Winners and Losers of the 2015 NFL Draft

It felt like an eternity waiting for the 2015 NFL draft to finally commence, but the three-day offseason Super Bowl has thankfully finally come and gone.

Each year following the actual Super Bowl, the football world is consumed by a massive, inescapable tornado, except instead of green witches flying around on broomsticks, the vortex is inhabited by Mel Kiper and Todd McShay and a thousand other draft experts all rabble-rousing and pontificating on what could happen.

Well, we finally know what did happen, so it's time to craft an all-too-early list of winners and losers. Though deciding who "won" or "lost" a draft mostly takes years, we can still make some strong observations on which teams threw bullseyes and which ones completely missed the board.

And, as with every draft, winners and losers don't necessarily have to be specific teams or players or general managers. There are myriad storylines during NFL draft weekend, many of which go beyond draft order and GM performance. 

So, without further ado, here are some winners and losers from the 2015 NFL draft.

(Note: La'el Collins was not considered for this slideshow due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing murder investigation, though he is not a suspect at this time.)

To most, the prospect of actually attending the NFL draft is about as exciting as watching the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight on an infinite loop.

But this year, with the draft in a new locale for the first time in decades, things were a little different. 

Back in Chicago for the first time since 1964, the NFL created its own downtown "Draft Town," a free outdoor celebration of all things NFL (and NFL sponsors), which drew more than 200,000 people during the three-day event, according to a report from The Chicago Tribune's Patrick O'Connell. 

Despite lackluster television ratings, Chicago proved itself a capable, exciting and attractive draw for future drafts:

Fans and the simply curious watched the draft unfold on projection screens, participated in football activities, looked for their favorite sportscasters broadcasting on-site, tried out the popular wind tunnel skydive simulator, viewed historical exhibits and enjoyed drinks, food and concerts with the jersey-clad masses.

The NFL was highly encouraged by the strong showing in the Windy City.

"I would safely say it far exceeded our expectations," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told O'Connell.

The NFL has not yet selected a host city for the 2016 draft, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel certainly wouldn't mind another economically stimulating football party taking over his city for a weekend.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, a man currently polling lower than Emperor Palpatine and Lord Voldemort, had himself a rough time in Chicago. 

Anytime Goodell stepped on the stage at Auditorium Theatre, a deep chorus of boos accompanied him, hanging in the air until he could finally make his escape backstage. The winds of disdain even carried outside, far from where Goodell could actually hear them, according to Grantland's Robert Mays:

The Selection Square stage is where it all kicked off last night, with Goodell calling Chicago “Chi-Town” and opening the city’s first draft in 51 years. As soon as he walked to the mic, the boos began down the street inside the theater. It was a bizarre scene — everyone jeering someone who wasn’t even in the building — and the weirdness only continued from there.

Things didn't improve much for the NFL's $44 million man.

The first two names he called—Jameis Winston to Tampa Bay, Marcus Mariota to Tennessee—weren't even in the building, and his initial success rate on proper pronunciation was at a woeful 50 percent after those picks. 

Yes, Goodell announced the reigning Heisman Trophy winner as Marcus "Marioto." It was an odd gaffe, considering all the press Mariota has received this year, but with Goodell, all things are possible. 

Considering Chicago is called the Windy City, those prolific boos might still be swirling around the Midwest metropolis for another week or two.  

Often, to have a good draft, you need a little serendipity.

The Jets found theirs in the form of an interesting first-round decision by Washington, picking at No. 5, one spot ahead of New York (we'll get to that move in the next slide).

University of Southern California defensive lineman Leonard Williams was rated by many a draft expert as the best defensive player in the entire draft, and by some as the best player in the entire draft, so when he fell right into the Jets' lap, first-year head coach Todd Bowles knew he had to pounce.

The Jets already feature three exceptional players on the line: Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison. Still, Williams was special enough that Bowles, a defensive mastermind, simply couldn't resist.

Bleacher Report's Aidan Mackie broke down what makes the 20-year-old pass-rusher so coveted: 

The USC Trojans product has all of the physical tools NFL teams could want from a defensive lineman. He possesses great size (6'5'', 302 pounds), power and length, as well as top-notch athleticism and quickness off the snap. He is an elite run-stopper and a dangerous pass-rusher, as he can beat opposing linemen with any of his many physical tools.

"I'm willing to play wherever they want me to play, because being versatile at USC, it allows me to fit in a lot of different spots," Williams said Friday from the team facility, per Manish Mehta of the Daily News. "I’d prefer to play defensive end, but also… in a lot of sub-packages, I can move around and find spots to get to the quarterback."

As good as Williams is, one pick does not make a draft.

The Jets addressed several key issues by adding a playmaker in Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, offensive line help in the form of Texas A&M's Jarvis Harrison and a possible replacement for Geno Smith in UCLA quarterback Bryce Petty. 

Bleacher Report's Ty Schalter graded New York's draft an A, and when coupled with an uninspired draft by Rex Ryan in Buffalo, the Jets left Chicago with high hopes for the future.

It's not Brandon Scherff's fault. 

Offensive linemen are rarely considered sexy picks. That goes double for linemen selected No. 5 overall, which is exactly who Scherff became on the first day of the NFL draft. 

Washington is in desperate need of offensive line help. Robert Griffin III has dealt with serious injury problems his entire career, and Washington ranked in the bottom half of the league in both run- and pass-blocking last season, per Football Outsiders. 

Even so, Bleacher Report NFL analyst Christopher Hansen ranked the Scherff pick as the worst of the entire draft:

You can love Scherff as a player and not like this pick. Unless Scherff becomes Joe Thomas, it's hard to really love it, and it's easy to dislike, because the notion that offensive linemen are safe picks has pretty much been obliterated in recent years.

Experts appear somewhat divided by the pick, but with Leonard Williams still sitting on the board and an opportunity to trade down and still land Scherff, fans weren't overly fond of the choice:

@Dgoodmantrublu: @TakeGawd@KSIXI Skins passing on Williams for Scherff was an epic fail by them. Preston Smith is weird for a 3-4 team too.

@CBS11BillJones: Redskins could have had DELeonard Williams & OG AJ Cann...instead they took OG Brandon Scherff & DE Preston Smith #majormistake

It may have been a sensible move, but sensibility is hard for some disgruntled fans to get excited over.

The 2015 NFL draft has come and gone, but Sam Bradford stayed put. 

Many expected Chip Kelly to do everything in his power to land Marcus Mariota, but the pipe dream never came to fruition. 

So now, 27-year-old Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft and a quarterback who has played just seven total games since 2013, is positioned as the Eagles' quarterback of the future. 

The Eagles have the oldest starting offensive line in the NFL and lost both Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy in the offseason, but Kelly firmly believes in a team that will now feature DeMarco Murray, first-round draft pick Nelson Agholor (No. 20) and a revamped defense. 

Bradford has been handed the reins to one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL. If all works out as Kelly plans, we might just see a quarterback resurrection in Philadelphia this season.

"We wouldn't have traded for [Bradford] if we didn't think he fits in terms of what our vision is for what we're trying to do," Kelly told The News Journal's Martin Frank.

If not, well, Philly fans are pretty forgiving...right?

As with Brandon Scherff, it isn't Nelson Agholor's fault that he isn't Marcus Mariota. 

Chip Kelly reportedly tried everything in his power to bring the former Oregon Duck to Philadelphia, but the deal never came together.

When it became clear Mariota wasn't leaving Tennessee, the Eagles decided to use their first-round selection on a wide receiver from USC with similar measurables to Jeremy Maclin.

Bleacher Report's Bryn Swartz explained what makes Agholor such a great fit for the Eagles' scheme:

What makes Agholor so valuable is his ability to line up both inside and outside. He's succeeded at both in college, and he's fast enough (4.42 in the 40-yard dash) with tremendous route running to exceed wherever the Eagles line him up on the field. He's not afraid to go across the middle and take a big hit. He'll block, and he'll do it pretty well, too. He can stop and start on a dime. He possesses talented hands, rarely dropping a ball. And he's a high-character player who boasts the necessary IQ to succeed in Kelly's offense. 

Agholor helps, but he doesn't change who the team's starting quarterback is.

Philadelphians are having a hard time coping with this sobering knowledge. Even beat writers like Philly.com's Rob Tomoe are having difficulty dealing:

I’ll admit, I still don’t understand why Chip wanted to trade for the oft-injured Bradford. My assumption, like many other reporters and pundits, was Kelly wanted to use Bradford as a trading chip in order to land Mariota. Despite trying his hardest (and reportedly offering up half his roster), he wasn’t able to pry a top pick away from either Tennessee or Tampa Bay. 

The Eagles did a great job of shoring up their defense and adding a receiving threat to address the loss of Maclin, but fans will lament missing out on a quarterback they all believed (however foolishly) would be garbed in midnight green this season.

The Titans had nine picks in this year's draft; seven of those selections were used to a bolster an offense that was one of the worst in the entire NFL last season.

They found a franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota. They found a talented, albeit troubled, wide receiver with first-round grades in Dorial Green-Beckham. They added offensive line help in the form of 6'5", 335-pound tackle Jeremiah Poutasi.

Three potential rookie starters in the first three rounds, plus some excellent late value in William & Mary wide receiver Tre McBride, who was rated as a third- to fourth-round talent but fell all the way to the final round.

Walter Cherepinsky of Walter Football particularly loved the Titans' draft, grading it an A-:

The Titans did a good job of adding talent around Mariota on Days 2 and 3. Dorial Green-Beckham was a strong acquisition in the second round; if it wasn't for his character concerns, he would've been a top-10 pick. Jeremiah Poutasi, meanwhile, should offer an upgrade at either guard or right tackle, both of which were problem areas. Later on, David Cobb was a nice value pick, as he'll challenge Bishop Sankey for the starting running back job. 

The Titans defense has plenty of holes left to address, but with seven new picks and several key offseason acquisitions, Tennessee has made itself not only infinitely more interesting for the coming season, but vastly better, at least offensively. 

He was drafted 11 years ago, but Philip Rivers' name was an interesting topic of discussion at this year's NFL draft. 

The former No. 4 overall pick and current San Diego Charger had been at the heart of trade rumors linking Tennessee to San Diego. Rivers reportedly wanted out of San Diego, but a deal never got made.

Now Rivers is backpedaling, which is elevating the situation to "middle school dance" levels of awkwardness.

Rivers denied ever making any trade demands via text message conversation with ESPN's Jim Trotter on Sunday:

"I not once, nor did Jimmy, ever say anything about [wanting to be] traded...I don't know what the story is. I'm here. And glad that I am. ...I'm willing to listen to an extension. I am willing to play it out. What's so wrong about that approach?"

Rivers is playing his part wisely after not finding a change of scenery before or during the draft, but Trotter isn't taking the bait:

Philip Rivers wants you to believe he has no idea where the trade talk began. He wants you to believe he had no interest in being traded before the NFL draft. He wants you to believe that the speculation about his future was nothing more than media hype, and that his hands and conscience are clear.

It would be easy to believe the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback, except for one thing -- the mud beneath his fingernails.

Whether you choose to believe Rivers or not, you can be sure this dilemma is far from over.

The death of the running back might have been greatly exaggerated.

Football, like life, is cyclical. Trends come and go, fads consume culture for small windows of time until the next one comes along or something "retro" makes a comeback. 

Well, running backs don't seem so retro anymore, not after Todd Gurley was taken No. 10 overall and Melvin Gordon was taken No. 15, the first time any running back was taken in the first round since 2012.

According to The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg, the average draft position for a running back was 73.2 during the 2000 draft. That more than doubled to 150.6 in 2013, but it has been falling ever since, indicating a recession to the early 2000's norm.

Though still overshadowed by quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive linemen, running back actually emerged as the most valuable position on a per-snap basis in the entire 2015 NFL draft, according to Football Perspective's Chase Stuart.

The league is likely never going to revert back to the days when running back was king, but this draft proved the NFL still values talented backs.

Like I said in the previous slide, everything is cyclical.

An up year for running backs proved to be an equally down year for the men who hand them the ball.

According to research from Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Brad Gagnon, this was the most quarterback light draft in over six decades:

The last time fewer than eight quarterbacks were drafted, the majority of people reading this sentence weren't alive. The average cost of a new house was $10,000, a gallon of gas went for about 22 cents and the Cleveland Browns were the best team in a National Football League that contained just 12 franchises.

It was 1954.

So, yeah, it wasn't the best draft for teams in need of a franchise quarterback. 

Just seven quarterbacks were selected this year: Jameis Winston to Tampa Bay; Marcus Mariota to Tennessee; Garrett Grayson (No. 75) to New Orleans; Sean Mannion (No. 89) to St. Louis; Bryce Petty (No. 103) to the Jets; Brett Hundley (No. 147) to Green Bay; and Trevor Siemian (No. 250) to Denver. 

Only Winston and Mariota are expected to have any chance of starting the first game of the season, but it's not all doom and gloom for the quarterback position.

An average of 12.7 quarterbacks were selected every year from 2000-2014, and with a strong crop of talent currently gestating in college, expect the number of quarterbacks selected in the 2016 draft to return to pre-2015 levels.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is one happy dude right now. 

The Falcons may very well have walked away from Chicago with the strongest draft class in the entire NFL, and the aggregate grades from several draft experts back that assessment up.

Atlanta addressed all of its most glaring needs: Vic Beasley (No. 8) immediately upgrades their pass rush, cornerback Jalen Collins (No. 42) will be a starter from Day 1, Indiana running back Tevin Coleman (No. 73) is one of the fastest players in the entire draft and can add a new dimension to the running game, and East Carolina's Justin Hardy can step right into Harry Douglas' vacated spot. 

Bleacher Report NFL National Lead Writer Matt Bowen heaped high praise upon the job done by Quinn and his staff:

But if I had to point to just one club that leaves Chicago with a group of prospects that stands above the rest, I have to go with the Atlanta Falcons, based on the core group of guys they acquired to play for new head coach Dan Quinn in 2015.

The Falcons made themselves better at a number of positions and have two or three potential Pro Bowlers among this group.

After two straight disappointing seasons, things are finally beginning to look up in The ATL.

Rex Ryan's first NFL draft go-round as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills went over about as smoothly as his Mark Sanchez tattoo.

Already down a first-round pick because of last year's Sammy Watkins megadeal, Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley didn't do much to improve Buffalo's outlook this season.

Mel Kiper Jr. graded the Bills draft as the worst in the entire NFL, and the reviews from fellow analysts around the web weren't much better.

Bleacher Report's Ty Schalter stuck the Bills with a C-, though he also factored the Watkins trade into his calculations:

The Bills, who lacked a first-rounder because of the crazy Sammy Watkins trade of 2014, took one of the draft's best athletes in Ronald Darby. They didn't have much need for a corner, but new head coach Rex Ryan loves fluid athletes with great recovery speed at that spot. 

...the lack of a first-rounder and a dearth of urgency in either drafting for the future or meeting needs was uninspiring.

Not only were most of the selections ho-hum, but two picks—Ronald Darby and Karlos Williams, both from Florida State—have questionable off-field transgressions on their records.

Overall, not a great first draft for Ryan in Buffalo, especially with hiss former team knocking it out of the park.

What's this? The London Jacksonville Jaguars won something? 

Yes, in the minds of many, the Jags, under the direction of general manager Dave Caldwell, seem to have won the NFL draft. 

No. 3 overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. and his funky, golden, glittering, Bowser-spiked shoes can become the dynamic edge-rusher Jacksonville has lacked. Second-round pick T.J. Yeldon might be able to cement himself as the man in the backfield immediately. 

Jacksonville rounded its draft out with several solid picks that should be able to contribute as early as this year, even if they don't become full-time starters.

Draft analysts and experts gave near universal praise to what Jacksonville was able to accomplish over three days in Chicago.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Burke, in particular, was a huge supporter of everything the Jags did:

The Jaguars are coming. Maybe not in 2015, maybe not in 2016, but soon. This draft without question kept this franchise's positive momentum, from a talent standpoint, rolling in the right direction. Jacksonville made one solid decision after another, right through Notre Dame tight end Ben Koyack in round 7.

Opinions varied on this class's top pass-rusher, but Dante Fowler was at or near the top of the list, and Gus Bradley can turn him into a star. Running back T.J. Yeldon and guard A.J. Cann should be starters by Week 1, as well.

But the real gems here came in rounds 5 and 6, respectively: Florida State wide receiver Rashad Greene, a sharp route-runner and productive performer; and penetrating three-tech tackle Michael Bennett, a remarkable value at pick No. 180.

Jacksonville fans haven't seen a winning football team since 2007, but with legitimate momentum from the past two drafts, the doormat Jags we all know and love might be ditching bottom-feeder status for alpha dog tags in the next few years.

It's inevitable, and really, it's just business.

Teams draft young players to replace aging or failing talent. That's just how the world works. 

This year's draft was no different. Several young bucks are expected to come in and take the reins from the old guard, whether they be former All-Pros, journeymen on the wrong side of 30 or former draft picks that never panned out. 

Veterans that might want to start packing their bags or looking over their shoulders include: Zach Mettenberger (QB, Titans), Shonn Greene (RB, Titans), Tre Mason (RB, Rams), Morris Claiborne (DB, Cowboys), Denard Robinson (RB, Jaguars), James Jones (WR, released by Raiders over the weekend).

Some of these guys are young enough where they might be able to carve out a nice career elsewhere, but others are just plain out of luck. And so life goes.

Texas might like to think it rules the bizarre, chaotic, insane world of high school football, but this year's draft results tell us the true king of prep football is the Sunshine State.

MaxPreps.com's Stephen Spiewak reports Florida high schools are responsible for producing the most picks (39) in this years draft. Georgia was second with 30, while Texas took bronze with 27. 

St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, produced three draft picks—Phillip Dorsett, Rashad Greene and Bobby Hart—the most of any high school in the country.

And most of that Florida talent came at the top: eight of 32 selections (25%) in the first round hailed from the land of sunshine and hurricanes.

It was a great showing for the state and a strong reinforcement of Florida's high school football dominance.

The number of underclassmen (84) who declared for this year's draft was substantially lower than last year's total (102), but that didn't stop the babyfaces from dominating the early rounds of the 2015 NFL draft.

A total of 18 underclassmen were selected in the first round of the draft, just one shy of the record of 19, set in 2012, per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News.

The first four picks (Winston, Mariota, Fowler and Cooper) and eight of the first 11 were underclassmen.

The continuing influx of talented underclassmen into the draft has made it more difficult for upperclassmen to dominate the early rounds of the draft.

Obviously, that's not the end of the world for those who elect to play out their eligibility, but it's a trend that looks poised to continue as long as no age sanctions are imposed by the NFL.

Despite two running backs being taken in the first round, quarterbacks and wide receivers still rule the league. 

Thirty-five wide receivers were selected in this year's draft, the most of any position, per NFL.com's Mike Huguenin. 

Six wideouts were chosen in the first round: No. 4 Amari Cooper, No. 7 Kevin White, No. 14 DeVante Parker, No. 20 Nelson Agholor, No. 26 Breshad Perriman and No. 29 Phillip Dorsett.

Three more followed in the first nine picks of the second round, making nine of the first 41 (22%) picks receivers. 

It's a good time to be a pass-catcher, kids.

The casual fan rarely pays much attention to special teams in the NFL draft, but landing a solid kicker, punter or even long snapper in the sixth or seventh round can help bolster a franchise's special teams unit for years.

But sadly, for the first time since 2010, not a single place kicker was drafted.

Last year, two kickers were drafted in the seventh round: Zach Hocker at No. 228 to Washington and Nate Freese at No. 229 to Detroit.

The year before that, Caleb Sturgis was drafted by Miami in the fifth round at No. 166 and Dustin Hopkins was taken by Buffalo in the sixth round with pick No. 177. 

No, a place kicker not being selected doesn't matter much, but it's always fun to see the little guy get a small moment of glory among the speedsters and behemoths that typically occupy the NFL draft ranks.

Hey, at least the 49ers selected a punter, right?

More and more, character issues are taking a central role in the NFL draft. Players slide and fall because of run-ins with the law or unscrupulous doings.

Talent is clearly still king in the NFL, and a checkered past wasn't nearly enough to drop Jameis Winston from the No. 1 overall slot, but it certainly impacted several marquee names in this year's draft.

Teams targeting these types of players are taking a risk, both in terms of enabling a potentially troubled young man who might need serious help and in potentially wasting a coveted draft selection.

Obviously, the former is far more important than the latter, but some NFL teams are willing ton risk sullying their brand if they deem that talent outweighs any nefarious deeds. 

Just look at the names that fell because of character concerns: 2014 SEC Defensive Player of the Year Shane Ray was considered a top-10 pick, but fell to the Broncos at No. 23 because of a marijuana citation; Nebraska's Randy Gregory tumbled out of the first round and into Jerry Jones' clutches at No. 60 after failing a drug test at the scouting combine; Dorial Green-Beckham, accused of pushing a woman down a flight of stairs, was selected by the Titans with pick No. 40.

Marcus Peters (No. 18, Kansas City), Frank Clark (No. 63, Seattle), Ronald Darby (No. 50, Buffalo) and Karlos Williams (No. 155, Buffalo) were just a few more names that fell partly because of serious character concerns.

For better or worse, it's clear teams are still looking to get supreme value out of young men with checkered pasts, though you have to assume that's under the assumption past transgressions don't turn into future problems.

The ethics of this brand of draft strategy are debatable, but there's no denying some teams are still willing to make risky moves, even in a post-Ray Rice world.

It will take time to see whether the gambles taken this year will pan out or if teams will ultimately regret their controversial moves.