AFC West Draft Review

AFC West Draft Review

The AFC West is still Kansas City’s to lose but with the team dropping Kareem Hunt last season and the Tyreek Hill situation now the offense has taken some hits and the defense is in flux. The Los Angeles Chargers are another playoff team so this division is going to be quite competitive at the top. The Broncos are trying to keep pace with the top two teams while Oakland is trying to find their way into contention.

Denver Broncos

(20) Noah Fant TE
(41) Dalton Risner OL
(42) Drew Lock QB
(71) Dre’Mont Jones DT
(156) Justin Hollins OLB
(187) Juwann Winfree WR

Immediate Impact: TE Noah Fant, OL Dalton Risner
The Broncos TE group is made up of a bunch of guys that have had injury issues and none of them are gamechangers even when they’re healthy. Fant is a weapon and Joe Flacco likes to use the TE. The Broncos new offensive coordinator is coming in from San Francisco where they used George Kittle quite effectively last season, Fant is going to have a big year. He’s an early favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The team’s offensive line is pretty rough and Risner has versatility. He could play inside at any of the three positions, I think he may end up as the starting center at this point. No matter where he plays he makes the better up front.

Best Value: QB Drew Lock
Lock was a consideration for the Broncos when they had the #10 pick in the first round before they traded down to #20. Then they still decided to pass and take Fant. The fact they got Lock in the second round at #42 is crazy. He is definitely their QB of the future and depending on how Flacco plays that future could come sooner rather than later. Flacco lost his job last year in Baltimore when he got hurt and Lamar Jackson took over his spot, I would advise him not to get hurt again or he’ll be out of this job too.

Sleeper: DT Dre’Mont Jones
A guy out of Ohio St. who was a potential first-round pick coming into the season shouldn’t be considered a sleeper but Jones sort of fell off the map during the pre-draft process. He didn’t work out well and his combine was less than mediocre. In a draft class filled with a lot of quality DTs he was a forgotten man. Jones is a far better player on the field than he is working out in shorts. The Broncos need some interior d-line help and Jones will play early and often.

Overall Analysis
Fant, Risner and Jones will all contribute immediately but the real success of this draft will be judged by what Drew Lock eventually becomes. John Elway has struck out multiple times at QB and he needs to hit on this one. I like Lock and this is actually a pretty solid set up for him. Being a second-round pick takes some pressure to perform right away off of him and having Flacco on the team means he doesn’t have to start right away. He’ll eventually take the job but it will be on an easier timeline than some of the other QBs drafted ahead of him. OLB Justin Hollins could actually make this team. After losing Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett in the off season the team needs some depth behind Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, Hollins could be that guy. I wouldn’t expect much out of Winfree but you never know.

Kansas City Chiefs

(56) Mecole Hardman WR
(63) Juan Thornhill S
(84) Khalen Saunders DT
(201) Rashad Fenton CB
(214) Darwin Thompson RB
(216) Nick Allegretti OL

Immediate Impact: S Juan Thornhill
The Chiefs don’t have much opposite new safety Tyrann Mathieu when it comes to pass coverage. Thornhill has some CB skills and he’s a fantastic athlete. His versatility will match up well with Mathieu and give new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo some options in the secondary.

Best Value: Thornhill
I expect him to end up a starter and considering they got him at the end of round 2 that’s pretty good value.

Sleeper: DT Khalen Saunders
Saunders is a small school prospect who was a little shorter than teams generally like coming in at only 6’0. That’s not going to stop him from being a good player in the NFL. The Chiefs need some help on a transitioning defensive line and Saunders will be a nice addition inside at DT.

Overall Analysis
The Chiefs traded their first-round pick to Seattle for Frank Clark and they used their second-round pick on a WR. I understand they had to cover themselves at WR with the Tyreek Hill situation likely not ending well, however, I’m not sure why they picked Hardman. Hardman isn’t a bad WR but there were better WRs on the board. Even if you want a smaller, shifty speed receiver like Hill both Parris Campbell and Andy Isabella were still available. I don’t like the Clark trade either because while there were no elite pass rushers left where they were picking in round one, I don’t believe they got a great one in Clark either. I’ll take Zach Allen, Jachai Polite, Chase Winovich or Jaylon Ferguson (all third-round draft picks) at their salaries instead of Clark at $105 million. Rashad Fenton is a developmental CB at best and they need help there sooner not later. Thompson might have a chance to stick around since the team doesn’t have much beyond Damien Williams and Carlos Hyde at RB. They should really hope Alegretti isn’t on the gameday roster, practice squad at best.

Los Angeles Chargers

(28) Jerry Tillery DT
(60) Nasir Adderley S
(91) Trey Pipkins OL
(130) Drue Tranquill LB
(166) Easton Stick QB
(200) Emeke Egbule LB
(242) Cortez Broughton DL

Immediate Impact: DT Jerry Tillery
The Chargers needed to get someone to line up inside next to Brandon Mebane and someone that could be a part of the rotation because Mebane is aging and simply shouldn’t play as many snaps. Tillery fits the bill. He’s not the biggest DT in terms of weight but he’s disruptive and tough.

Best Value: S Nasir Adderley
Adderley had first-round potential and the Chargers got him at the end of the second round, that’s pretty good value. He brings big play ability and good versatility; two traits defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will love. He won’t have to play right away with Derwin James and Adrian Phillips set to start at safety but Bradley will find ways to use him.

Sleeper: LB Drue Tranquill
This team is so in need of good LBs they signed 36-year-old Thomas Davis from the Panthers. Tranquill is a very good coverage LB and Gus Bradley will find ways to use him. With Davis aging and Denzel Perryman better suited to stopping the run Tranquill can find playing time in sub packages right away and eventually become a bigger part of this defense.

Overall Analysis
With just seven picks this isn’t a huge class but the Chargers were a playoff team last season so they really only have a few places they need help. Tillery is an excellent addition on the d-line and their last pick Cortez Broughton has a chance to stick because he can play both inside and outside on the d-line. Adderley adds great depth to the secondary and his versatility will come in handy much the way Desmond King’s does. Tranquill adds a coverage element at LB and while it may be a long-shot for Emeke Egbule to make the roster as a pass rusher (they have that covered pretty well) he was worth taking a shot on. The only pick I really question is taking OT Trey Pipkins in round 3. The team probably needs more immediate competition at RT and Pipkins is a small school prospect that probably isn’t going to be ready to provide it right away. There were guys like Bobby Evans and Yodny Cajuste still on the board and they would have helped a lot sooner.

Oakland Raiders

(4) Clelin Ferrell DE
(24) Josh Jacobs RB
(27) Jonathan Abram SS
(40) Trayvon Mullen CB
(106) Maxx Crosby DE
(129) Isaiah Johnson CB
(137) Foster Moreau TE
(149) Hunter Renfrow WR
(230) Quinton Bell DE

Immediate Impact: DE Clelin Ferrell, RB Josh Jacobs
I didn’t like the Ferrell pick, he’s a good prospect but at #4 overall, he was a reach. Also, taking him instead of Josh Allen at DE was crazy, Allen might end up being the best player in this draft. Ferrell is too inconsistent, considering the d-line he played on in college he should have dominated at Clemson. Jacobs went from a RB looking at sharing at least some of the load with free agent Isaiah Crowell to rookie having to shoulder it all when Crowell tore his Achilles the week after the draft. Jacobs is a very good all-around back and the Raiders are going to need all his skills.

Best Value: Jacobs
The Raiders didn’t get anyone that really fell to them and they reached a couple of times. Jacobs is a starting RB who will likely go for between 1500-1800 all-purpose yards this season, he’s that good. He isn’t on the level of guys like Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott but getting him 24th overall is a pretty good pick.

Sleeper: TE Foster Moreau
Moreau isn’t the athletic marvel that Noah Fant is, he’s not the all-around star TJ Hockenson is and he not the pass catcher a guy like Jace Sternberger is but he does many things well. He can block and catch and at the end of the day he’s better than most of what the Raiders have on their depth chart at TE. Lee Smith is the starter for now, Moreau could end up with the job this season.

Overall Analysis
Ferrell was a reach, especially with guys like Josh Allen, Ed Oliver and Devin White on the board. Ferrell could be good but he could be a colossal bust. Josh Jacobs will be good; I actually like that pick quite a bit. Jonathan Abram isn’t a bad safety but he’s a bit one dimensional, he’s a in-the-box safety and while the team could use his help against the run, he’s not great in coverage. They obviously like Trayvon Mullen at CB but he’s inconsistent too. There were better CBs on the board at 40 too; Joejuan Williams, Greedy Williams, and Lonnie Johnson just to name a few. DE Maxx Crosby could be a nice situational pass rusher and they definitely need all the help they can get there. They obviously thought they needed help at CB since they took two, Isaiah Johnson being the second one. He’s a really good athlete but a very raw CB, he’s not going to help right now (Amari Oruwariye was still on the board there, he would have helped more). Foster Moreau could really surprise and make an impact on this team. This team did a lot of off season work on their WR corps adding Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and JJ Nelson to last year’s rookie Marcell Ateman. All that said, no matter how deep their WR corps looks on paper I’m not betting against Hunter Renfrow making this team, that was a solid 5th round pick. While the team does need as much help as possible rushing the passer, 7th round pick Quinton Bell is probably destined for the practice squad.