NFL Draft grades 2015: Jets, Dolphins close gap on Patriots in AFC East

The AFC East free agency arms race was spectacular to watch. The Buffalo Bills added two more offensive talents to their hoard in LeSean McCoy and Percy Harvin, and the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins gave massive contracts to Darrelle Revis and Ndamukong Suh, respectively. All this in the name of catching up to the New England Patriots, who were mostly content to rest on their (admittedly very comfy) laurels.

Judging by NFL Draft grades, the Jets and Dolphins took yet another step closer to the Pats. Both paired tremendous value picks at defensive tackle with potential game-breaking receivers with their first two picks, and it's easy to see how that strategy pertains to the Pats: Slow down their offense and, barring that, keep up through the air.

The Bills? Well, they're still feeling the after effects of trading up for Sammy Watkins in the 2014 draft, but they may have found a steal or two later in the draft this year. The Patriots, meanwhile, loaded up heavily on the best trench players available, almost as if they were battening down the hatches for a punishing season.

The Bills got dinged heavily on their 2015 draft grades for giving up their first-round pick to grab Watkins last season. While Watkins appears to be on his way to becoming a legitimate No. 1 receiver in the NFL, the price that Buffalo paid for him and the fact that Mike Evans and Odell Beckham Jr. were also available make the Watkins pick seem like poor value.

The second-round selection of cornerback Ronald Darby was also widely cited as a reach. Luckily, it got better after that. CBS called seventh-round wide receiver Dezmin Lewis a "third-day gem," and tight end Nick O'Leary's fall to the sixth round is almost criminal. He should fit very well in Buffalo.

It's probably a good sign that SB Nation's Dan Kadar couldn't name a "reach" by the Dolphins until fifth-rounder Cedric Thompson. The experts seemed to agree that Miami was able to draft for both need and talent over the weekend. Louisville receiver Devante Parker (first round, No. 14 overall) and running back Jay Ajayi (fifth round, No. 149) were darlings to draftniks. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips is a potential first round talent who Miami was able to snag in the second round.

The Patriots were once again savvy Day 3 drafters, finding defensive end Trey Flowers and offensive guards Tre Jackson and Shaq Mason in the fourth round. Curiously, however, they did not draft a wide receiver and waited until the seventh round to draft a cornerback. Marshall's Darryl Roberts proved he has the physical capability to be an NFL corner at the Combine in February, but he alone won't make up for the losses of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner.

Like the Dolphins, the Jets masterfully straddled the line between drafting for need and drafting the best players available. They didn't need more talent along the defensive line, but few teams would have passed up Leonard Williams at No. 6, and that move may pay even bigger dividends later if the team trades Muhammad Wilkerson.

After Williams, the Jets added a pure deep threat in Ohio State's Devin Smith and an edge linebacker in Lorenzo Mauldin. Then in the fourth round they were able to snag quarterback Bryce Petty, once again higher than many expected. Oh, and they flipped a seventh round pick into running back Zac Stacy in a trade with the St. Louis Rams.