AFC West Draft Review

Denver Broncos

• Bradley Chubb (5^th, 1^st)   DE   North Carolina St.
• Courtland Sutton (40^th, 2^nd)   WR   SMU
• Royce Freeman (71^st, 3^rd)   RB   Oregon
• Isaac Yiadom (99^th, 3^rd)   CB   Boston College
• Josey Jewell (106^th, 4^th)   LB   Iowa
• Daesean Hamilton (112^th, 4^th)   WR   Penn St.
• Troy Fumagalli   (156^th, 5^th)   TE   Wisconsin
• Sam Jones (183^rd, 6^th)   C   Arizona St.
• Keishawn Bierria (217^th, 6^th)   LB   Washington
• David Williams (226^th, 7^th)   RB   Arkansas

Immediate Impact:  DE Bradley Chubb, WR Courtland Sutton

The Broncos lucked into Chubb when the Browns took Denzel Ward #4 overall.  Now they get to pair Chubb with Von Miller for rest of Miller’s career and they will be a lethal pass rushing combo.  Sutton fills a desperate need as the Broncos are really week at WR after Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.  Next year the Broncos may say goodbye to Thomas and Sanders so they better hope Sutton figures it out quickly.

Best Value:  LB Josey Jewell

The Broncos have Brandon Marshall and Todd Davis at ILB and while both are solid neither one is elite.  Jewell profiles as a solid guy too but he can be a tackling machine, more so than either Marshall or Davis have shown.  He could be one of the starters at ILB in a year or two and he was a fourth-round pick.

Sleeper: WR Daesean Hamilton

Hamilton doesn’t wow you with any of his physical skills but he gets the job done.  He’s an excellent route runner and as I said before the Broncos are pretty shallow at WR.  I wouldn’t be the least bit shocked if Hamilton outplays Courtland Sutton in their rookie year because he’ll actually fit the third WR role better than Sutton while Sutton learns Thomas’ position.  In 2019 they could be the two starters in Denver.

Overall Analysis

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good and in this draft the Broncos got lucky Chubb was available and they were good enough not to screw it up and they picked him.  They needed to get some youth and Chubb, Sutton, Hamilton and Jewell do just that.  RB Royce Freeman is an excellent pickup too and he should make a nice complement to newly minted starter Devontae Booker.  CB Isaac Yiadom and TE Troy Fumagalli add depth at positions that need it even if they aren’t exactly starting caliber guys.  I’m a little concerned about the lack of attention to the offensive line as C Sam Jones isn’t very likely to add much value.  LB Bierria and RB Williams might find it hard to make the roster unless they add great value on special teams.

Kansas City Chiefs

• Breeland Speaks (46^th, 2^nd)   DT   Mississippi
• Derrick Nnadi (75^th, 3^rd)   DT   Florida St.
• Dorian O’Daniel (100^th, 3^rd)   LB   Clemson
• Armani Watts (124^th, 4^th)   S   Texas A&M
• Tremon Smith (196^th, 6^th)  CB   Central Arkansas
• Kahlil McKenzie (198^th, 6^th)   OG   Tennessee

Immediate Impact:  None, unless you count Patrick Mahomes

The Chiefs traded their first-round draft pick from this year in last year’s draft in order to move up and grab Mahomes.  Now he’s the starting QB so I suppose that qualifies as an immediate impact this year since he didn’t play much last year.

Best Value: S Armani Watts

Watts is on the small side for a safety at only 5’11 and that’s probably why he was available in the 4^th round.  He could legitimately end up the starting FS opposite SS Eric Berry at some point and I wouldn’t be even a little shocked.  He may be overly aggressive at times but Berry should help him become a better safety.

Sleeper:  LB Dorian O’Daniel

O’Daniel is an undersized LB who is going to start out as a special team’s ace.  The Chiefs invested in Anthony Hitchens at ILB to pair with Reggie Ragland and while Hitchens can cover it isn’t Ragland’s forte.  O’Daniel could see the field quite a bit as a coverage linebacker replacing Ragland who is best against the run.

Overall Analysis

The Chiefs started this draft with two defensive linemen that add depth but don’t profile as difference makers.  Speaks and Nnadi are solid additions and necessary given the depth issues on the defensive line.  O’Daniel and Watts have the highest upside and could be playmakers.  CB Tremon Smith has a chance to stick because the secondary isn’t overwhelming but he’s raw.  McKenzie was a defensive tackle at Tennessee but the plan is to turn him into an offensive guard.  He may end up on the practice squad to give him a chance to make the transition.  This draft will really be decided by the way Patrick Mahomes develops and whether or not he becomes the franchise QB.  The rest of the draft isn’t likely to have a huge effect on the team overall.

Los Angeles Chargers

• Derwin James (17^th, 1^st)   S   Florida St.
• Uchenna Nwosu (48^th, 2^nd)   OLB   USC
• Justin Jones (84^th, 3^rd)   DT   North Carolina St.
• Kyzir White (119^th, 4^th)   SS   West Virginia
• Scott Quessenberry (155^th, 5^th)   C   UCLA
• Dylan Cantrell (191^st, 6^th)   WR   Texas Tech
• Justin Jackson (251^st, 7^th)   RB   Northwestern

Immediate Impact:  S Derwin James

Like I said before sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.  The Chargers sat tight in the first round and got an absolute steal in Derwin James.  He’s an incredible athlete who will only make the secondary better.  He’s an immediate starter and he’ll improve the pass defense and he’ll bring a physical presence against the run.

Best Value:  James, by a country mile

Seriously?  One of the top 7 or 8 prospects in this draft at #17 overall.  Value? That’s a friggin’ steal.

Sleeper:  SS Kyzir White

White fell to the 4^th round because he’s a bit of a tweener.  He is either a really big safety or a smallish LB.  Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley once had a similar guy name Kam Chancellor play for him in Seattle, that worked out quite well.

Overall Analysis

This is one of the best drafts of the year.  James is a steal and adding him and White to a secondary that already has CBs Casey Hayward, Jason Verrett and nickel corner Des King makes the Chargers defensive backfield arguably the best in the NFL.  The legacy of Seattle’s Legion of Boom has moved to Southern California.  Uchenna Nwosu is a LB who will add a speed element opposite Melvin Ingram and add some pass rush outside of Ingram and Joey Bosa. DT Justin Jones isn’t flashy but he fills a big need as a run stuffer in the middle as Brandon Mebane and Corey Luiget age.  Even though the Chargers signed C Mike Pouncey in the offseason C Scott Quessenberry is a nice hedge against Pouncey who had had some injury issues before last season.  Cantrell and Jackson are solid depth additions at WR and RB even if they don’t make the team they will be good players adding value in camp.

Oakland Raiders

• Kolton Miller (15^th, 1^st)   OT   UCLA
• PJ Hall (57^th, 2^nd)   DT   Sam Houston St.
• Brandon Parker (65^th, 3^rd)   OT   North Carolina A&T
• Arden Key (87^th, 3^rd)   DE   LSU
• Nick Nelson (110^th, 4^th)   CB   Wisconsin
• Maurice Hurst (140^th, 5^th)   DT   Michigan
• Johnny Townsend (173^rd, 5^th)   P   Florida
• Azeem Victor (216^th, 6^th)   LB   Washington
• Marcell Ateman (228^th, 7^th)   WR   Oklahoma St.

Immediate Impact:  OT Kolton Miller, DT Maurice Hurst*

The Raiders have an aging Donald Penn at LT and an underwhelming Vadal Alexander at RT so Miller could find playing time early.  He’s still a very raw prospect with plenty of work to do on his technique but his ceiling is plenty high.  Hurst is monster if he’s healthy.  That’s a big IF.  He either has or doesn’t have a heart issue depending on what report you believe, clearly most teams believe he does.  He’s a top 10 talent that the Raiders got in round 5.

Best Value: DT Maurice Hurst or WR Marcell Ateman

If Hurst is healthy he’s the steal of the entire draft.  Ateman was a productive WR at Oklahoma St. and he brings nice size to the position.  The team has Amari Cooper but I’m not so convinced Jordy Nelson is going to be great anymore.  They traded for two WRs; the mercurial Martavis Bryant and Ryan Switzer.  Switzer should be a nice addition in the slot but if Nelson shows his age and Bryant shows his attitude Ateman might get the chance to show what he’s all about opposite Cooper.

Sleeper:  LB Azeem Victor

Two years ago, Victor was headed for being a 2^nd round caliber pick and then he hurt his knee and the wheels came off.  He’s had off the field issues (DUI) and on the field issues (illegal hits) and he’s hasn’t been himself.  If he can get it together he could make some noise.  The Raiders are so desperate for LB help they just signed Derrick Johnson, that’s the 35-year old former Chief Derrick Johnson, and he’s probably their starting MLB.  There is a place for Victor if he gets his game on track.

Overall Analysis

This draft is full of boom-or-bust picks, apparently when Jon Gruden said he wanted to take things back to 1998 he was talking about gambling on draft picks like the late Al Davis.  Miller has a high ceiling but he could be a colossal bust and I’m not comfortable betting on offensive line coach Tom Cable developing him after his stint in Seattle didn’t go so well.  PJ Hall is an undersized DT, Brandon Parker is an oversized and underdeveloped OT.  Arden Key looks like Tarzan but he plays like Jane.  Nick Nelson, Maurice Hurst and Azeem Victor are all injury/illness risks.  I’m not usually a fan of drafting punters but Johnny Townsend might be the safest pick they made in the whole draft.  I like Ateman, yep, he’s the one I like.