A decade has gone by since the 2015 NFL draft, the first one held outside of New York since 1965. While its two Heisman winning headliners did not pan out, it still had its fair share of talent to go around. Each round produced high-level NFL players, with some gems in the later rounds making huge impacts on the league. Today, we’ll be going over each round’s best pick and see how their careers unfolded.
Round 1: WR Amari Cooper
The fourth overall pick in the draft spent his first years three years with the silver and black. After that, he excelled with Dallas and Dak Prescott when Dez Bryant’s release left a hole in the receiving room. Following another trade, this time with Cleveland, he spent two years with the Browns till the trade to Buffalo. It’s unusual that a player of Cooper’s caliber has seen this much movement. However, he’s proven his worth at every stop. The 2014 Biletnikoff winner has amassed more than ten thousand yards in his career. That high level of production stems from his 8.63 yards per target. Furthermore, he’s a 5 time pro-bowler, with at least one for each team he’s been on (Buffalo being an exception).
Honorable Mention: DT Leonard Williams
Round 2: MLB Eric Kendricks
The Minnesota Vikings reunited UCLA’s all time leading tackler Eric Kendricks with his Bruin teammate Anthony Barr after drafting Kendricks in round 2. The two would go on to form a formidable duo, with Kendricks being named an All-Pro and Barr making four Pro-Bowls. On an individual level, Kendricks is an elite tackler, not missing the hundred mark since his rookie season. Additionally, he’s gotten to the backfield at a high rate too, securing 21.5 sacks and and 65 TFLs. He’s also disrupted plays when the ball is in the air, logging 60 passes defensed through his 10 year career. More recently with Dallas, he earned an overall PFF score higher than 75, with his run stopping being particularly effective.
Honorable Mention: RT Rob Havenstein
Round 3: DE Danielle Hunter
There’s always a physical specimen in the draft whose college production leaves more to be desired. At the defensive end position, a recent example of this would be Shemar Stewart. He has the perfect build to play edge, but needs refinement to properly utilize that build. When wondering what these players would look like if they reached their potential, Danielle Hunter is the answer. Only 4.5 sacks in college, Lance Zierlein said “ceiling will only go as high as the level of coaching he is able to incorporate.” Hunter’s development didn’t take long, setting the NFL record for most sacks before turning 25. In his recent campaign with Houston, he was seventh in total pressures and sacks according to PFF. He’s been to five pro bowls, had six double digit sack seasons in nine years, and continues to terrorize signal callers to this day.
Honorable Mention: WR Tyler Lockett
Round 4: DE Za’Darius Smith
Much like Amari Cooper, 4th round pick Za’Darius Smith has seen a ton of change in scenery throughout his career. After backing up franchise legend Terrell Suggs his rookie year, he’d progressively see more starts in his following campaigns. Eventually, he started every game in his first season with the Packers, recording 13.5 sacks and making the pro bowl. Since then, Smith has been among the league’s top edge rushers. His 69 sacks and 173 QB hits across five teams show his effectiveness in getting to the signal caller. Furthermore, age hasn’t slowed him down, with him having a pass rush win rate above 18% in the past three seasons.
Honorable Mention: G Jon Feliciano
Round 5: WR Stefon Diggs
Marking the third Minnesota Viking on this list, the man who completed the improbable Minneapolis Miracle was taken in the fifth round. Diggs has been a true number 1 receiver throughout most of his career. His first 1000 yard campaign came in year 4, and he continued this streak every year till tearing his ACL in 2024. While he did make many highlight plays with the purple people eaters, his best years were with the Bills. In Buffalo, he is credited with helping QB Josh Allen develop into the star he is today. Additionally, Diggs saw more than 25% of the team’s passes come his way during his Buffalo tenure, amassing 5,372yards with those targets. Now with New England, he will attempt to help refine Drake Maye, hoping to recreate his past success with now division rival Allen.
Honorable Mention: DT Grady Jarrett
Round 6: S Quandre Diggs
While not related to the previous Diggs, Quandre has formed a respectable career despite his status as a sixth rounder. He began his career as a slot cornerback, serving as a backup behind Nevin Lawson. In year three however, after a mid-season switch to safety, Quandre shined. His hard hits and knowledge of the game helped him excel at the position, picking off 3 balls during his five games in the new role. He continued being a ball hawk the rest of his career, logging at least three picks the next five seasons. Furthermore, following his trade to Seattle, he made the pro-bowl three consecutive times. His season-ending Lisfranc injury will keep him off a roster for a little longer, but there’s no doubt he’ll be on the field again soon.
Honorable Mention: TE Darren Waller
Round 7: T Trent Brown
At a staggering 6’8 and half feet tall, Trent Brown’s high ceiling earned him a selection by San Francisco in the final round of the draft. His athleticism, and more specifically his raw power, did make some consider that he’d fair better at guard. But after a decade in the league, with many years as an effective starter under his belt, Brown has proved himself as a capable tackle. Early signs hinted at his promising future, one of those signs being when Von Miller had high praise for Brown following joint practices. He’s had 96 starts in 103 total games with a total of 4 teams. Most notably, he had a pro bowl year with the Raiders, and helped form a Super Bowl winning offensive line with the Patriots in 2018.
Honorable Mention: C Austin Reiter
UDFA: RB Raheem Mostert
Raheem “must start”, as coined by fantasy fans, went undrafted in 2015. In fact, for most of his early career, he didn’t see any playing times outside of special teams. It was in 2018 where he had his first big game, rushing for 87 yards against Green Bay. He ended that season with 261 yards on the ground, and just kept getting carries from there. Eventually, it led to him signing with the Dolphins and joining Mike McDaniel’s electric offense. His 2023 season in particular stands out, with him having 1012 rushing yards and a league leading 21 scrimmage touchdowns. He’s carved out a successful career, and across just 39 games as starter he’s accumulated 3,791 yards and 34 touchdowns
Honorable Mention: LB Alex Singleton
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