National Football League

Five takeaways from Day 1 of the 2015 NFL Draft

Published May. 1, 2015 12:15 a.m. ET

foxsports

By Vincent Frank

The first round of the 2015 NFL draft has concluded. After months and months of speculation, there really weren’t as many surprises as most anticipated.

Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota were the first two picks off the board. Both were also selected by the teams originally slotted to pick at one and two respectively.

It also seems that character issues did play a role. Former Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory and the enigmatic Dorial Green-Beckham remain on the board after the first day.

And after we all expected a multitude of trades, only two went down in the first round. The San Diego Chargers traded up for Melvin Gordon, while the Denver Broncos moved up to No. 23 overall to select pass rusher Shane Ray.

Here are five takeaways from the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Drama was Over-hyped

The expectation was that there would be many trades at the top of the first round. That obviously didn’t happen, as the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers worked out the first deal of the first day when the latter sent the 15th pick to San Diego, who picked up Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon.

Most of the pre-draft hype surrounded the second pick and Marcus Mariota. However, the Tennessee Titans took pretty much all drama out of it by selecting Mariota with that pick. In addition to this, Tampa Bay stood pat by selecting Jameis Winston with the first pick. It’s the first time in NFL draft history that two former Heisman Trophy winners were the first two picks off the board.

Considering the 2015 draft class is viewed as being weaker than previous versions, it’s surprising that more trades didn’t go down. It’s also surprising that the Titans rebuffed multiple trade offers to pick a quarterback when they already have Zach Mettenberger on the roster.

NFC West Teams Make Some Odd Picks

It started with the St. Louis Rams selecting former Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the 10th pick. Considering the team exhausted a third-round pick on Tre Mason last year, it made no real sense. Now enter into the equation Mason’s rookie season that saw him put up over 900 total yards, and it makes even less sense. The first running back to go in the top 10 since Trent Richardson back in 2012, Gurley is also coming off a torn ACL.

The San Francisco 49ers then traded down from the 15th pick to No. 17 overall in order to select Arik Armstead. While talented, he’s seen as a project player and likely won’t make an immediate impact.

Then with the 24th pick, the Arizona Cardinals selected former Florida offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, who will likely start out as a right tackle for the team. There’s no questioning the need, but the value just wasn’t here for Arizona.

Talented Wide Receiver Class

A total of six wide receivers went in the first round of the draft. It started with the Oakland Raiders selecting Amari Cooper at four, and it concluded with the Indianapolis Colts reaching for Miami (F) product Phillip Dorsett with the 29th pick. In between, the Chicago Bears picked up Kevin White, the Miami Dolphins added DeVante Parker, the Philadelphia Eagles surprised many by picking up Nelson Agholor and the Baltimore Ravens nabbed Breshad Perriman to replace Torrey Smith.

Interestingly enough, both Jaelen Strong and Dorial Green-Beckham remain on the board. Both should go early on Day 2.

Randy Gregory’s Issues Were Real

Once considered a top-10 prospect, former Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory fell completely out of the first round. Not only was his positive marijuana test at the combine a big deal, teams started to question Gregory’s personality as it relates to playing in the NFL. A talented EDGE rusher by any stretch of the imagination, it will be interesting to see where Gregory goes on the second day of the draft.

A Ton of Perceived Reaches

It started with the Washington Redskins selecting Brandon Scherff with the fifth pick and concluded with the Green Bay Packers reaching for former Arizona State defensive back Damarious Randall with the 30th pick. Scherff, who many project to be a guard, is likely going to slot in as a right tackle opposite Trent Williams. Meanwhile, it’s being reported that thePackers view Randall as a cornerback. He played safety in college.

In between those two head-scratching picks, the 49ers nabbed a project defensive lineman in Arik Armstead at 15, the Cincinnati Bengals took Cedric Ogbuehi at 21, and the Indianapolis Colts inexplicably added another wide receiver in Phillip Dorsett. Due to a combination of reaching for Day 2 values and failing to add players at a position of need, all of these teams are going to be under a microscope when it comes to their selections.

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