One of the major storylines approaching the NFL draft was the competition between the previous twoHeisman Trophy winners,Jameis Winston winning the award in 2013 andMarcus Mariota in 2014. Both were considered excellent prospects and had the potential to become the first overall draft selection. Winston was considered to be a more polishedpocket passer andpro-style quarterback, but had several off-the-field issues while playing atFlorida State, ranging from a sexual assault allegation to shoplifting incidents. Mariota was considered a better athlete, the fastest quarterback in the draft, and had a better off-the-field reputation. However, Mariota ran aspread offense atOregon which typically had not transitioned well from college to the NFL.[5] Although neither was considered a perfectly safe pick, the two quarterbacks were selected first and second overall. This was only the sixth time in NFL history that this has occurred (1971,1993,1998,1999,2012, and subsequently2016,2021,2023, and2024).[6] It was also the first time that two Heisman trophy winners were selected with the first two overall picks.[7] All 22running backs selected no longer play for their original team or have already retired.
Prior to 2015, despite having become a major annual television event for the NFL,[8] drafts had only been held with a limited and relatively-small in-person attendance, and had since 1965 been held exclusively inNew York City.[9]
After the management of the event's longtime venue,Radio City Music Hall, had forced the league to postpone their 2014 draft due to a scheduling conflict at the venue, the NFL grew frustrated with the venue and decided to open-up bidding for a new site to host its 2015 draft. The league asked for bids not only to include a venue for the draft itself, but to also present an adjacent venue (either indoor or outdoor) in which the league could host host a fan festival. The league received interest from twelve possible host cities, but zeroed in on bids fromChicago,Los Angeles, and New York City.[10] New York City was proposing potentially keeping the event at Radio City Music Hall or moving it to another venue such asMadison Square Garden. Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden both shared the same ownership –MSG.[10][11] The NFL quickly narrowed their selection further to either Chicago or Los Angeles.[11]
In organizing the event, Chicago reimagined the draft into a much larger event than it previously had been and made it accessible for the first time to a large public attendance. Across the street from the Auditorium Theatre in Grant Park, a large free-admission multi-day fan festival dubbed "Draft Town" was erected. The festival that drew 200,000 visitors. Within the grounds of the festival, fans could watch live footage of the first three rounds draft from within the festival. While the first three rounds of the draft still took place inside an indoor venue (the Auditorium Theatre), the final round of the draft were held outdoors before an open-admittance crowd in an area of the festival dubbed "Selection Square".[15] Subsequent drafts have retained the large-scale attendance and festivities pioneered for the 2015 draft.[16]
Shortly before the draft, the NFL shortened the amount of time for certain selections to be made.[17] The time for seventh-round selections was reduced from five minutes to four minutes; similarly, the time for all compensatory selections, which cannot be traded, was reduced from seven minutes to four minutes.
Seventy-four underclassmen announced their intention to forgo their remainingNCAA eligibility and declare themselves available to be selected in the draft. An additional ten players who graduated but were still eligible to play college football chose to enter the draft, bringing to 84 the total number of players who chose to forgo college eligibility to enter the draft.[18]
In addition to the seven picks each team is given (one in each round), the league allocated thirty-two (32) supplemental picks at the ends of round 3 through 7, for a total of 256 picks. The supplemental picks are awarded to teams who had net losses of free agent talent from the previous year.
QuarterbackJameis Winston, takenfirst overall by Tampa Bay, broke several passing records but struggled with turnovers during his tenure with the Buccaneers.QuarterbackMarcus Mariota was taken second overall by Tennessee and played with them for five seasons before signing with theLas Vegas Raiders in 2020Five-time Pro Bowl receiverAmari Cooper was taken fourth overall by theOakland Raiders before being traded to Dallas.Running backTodd Gurley, taken by theSt. Louis Rams 10th overall, led the league in rushing twice and received numerousPro Bowl andAll-Pro honors before being hampered by injuries.Two-time Pro Bowl running backMelvin Gordon, taken 15th overall by theSan Diego ChargersMarcus Peters emerged as one of the league's top cornerbacks after his selection by Kansas City, but has been traded several times.Receiver/special teamerTyler Lockett, a third-round selection by SeattleDespite being a 5th round pick,Stefon Diggs led the league in receptions and receiving yards in 2020.
Asupplemental draft was held on July 9, 2015. For each player selected in the supplemental draft, the team forfeits its pick in that round in the draft of the following season. Seven players were available,[22] but only one was selected.[23][24]
In the explanations below,(PD) indicates trades completed prior to the start of the draft (i.e.Pre-Draft), while(D) denotes trades that took place during the 2015 draft.
Round one
^No. 15: San Francisco → San Diego (D).San Francisco traded this selection toSan Diego in exchange for San Diego's 2015 first and fourth round selections (17th &117th), and their fifth round selection in2016 (142nd).[source 1]
^No. 19: Buffalo → Cleveland (PD).Buffalo traded this selection along with their fourth round selection (115th) and their first round selection in 2014 (9th) toCleveland in exchange for Cleveland's first round selection in 2014 (4th) which Buffalo used to select wide receiverSammy Watkins.[source 2]
^No. 23: Detroit → Denver (D).Detroit traded this selection toDenver in exchange for Denver's 2015 first and fifth round selections (28th &143rd), their fifth round selection in2016 (169th), and guardManny Ramirez.[source 3]
^No. 31: Seattle → New Orleans (PD).Seattle traded their first round selection (31st overall) and centerMax Unger toNew Orleans in exchange for New Orleans' fourth round selection (112th) and tight endJimmy Graham.[source 4]
Round two
^No. 33: Tennessee → New York Giants (D).Tennessee traded this selection to theGiants in exchange for New York's 2015 second, fourth and seventh round selections (40th,108th &245th).[source 5]
^No. 41: St. Louis → Carolina (D).St. Louis traded this selection toCarolina in exchange for Carolina's 2015 second, third and sixth round selections (57th,89th &201st).[source 3]
^No. 43: Cleveland → Houston (D).Cleveland traded this selection and their seventh round selection (229th) toHouston in exchange for Houston's 2015 second, fourth and sixth round selections (51st,116th &195th).[source 6]
^No. 47: Miami → Philadelphia (D).Miami traded this selection and their sixth round selection (191st) toPhiladelphia in exchange for Philadelphia's 2015 second round selection and two 2015 fifth round selections (52nd,145th &156th).[source 7]
^No. 55: Arizona → Baltimore (D).Arizona traded this selection toBaltimore in exchange for Baltimore's 2015 second round selection and a fifth round selection (58th &158th).[source 8]
^No. 61: Indianapolis → Tampa Bay (D).Indianapolis traded this selection and their fourth round selection (128th) toTampa Bay in exchange for Tampa Bay's 2015 third round selection and a fourth round selection (65th &109th).[source 9]
^No. 69: Washington → Seattle (D).Washington traded this selection toSeattle in exchange for Seattle's 2015 third, fourth, fifth and sixth round selections (95th,112th,167th, &181st).[source 10]
^No. 70: New York Jets → Houston (D). TheJets traded this selection toHouston in exchange for wide receiverDeVier Posey and third, fifth and seventh-round selections (82nd,152nd, and229th overall).[source 11]
^No. 76: Minnesota → Kansas City (D).Minnesota traded this selection toKansas City in exchange for Kansas City's 2015 third and sixth round selections (80th &193rd).[source 3]
^No. 80: multiple trades: No. 80: Kansas City → Minnesota (D). seeNo. 76: Minnesota → Kansas City No. 80: Minnesota → Detroit (D).Minnesota traded their third round selection toDetroit in exchange for Detroit's 2015 third and fifth round selections (88th &143rd).[source 3]
^No. 96: New England → Cleveland (D).New England traded this selection and their seventh round selection (219th) toCleveland in exchange for Cleveland's fourth, fifth and sixth round selections (111th,147th, &202nd).[source 13]
^No. 102: Oakland → Carolina (D).Oakland traded this selection toCarolina in exchange for Carolina's fourth, fifth and seventh round selections (124th,161st, &242nd).[source 3]
^No. 103: Jacksonville → New York Jets (D).Jacksonville traded this selection to theJets in exchange for New York's fourth and seventh round selections (104th &229th).[source 3]
^No. 113: multiple trades: No. 113: San Francisco → Buffalo (PD).San Francisco traded their fourth round selection toBuffalo in exchange for wide receiverStevie Johnson.[source 15] No. 113: Buffalo → Philadelphia (PD).Buffalo traded their seventh round selection in the 2014 draft (224th) toPhiladelphia in exchange for running backBryce Brown and Philadelphia's 2014 seventh round selection (237th). The trade also included a conditional future selection to be received by Philadelphia which will either be this pick, which Buffalo may receive from San Francisco (depending on whetherStevie Johnson hits certain undisclosed statistical thresholds in 2014) or Buffalo's third or fourth round selection in 2016 (depending on Brown achieving undisclosed performance levels in 2014).[source 16] The conditions resulted in the 49ers fourth round selection being sent to Philadelphia via Buffalo.[source 17] No. 113: Philadelphia → Detroit (D).Philadelphia traded this selection toDetroit in exchange for Detroit's2016 third round selection (77th).[source 18]
^No. 119: Philadelphia → St. Louis (PD).Philadelphia traded this selection, their second round selection in2016 (43rd), and quarterbackNick Foles toSt. Louis in exchange for St. Louis' fifth round selection (145th) and quarterbackSam Bradford. The trade also includes a possible 2016 conditional selection going to Philadelphia based on Bradford's playing time in 2015. If Bradford takes less than 50 percent of the snaps, Philadelphia will receive St. Louis' fourth round selection. If he does not play at all, Philadelphia will receive St. Louis' third round selection.[source 19]
^No. 122: Detroit → Baltimore (PD).Detroit traded this selection along with their fifth round selection (158th) toBaltimore in exchange for a seventh round selection (231st) and defensive tackleHaloti Ngata.[source 20]
^No. 126: Denver → San Francisco (PD).Denver traded this selection, along with their second and fifth round selections in 2014 (63rd &171st) toSan Francisco in exchange for San Francisco's second and seventh round selections in 2014 (56th &242nd).[source 21]
^No. 137: multiple trades: No. 137: Tampa Bay → Buffalo (PD).Tampa Bay traded this selection and a seventh round selection in 2014 (221st) toBuffalo in exchange for Buffalo's fifth round selection in 2014 (149th).[source 22] No. 137: Buffalo → Minnesota (PD).Buffalo traded this selection and their seventh round selection in2016 (240th) toMinnesota in exchange for quarterbackMatt Cassel and Minnesota's sixth round selection (187th).[source 23] No. 137: Minnesota → Atlanta (D).Minnesota traded this selection toAtlanta in exchange for Atlanta's fifth and sixth round selections (146th &185th).[source 3]
^No. 142: New York Jets → Chicago (PD). TheJets traded this selection to Chicago in exchange for wide receiverBrandon Marshall and a seventh round selection (224th).[source 24]
^No. 151: San Francisco → Indianapolis (D).San Francisco traded this selection toIndianapolis in exchange for Indianapolis' fifth and seventh round selections (165th &244th).[source 3]
^No. 168: multiple trades: No. 168: New England → Tampa Bay (PD).New England traded this selection toTampa Bay in exchange for linebackerJonathan Casillas and Tampa Bay's sixth round selection.[source 29] No. 168: Tampa Bay → Detroit (PD).Tampa Bay traded this selection toDetroit in exchange for defensive endGeorge Johnson and Detroit's seventh round selection (231st).[source 30]
^No. 249: multiple trades: No. 249: New England → St. Louis (PD).New England traded this selection toSt. Louis in exchange for wide receiverGreg Salas.[source 42] No. 249: St. Louis → Atlanta (PD).St. Louis traded this selection along with their first round selection in 2013 (22nd) toAtlanta in exchange for Atlanta's first, third and sixth round selections in 2013 (30th,92nd and198th).[source 43][source 44]