2015 NFL Draft Recap: Breaking Down the Top Winners |

2015 NFL Draft Recap: Breaking Down the Top Winners

If you got into a pool that allowed you to place bets on draft picks, trades or anything else crazy surrounding the 2015 NFL Draft, you may or may not have won some solid coin last weekend. Then again, with the underwhelming amount of trades and major free falls, it was actually one of the calmer drafts in recent memory. But what if you had to wager which NFL team made out with the best overall draft?

Several teams definitely took the other end of that argument. The Green Bay Packers left many scratching their heads with some of their decisions, the Buffalo Bills arguably didn’t land a single difference-maker and the Philadelphia Eagles couldn’t come away with Marcus Mariota. But there were several teams who either lived up to or surpassed draft expectations and would have been contenders for “winning” the draft.

We’ll let you decide who actually was the winner, but let’s take a look at the top three teams that went into this year’s draft and came away stuffed with talent and value via their new draft class:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville is among the worst teams in the league, but another solid draft could slowly be pushing them up the ranks. If their picks this year are any indication, their rise may just speed up a bit. The Jags got off to a roaring start in round one with exploside edge rusher Dante Fowler, who is a home grown product and could completely change an already improving defense. Jacksonville then switched their focus to offense, where they drafted the athletic and physical T.J. Yeldon to be their franchise running back. A complete back with great production and solid experience against elite college competition, Yeldon projects as the perfect feature back for Bradley’s offense.

The Jaguars didn’t stop there, as they found more value in round three via guard A.J. Cann, snagged Florida State play-making wide receiver Rashad Greene in round five and stole Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Bennett in round six. If the Jaguars could earn wins simply based on how good their 2015 draft class looks on paper, they might just be a playoff team this season.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta needed an elite edge rusher and it didn’t take long to snatch one up in the 2015 NFL Draft. With their first pick, Dan Quinn and co. made sure the Falcons would inch further away from their former “soft” label by getting faster and nastier within their pass rush. Landing Clemson stud pass rusher Vic Beasley should accomplish that, and then some. Atlanta added more defensive help in round two, as well, when stud corner prospect Jalen Collins fell into their lap. Collins could push to play right away, but at worst rounds out an improving pass defense.

The Falcons made sure to address their offensive needs, as well, as Tevin Coleman was brought in out of the third round and is expected to compete with Devonta Freeman for the starting running back gig. In addition, Atlanta replaced the departed Harry Douglas with the sure-handed Justin Hardy out of East Carolina. Quinn did not ignore the offensive side of the ball and made sure the Falcons would, from top to bottom, be better in his first season as head coach. That puts the Falcons near the top of the league as far as successful drafts go this year and if all goes well, they could work their way back into the playoffs in 2015.

Baltimore Ravens

Ozzie Newsome rarely falters in the midst of the pressures of the NFL Draft. He surely didn’t this past weekend, as he went out and got Joe Flacco some weapons for the passing game and hit on several key needs. Baltimore still has some questions at linebacker and safety, but for the most part look like a deep, balanced team that is ready for a serious playoff run. They seem ready to let it rip on offense, especially, now that they have a deep threat in first round pick Breshad Perriman and a red-zone presence thanks to second round tight end prospect, Maxx Williams. Williams was a great present/future pick, as the Ravens can use his size right away, while he’s a long-term investment with 30-year old Dennis Pitta on the mend from his second dislocated hip.

The Ravens even added beef to their defensive line via defensive tackle Carl Davis, who is big enough to play all across their base 3-4 scheme. Za’Darius Smith is another body for the defensive line, who can play on either side and help generate extra pass rush. To top it off, they added another able body for the offensive backfield, as USC running back Javorious Allen can slide in behind starter Justin Forsett. Baltimore was probably already a top contender in the AFC, but with yet another strong showing in the draft, they can be sure to be a force to be reckoned with for 2015 and beyond.

Houston Texans

Had the Texans somehow landed a quarterback in this draft, they would have easily taken the cake as the ultimate winners. Even so, they’re quite close after nailing their first three picks with prospects that could be immediate impact players. Cornberack Kevin Johnson helped them lock down any issues with their pass defense, Benardrick McKinney gives them a running mate for Brian Cushing for 2015 and if Cushing continues to regress, they also have their heir apparent. Thirdly, Jaelen Strong was a tremendous value pick in round three and could push for playing time right away. With DeAndre Hopkins serving as the team’s true #1 wide receiver, Strong can slowly fill in Andre Johnson’s old role.

Houston probably could have hit up an offensive lineman or two to round out their o-line depth and no quarterback hurts, but on the surface they hit all their key needs and got some really nice value. If they’re not the ultimate winner in this year’s draft, they’re at least very close.