2015 NFL Draft Analysis: AFC South Draft Review and Grades

Rotoballer kicks off the 2015 NFL Season by reviewing each teams draft, continuing with the AFC South. Draft expert Owen Elle gives his take on each teams ability to fill their needs and add overall talent to their rosters.

Check out our previous divisional draft reviews: AFC East, AFC North.

Houston Texans

Round 1, Pick 16 - CB Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
Round 2, Pick 43 - ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
Round 3, Pick 70 - WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
Round 5, Pick 175 - WR Keith Mumphery, Michigan State
Round 6, Pick 211 - OLB Reshard Cliett, South Florida
Round 6, Pick 216 - DT Christian Covington, Rice
Round 7, Pick 235 - RB Kenny Hilliard, Louisiana State

Selecting Kevin Johnson with the 16th pick wasn’t a bad selection but I thought if they really wanted Johnson they could have traded down to take him. Otherwise Houston should have taken Marcus Peters, who went 18th overall to Kansas City, as he has a much higher upside and talent level than Johnson. The Texans couldn’t have gone wrong drafting an inside linebacker in the second round, regardless of whether or not it was McKinney, Kendricks or Perryman. Houston arguably got the steal of the draft when Jaelen Strong fell two rounds and was selected by the Texans with the 70th overall pick. They drafted well, however I felt they should have taken a different LSU running back in the seventh round in Terrance Magee, however that’s nitpicking an overall excellent draft class.

Grade: B

Indianapolis Colts

Round 1, Pick 29 - WR Phillip Dorsett, Miami
Round 3, Pick 65 - CB D’Joun Smith, Florida Atlantic
Round 3, Pick 93 - DE Henry Anderson, Stanford
Round 4, Pick 109 - S Clayton Geathers, Central Florida
Round 5, Pick 151 - DT David Parry, Stanford
Round 6, Pick 205 - RB Josh Robinson, Mississippi State
Round 6, Pick 207 - ILB Amarlo Herrera, Georgia
Round 7, Pick 255 - OT Denzell Goode, Mars Hill

I’m not crazy about any of the picks the Colts made in the draft and I thought that they waited too long to draft a running back. That being said Josh Robinson is a strong, powerful runner and considering that the Colts really don’t have a starting running back set in stone, he has a chance to contend for the starting job in Indy. The Colts needed help on defense and taking Smith and Geathers to help in the secondary was appropriate.

Grade: D+

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Jacksonville Jaguars

Round 1, Pick 3 - EDGE Dante Fowler, Florida
Round 2, Pick 36 - RB T.J. Yeldon, Alabama
Round 3, Pick 67 - OG A.J. Cann, South Carolina
Round 4, Pick 104 - S James Sample, Louisville
Round 5, Pick 139 - WR Rashad Greene, Florida State
Round 6, Pick 180 - DT Michael Bennett, Ohio State
Round 7, Pick 220 - WR Neal Sterling, Monmouth
Round 7, Pick 229 - TE Ben Koyack, Notre Dame

I felt like the Jaguars had a quietly good draft this year. Many draft experts think that Fowler is the best defensive player in the draft, even better than Leonard Williams. Jacksonville needed a running back and they got a 6’1 bruiser in T.J. Yeldon. Slowly over the past two years the Jaguars have built a nice receiving core of Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, Julius Thomas, and Rashad Greene. Michael Bennett and Ben Koyack are pure value picks later in the draft that will come back and haunt teams that passed over them.

Grade: A

Tennessee Titans

Round 1, Pick 2 - QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon
Round 2, Pick 40 - WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
Round 3, Pick 66 - OT Jeremiah Poutasi, Utah
Round 4, Pick 100 - DT Angelo Blackson, Auburn
Round 4, Pick 108 - FB Jalston Fowler, Alabama
Round 5, Pick 138 - RB David Cobb, Minnesota
Round 6, Pick 177 - OLB Deiontrez Mount, Louisville
Round 6, Pick 208 - C Andy Gallik, Boston College
Round 7, Pick 245 - WR Tre McBride, William & Mary

The Titans defense needed help entering the draft and although they didn’t receive much improvement, it was the right decision. After taking Mariota in the draft, a quarterback who if he is to succeed needs to be a mobile quarterback, but not a running quarterback, they spent nearly every pick after complementing Mariota and taking players to help him better succeed. Tennessee got Mariota his starting running back in David Cobb, a bell-cow type power back who fell to the Titans in the fifth round. They then spent a couple of picks on receivers for the potential franchise quarterback to throw to in Dorial Green-Beckham and Tre McBride. Green-Beckham, or DGB, is a top-five talent in this draft that comes with an incredible amount of baggage. If he can stay away from marijuana and not allegedly push more pregnant women down stairs, he will without a doubt will be one of the best wide receivers in the entire league. The Titans did a great job at making sure Mariota was taken care of with the rest of the picks they had in the draft.

Grade: A-

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