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5 Losers from Day 1 of the 2015 NFL Draft

As Round 2 and 3 of the 2015 NFL draft approach, it’s time to look back at what was a pretty eventful Day 1.

From the two reigning Heisman winners going one and two respectively to major surprises inside the top 10, there was a lot of drama that unfolded in Chicago on Thursday night.

Here’s our look at five losers from the first day of the draft.

1. Tennessee Titans

Based off what the Philadelphia Eagles were reportedly offering Tennessee for the second pick, the team would have been much better served trading down. Even if the real trade offer wasn’t exactly what was reported, it just made more sense.

How much better is Mariota going to be than Zach Mettenberger three years down the road? That’s the million-dollar question here. We also have to take into account Ken Whisenhunt’s offensive scheme, which usually favors the immobile pocket passer.

I get why Tennessee would have been hesitant to trade down from two. If a team moved up for Mariota, and he become a franchise quarterback, it would have been a major black eye for the franchise. If so, why not just take former Southern California defensive tackle Leonard Williams? That would have been a better pick than Mariota.

Teams that conduct their draft with a conservative approach tend to get bit in the back end when all is said and done. That’s likely going to be the case with Tennessee here.

2. San Francisco 49ers 

Courtesy of USA Today Sports: Armstead was a reach in the first round.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports: Armstead was a reach in the first round.

It’s not that Arik Armstead isn’t going to be a good football player. Heck, he could very well be a Pro Bowler three years down the road. The issue here is that this Oregon product is extremely raw and has a high bust factor. He doesn’t possess any real technique, will be thrown off the line against tougher offensive linemen and isn’t anywhere near ready to produce out of the gate.

49ers’ fans should be happy with the team acquiring two picks (fourth rounder in 2015 and fifth rounder in 2016) by just moving down two slots, but Washington corner Marcus Peter would have been the better pick here.

3. St. Louis Rams

St. Louis selected a running back that’s coming off a torn ACL in the top 10. Yeah, that actually happened. It did so with 2014 third-round pick Tre Mason coming off a 2014 campaign that saw him put up over 900 total yards and average 4.3 yards per attempt.

Listen, Gurley might very well turn out to be a heck of a football player. Injuries aside, he’s a generational talent. It just didn’t make much sense in the grand scheme of things. Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker was there at a need position, as were cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Marcus Peters, both also at a position of need.

4. Green Bay Packers

Selecting a safety in the first round to play cornerback? That has to be a first. Doing so when said player wasn’t considered even a first-round option until late in the process makes it even more interesting. Former Arizona State standout Damarious Randall might end up being a good player in the NFL one day, but his tape was more like a mid-round pick than a Day 1 pick.

Despite this, Packers general manager Ted Thompson seems to be excited about the selection (via Packers.com).

We think he’s a very versastile player. We’ll probably line him up as a corner,” Thompson said. “For some time we’ve had him pretty high up on our board. He’s a good football player.

That’s fine and dandy, but asking a college safety to come in and play corner is a difficult task. Even if the Packers decide that Randall is better served without a defined role, you don’t spend a first-round pick on someone like that.

5. Carolina Panthers

At this point, Cam Newton would be justified to request a trade. Okay, that might be an overreaction. But how in the world did the Panthers pass up on offensive tackle prospects T.J. Clemmings and Jake Fisher for an athlete in Shaq Thompson who will attempt to play linebacker in the NFL? By doing so, the Panthers face the real possibility of throwing Jonathan Martin and Michael Oher out there as the team’s two starting tackles. Ouch!

Check out Rachel Wold’s post on the five biggest winners from Day 1 for a different perspective.

Photo: USA Today Sports

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