X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2015 NFL Draft Analysis: NFC West Draft Review and Grades

Rotoballer kicks off the 2015 NFL Season by reviewing each teams draft, finishing the series with the NFC East. 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 EastAFC North, AFC South, AFC West, NFC South, NFC East, NFC North

 

Arizona Cardinals

Round 1, Pick 24 - OT D.J. Humphries, Florida
Round 2, Pick 56 - DE Markus Golden, Missouri
Round 3, Pick 86 - RB David Johnson, Northern Iowa
Round 4, Pick 116 - DT Rodney Gunter, Delaware State
Round 5, Pick 158 - DE Shaq Riddick, West Virginia
Round 5, Pick 159 - WR J.J. Nelson- Alabama-Birmingham
Round 7, Pick 256 - TE Gerald Christian, Louisville

Bolstering their Offensive line was clearly a need for the Cardinals and they addressed it late in the first round taking D.J. Humphries, who now joins Jared Veldheer and former first rounder Jonathan Cooper as part of the future of this offensive line. David Johnson, given the situation in the Cardinals running back depth, has a chance to start week one for Arizona and if not he can become a regular contributor as a rotation back. He's likely to push Andre Ellington for playing time. D-II defensive tackle Rodney Gunter, the team’s fourth-round pick, was projected as a 7th rounder by many, leaving fans scratching their heads. Arizona gave Carson Palmer a couple of weapons to develop late in the draft in Nelson and Christian, rounding out a fairly decent draft.

Grade: C+

If you’re looking for a new, awesome, highly customizable and free option for year-round commissioner & dynasty leagues, something more capable than Yahoo, better looking than CBS, and built from the ground up with fantasy football in mind, play free fantasy football with our friends at Fleaflicker.

 

San Francisco 49ers

Round 1, Pick 17 - DL Arik Armstead, Oregon
Round 2, Pick 46 - SS Jaquiski Tartt, Samford
Round 3, Pick 79 - DE Eli Harold, Virginia
Round 4, Pick 117 - TE Blake Bell, Oklahoma
Round 4, Pick 126 - RB Mike Davis, South Carolina
Round 4, Pick 132 - WR DeAndre Smelter, Georgia Tech
Round 5, Pick 165 - P Bradley Pinion, Clemson
Round 6, Pick 190 - OG Ian Silberman, Boston College
Round 7, Pick 244 - OT Trenton Brown- Florida
Round 7, Pick 254 - TE Rory Anderson- South Carolina

The 49ers after three round perhaps had the best draft of any team in the NFL. After the third round, there draft really went downhill from a value standpoint. I love the addition of Arik Armstead and Eli Harold on the defensive line. The selections of Blake Bell and Mike Davis were fine, although it surprises me how San Francisco always needs to stockpile at least four or five running backs at any given time. The fifth round is too high for a punter and they severely reached for Smelter, Silberman and Brown. That being said, if the Niners feel as if those players are valuable enough to reach for, then hopefully San Francisco knows what they’re doing.

Grade: C

 

Seattle Seahawks

Round 2, Pick 63 - DE Frank Clark, Michigan
Round 3, Pick 69 - WR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State
Round 4, Pick 130 - OG Terry Poole, San Diego State
Round 4, Pick 134 - OG Mark Glowinski, West Virginia
Round 5, Pick 170 - CB Tye Smith- Towson
Round 6, Pick 209 - DE Obum Gwachum- Oregon State
Round 6, Pick 214 - DT Kristjan Sokoli- Buffalo
Round 7, Pick 248 - DB Ryan Murphy- Oregon State

This is hands down the worst draft by any of the 32 teams and it isn’t close. I will be fair and give Seattle the benefit of the doubt on defensive backs Ryan Murphy and Tye Smith, given they have produced fantastic players in the secondary, but almost every other player drafted is very suspect. Frank Clark being taken in the second is absolutely crazy because while he does possess a decent upside, has off the field concerns and is requisite of maybe a sixth or seventh round pick. Lockett was a reach but wide receiver is a need for the Seahawks. The rest of their players weren't even on the radar for most draft boards. Seattle shocked me with their draft this year and if I could give a grade lower than an “F” I would use it here.

Grade: F

 

St. Louis Rams

Round 1, Pick 10 - RB Todd Gurley, Georgia
Round 2, Pick 57 - OT Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin
Round 3, Pick 72 - OT Jamon Brown- Louisville
Round 3, Pick 89 - QB Sean Mannion- Oregon State
Round 4, Pick 119 - OT Andrew Donnal- Iowa
Round 6, Pick 201 - WR Bud Sasser- Missouri
Round 6, Pick 215 - OG Cody Wichmann- Fresno State
Round 7, Pick 224 - ILB Bryce Hager- Baylor
Round 7, Pick 227 - DE Ifedi Martin- Memphis

St. Louis really confused me with this draft. They had many positions to fill or add depth at like wide receiver, cornerback and safety, however they focused on their offense and were specifically offensive line-minded in this draft, taking four players for the line. The Rams must feel like if they just take enough offensive lineman that they will hit on at least a couple of them. I love the Todd Gurley pick at ten. It carries a decent amount of risk but presents massive upside as Gurley was one of the best RB prospects to come out of the draft in years. He'll likely be eased into his role as he recovers from his ACL tear, but there's no doubt that he will eventually become the lead back for the Rams. I don’t like the selection of Sean Mannion, seeing that both Bryce Petty and Brett Hundley were on the board, but I appreciate the Rams efforts trying to find a quarterback to develop while they begin the Nick Foles experiment in St. Louis.

Grade: C

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="700px"]

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Kyren Williams

Rams Not Willing to Pay Kyren Williams Top-Market Money?
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Christian Kirk

the No. 2 WR in Houston?
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Jerome Ford

the Likely Starter for Cleveland to Begin 2025
Chig Okonkwo

"Poised" for Best Season of Career
Xavier Watts

Falcons High on Xavier Watts
Xavier Restrepo

Training With Star Wideouts
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF