Cleveland Browns
Cleveland came into the draft with a lot of questions surrounding their first round. Rumors started circulating about potential trades to land them a quarterback. When the dust settled on Day 1 they didn't make the blockbuster moves people thought they would, but chose to beef up both the offensive and defensive lines. This draft was a success for the Browns, although I would have thought they would take a receiver earlier than they did.Best Pick- Danny Shelton (DT, Washington)
Shelton will be an immediate impact player in Cleveland. I considered him to be the second best defensive prospect in the 2015 class behind Leonard Williams. Shelton's huge body and strength will bode well in the NFL. He can throw people around and stuff running lanes, which will lead to negative or no yards gained. He will generate a lot of double teams which will free up other defenders to come into the backfield unscathed. He could be a three-down player and eventually a Pro Bowl type player.
Underrated Pick- Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (CB, Oregon)
Don't sleep on this guy. He was a 7th round pick due to an ACL injury late in the season at Oregon. When he was healthy, Olomu was considered one of the top cornerback prospects coming out of college. Once he gets healthy he could compete for time playing in nickel packages, and eventually even a starting spot on the outside. He doesn't necessarily have the "NFL size" but his coverage and ball skills are impeccable. The Browns got arguably one of the biggest steals in the draft taking him in the 7th round, and he should reward them with his play.
Final Thoughts
Cleveland wants the NFL to know their identity, and showed it with this class. They want to be a smash-mouth team on offense and a hard nosed run stuffing defense. Adding Shelton and offensive lineman Cameron Erving in the first round shows they want beef on both sides of the ball. Erving is a smart and versatile player who might play right tackle early in his career and move inside to guard or center. Nate Orchard and Xavier Cooper should develop into good players and make an impact on the defense as well. Receiver Vince Mayle will be a developmental player, but is very raw and could turn out to be a solid starter for Cleveland.
Cincinnati Bengals
Offensive Tackle Andrew Whitworth dared the Bengals brass to draft a tackle and they did.....TWICE. It is unclear to me what the Bengals were thinking, but they got two solid players with their first two picks.Best Pick- Jake Fisher (OL, Oregon)
Underrated Pick- Paul Dawson (LB, TCU)
Dawson might be the most pro-ready linebacker in the class. He lacks some physical skill, but is very instinctive and gets to the ball by any means necessary. He dropped a few rounds because of off-field character issues. Cincy doesn't have any issue with taking problem players. Pairing him inside with Vontaze Burfict will give them one of the better duos in the NFL.
Final Thoughts-
The Bengals were looking further into the future with the picks made in the 2015 NFL Draft. They already have a talented roster and addressed some of the depth issues they may have had. Third round pick Tyler Kroft could be a nice player, and pairing him with Tyler Eifert may be a lethal combo. Josh Shaw had his off-field problem, (lying about how he broke both of his ankles) but might be a steal for Cincinnati. Adding young depth seemed to be something the Bengals needed to do, and while it may not make sense now, they're better prepped for the future than they were before the draft.
Baltimore Ravens
Per usual, the Baltimore Ravens assembled one of the best classes in the NFL Draft. GM Ozzie Newsome always has a strategy that he sticks to, and this year wasn't any different. Newsome likes to let the board fall to him and tends to select the best player available. By doing so, the picks he makes are usually not only the best player available, but also a targeted position that they'd like to improve. The Ravens staff is very rigorous is scouting, which shows on the field, as most guys they draft end up making an immediate impact in one way or another.
Best Pick- Carl Davis (DT, Iowa)
I thought Davis could have been selected in the late first, early second depending on a run of defensive tackles coming off the board. Davis slipped into the third round and wound up in Baltimore. Davis is a huge guy who can immediately play for the Ravens on early downs as a run-stuffer. He is good at holding his own in double teams which can help his linebackers. He has a full arsenal of moves which will make him hard to block. The Ravens needed a replacement for Haloti Ngata and may have found one in Davis.
Underrated Pick- Darren Waller (WR, Georgia Tech)
Waller is going to be a developmental project. The intangibles are all there (he comes in at 6'6" 240lbs) but he lacks any signs of being pro-ready. He doesn't posses much of a route tree and can lose speed when the ball is in the air. He does show some promise is other areas. He is a promising red-zone threat who has size and jumping ability to go up and grab balls. Waller uses his size and body well when getting up for jump ball type plays. Baltimore hasn't had a receiver like Waller in a long time, and if developed the right way, could be similar to Plaxico Burress.
Final Thoughts-
From beginning to end the Ravens aced the Draft process. Breshad Perriman should be the immediate replacement for Torrey Smith, and second-round tight end Maxx Williams should surpass all tight ends on the roster as the starter. Javorious Allen is a dual threat back, and while he doesn't have eye popping speed or tackle breaking ability, he finds ways to get into the open field. Allen will likely compete with Lorenzo Talieferro for the change of pace role. Adding pieces that can produce right away was important for the Ravens and they landed 4-5 guys that will do just that. If I gave grades to the teams for their drafts, Baltimore would be very high on the list.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers came into the draft knowing they had very specific holes to fill. They've been missing a dominant pass-rusher for a long time. They had to find an heir to the Polamalu throne, and get better at corner. It seems that the picks they made will definitely help fill some of those voids, although we won't REALLY know until these rookies get onto the field.
Best Pick- Doran Grant (CB, Ohio State)
When reading up on Grant, I noticed that a number of scouts were very intrigued with him. One scout said that he was at Ohio State the previous year to look at Bradley Roby, and that in every facet, Grant out-played him. Roby does everything very well, wether it be zone coverage, man coverage or pressing a receiver. He is a smart player that won't be beaten mentally. Grant might inevitably play over second round pick Senquez Golson just based on body size.
Underrated Pick- Gerod Holliman (S, Louisville)
If you glance back at my defensive position breakdown you'll noticed I had Holliman as a potential bust. The reasoning for this is that many projections earlier in the year had him as a late first, early second round pick. I think Pittsburgh got amazing value for Holliman. His amazing on-field year at Louisville may have hyped him up a bit, but his style of play is perfect for Pittsburgh. I believe that if Holliman isn't forced onto the field early in his career he could be a suitable enough replacement for Troy Polamalu.
Final Thought
The Steelers added players to fill holes in their roster. Wether or not these players pan out to be viable starters lis still to be seen. Bud Dupree should play from day one, and was seen as one of the best pass-rushers in the 2015 class. Golson and Grant should both see the field early, although I'm not too sure wether either will fare well in the NFL. Adding Sammie Coates was surprising to me, since the Steelers have an impressive core of guys. He does have good size and speed, and will probably be the fourth receiver unless he out-preforms Markus Wheaton. I don't think the Steelers did enough in this draft to be considered serious contenders, even with Ben Roethlisberger and his array or offensive weapons.
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