Much of the 2015 rookie class has already hit the field at various minicamps around the league, and clubs are already penciling in the recent NFL draft picks on the depth chart.
As the march toward the regular season continues, it's time to take one more quick look back at the draft to see which teams did the best job of filling needs and which allowed some glaring voids to remain by failing to address needs.
Of course, taking the best-player-available approach rather than drafting based on need doesn't ensure a team had a bad draft. Some of the league's best evaluators have built their reputation on drafting the best player available, regardless of need. This post is an exercise in establishing who filled needs and who left some unfilled, not a way of separating good draft hauls from bad ones.
Five that did best job of filling needs
Cincinnati Bengals
Top needs entering draft: DL, WR, OL, LB, TE
Draft picks: OL Cedric Ogbuehi (No. 21 overall), OL Jake Fisher (No. 53 overall), TE Tyler Kroft (No. 85 overall), LB Paul Dawson (No. 99 overall), CB Josh Shaw (No. 120 overall), DE Marcus Hardison (No. 135 overall), TE C.J. Uzomah (No. 157 overall), S Derron Smith (No. 197 overall), WR Mario Alford (No. 238 overall)
The skinny: The team has been to the playoffs four seasons in a row, so they didn't have a ton of holes to plug on the roster. However, the Bengals did add some quality players who add depth to the back end while addressing needs, such as offensive tackle. Adding players who can help at two positions in later rounds, like Shaw (CB/S) and Alford (WR/KR), is good value, too.
Kansas City Chiefs
Top needs entering draft: OL, DL, WR, CB, LB
Draft picks: CB Marcus Peters (No. 18 overall), C Mitch Morse (No. 49 overall), WR Chris Conley (No. 76 overall), CB Steven Nelson (No. 98 overall), LB Ramik Wilson (No. 118 overall), LB D.J. Alexander (No. 172 overall), TE James O'Shaughnessy (No. 173 overall), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (No. 217 overall), WR Da'Ron Brown (No. 233 overall)
The skinny: There were roughly five major needs the team needed to address in the draft and they answered all of them while landing a Day 1 starter at corner in Peters. Conley has the tools to get the Chiefs some much-needed scores from the wideout spot and GM John Dorsey solidified the middle of the defense with middle-round picks.
Miami Dolphins
Top needs entering draft: WR, OL, DL, CB, RB
Draft picks: WR DeVante Parker (No. 14 overall), DT Jordan Phillips (No. 52 overall), OL Jamil Douglas (No. 114 overall), CB Bobby McCain (No. 145 overall), RB Jay Ajayi (No. 149 overall), S Cedric Thompson (No. 150 overall), CB/WR Tony Lippett (No. 156 overall)
The skinny: The front office basically plugged every need the team had with its five picks, starting with selecting a new No. 1 wide receiver in Parker. Add in a Ndamukong Suh complement in Phillips and another interior offensive linemen in Douglas, and this was a very good effort on draft weekend in addressing just about every spot that was a question mark.
New York Jets
Top needs entering draft: QB, LB, OL, WR, RB
Draft picks: DL Leonard Williams (No. 6 overall), WR Devin Smith (No. 37 overall), LB Lorenzo Mauldin (No. 82 overall), QB Bryce Petty (No. 103 overall), OL Jarvis Harrison (No. 152 overall), NT Deon Simon (No. 223 overall)
The skinny: The new front office retooled the roster through free agency and trades but filled in the remaining few holes with a very nice draft class. Williams was the best player available and gives the team some leverage with Muhammad Wilkinson's contract situation coming up and Smith provides a vertical threat out of the slot. Petty is good value as a developmental QB and Mauldin could be a pass-rush star for Todd Bowles.
Oakland Raiders
Top needs entering draft: WR, CB, RB, OL, DL
Draft picks: WR Amari Cooper (No. 4 overall), DL Mario Edwards Jr. (No. 35 overall), TE Clive Walford (No. 68 overall), OL Jon Feliciano (No. 128 overall), LB Ben Heeney (No. 140 overall), LB Neiron Ball (No 161 overall), LB Max Valles (No. 179 overall), OL Anthony Morris (No. 218 overall), WR Andre Debose (No. 221 overall), CB Dexter McDonald (No. 242 overall)
The skinny: The team had a need at just about every position but did a pretty good job of filling holes in the draft. Oakland addressed a glaring void at wide receiver by selecting Cooper as a reliable option for Derek Carr to find in the passing game. Edwards will be an immediate starter on the defensive line and the two-deep at linebacker looks set for a few years. Valles might develop into Justin Tuck's replacement sooner rather than later.
Five that failed to address big need
Buffalo Bills
Top needs entering draft: QB, OL, LB, DL, TE
Draft picks: CB Ronald Darby (No. 50 overall), OG John Miller (No. 81 overall), RB Karlos Williams (No. 155 overall), LB Tony Steward (No. 188 overall), TE Nick O'Leary (No. 194 overall), WR Dezmin Lewis (No. 234 overall)
The skinny: The Bills' first draft with Rex Ryan as head coach was an interesting one in that they drafted a number of players at positions where there wasn't much of a need. They missed out on adding a developmental QB and didn't add any depth to the defensive line while spending their first selection on a player at a position where they're pretty well set. Selecting a running back who lost his starting job last season was questionable.
Carolina Panthers
Top needs entering draft: OL, WR, CB, RB, DL
Draft picks: LB Shaq Thompson (No. 25 overall), WR Devin Funchess (No. 41 overall), OL Daryl Williams (No. 102 overall), LB David Mayo (No. 169 overall), RB Cameron Artis-Payne (No. 174 overall)
The skinny:Cam Newton has been sacked an average of 38 times a season since entering the league and yet the Panthers failed once again to seriously address issues up front, drafting only one offensive lineman (in the fourth round) and reaching on Thompson in the first round.
Indianapolis Colts
Top needs entering draft: S, OL, RB, LB, CB
Draft picks: WR Phillip Dorsett (No. 29 overall), CB D'Joun Smith (No. 65 overall), DT Henry Anderson (No. 93 overall), S Clayton Geathers (No. 109 overall), DT David Parry (No. 151 overall), RB Josh Robinson (No. 205 overall), LB Amarlo Herrera (No. 207 overall), OL Denzell Goode (No. 255 overall)
The skinny: This team didn't have a ton of big needs. However, it certainly could have used more help on the offensive line, and yet all the front office did to protect Andrew Luck was take a flyer on a small-school prospect with the second-to-last pick of the draft.
Dallas Cowboys
Top needs entering draft: CB, RB, DL, OL, LB
Draft picks: CB Byron Jones (No. 27 overall), DE Randy Gregory (No. 60 overall), OL Chaz Green (No. 91 overall), LB Damien Wilson (No. 127 overall), DE Ryan Russell (No. 163 overall), LB Mark Nzeocha (No. 236 overall), OL Laurence Gibson (No. 243 overall), TE Geoff Swaim (No. 246 overall)
The skinny: Jerry Jones landed three first-round talents in Jones, Gregory and La'el Collins (signed as undrafted free agent), so it's hard to argue with that haul, but there's no question that the Cowboys needed a running back. They didn't take one, though. Given the depth at the position this year, it's possible they could have found late-round gold at the position. Bypassing the position could be a decision they regret.
San Francisco 49ers
Top needs entering draft: LB, CB, DL, OL, WR
Draft picks: DL Arik Armstead (No. 17 overall), S Jaquiski Tartt (No. 46 overall), DE/LB Eli Harold (No. 79 overall), TE Blake Bell (No. 117 overall), RB Mike Davis (No. 126 overall), WR DeAndre Smelter (No. 132 overall), P Bradley Pinion, OL Ian Silberman (No. 190 overall), OL Trenton Brown (No. 244 overall), TE Busta Anderson (No. 254 overall)
The skinny: The 49ers landed a number of talents with upside, but there was one notable position that was not addressed: inside linebacker. With the departure of both Patrick Willis and Chris Borland during the offseason, it was a surprise to see the team take a pass on drafting an ILB.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
