Denver Broncos
(9) Patrick Surtain II CB Alabama
(35) Javonte Williams RB North Carolina
(98) Quinn Meinerz G/C Wisconsin-Whitewater
(105) Baron Browning LB Ohio St
(152) Caden Sterns S Texas
(164) Jamar Johnson S Indiana
(219) Seth Williams WR Auburn
(237) Kary Vincent Jr. CB LSU
(253) Marquiss Spencer DL Mississippi St.
(239) Jonathan Cooper DE Ohio St
Immediate Impact: CB Patrick Surtain II, RB Javonte Williams
The Broncos signed Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller in the off season but Surtain will start anyway. The Broncos know what those two veterans give them and they know Surtain’s ceiling is higher, he’s a legit #1 CB. Also, in a division that has Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr, it’s good to be able to cover. Williams was my favorite RB in the draft and Melvin Gordon is going to hate him because he makes him expendable. Williams fits the offense perfectly and he has fresh legs, he could be the offensive rookie of the year.
Best Value: S Jamar Johnson
I like both safeties the Broncos drafted but I like Johnson a little more. I think he’s a future starter and he could replace Kareem Jackson who is aging. Johnson has all around skills and while he needs to work on his tackling efficiency, he gets the job done when he’s there. He also can cover and in today’s NFL, every safety has to cover.
Sleepers: LB Baron Browning, OLB Jonathan Cooper
I really hate putting two Buckeyes here but these are two good picks. The Broncos have contract decisions to make on both Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell over the next couple of seasons and Browning is a guy who could develop into a replacement for one of them. Cooper is a pure pass rush specialist for now but with Von Miller aging the team might need someone to give them some important snaps soon. Cooper isn’t flashy but he’s effective.
Overall Analysis
I don’t know if I’ve seen a secondary overhaul quite like the one happening in Denver. The team signed two veteran free agent CBs and then drafted Patrick Surtain II in round one and took another CB later, Kary Vincent Jr. Vincent Jr. has a chance to stick as a nickel guy if they just want to clear the decks. They also drafted two new safeties. I love the Jamar Johnson pick; he’s underrated. They also took Texas S Caden Sterns a dozen picks before Johnson. Sterns is a deep safety but he’s not as good all-around as Johnson. Williams is one of my favorite picks in this draft and he’s going to be a monster in the Denver running game. C/G Quinn Meinerz is a great story, google him, you’ll love it. He’s going to have to sit for now because he’s strictly and interior offensive line guy and the Broncos seem content there unless they don’t like Graham Glasgow any more. He’s a nice backup to have at center or guard. Browning, Sterns and Johnson could all grow into starters at some point in the future. WR Seth Williams is going to find it hard to crack the WR corps in Denver, they are at least five deep. Vincent and Cooper could fill specific roles early. I would say DL Marquiss Spencer won’t make the roster but the Broncos have a bunch of late-round and non-descript guys up front so who knows, maybe someday he’s one of them. He probably makes the practice squad for now.
Kansas City Chiefs
(58) Nick Bolton LB Missouri
(63) Creed Humphrey C Oklahoma
(144) Joshua Kaindoh DE Florida St
(162) Noah Gray TE Duke
(181) Cornell Powell WR Clemson
(226) Trey Smith OL Tennessee
Immediate Impact: Orlando Brown Jr.
This is a team that has gone to two straight Super Bowls, it’s hard for a rookie to come in and have an impact. That’s why the Chiefs traded their 1st round pick to Baltimore to fill their biggest need at LT. Orlando Brown Jr. stepped in at LT for Ravens last year and wanted to stay there but Ronnie Stanley is coming back. The solution was to send Brown out in a trade and now he gets to play LT for the Chiefs, and they desperately needed him.
Best Value: OC Creed Humphrey
I might like Humphrey better than most but I think he’s a long-term starting center in the NFL and the Chiefs got him late in round two. That’s excellent value even if he isn’t an immediate starter (they brought in plenty of veterans on the interior of the line).
Sleeper: OL Trey Smith
The Chiefs overhauled their offensive line with LT Orlando Brown Jr, LG Joe Thuney, and C Austin Blythe all coming in and with RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif returning from his opt out. Even though Trey Smith was a sixth-round pick don’t count him out from becoming a staring RG in the future. He overcame blood clots in his lungs in college only to return and be pretty good on a really crappy Tennessee team. He could have called it quits; he could have transferred to somewhere that had a better football team but he fought through it all. If I’m going to bet on a late round guy to make it, I’m betting on Trey Smith.
Overall Analysis
The Orlando Brown trade is the biggest piece of this draft for this year. However, LB Nick Bolton, C Creed Humphrey and potentially Trey Smith and Cornell Powell could find roles on this team in the not to distant future. Bolton is an undersized inside LB but he’s smart and he knows how to play the position. He will likely push Anthony Hitchens off the roster next year. Creed Humphrey is the future starting center and while the Chiefs signed free agent Austin Blythe to fill that role, he’s only on a one-year deal. The job might go to Humphrey this year but even if it doesn’t, I can’t see the Chiefs spending money to bring Blythe back next year with Humphrey on the roster. DE Joshua Kaindoh was underwhelming at Florida St, just like everyone else at Florida St, I expect the same from him in Kansas City. The Chiefs have a lot of bodies at TE behind Travis Kelce, Noah Gray will fit right in. Cornell Powell took five years to find his stride at Clemson and then had a good last year. He fits the profile of Demarcus Robinson or former Chief Sammy Watkins and if he gets a chance, Patrick Mahomes can make him look good. If you want to bet against Trey Smith, go ahead, I won’t be joining you.
Las Vegas Raiders
(17) Alex Leatherwood OL Alabama
(43) Trevon Moehrig S TCU
(79) Malcolm Koonce DE Buffalo
(80) Divine Deablo S Virginia Tech
(143) Tyree Gillespie S Missouri
(167) Nate Hobbs CB Illinois
(230) Jimmy Morrissey OL Pittsburgh
Immediate Impact: OT Alex Leatherwood, S Trevon Moehrig
The Raiders offensive line has undergone a massive change and while I vehemently disagree with the Raiders taking Leatherwood in the first round, he will absolutely start at RT. He will have an impact; they just have to hope it’s a positive one. The Raiders have some obsession with getting safeties that can’t cover so the Moehrig pick was a big change. He should start at FS because they really don’t have a safety that can cover the deep middle, except Moehrig. He’s a damn good player and they need his skill set.
Best Value: S Trevon Moehrig
He was a first round talent and they got him in round two. He’s a starter and a huge upgrade, that’s great value at #43 overall.
Sleeper: S/LB Divine Deablo
I’m listing Deablo as a S/LB because he played safety in college but I think they move him to LB and play him there exclusively. He is 6’3 226 lbs. and he could easily move. They drafted three safeties counting Deablo and two of them aren’t good in deep coverage including Deablo. I think he’s a better matchup as a LB covering TEs and RBs than trying to cover slot receivers.
Overall Analysis
This was a weird draft. Alex Leatherwood was drafted too high at 17 but then they got Moehrig at 43, flip those two around and it makes far more sense. They drafted an offensive lineman first and last, sandwiched around five defensive players. Leatherwood is a bit limited as a player and there were better offensive linemen on the board at that spot. Their secondary needed a ton of help but they need help in coverage and only Moehrig helps there. Adding two more safeties who are essentially just like Jonathan Abram doesn’t seem all that helpful. They should have gotten another coverage safety and just moved Abram to LB. Nate Hobbs is also not the help they need at CB, he’s not really better than what they already have. I suppose DE Malcolm Koonce could help as a pass rusher but they just signed Yannick Ngakoue to a two-year deal and Koonce is essentially a carbon copy. When your defense is bad, I’m not sure drafting guys who are exactly like the guys you already have is a great way to get better. Ngakoue is new and he should help the pass rush but since you just signed an undersized DE maybe you don’t need to draft one too. Getting a DE to replace Clelin Ferrell would be nice but with Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby around you need a big DE, not a small one.
Los Angeles Chargers
(13) Rashawn Slater OT Northwestern
(47) Asante Samuel Jr. CB Florida St
(77) Josh Palmer WR Tennessee
(97) Tre’ McKitty TE Georgia
(118) Chris Rumph II OLB Duke
(159) Brendan Jaimes OL Nebraska
(185) Nick Niemann LB Iowa
(198) Larry Roundtree III RB Missouri
(241) Mark Webb S Georgia
Immediate Impact: OT Rashawn Slater, CB Asante Samuel Jr.
Slater was an absolute gift at pick 13. The Chargers just stayed put and a starting LT fell into their laps. They had one major hole left on the offensive line and Slater fills it quite well. I wasn’t his biggest fan but as the 13 pick and playing in the Chargers offense, he should be just fine at LT. Samuel is a personal favorite of mine. Some guys are just born to be great cover guys and Samuel is that guy. He isn’t the biggest or the fastest CB but good luck getting away from him. He starts day one.
Best Value: Slater and Samuel
Strange to say it but Slater at 13 and Samuel at 47 were great value. Two rounds and two starters at two of the toughest positions to fill in the game.
Sleeper: WR Josh Palmer
Palmer probably went a round sooner than I would have thought but the kid has talent. He played at Tennessee and to say the Vols had a some rough QB play over the last several years is a major understatement. Palmer has a great size/speed combo and the Chargers have virtually nothing at WR outside of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Palmer is going to play…a lot.
Overall Analysis
One of the better drafts overall, probably top 3. Slater and Samuel start now and Palmer can be WR3 pretty quickly. Also, the Chargers are going to have to make a long-term decision on Mike Williams soon and if Palmer plays well, they might decide not to spent the money to keep Williams. Tre’ McKitty didn’t catch a lot of passes in college but he can block. The team doesn’t have much outside of Jared Cook at TE and he doesn’t really do the blocking thing. I considered Chris Rumph II as my sleeper because the team lost Melvin Ingram as a pass rusher and they are counting on Uchenna Nwosu to pick up the slack. Rumph may be called on to help him out, he has lots of natural pass rushing moves. He needs to get bigger but he can be a designated pass rusher. OL Brendan Jaimes can go on the same workout routine as Rumph because he needs to get bigger and stronger too. He has some skill but he’s a bit light at this point. I love the Niemann pick and not just because he’s a Hawkeye. The Chargers have Kenneth Murray at one ILB spot but for now they have either Kyzir White or Drue Tranquill for the other spot and both guys are coming off injuries. Niemann is cross trained to play pretty much any LB spot you need him to play. He was always the jack-of-all trades guy at Iowa. He didn’t always flash because he was too busy being dependable. Larry Roundtree is a nice RB but the Chargers have Austin Ekeler, Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley, good luck breaking into that group. Mark Webb looks like the guy you want getting off the bus first, he’s ripped. Unfortunately, he isn’t the guy you want on the field first. Special teamer if he’s lucky.
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