With the Super Bowl complete, the official 2015 NFL Draft order for the first round is set.
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Buccaneers fans are still wondering whether to make an early investment in a Jameis Winston jersey, yet with the Super Bowl now complete, the first round of the 2015 NFL draft is now set, with the Browns (as of now) being the only team in possession of two of the first 32 selections.
Here’s how it plays out:
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. New York Jets
10. St. Louis Rams
12. Cleveland Browns
14. Miami Dolphins
15. San Francisco 49ers
16. Houston Texans
17. San Diego Chargers
18. Kansas City Chiefs
19. Cleveland Browns (via Buffalo Bills from last year’s deal to trade up for Sammy Watkins)
21. Cincinnati Bengals
23. Detroit Lions
25. Carolina Panthers
26. Baltimore Ravens
27. Dallas Cowboys
28. Denver Broncos
30. Green Bay Packers
31. Seattle Seahawks
The fun begins on April 30 on both ESPN and NFL Network, which gives fans the annual choice between Mel Kiper, Jr. or Mike Mayock.
Winston, the 2013 Heisman winner from Florida State, is expected to be the first overall choice for a Buccaneers team that has missed on finding a long-term QB since Brad Johnson. It will also mark the fifth time in franchise history that Tampa Bay will lead off the festivities, with the last time coming in 1987 when the club also selected a Heisman-winning quarterback from a Florida school (Vinny Testeverde, The U).
The Buccaneers may also consider Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota with the first pick, but his shaky performance in the FBS title game may have scared off Bucs brass, many who feel that Winston has the better upside provided he can stay out of trouble, an issue that obviously overshadowed the fact he led Florida State to a national title and lost just one start in his two years under center.
Defense will likely dominate three of the next four picks, as USC DE/DT Leonard Williams, Missouri DE Shane Ray and Nebraska DE Randy Gregory are projected to be top five selections, with Mariota either heading to the Titans with the second pick or perhaps falling to the Jets with the sixth overall selection.
For the eighth time in the last 11 years, the Raiders find themselves selecting in the top 10. New coach Jack Del Rio has to hope Oakland’s pick will fare better than some of the early round bombs the team has had in this span (JaMarcus Russell, Rolando McClain, Darius Heyward-Bey, Robert Gallery).
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