In a quarterback-dominated league, it’s perhaps no surprise that the top two picks of the 2015 NFL draft were quarterbacks.
As widely predicted, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went for the Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston, with the No1 overall pick. The No2 pick wasn’t as locked in, with speculation a few teams were willing to trade up, but in the end the Tennessee Titans decided that Marcus Mariota’s dual-threat abilities were too tempting to pass up.
Winston’s pocket presence marked him out as the logical choice for Tampa Bay, who have lacked a reliable quarterback for years and have not won a playoff game since 2002. While there is no doubt about Winston’s on-field skills there is concern about his life away from the game. During his college career he shoplifted crab legs, was banned for shouting obscenities and was accused of sexual assault, although he was not arrested or charged over the allegation.
Winston’s college coach, Jimbo Fisher, played down those fears. “There are always bumps in the road,” Fisher said. “But as far as on the field, he’ll learn. He has an unbelievable ability to learn and learn fast.
“Off the field he’s an extremely great guy. People will be shocked with how he represents [Tampa Bay].”
Winston said he was confident the Bucs would get the best out of him. “The challenge is just being an NFL player, period. I’m not worried about any off-the-field situations or even on-the-field situations,” he said. “I’m just worried about living this new lifestyle and just developing into a great man for the Tampa Bay community for my team-mates, because it’s all for them and it’s all for the success of this franchise.”
While Mariota has caused his team no problems with his personal life, some have questioned his ability to step up to the NFL after thriving in Oregon’s fast-tempo offense. However, Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt was pleased to get his man.
“He’s a talented young man who has a very good feel for the position and how to process those things,” Whisenhunt said, “and we’re excited to get a chance to work with him.”
Both Winston and Mariota watched the draft from home meaning that the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, didn’t greet a player on stage in Chicago until the Jacksonville Jaguars picked Dante Fowler Jr at No3.
Many had predicted that defensive end Leonard Williams could go as high as No2 but it was the New York Jets, at No6, that picked him, adding yet more strength to the team’s strong defensive line.
There was an emotional moment when nose tackle Danny Shelton went to the Cleveland Browns – it was the fourth anniversary of his brother’s death in a shooting. “I’ve got my brother with me here tonight,” said Shelton.
Selections in first round (pick number, team, player, position, college)
1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, quarterback, Florida State 2) Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, quarterback, Oregon 3) Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler, Jr, defensive end, Florida 4) Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, wide receiver, Alabama 5) Washington: Brandon Scherff, offensive tackle, Iowa 6) New York Jets: Leonard Williams, defensive tackle, USC 7) Chicago Bears: Kevin White, wide receiver, West Virginia 8) Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, defensive end, Clemson 9) New York Giants: Ereck Flowers, offensive tackle, Miami 10) StLouis Rams: Todd Gurley, running back, Georgia 11) Minnesota Vikings: Trae Waynes, cornerback, Michigan State 12) Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton, defensive tackle, Washington 13) New Orleans Saints: Andrus Peat, offensive tackle, Stanford 14) Miami Dolphins: DeVante Parker, wide receiver, Louisville 15) San Diego (from San Francisco): Melvin Gordon, running back, Wisconsin 16) Houston Texans: Kevin Johnson, cornerback, Wake Forest 17) San Francisco (from San Diego): Arik Armstead, defensive end, Oregon 18) Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Peters, cornerback, Washington 19) Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo): Cameron Erving, center, Florida State 20) Philadelphia Eagles: Nelson Agholor, wide receiver, USC 21) Cincinnati Bengals: Cedric Ogbuehi, offensive tackle, Texas A&M 22) Pittsburgh Steelers: Bud Dupree, linebacker, Kentucky 23) Denver Broncos (from Detroit): Shane Ray, defensive end, Missouri 24) Arizona Cardinals: DJ Humphries, offensive tackle, Florida 25) Carolina Panthers: Shaq Thompson, linebacker, Washington 26) Baltimore Ravens: Breshad Perriman, wide receiver, Central Florida 27) Dallas Cowboy: Byron Jones, cornerback, Dallas 28) Detroit Lions (from Denver): Laken Tomlinson, guard, Duke 29) Indianapolis Colts: Phillip Dorsett, wide receiver, Miami 30) Green Bay Packers: Damarious Randall, safety, Arizona State 31) New Orleans Saints (from Seattle): Stephone Anthony, linebacker, Clemson 32) New England Patriots: Malcolm Brown, defensive tackle, Texas
