Post-draft grade: C-plus
Byron Jones was a player I really liked, and he played well for a rookie. He really carries the grade. Randy Gregory is a talent, but I said then they were rolling the dice by taking him that early. They haven't gotten anything from him yet. Still a work in progress. There's nothing to write home about after that, and the team really fell off, with QB health the big culprit. I questioned not taking a running back anywhere, and I still think that's a legitimate concern. I should remind people that La'el Collins doesn't factor in here as he wasn't a part of this draft class, and could have been signed by anybody.
New grade: C
Post-draft grade: B-minus
I know Ereck Flowers was able to step in this season, but he struggled for the most part. I wrote then: "While the pick made sense, I had Flowers at No. 27 overall on my final Big Board, so for me this wasn't a 'best player available' situation." In a nutshell, the Giants reached on Flowers and have to hope he develops into the kind of player that can stick at left tackle. I see that as a major question. Landon Collins is a good player I think people need to be patient with given all that he was asked to do. After those two, it's hard to say who could break through based on early returns. Again, I saw Flowers as a first-rounder; I just thought it was a bit rich that early.
New grade: C-plus
Post-draft grade: B-plus
Here's a draft class that could look a whole lot better in a couple years than it does right now. Start with Nelson Agholor, a talented kid who was just way too inconsistent in 2015 and is going to get better; or Eric Rowe, who had a tough transition, but could get much better. Then there's Jordan Hicks, who was outstanding until he got hurt. There's also JaCorey Shepherd, who I thought could have played immediately in nickel looks but got hurt. Based on where things are now, the class doesn't look so great, but there's a lot of potential.
New grade: C-plus
Post-draft grade: A-minus
I loved this class at the time. I wrote: "Everywhere you look, they got tougher. Overall, I was really impressed with this draft." Not only did they get tougher, but the rookies rubbed off on other players and the team got tougher overall. Brandon Scherff had to be good at guard given that draft slot, and he settled down and played well. Preston Smith showed he's going to be a big part of that defense going forward, and Jamison Crowder was a reliable target. Matt Jones had his moments and will in the future. Kyshoen Jarrett was a nice get late, and don't forget undrafted Quinton Dunbar. There's more to talk about with this class, but in short, it was really good.
New grade: A
Post-draft grade: B-plus
Give the Bears' front office a lot of credit, because it was a bad break to lose Kevin White for an entire season. They still managed to get some important building blocks out of this class, and they did it while winning more games than the year before. Progress was made, and the draft helped. Eddie Goldman was a good value in Round 2, and Jeremy Langford could take over for Matt Forte if the Bears and Forte part ways. A true steal was Adrian Amos in Round 5. I know I'm supposed to have a soft spot for him since we went to the same high school, but I certainly didn't pump up his value for that reason and was actually surprised at how well he played. I'd keep the grade the same for now, and it goes up or down based on what White delivers.
New grade: B-plus
Post-draft grade: B
I didn't mind the addition of Laken Tomlinson on paper because while it felt a little bit like a luxury pick -- you can get a guard well into Day 3 -- it was a clear area of need. Problem was, Tomlinson struggled too often and Detroit's Round 2 pick limited his own value because of fumbling problems. Ameer Abdullah is a special player with the ball in his hands, but it too often didn't stay there, and that could largely determine where his NFL career goes. A steal is Quandre Diggs in Round 6. When he was a freshman at Texas I figured him for a future first-rounder. Detroit got him in Round 6 and might have gotten the freshman I saw. The grade has to dip a bit because the team took a step back and the top guys in the class have to provide more.
New grade: C-plus
Post-draft grade: B
At the time I wrote: "I thought the Packers did a good job because they got players I can see helping them right away." My point was the roster was already in pretty good shape at the time, so getting help from the rookie class on a winner is a nice surprise. Damarious Randall gave them what they hoped for; Quinten Rollins has major potential and flashed some of that; Ty Montgomery was playing a bigger and bigger role before getting hurt; Jake Ryan stepped up later in the season. And I can pick out a bunch of teams who might wish they had Brett Hundley right now after what we saw from him in the preseason. Good class.
New grade: A-minus
Post-draft grade: B
When you consider how much the Vikings improved, and that they should have had at least one playoff win, this rookie class looks even more impressive. Trae Waynes had his share of struggles, but you expect that from a rookie corner, and he'll get better. Eric Kendricks is a stud, and Danielle Hunter looks like an absolute steal. Stefon Diggs is a player I couldn't imagine falling so far during his final year at Maryland, but there he was in Round 5 and the Vikes got a steal. We'll see what becomes of T.J. Clemmings, but he's got some ability to work with. Even Edmond Robinson played well on special teams. Just a fantastic start for a class -- no way around it.
New grade: A
Post-draft grade: B
How you see this draft depends a lot on what you think of Vic Beasley's potential. At the time, I had some questions. I wrote, "Beasley is a slight reach on my board -- he can rush the passer, but can he provide value elsewhere?" I think that's still an open question. Beasley flashes, but he needs to give them more than occasional pressure. Jalen Collins wasn't going to be an overnight star and needed development. Tevin Coleman can be good, but the fumbles were an issue. If there's a steal here, it's Grady Jarrett, who was just so much better on tape than his draft slot. I think this class still has a lot of potential, but all three of the first picks are still in "We'll see" mode.
New grade: C-plus
Post-draft grade: C
The Panthers went 15-1 and are still playing as of this writing, so any contributions from the rookie class look pretty good at this point. I'd still say Shaq Thompson was a minor reach where they took him, but as I pointed out then, Arizona taking a tackle one spot ahead of them might have changed things. Thompson didn't play a ton of snaps, but had 10 starts officially, worked his way in and figures to have a bright future. Devin Funchess caught 31 passes and looks like he has transformed his body a bit. Lots of potential there. Cameron Artis-Payne also has seen some action. So far it's not a game-changer, but they got usefulness and have won a ton at the same time. Nice combo.
New grade: B
Post-draft grade: C
It's hard to be excited about this draft class so far. I know New Orleans got major reps out of both Stephone Anthony and Hau'oli Kikaha, but while I like both those guys as prospects, do they start on a normal defense? The Saints had one of the worst defenses in league history and missed the playoffs because of that, so do we just say "Great draft!" because the guys played a lot? I don't think so, though I really like Anthony. Also remember, Anthony was added only because Jimmy Graham, a franchise icon, was traded. Anthony can be a great player and that swap is still unsettling for some. Andrus Peat is still an unknown, and beyond that it's mostly wait and see.
New grade: C-plus
Post-draft grade: B-minus
Safe to say this draft looks a lot better. Not only did Jameis Winston make major strides and end up throwing for more than 4,000 yards -- the third-highest rookie total since the merger behind Cam Newton and Andrew Luck -- he showed he can be a locker room leader early on. Can he maintain that into the offseason? That's the question, but judging on what he did, Tampa's decision looks smart. Donovan Smith was a slight reach for me, but he came in and played left tackle. It wasn't always pretty, but what can you expect? Ali Marpet also started and was solid in the run game, and Kwon Alexander looks like one of the steals of the draft. It'd be one thing if this team played all these guys and was a train wreck, but they truly got better in 2015. So they deserve a major bump.
New grade: A