The first round of the 2015 NFL draft felt like it was signaling a return to hard-nosed, ground-and-pound football, as offensive linemen, defensive linemen and running backs seemed to be coming off the board left and right.
Which teams did the best job with their picks on Day 1, and which ones were more suspect? Let's take a look at the best and worst of the first round:
Best picks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State (No. 1)
It's easy to gloss over the No. 1 selection when analyzing the best picks in the draft, especially one like this that has been expected for some time now. But make no mistake: This was a difficult decision. Winston's off-field behavior is obviously a significant question mark, and there were several ties to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota from people within the organization that could have led to their choosing to take him.
But I think the Bucs made the right call here, as I consider Winston to have a better chance of developing into a very good NFL starting quarterback than Mariota. I think Mariota has a good chance of doing so himself, but his learning curve is going to be relatively steep -- and Winston is one of the best quarterbacks I've evaluated in the last 10 years in the skills that translate to success at the NFL level: reading defenses, going through progressions, anticipating throws and delivering the ball accurately from within the pocket.
Winston thrived with a big target in Kelvin Benjamin during his Heisman-winning season in 2013. He'll have three big pass-catchers to throw to in Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins in Tampa Bay. If he can take care of his business off the field, Winston has a chance to be a very good quarterback for the Bucs.
Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama (No. 4)
Cooper was the right pick at this spot, even though the best defensive player in the draft -- Leonard Williams -- was also available. The Raiders really need to get second-year QB Derek Carr weapons if he is to succeed, and Cooper is a No. 1 wide receiver.
He is as pro-ready and polished a wide receiver prospect as I've evaluated coming out of college the past few years. His route-running ability and separation skills are excellent, and don't sell him short as a big-play threat, either. He has good acceleration and top-end speed and can make some difficult catches.
New York Jets: Leonard Williams, DE, USC (No. 6)
There's an old adage that you can never go wrong in the NFL draft by taking a really good football player -- and it applies to the Jets' selection of Williams. They certainly don't need interior defensive linemen, given the presence of Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, but Williams is the best all-around defensive player in this class and simply too good a value to pass up at No. 6 overall (his selection might increase the likelihood of a potential Wilkerson trade).
It's not easy to sit back and take the best available prospect, especially when there are good players available at need positions, but that's exactly what the Jets did. Williams is the No. 2 player on my board, so he's a steal at sixth overall.
Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton, NT, Washington (No. 12); Cameron Erving, C, Florida State (No. 19 overall)
The Browns' biggest need is at quarterback, but outside of making a huge offer to trade up to one of the top two spots, it was going to be difficult for them to address it in this draft. Instead, they wound up with two very good prospects who will help solidify them in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Shelton is a perfect fit as the centerpiece of the Browns' 3-4 defensive scheme. He's a prototypical nose tackle with his outstanding power and surprising quickness for a 6-foot-2, 339-pound player. He commands double teams against the run and can push the pocket against the pass.
The Erving pick made a little less sense to me because his best fit is as a center and the Browns already have a starter at that spot. But if they feel comfortable with Erving's ability to play guard or possibly right tackle after Mitchell Schwartz's contract expires next offseason, and eventually be the long-term solution at center, he could really bolster their offensive line.
San Francisco 49ers: Arik Armstead, DE, Oregon (No. 17, from San Diego)
The 49ers did very well to add two picks in this exchange with the Chargers -- a fourth-round pick in this draft and a fifth-rounder in 2016 -- for only moving back two spots. Not only that, but they landed a very talented prospect who fills a major need for them.
Armstead is a prototypical 5-technique defensive end in San Francisco's 3-4 scheme, with an outstanding combination of length and power. His lack of high-level production at Oregon is concerning, but I think his best football is in front of him and he could be very disruptive in the NFL against both the run and the pass.
Questionable picks
Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson (No. 8)
I can understand the fit here. The Falcons needed to improve their pass rush, and Beasley can fill the Leo edge rusher role in new Falcons head coach Dan Quinn's defensive scheme. And I realize that I am lower on Beasley than some other evaluators, as he was a very productive player at Clemson who put up off-the-charts workout numbers at the combine.
But he is only the No. 25 player on my board because of the absence of a power element in his game. You simply don't see many productive edge rushers at the NFL level who win purely with speed; you need to at least be able to threaten offensive tackles with power to keep them honest. That's something Beasley is going to need to develop at the NFL level -- which is why No. 8 overall feels too early to me for Beasley.
Carolina Panthers: Shaq Thompson, OLB/S, Washington (No. 25)
I'm not going to bash Thompson here, because he is a versatile and talented player who could be very effective in the NFL if he's used the right way. But all it takes is one look at the draft board to see why he's on the "questionable" list here. He's the No. 69 player in my rankings, with an early third-round grade. I think that this is just too early to take him. The Panthers also are in serious need of a wide receiver and had their choice of several good ones with the 25th pick.