NFL Draft: A Look at the Day 1 Skill Players

With Day 1 of the 2015 NFL Draft in the books, let's look at the skill players selected in the first round, held Thursday night in Chicago.

Jameis Winston, TB (QB, Florida State) 6-4/231
Round 1, pick No. 1 overall

Winston's on-field track record and experience in a pro-style system at Florida State long made him a logical choice for the Bucs in the top overall draft slot, assuming off-field concerns attached to the 21-year-old QB were not deemed a deterrent. With that in mind, coach Lovie Smith said earlier this month the Bucs "feel comfortable with who Jameis Winston is, what he's done and what we think he will do in the future as much as anything." Entering Thursday's draft, Mike Glennon topped Tampa Bay's QB depth chart, but it will be a massive upset if Winston doesn't start out of the gate. Assuming the Bucs' line can provide an adequate level of pass protection, Winston carries some intriguing fantasy upside as a rookie, working with offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and a talented trio of 6-foot-5 pass-catchers, namely wideouts Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, as well as tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. From a fantasy standpoint, Winston certainly has the arm and pocket presence to put up some useful numbers in his first NFL season, but he'll need to tidy up in the decision-making department, after turning in a 25:18 TD:INT ratio last season. Note that in his Heisman campaign in 2013, Winston recorded a 40:10 mark on that front.

Marcus Mariota, TEN (QB, Oregon) 6-4/222
Round 1, pick No. 2 overall

Leading up to the draft, there was an endless cycle of speculation that Mariota would land somewhere other than Tennessee. Among other potential scenarios, it was widely assumed that Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly would go to great lengths to reunite with Mariota, his starting quarterback at Oregon in 2012. In the end, though, when the No. 2 draft card was handed in on Thursday, the Titans held on to the pick and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced (with some creative name pronunciation) that the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner would be taking his talents to Nashville. While No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston is viewed as the more pro-ready prospect, Mariota -- who threw 105 touchdowns and 14 interceptions over 41 games in three years as Oregon's starting QB -- brings a nice blend of size, savvy and athleticism to the table. He's in for a major shift in gears as he transitions to the NFL, but coach Ken Whisenhunt is reportedly amenable to making some tweaks the team's offensive system to best utilize Mariota's strengths, notably his ability to make plays while on the move. Although the Titans also roster fellow signal-caller Zach Mettenberger, the plan is for Mariota to be the team's starter in Week 1. As a dual-threat quarterback, Mariota has some fantasy upside, but it figures to take some time before he emerges as a reliable weekly option, working with a wideout corps headed by Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, Harry Douglas and Hakeem Nicks, complemented by tight end Delanie Walker.

Amari Cooper, OAK (WR, Alabama) 6-1/211
Round 1, pick No. 4 overall

Second-year quarterback Derek Carr has to be beaming about this pick, on the heels of 2014 season in which no Raiders' pass-catcher hit the 700-yard mark in receiving. Enter Cooper, a strong route-runner who racked up an SEC-record 124 catches last season with the Crimson Tide. As his stellar college numbers suggest, Cooper is polished enough to open this season as the Raiders' No. 1 wideout. In the process, immediate fantasy relevance is in order, though Cooper's statistical ceiling is greatly tied to Carr's continued development as a pro passer.

Kevin White, CHI (WR, West Virginia) 6-3/215
Round 1, pick No. 7 overall

The Bears created a significant void in their passing attack by trading Brandon Marshall to the Jets. White, however, offers an ideal replacement. He'll step into a starting role opposite Alshon Jeffery, with his fantasy upside as a rookie hinging largely on a bounce-back effort on the part of QB Jay Cutler. Coming off a 2014 breakout season in which White caught 109 passes for 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns for West Virginia, there's much to like here, but to sustain such momentum as a pro, he will need to refine his route-running, though as is, White's combination of size and speed (he ran a 4.35 40 at the combine) bode well for his chances of developing into a deep threat in coordinator Adam Gase's offense.

Todd Gurley, STL (RB, Georgia) 6-1/222
Round 1, pick No. 10 overall

With the likes of Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham and Zac Stacy already in the fold, the Rams entered Thursday's draft with a serviceable backfield, but the addition of Gurley adds a dynamic element to the mix. That is, once he's fully up to speed after suffering a torn ACL last November. Gurley, who draws comparisons to backs such as Marshawn Lynch, Steven Jackson and Fred Taylor, projects as a power runner with the athleticism to make big plays, both as a runner and receiver. Gurley, who turns 21 in August, underwent knee surgery in late November, but with his medical re-checks apparently revealing no red flags, the Rams are obviously convinced that he will return to top form. As enticing as Gurley's long-term potential is, coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams may be inclined to err on the side of caution with the rookie, at least initially. That said, Gurley is absolutely the team's future at running back, and it's reasonable to believe he will emerge as a viable fantasy option no later than the second half of the coming season. In dynasty formats, he's already a platinum prospect.

DeVante Parker, MIA (WR, Louisville) 6-3/209
Round 1, pick No. 14 overall

After parting ways with Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline this offseason, the Dolphins continue to add weapons to their passing attack. Parker joins a re-tooled Miami wideout unit that also rosters Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry and veteran Greg Jennings. With TE Jordan Cameron also added to the mix, Parker has a fair amount of competition for targets initially, but he has the size, hands and ball skills to develop into a nice downfield option for QB Ryan Tannehill. Moreover, what looks like a healthy and crowded pass-catching corps in May could well be thinned out by injuries by the time games count, so it's still a little early to accurately predict Parker's potential early season workload.

Melvin Gordon, SD (RB, Wisconsin) 6-1/215
Round 1, pick No. 15 overall

While fellow rookie back Todd Gurley probably boasts more long-term fantasy value, Gordon's health and playing context make him more likely to make an immediate splash. This year's RB crop is rich in legit prospects, so Day 2 (and to a lesser degree Day 3) of the NFL Draft figures to vault others up the re-draft ranks, though we suspect that once things shake out, Gordon will remain the rookie most likely to help owners wire-to-wire this season. The Chargers' commitment to bolster their backfield following the free-agent departure of Ryan Mathews was evident as they sent the 49ers a 2015 fourth-rounder and 2016 fifth-rounder to move up two slots to pick Gordon. While Branden Oliver, Danny Woodhead and Donald Brown remain on the team's roster, they profile as complementary options (particularly in pass-catching situations) behind Gordon. Thanks to his big-play ability, the Wisconsin product should have little problem cementing his role as the Bolts' lead back this summer, assuming Gordon can hold his own as a pass-protector and avoid ball-security problems.

Nelson Agholor, PHI (WR, USC) 6-0/198
Round 1, pick No. 20 overall

While much of the pre-draft buzz surrounding the the Eagles centered around the team's reported attempts to land QB Marcus Mariota, the team's selection of Agholor makes perfect sense in the wake of the free-agent departure of Jeremy Maclin, who caught 85 passes for 1,318 yards in Chip Kelly's offense last season. Joining a wideout corps that also includes Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper, Josh Huff and Miles Austin, it's not hard to imagine the versatile Agholor -- who can work both the outside and inside passing game -- carving out a significant enough role as a rookie to merit fantasy attention.

Breshad Perriman, BAL (WR, UCF) 6-2/212
Round 1, pick No. 26 overall

Perriman fills a big need for the Ravens, who lost Torrey Smith in free agency. Working under coordinator Marc Trestman, Perriman's combo of size and blazing speed should translate into big-play upside in the team's Joe Flacco-helmed offense. During his Pro Day, Perriman logged impressive times of 4.24 and 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash, though at this stage of his development, he'll need to refine his route-running and limit his drops to become a well-rounded pro.

Phillip Dorsett, IND (WR, Miami) 5-10/185
Round 1, pick No. 29 overall

Dorsett, a smallish wideout, who brings 4.33 speed and plus quickness to the table, seems like a luxury pick for the Colts, as he joins an Indy receiving corps that already includes T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson and Donte Moncrief. As a result, as promising as he is and explosive as he could become as a pro working with star QB Andrew Luck, Dorsett is clearly a break or two from entering the short-term fantasy discussion. With the big picture in mind, though, Dorsett provides the team with Hilton (who is in a contract year) insurance.