Post 2015 Draft Notes

By Chad Stapley
Chad Stapley

Draft Notes: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.


The Good:


Washington Redskins

 

The Redskins addressed needs all over their team through the draft and pulled in a few guys that will surely have an impact right away. Brandon Scherff is an OT that can come in and play right away, he will help shore up an O-Line that was one of the worse last season. The Redskins addressed their offensive line once again later in the draft and added Arie Kouandjio a guard that could come in and play right away also. Finally they added some weapons for RGIII by adding Matt Jones a RB out of Florida who can be a nice addition to their stable of RBs. Then they added Jamison Crowder a 6’3 WR out of Duke whom can come in and play right away.

 

New York Jets

The Jets didn’t reach for a QB nor did they trade the world in order to grab one of the two Pro-Ready QBs in this draft. What they did do is grab a great developmental QB in Bryce Petty, who probably isn’t ready to play for a few years but could be the starter by the end of the season. Petty has the arm to compete but he is coming from a spread offensive so he will have to transition to the NFL offense in year one. They also added the best defensive player in this draft by grabbing Leonard Williams 6th overall. Williams will add to a loaded defensive line that was already one of the most feared in football. The Jets also added Devin Smith a speedy WR out of Ohio St whom will surely help that stagnant offense produce a couple more big plays.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars

 

The Jaguars got the most dominant pass rusher in the draft by getting Dante Fowler Jr. A pass rusher happened to be their biggest need and they also added three other guys that could end up seeing a lot of playing time in year one. TJ Yeldon is sure to see carries early on as he might already be the best RB on the Jaguars roster. Rashad Greene was the leading WR for the Seminoles last season and only got better each season in college. He might be the WR we are all talking about in a few months. Lastly, they added a DT in Michael Bennett whom could see a spot in the rotation sooner than later.

 

The Bad:

San Francisco 49ers

 

The 49ers have had one of the worst off seasons in football. From losing their head coach to losing their key veteran players. The draft did not do them any favors either. They started off by grabbing a DE in Arik Armstead who probably won’t do much for a couple of seasons as he needs some time to develop. They then added a safety named Jaquiski Tartt out of Samford, one year after they took a safety in the first round. They then proceeded to draft guys that have a ton of potential but none really ready to play now. Blake Bell is a TE who played QB through the majority of his career so he is still learning the position. He is a Red Zone threat already and could be the steal of the draft for TEs in a couple of years. Finally they added DeAndre Smelter a huge WR out of Georgia Tech who averaged 20+ YPC. Sure that numbers was inflated because GT almost never throws the ball but he has some serious tools to be a threat in a few years.

 

New Orleans Saints

 

The Saints offensive line was a mess in 2014 so it was no surprise that they took an offensive linemen early in the draft. Andrus Peat at 13 is a little bit too high for an OT that doesn’t project to be a dominant LT. Peat will surely help the Saints line but he isn’t going to be an All-Pro which is what you hope for when drafting an offensive linemen this early. They needed WR help in the worst way especially after they shipped out Kenny Stills for almost nothing. The Saints didn’t even draft a WR nor did they do much to help out their offense at all. This is a huge surprise given they traded away their top two playmakers from last year.

 

Carolina Panthers

 

The Panthers had two main needs coming into this draft, offensive line help and WR help. They didn’t grab an offensive lineman until round four and Daryl Williams may never even play in the NFL until 2016. Then they added a WR in Devin Funchess who is pretty close to a mirror image of who they drafted in 2014 (Kelvin Benjamin). Funchess has the same issues as Benjamin, he can’t seem to separate himself from good cover corners. He doesn’t have the speed to win the straight line test and he doesn’t have good break way speed. Funchess is a big bodied WR whom will do most of his damage in the Red Zone. They needed a WR that could beat people with speed not size.

 

The Ugly:

 

Buffalo Bills

 

The Bills had blaring needs at QB and the offensive line. They didn’t grab an OL until the third round and they didn’t draft a QB. They didn’t have a first round pick so the pickings were slim for either position but they definitely could have drafted better than they did. First and foremost with their first pick they drafted a CB out of Florida St whom probably won’t even see the field as a starter this season. Ronald Darby is a decent addition to the depth chart and will be a good rotational player but he isn’t going to be a lockdown corner. There were a few QBs that were available that I could see making sense for the Bills, either Brett Hundley or Bryce Petty could have come in and been better than what the Bills have at QB now.

 

St. Louis Rams

 

The Rams first pick of the draft was a complete head scratcher. They took Todd Gurley who is probably the best RB prospect in the last 6-8 years to enter the draft. The only problem is they drafted Tre Mason last year and he has proven to be very reliable. The Rams needed a #1 WR and this is the draft where you could have found one easily. They also needed offensive line help which makes the Gurley pick so much more questionable. The Rams could have drafted a starting offensive lineman at their draft slot and instead they drafted four different lineman between round 2-6 that may or may not ever make the NFL let alone their roster. I do like that they took Sean Mannion to develop behind new starter Nick Foles, you never know if Foles will be able to stay healthy and with their entire offensive line in question Mannion may be forced to play sooner than later.