National Football League

Anxious waits, surprising picks highlight Day 1 observations

Published May. 1, 2015 1:19 a.m. ET

Alex Marvez

There was more to the 2015 NFL Draft than Jameis Winston being the No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay and Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly being unable to land Marcus Mariota. Here are 10 non-quarterback observations from the cheap seats in the Auditorium Theatre.

1. To me, the slide of Southern Cal defensive end Leonard Williams and his selection by the New York Jets was Thursday night's biggest surprise.

A number of highly respected draft experts, including Gil Brandt, had Williams rated as the draft's top overall prospect. Yet a prospect that had drawn favorable comparisons to Richard Seymour dropped out of the top five.

"It's a little further than I expected," Williams admitted from draft festivities in Chicago. "But at the same time, I feel like it's going to be a great fit (in New York)."

The Jets already have two standout defensive linemen in Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, although the latter is currently skipping offseason workouts because he wants a new contract. There were media reports earlier this week that New York was receiving trade feelers for Wilkerson, but new Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan said he still hopes a long-term deal can be reached.

"Right now, Muhammad is on our team," Maccagnan said in his post-draft news conference. "I'm not going to speculate. We're not actively trying to shop Muhammad. Right now, he's part of us. Obviously at some point in time, we're going to talk to him and his agent and kind of proceed forward."

The arrival of Williams makes it easier for the Jets to move forward without Wilkerson, if need be.

2. San Francisco choosing Oregon defensive end Arik Armstead at No. 16 makes sense from a need standpoint. San Francisco released Ray McDonald and fellow defensive end Justin Smith may retire. But 49ers general manager Trent Baalke, who has an impressive track record in the draft, had better hope that Armstead's production starts matching his physical prowess. A player who is 6 feet 7 and 292 pounds somehow managed to disappear too frequently last season.

3. Missouri outside linebacker/defensive end Shane Ray can exhale now ... for the right reasons.

The citation of arrest Ray received last Monday for marijuana possession generated a red flag for poor judgment and character concerns, especially considering that NFL Network reported he also failed a drug test earlier in college. But the comment by one team executive to FOX Sports on Wednesday that Ray "isn't going to fall very far" proved prescient when Denver selected him at No. 23.

Here's hoping Ray learned his lesson and can avoid the temptations that come with moving to a state where marijuana possession is legal but still barred by the NFL.

4. All of the media pre-draft "trade-up/trade-down" ga-ga surrounding the early picks failed to transpire with the first move not coming until San Francisco dropped down two spots from No. 15 to No. 17 in a deal with San Diego. None of the big names reportedly on the trading block like Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, Philadelphia quarterback Sam Bradford and San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers changed teams, either. The only veteran who was part of a deal Thursday was Denver offensive lineman Manny Ramirez. He was sent to Detroit as part of a trade-up for the Broncos to acquire Ray. The Lions later added another immediate starter when drafting Duke guard Laken Tomlinson at No. 28. Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford should be thrilled.

5. The receiving class of 2014 set an NFL record for rookie production, but that mark already could be in jeopardy this season. Six wideouts were selected in the first round for the first time since 2009, highlighted by Alabama's Amari Cooper by Oakland at No. 4. Expect another strong showing by receivers Friday with Arizona State's Jaelen Strong, Ohio State's Devin Smith and Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham among the top prospects still available.

6. A tight end wasn't drafted in the first round for the first time since 2012. Damarious Randall was the only safety selected, taken at No. 30 by Green Bay -- a surprise considering Alabama's Landon Collins was viewed by most as the top prospect at the position. Collins should be gone early in the second round.

7. As part of winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Carolina linebacker Thomas Davis announced his team's first-round pick. Little did Davis know he would be reading the name of his potential heir apparent in University of Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson.

Davis, 32, has one year remaining on his contract although the Panthers had spoken with him about an extension before the draft. In his post-draft news conference, Carolina head coach Ron Rivera said the Panthers could keep three linebackers on the field against two tight-end sets with the belief Thompson, taken 25th, is athletic enough to handle coverage responsibilities. Thompson couldn't ask for two better mentors to learn from than Davis and Luke Kuechly.

8. The Panthers probably would have drafted University of Florida tackle D.J. Humphries but he was taken one pick earlier at No. 24 by Arizona. The Panthers would be wise to address the position Friday or risk quarterback Cam Newton taking a beating once again in 2015.

9. One tackle option no longer available for Carolina is Cedric Ogbuehi. The Texas A&M standout was taken at No. 21 by Cincinnati. A source told FOX Sports that Ogbuehi would have been a top-five selection if not for a knee injury suffered late last season. Renowned Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander called Ogbuehi the draft's best pass protector and said he will initially be worked onto the field as a tight end in Cincinnati's jumbo packages.

10. The city of Chicago deserves credit for serving as an excellent host site, even with three of the top four picks (Winston, Mariota and new Oakland wide receiver Amari Cooper) declining invitations to attend. The live presentation was sharp and the selection process went off without a hitch for the first draft held outside New York City in 50 years. Don't be surprised if the NFL takes the show on the road again in 2016. Dallas and Los Angeles would be prime candidates as hosts.