2017 AFC West Draft Review
Denver Broncos
- Garett Bolles OT Utah
- DeMarcus Walker DE Florida St.
- Carlos Henderson WR Louisiana Tech
- Brendan Langley CB Lamar
- Jake Butt TE Michigan
- Isaiah McKenzie WR Georgia
- De’Angelo Henderson RB Costal Carolina
- Chad Kelly QB Ole Miss
Immediate Impact: LT Garett Bolles
The Broncos have been looking for an answer at LT since Ryan Clady was a healthy oh so many years ago. Bolles wasn’t my favorite prospect but he’s better than anyone they currently have at OT. Donald Stephenson and Menelik Watson can battle it out for the RT spot once Bolles is on board. If he’s not the starting LT on day one of the season than this is a major miss by the team.
Best Value: DE DeMarcus Walker
He’s not flashy and he isn’t going to set the world on fire rushing the passer but he’s perfect for the Broncos 3-4 defense. If I’m Jared Crick I’m not feeling too comfortable at the moment because Walker is coming for my job. He’ll eat up blockers to free up OLBs Von Miller and Shane Ray and that’s exactly what he’s supposed to do. That’s good value at #51.
Sleeper: TE Jake Butt
Butt is in the same boat as Sidney Jones as he is unlikely to play this season after tearing his ACL in Michigan’s bowl game but he’s going to be a star when he returns. The Broncos have been looking for a TE since they let Julius Thomas walk a couple of years ago and while they will have to wait another year Butt will be a future starter for them.
Overall Analysis
Bolles and Walker fill immediate needs and should be major contributors this season. Butt is a future valuable asset. Carlos Henderson might have a chance to unseat the underwhelming Cody Latimer as the 3rd WR and that isn’t a herculean task. The other WR, Isaiah McKenzie, is small and shifty and brings a different dimension to the team. Langley and De’Angelo Henderson are long-term prospects that will maybe be stashed on the practice squad. Mr. Irrelevant (the last pick of the draft) was QB Chad Kelly and he’s an interesting prospect. He has loads of talent but he’s got serious character questions. He could potentially compete with Trevor Simien and Paxton Lynch but he needs to get his act together rather quickly.
Kansas City Chiefs
- Patrick Mahomes QB Texas Tech
- Tanoh Kpassagnon DE Villanova
- Kareem Hunt RB Toledo
- Jehu Chesson WR Michigan
- Ukeme Eligwe OLB Georgia Southern
- Leon McQuay III FS Southern California
Immediate Impact: ???
The Chiefs traded way up to get a QB that probably isn’t going to play for a year or two. I have a hard time seeing any of these draft picks helping the team much in 2017.
Best Value: RB Kareem Hunt
Hunt is a really talented RB and taking him in the third round was good value. The only downside is that with Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West and CJ Spiller on the roster Hunt is going to have a hard time finding playing time.
Sleeper: DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
It’s tough to call a second round pick a sleeper but that’s because the Chiefs reached a little bit here. Kpassagnon is a freakish athlete with a huge frame at 6’7 280 lbs. and he fits the Chiefs 3-4 defense perfectly at DE. The problem is he is as raw as they come because he hasn’t been playing football that long and he played at Villanova so his level of competition is low. He could become a stud for them but it’s going to take some time.
Overall Analysis
I suppose when you go 12-4, make the playoffs and don’t have any major gaping holes you can afford to spend future draft capital and draft for the future. Patrick Mahomes is going to get his shot to replace Alex Smith as the Chiefs franchise QB but that’s not going to happen this year and it might not happen next year. Andy Reid clearly saw something he liked and thinks with time he can make Mahomes the type of QB he wants. Kpassagnon has potential and the Chiefs do need help at DE but he’s got a long way to go to really make a difference. I like Hunt I just don’t know where he’s going to find carries unless he can beat out West as the backup RB. Jehu Chesson is a fast but raw WR prospect and with Jeremy Maclin, Tyreek Hill, Chris Conley and Albert Wilson around Chesson is going to have to be more valuable than De’Anthony Thomas on special teams to make this roster. Eligwe and McQuay can hope to make the practice squad.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Mike Williams WR Clemson
- Forrest Lamp G/T Western Kentucky
- Dan Feeney OG Indiana
- Rayshawn Jenkins FS Miami
- Desmond King FS Iowa
- Sam Tevi OT Utah
- Isaac Rochell DE Notre Dame
Immediate Impact: WR Mike Williams, G/T Forrest Lamp, OG Dan Feeney
The Chargers WR group has been a MASH unit for years and Williams can hopefully stay healthy and team with Keenan Allen to be dangerous pair for Phillip Rivers. Williams is the type of big-bodied physical WR Rivers had back in Vincent Jackson’s heyday and Rivers is going to love Williams. Pay no attention to the people who say Williams doesn’t get enough separation, he doesn’t need to he can out catch anyone. The team realized that there wasn’t great value at OT so they grabbed two of the best linemen in the draft in Lamp and Feeney and both will start next year, the only question will be where.
Best Value: FS/CB Desmond King
Are you kidding me? The BIGGEST steal of the draft was getting King in round 5. I cannot believe he lasted that long. I should have included him in the immediate impact section too because I firmly believe King will break camp with the Chargers as their starting FS. He will be joining an improving defense and a very good secondary.
Sleeper: DE Isaac Rochell
Rochell isn’t going to be a starter anytime soon but he has potential as a situational pass rusher right now and into the future. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are the primary pass rushers on this team but every team needs a third on passing downs and Rochell could be that guy.
Overall Analysis
This is one of my favorite drafts of 2017 and not just because they stole Desmond King. Williams fills a huge need and gives Phillip Rivers a really good weapon on offense. Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney give Rivers the protection he has been lacking for quite some time. Feeney is an immediate starter at OG and Lamp would be too unless they decide to play him at RT. He is potentially an All-Pro at OG but he might be their best option at RT too, at least in the short term. Either way these two probably spell the end of Orlando Franklin’s time with the Chargers. I think King is a superior player to Jenkins but Jenkins brings size and athleticism to the secondary and he and King could eventually be the starting safety tandem. The other pick in the draft was OT Sam Tevi and while he doesn’t project as a starter right now he adds valuable depth to team that was awful on the offensive line last year. This draft class could have the biggest impact on its team of any class this year. Williams, Lamp and Feeney help the offense while King, Jenkins and Rochell fill needs on defense.
Oakland Raiders
- Gareon Conley CB Ohio St.
- Obi Melifonwu SS UConn
- Eddie Vanderdoes DT UCLA
- David Sharpe OT Florida
- Marquel Lee OLB Wake Forest
- Shalom Luani SS Washington St.
- Jylan Ware OT Alabama St.
- Elijah Hood RB North Carolina
- Treyvon Hester DT Toledo
Immediate Impact: CB Gareon Conley, DB Obi Melifonwu
The Raiders have CBs David Amerson and Sean Smith and safeties Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph so it seems strange to think these two will contribute so quickly. However, Amerson struggled a bit last year, Nelson will be 34-years old and Smith will turn 30 during the season and there is little to no depth behind these four. Conley could supplant Amerson or will be the third CB. Melifonwu is a superior athlete that can play safety or CB and they will find a way to use him.
Best Value: Melifonwu
At 6’4 219 lbs. Melifonwu is a freak of nature and brings serious skills to the secondary. In a division where Antonio Gates is still a problem and Travis Kelce is an emerging star having a big, physical safety with coverage skills is going to come in handy. There were some, myself included, that thought Melifonwu could have been a 1st round pick. At #56 he’s a steal.
Sleeper: RB Elijah Hood
The Raiders are bringing Marshawn Lynch out of retirement but how is he going to be after a year off. Hood has some issues and he had a better 2015 than 2016 but he’s a beast at 6’0 220 lbs. and he’s a good bet to make this roster. He would be a better backup to take carries from Lynch than the two smaller backs already on the roster (DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard).
Overall Analysis
Conley comes with some risk as he has a rape allegation hanging over him but clearly the Raiders felt comfortable enough with the situation to take him in the 1st round. One note on Conley is that he has never had any sort of off-the-field incident that anybody was worried about and was considered a good character prospect before the allegation. Melifonwu and Conley address a huge need in the Raiders secondary so they should improve the defense. Third rounder Eddie Vanderdoes comes with a lot of talent that needs to be motivated. He has huge potential and with the recent release of DT Dan Williams Vanderdoes is going to have every opportunity to show how good he can be. OT David Sharpe could add nice depth at tackle but I’m not sure he’s ever more than a backup. The Raiders only drafted one LB, Marquel Lee, and he’s unlikely to make a major difference so that was curious. They really needed help at ILB. Luani, Ware and Hester are unlikely to make the roster but they can bring competition to camp.
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