NFL Draft 2015: 7 Most Shocking Picks from the 1st Round
The first round of the 2015 NFL Draft began with chalk on Thursday, as Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota disappeared off the board with the first two picks. However, the night eventually took unexpected turns, as the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers, among others, shocked experts with their picks.
Most of the conversation leading up to draft revolved around Tennessee flirting with trading the second overall pick to the San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns or others. However, no team offered enough for the Titans to pass up on the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Mariota.
Television coverage zoned in on Philadelphia's camp as other pre-draft storylines centered around Chip Kelly and his attempts to reunite with his former Oregon quarterback. The Eagles made one of the surprise picks last year by choosing Marcus Smith in the first round, but despite the rumors, Kelly made the safe pick in Nelson Agholor in this draft.
Although Kelly addressed a need for a first-round talent with the Agholor pick, plenty of other teams' decisions left their fans with their jaws on the ground.
Let’s take a look at the most shocking picks of the first day of the 2015 NFL Draft. Each team’s positional needs and each player’s ranking against all other prospects are factored into this ranking.
All positional needs are according to Chris Burke and Doug Farrar of SI.com.
The Big Board rankings are from NFLDraftScout.com’s senior analyst Rob Rang.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin White and Shane Ray
Chicago Bears' Team Needs: Safety, Nose Tackle, Pass-Rusher
Kevin White's Big Board Ranking: 8
Number Picked: 7
Both the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos ignored their positional needs in order to add instant playmakers to their rosters.
Chicago badly needs defensive help after ranking as one of the league's worst defenses last season. The Bears also have new positions to fill after bringing in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and a new 3-4 system.
However, Kevin White’s potential to make the big play overpowered the temptation to add a pass-rusher in Vic Beasley or a dominant nose tackle in Danny Shelton.
Following the departure of Brandon Marshall, look for White to line up alongside Alshon Jeffery right away.
Denver Broncos' Team Needs: Tackle, Tight End, Guard
Shane Ray's Big Board Ranking: 23
Number Picked: 23
Shane Ray’s citation for marijuana possession earlier this week forced him to slide in the draft, but the Denver Broncos stopped him from slipping out of the first round.
This year’s SEC Defensive Player of the Year attracted scouts by racking up 14.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for a loss while playing at Missouri. Although the Broncos need help along the line to protect Peyton Manning, Denver could not overlook Ray’s talent.
Quarterbacks will definitely be nervous this season when they see the pass-rushing duo of Von Miller and Shane Rey lined up opposite.
Both of the White and Ray picks came as a surprise based on the respective needs of Chicago and Denver, but many general managers believe in drafting the best player available.
7. Green Bay Packers: Damarious Randall
Team Needs: Cornerback, Nose Tackle, Inside Linebacker
Big Board: 78
Number Picked: 30
Offensive production is not an issue for the Packers, but their defense continues to be a point of concern. Additions at inside linebacker and cornerback would go a long way in helping the Packers keep the other team out of the end zone.
The Packers lost cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Davon House this offseason, leaving a need for a cornerback to play on the outside.
Green Bay drafted Damarious Randall out of Arizona State in the first round to help the defense. Randall played safety in college, but the Packers will look to convert him to a cornerback, according to Ian Rapoport of the league's official website.
Converting players from safety to cornerback is not always easy. On top of this positional concern, drafting him at 30th overall when he ranked as the 78th best player in the draft makes this choice a bit of a shocker.
6. St. Louis Rams: Todd Gurley
Team Needs: Offensive Line
Big Board: 12
Number Picked: 10
Running backs burst back into the first-round draft action after a couple of years' absence, as both Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon found new homes on Thursday.
Although Gurley’s potential is undeniable, the Rams’ decision to spend a first-round pick on a rusher is questionable; St. Louis’ backfield already contains young legs in Zac Stacy and Tre Mason.
The Rams drafted Mason in the third round last year and Stacy in the fifth round in 2013. The pick caught the attention of 24-year-old running back Stacy, who tweeted "yikes" in response to Gurley’s selection.
The Rams may not need Gurley, but who could blame a team for wanting a player who has been compared to Adrian Peterson and other greats.
The Rams needed help on the offensive line, but Gurley was the highest-rated player remaining on St. Louis’ board at the time of the pick, according to Ian Rapoport.
5. Cleveland Browns: Cameron Erving
Team Needs: Tight End, Nose Tackle, Quarterback
Big Board: 20
Number Picked: 19
The Cleveland Browns were one of two teams with two first-round picks in this year’s draft. With the 12th overall pick, the Browns addressed one of their primary needs by selecting the highly rated nose tackle Danny Shelton from Washington.
With their second pick in the first round, Cleveland did not address another need when they picked center Cameron Erving from Florida State with the 19th pick. The Browns already have established starters on their offensive line in Joe Thomas and Joel Bitonio.
The offense lacks options for Johnny Manziel or whoever lines up under center thanks to the suspension of Josh Gordon and the departure of Jordan Cameron.
The Browns strengthened their interior in the first round, but it was surprising they passed on some of the talented wide receivers still available. Nelson Agholor, Breshad Perriman and Phillip Dorsett all found teams on Thursday and could have helped a struggling Cleveland offense.
4. Houston Texans: Kevin Johnson
Team Needs: Inside Linebacker, Quarterback, Outside Linebacker
Big Board: 28
Number Picked: 16
Despite boasting Brian Cushing, J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, the Houston Texans badly need to add reinforcements at linebacker.
Clowney, last year’s first overall pick, spent essentially his entire rookie season as a nonfactor because of injury. On top of that, inside linebacker Cushing required surgery to his wrist, ankle and knee this offseason.
The athleticism of Shaq Thompson would have been a nice complement to Cushing in the middle of the field. J.J. Watt would also benefit from the addition of a potential sack artist such as Bud Dupree or Shane Ray.
Instead, the Texans chose to go with cornerback Kevin Johnson from Wake Forest. Houston’s backs corps already includes established outside cover men Johnathan Joseph and Kareem Jackson. However, Joseph’s contract expires at the end of the 2015 season.
Although the Texans need help at linebacker and at quarterback, the addition of Johnson will add depth to a position that may need a player to replace Joseph in the near future.
3. Carolina Panthers: Shaq Thompson
Team Needs: Offensive Tackle, Cornerback, Wide Receiver
Big Board: 37
Number Picked: 25
The Carolina Panthers selected Shaq Thompson with the 25th pick of the first round, providing them with a player with a lot of different abilities.
The Washington product shows the ability to be a hybrid and play either linebacker or safety. Thompson played both linebacker and running back in college. Surprisingly, the Panthers decided to draft a hybrid linebacker who can not fill their glaring needs at cornerback.
Cam Newton also could use another offensive weapon to complement rookie standout Kelvin Benjamin. This year’s version of Benjamin, Breshad Perriman, was still available at 25, as well as the athletic nightmare Dorial Green-Beckham.
Although Thompson looks to be a talented athlete with a lot of versatility, he is a bit of a reach at the end of the first round.
2. New Orleans Saints: Stephone Anthony
Team Needs: Tight End, Wide Receiver, Pass-Rusher, Guard
Big Board: 84
Number Picked: 31
New Orleans used their first pick to fill a potential need on their offensive line and then drafted Stephone Anthony later in the first round. The inside linebacker from Clemson stands as a second- or third-round talent. The Saints need to replace Curtis Lofton at some point but had bigger needs to address early in the draft.
The Saints received the 31st pick from a trade that sent Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks. This move left Drew Brees without a go-to target.
The Saints badly need to add weapons on offense following the departure of both Graham and Kenny Stills. Supplying Brees with a weapon such as Dorial Green-Beckham or Jaelen Strong would go a long way toward reviving this Saints offense.
New Orleans most likely had the ability to add a valuable playmaker to their offense and still have the opportunity to take Anthony later in the draft.
1. Indianapolis Colts: Phillip Dorsett
Team Needs: Offensive Tackle, Linebacker, Defensive Tackle
Big Board: Not in Top 100
Number Picked: 29
Speed. Speed. Speed. The Indianapolis Colts already possessed fast wide receivers, and they added another in Phillip Dorsett from Miami.
It is a little bit surprising for Dorsett not to appear in Rob Rang’s list, but the Colts obviously valued him enough to pick him in the first round. The 5’10”, 185-pound receiver impressed at the combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds.
The Miami product will join T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief to provide Andrew Luck another deep-threat option. This looks to be more of the same for the Colts at a position where they also added the veteran Andre Johnson this offseason.
The Dorsett selection looks to be a luxury pick when the Colts drastically needed help on the defensive side of the ball.