The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of
National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible
football players. It took place in
Chicago at the
Auditorium Theatre and in
Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2.[1][2] This was the first
NFL draft held outside New York City in fifty years (since the
1965 NFL draft).[3] The 2015 NFL draft was the first to feature a companion outdoor fair, where fans would be able to see the
Commissioner during the selection on the Auditorium Theatre stage from across the street in the park; this area was called Draft Town.[4] The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers held the right to select first because they had the league's worst record in the
previous season. The
Arizona Cardinals made the final pick in the draft, commonly called
Mr. Irrelevant.
One of the major storylines approaching the NFL draft was the competition between the previous two
Heisman Trophy winners,
Jameis Winston winning the award in 2013 and
Marcus Mariota in 2014. Both were considered excellent prospects and had the potential to become the first overall draft selection. Winston was considered to be a more polished
pocket passer and
pro-style quarterback, but had several off-the-field issues while playing at
Florida State, ranging from a sexual assault allegation to shoplifting incidents. Mariota was considered a better athlete, the fastest quarterback in the draft, and had a better off-the-field reputation. However, Mariota ran a
spread offense at
Oregon which typically had not transitioned well from college to the NFL.[5] Although neither was considered a perfectly safe pick, the two quarterbacks were selected first and second overall. This was only the sixth time in NFL history that this has occurred (
1971,
1993,
1998,
1999,
2012, and subsequently
2016,
2021, and
2023).[6] It was also the first time that two Heisman trophy winners were selected with the first two overall picks.[7] All 22
running backs selected no longer play for their original team or have already retired.
Timing changes
Shortly before the draft, the NFL shortened the amount of time for certain selections to be made.[8] The time for seventh-round selections was reduced from five minutes to four minutes; similarly, the time for all compensatory selections, which cannot be traded, was reduced from seven minutes to four minutes.
Seventy-four underclassmen announced their intention to forgo their remaining
NCAA eligibility and declare themselves available to be selected in the draft. An additional ten players who graduated but were still eligible to play college football chose to enter the draft, bringing to 84 the total number of players who chose to forgo college eligibility to enter the draft.[9]
Overview
The following is the breakdown of the 256 players selected by
position:[10]
The draft order is based generally on each team's
record from the previous season, with teams which qualified for the
postseason selecting after those which failed to make the playoffs.[11] The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers and
Tennessee Titans each finished
2014 with league-worst
2–14 records. The Buccaneers were awarded the first pick in round one due to having a worse strength of schedule.[12] The selection order for subsequent rounds follows the order of the first round, except that teams with the similar records (and the same playoff result for playoff teams) rotate selections round-by-round (e.g. the Titans picked first in the second round).
In addition to the seven picks each team is given (one in each round), the league allocated thirty-two (32) supplemental picks at the ends of round 3 through 7, for a total of 256 picks. The supplemental picks are awarded to teams who had net losses of free agent talent from the previous year.
A
supplemental draft was held on July 9, 2015. For each player selected in the supplemental draft, the team forfeits its pick in that round in the draft of the following season. Seven players were available,[13] but only one was selected.[14][15]
In the explanations below, (PD) indicates trades completed prior to the start of the draft (i.e. Pre-Draft), while (D) denotes trades that took place during the 2015 draft.
Round one
^No. 15: San Francisco → San Diego (D).San Francisco traded this selection to
San Diego in exchange for San Diego's 2015 first and fourth round selections (
17th &
117th), and their fifth round selection in
2016 (
142nd).[source 1]
^No. 19: Buffalo → Cleveland (PD).Buffalo traded this selection along with their fourth round selection (
115th) and their first round selection in 2014 (
9th) to
Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's first round selection in 2014 (
4th) which Buffalo used to select wide receiver
Sammy Watkins.[source 2]
^No. 23: Detroit → Denver (D).Detroit traded this selection to
Denver in exchange for Denver's 2015 first and fifth round selections (
28th &
143rd), their fifth round selection in
2016 (
169th), and guard
Manny Ramirez.[source 3]
^No. 31: Seattle → New Orleans (PD).Seattle traded their first round selection (31st overall) and center
Max Unger to
New Orleans in exchange for New Orleans' fourth round selection (
112th) and tight end
Jimmy Graham.[source 4]
Round two
^No. 33: Tennessee → New York Giants (D).Tennessee traded this selection to the
Giants in exchange for New York's 2015 second, fourth and seventh round selections (
40th,
108th &
245th).[source 5]
^No. 41: St. Louis → Carolina (D).St. Louis traded this selection to
Carolina in exchange for Carolina's 2015 second, third and sixth round selections (
57th,
89th &
201st).[source 3]
^No. 43: Cleveland → Houston (D).Cleveland traded this selection and their seventh round selection (
229th) to
Houston in exchange for Houston's 2015 second, fourth and sixth round selections (
51st,
116th &
195th).[source 6]
^No. 47: Miami → Philadelphia (D).Miami traded this selection and their sixth round selection (
191st) to
Philadelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's 2015 second round selection and two 2015 fifth round selections (
52nd,
145th &
156th).[source 7]
^No. 55: Arizona → Baltimore (D).Arizona traded this selection to
Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore's 2015 second round selection and a fifth round selection (
58th &
158th).[source 8]
^No. 61: Indianapolis → Tampa Bay (D).Indianapolis traded this selection and their fourth round selection (
128th) to
Tampa Bay in exchange for Tampa Bay's 2015 third round selection and a fourth round selection (
65th &
109th).[source 9]
^No. 69: Washington → Seattle (D).Washington traded this selection to
Seattle in exchange for Seattle's 2015 third, fourth, fifth and sixth round selections (
95th,
112th,
167th, &
181st).[source 10]
^No. 70: New York Jets → Houston (D). The
Jets traded this selection to
Houston in exchange for wide receiver
DeVier Posey and third, fifth and seventh-round selections (
82nd,
152nd, and
229th overall).[source 11]
^No. 76: Minnesota → Kansas City (D).Minnesota traded this selection to
Kansas City in exchange for Kansas City's 2015 third and sixth round selections (
80th &
193rd).[source 3]
^No. 80: multiple trades: No. 80: Kansas City → Minnesota (D). see
No. 76: Minnesota → Kansas City No. 80: Minnesota → Detroit (D).Minnesota traded their third round selection to
Detroit in exchange for Detroit's 2015 third and fifth round selections (
88th &
143rd).[source 3]
^No. 96: New England → Cleveland (D).New England traded this selection and their seventh round selection (
219th) to
Cleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fourth, fifth and sixth round selections (
111th,
147th, &
202nd).[source 13]
^No. 102: Oakland → Carolina (D).Oakland traded this selection to
Carolina in exchange for Carolina's fourth, fifth and seventh round selections (
124th,
161st, &
242nd).[source 3]
^No. 103: Jacksonville → New York Jets (D).Jacksonville traded this selection to the
Jets in exchange for New York's fourth and seventh round selections (
104th &
229th).[source 3]
^No. 113: multiple trades: No. 113: San Francisco → Buffalo (PD).San Francisco traded their fourth round selection to
Buffalo in exchange for wide receiver
Stevie Johnson.[source 15] No. 113: Buffalo → Philadelphia (PD).Buffalo traded their seventh round selection in the 2014 draft (
224th) to
Philadelphia in exchange for running back
Bryce Brown and Philadelphia's 2014 seventh round selection (
237th). The trade also included a conditional future selection to be received by Philadelphia which will either be this pick, which Buffalo may receive from San Francisco (depending on whether
Stevie Johnson hits certain undisclosed statistical thresholds in 2014) or Buffalo's third or fourth round selection in 2016 (depending on Brown achieving undisclosed performance levels in 2014).[source 16] The conditions resulted in the 49ers fourth round selection being sent to Philadelphia via Buffalo.[source 17] No. 113: Philadelphia → Detroit (D).Philadelphia traded this selection to
Detroit in exchange for Detroit's
2016 third round selection (
77th).[source 18]
^No. 119: Philadelphia → St. Louis (PD).Philadelphia traded this selection, their second round selection in
2016 (
43rd), and quarterback
Nick Foles to
St. Louis in exchange for St. Louis' fifth round selection (
145th) and quarterback
Sam Bradford. The trade also includes a possible 2016 conditional selection going to Philadelphia based on Bradford's playing time in 2015. If Bradford takes less than 50 percent of the snaps, Philadelphia will receive St. Louis' fourth round selection. If he does not play at all, Philadelphia will receive St. Louis' third round selection.[source 19]
^No. 122: Detroit → Baltimore (PD).Detroit traded this selection along with their fifth round selection (
158th) to
Baltimore in exchange for a seventh round selection (
231st) and defensive tackle
Haloti Ngata.[source 20]
^No. 126: Denver → San Francisco (PD).Denver traded this selection, along with their second and fifth round selections in 2014 (
63rd &
171st) to
San Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's second and seventh round selections in 2014 (
56th &
242nd).[source 21]
^No. 137: multiple trades: No. 137: Tampa Bay → Buffalo (PD).Tampa Bay traded this selection and a seventh round selection in 2014 (
221st) to
Buffalo in exchange for Buffalo's fifth round selection in 2014 (
149th).[source 22] No. 137: Buffalo → Minnesota (PD).Buffalo traded this selection and their seventh round selection in
2016 (
240th) to
Minnesota in exchange for quarterback
Matt Cassel and Minnesota's sixth round selection (
187th).[source 23] No. 137: Minnesota → Atlanta (D).Minnesota traded this selection to
Atlanta in exchange for Atlanta's fifth and sixth round selections (
146th &
185th).[source 3]
^No. 142: New York Jets → Chicago (PD). The
Jets traded this selection to Chicago in exchange for wide receiver
Brandon Marshall and a seventh round selection (
224th).[source 24]
^No. 151: San Francisco → Indianapolis (D).San Francisco traded this selection to
Indianapolis in exchange for Indianapolis' fifth and seventh round selections (
165th &
244th).[source 3]
^No. 168: multiple trades: No. 168: New England → Tampa Bay (PD).New England traded this selection to
Tampa Bay in exchange for linebacker
Jonathan Casillas and Tampa Bay's sixth round selection.[source 29] No. 168: Tampa Bay → Detroit (PD).Tampa Bay traded this selection to
Detroit in exchange for defensive end
George Johnson and Detroit's seventh round selection (
231st).[source 30]
^No. 203: Dallas → Baltimore (PD).Dallas traded this selection to
Baltimore in exchange for Baltimore's seventh round selection and linebacker
Rolando McClain.[source 33]
^No. 249: multiple trades: No. 249: New England → St. Louis (PD).New England traded this selection to
St. Louis in exchange for wide receiver
Greg Salas.[source 42] No. 249: St. Louis → Atlanta (PD).St. Louis traded this selection along with their first round selection in 2013 (
22nd) to
Atlanta in exchange for Atlanta's first, third and sixth round selections in 2013 (
30th,
92nd and
198th).[source 43][source 44]