, and never showed up in the NFL again.
Grade: D
Overall Grade: D+
While the Packers got a little value out of this draft class in 2016 and 2017, one fact explains why this class failed: not a single player drafted in 2015 is currently on the Packers roster. Jake Ryan was the only real success here, and his ACL tear likely blew his chances of re-signing. While Randall, Rollins, and Montgomery were decent in the roles they had, they could never consistently hold them down due to poor play and injuries. The failures of this draft class have rippled into the future, as the Packers are still trying to plug holes in the secondary.
Randall was an odd pick, as I had him as a 2nd round talent safety... but the Packers decided to use him as a corner instead. Randall bounced between outside and slot CB before settling in as the slot corner in 2017. He picked off 10 passes in 2 seasons with the Packers, but his coverage grades left a lot to be desired. Enough, in fact, that the Packers traded him for Browns QB DeShone Kizer (and swapping a few draft picks)... and then the Browns moved him to free safety where he had a great first season there. Whoops! This was an odd example of a good draft pick, but the team couldn't figure out how to use him right, and the Packers' awful DB situation could have been fixed earlier if they realized Randall would have worked at safety. Instead, now they replaced their bad backup QB with another bad one and let the Browns fleece them in a trade.
Grade: C+
Pick 2-62: CB Quinten Rollins
The Packers knew they needed DBs, but they lacked execution. Rollins had a promising rookie season with 4 starts, 2 interceptions, and decent play in coverage. His 2016 season saw him start 10 games but deal with injuries and his play declined. Finally, in a 2016 tilt against the Vikings, his Achilles ruptured and he hasn't been able to make a roster since. Another swing and miss for the Pack.
Grade: D+
Pick 3-94: WR/HB Ty Montgomery
Montgomery is one of the few NFL players to make the transition from WR to HB full-time admist his NFL career. The dynamic player wasn't quite clicking at WR in his rookie season, and he switched to HB in 2016 with plenty of success. He only ran the ball 77 times in 6 starts, but he averaged 5.9 yards a yard and caught 44 passes out of the backfield, proving to be an effective dual threat HB. However, The next season saw him suffer multiple injuries as he proved to not be able to be a bellcow. He fell out of favor in 2018 and was exiled to Baltimore after defying instructions to not take a kickoff out of the endzone... which resulted in a win for the LA Rams. They got decent value out of this pick, but it'd be nice if he could have filled a role as a receiving HB for longer than this.
Grade: C+
Pick 4-129: LB Jake Ryan
Ryan is another player who was used heavily in 2016 and 2017, and yet isn't on the team to this day. It took Ryan a year to break out as a starter and another to become a good player. Ryan received below-average grades for his 2016 season, but proved to be a much better run stopper in his 3rd season. However, he blew his ACL in the 2018 offseason, which hurt the Packers defense big time. He signed a one year deal with the Jags, but it's unknown if he'll start Week 1 there as it seems the ACL hasn't healed as quickly compared to average recoveries. This was a good pick, but the injury damaged the value of it.
Grade: B
Pick 5-147: QB Brett Hundley
So at the time, I thought this was a great move - I had Hundley as a 2nd/3rd round prospect, and landing behind Rodgers as the long-term backup seemed like a great place to develop. After spending a year behind Scott Tolzien, Hundley was the backup for two seasons, and he notched 10 starts in 2017. The team famously collapsed once Rodgers went down, as Hundley looked totally overmatched as a starter with a pathetic 1836/9/12 (60.9%, 5.8 Y/A) line, but was a good scrambler when he got out there. He's recently been the Seahawks backup and now he'll back up Kyler Murray in Arizona. It's not a waste of draft capital, but you'd think the QB whisperer Mike McCarthy could have coached him up better than this.
Grade: C-
Pick 6-206: FB Aaron Ripkowski
Ripkowski was used heavily in 2016, where he touched the ball 43 times and was a decent blocker. He fell out of favor in 2017 as he was barely used, and eventually let go. Drafting a fullback usually doesn't end well.
Grade: D
Pick 6-210: DE Christian Ringo
Ringo is a journeyman defensive lineman who made 2 tackles and a forced fumble with the Packers, and has journeyed with the Lions, Cowboys, and Bengals. He's still hanging on in Cincinnati, with 1.5 sacks last year.
Grade: D
Pick 6-213: TE Kennard Backman
Backman was active for 7 games in 2015, making just a single tackle, and never showed up in the NFL again.
Grade: D
Overall Grade: D+
While the Packers got a little value out of this draft class in 2016 and 2017, one fact explains why this class failed: not a single player drafted in 2015 is currently on the Packers roster. Jake Ryan was the only real success here, and his ACL tear likely blew his chances of re-signing. While Randall, Rollins, and Montgomery were decent in the roles they had, they could never consistently hold them down due to poor play and injuries. The failures of this draft class have rippled into the future, as the Packers are still trying to plug holes in the secondary.
Final Results Summarized:
Vikings: A
Patriots: C
Seahawks: A-
Browns: F
Packers: D+
But I have a few topics I think might be worth discussing here...
#1: Do the Patriots even need to draft well to supplement their great team? The Patriots 2014 and 2015 draft classes were both mediocre, yet this team has made SB appearances in 2018-19. Is drafting well actually overrated?
#2: The Seahawks and Packers have had glaring issues with their O-line and secondary respectively. Should teams try to aggressively fix these issues in the draft or should they focus on free agency? These two teams took very different approaches to their weakness - the Seahawks largely ignored the O-line and tried to coach up mediocre players and rely on their QB to do everything. Meanwhile, the Packers threw pick after pick at DBs with lackluster results. Both units have since improved, but which approach was better or what better alternative might there be?
#3: Is there any point in hoarding late round picks? 6th and 7th rounders flame out very frequently. However, I've found 3rd and 4th rounders are succeeding at a higher rate than I thought they would. Is there value in hoarding mid-round picks?
Those are just a few ideas for discussion. I hope you enjoyed this review of the 2015 Draft Class!
... and neither is this Chris guy.