Denver Broncos
(63) Marvin Mims WR Oklahoma
(67) Drew Sanders LB Arkansas
(83) Riley Moss CB Iowa
(183) JL Skinner S Boise St.
(257) Alex Forsyth C Oregon
Immediate Impact: LB Drew Sanders, CB Riley Moss
The Broncos lost Dre’Mont Jones in free agency, the next time Randy Gregory plays every game in a season will be the first time Randy Gregory plays every game in a season, and Baron Browning isn’t a pass rusher. Vance Joseph needs pass rushers for his defense. Drew Sanders played inside LB at Arkansas, the Broncos have inside LBs. Sanders was a rush end at Alabama before transferring to Arkansas, Vance Joseph isn’t going to sit Sanders behind Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton when he needs pass rushers, Sanders is going to be a pass rusher here. The CB spot behind Pat Surtain II isn’t great on the outside. Riley Moss just keeps proving everyone who doubts him wrong, he could win the starting outside CB job opposite Surtain. It will be trial by fire because no one throws Surtain’s way, especially if there’s a white rookie CB on the other side (yep, I said it, everyone is thinking it so I said it). Moss won’t back down from the challenge.
Best Value: C Alex Forsyth
Lloyd Cushenberry III has been the starting center in Denver for a few years now, no one knows why except no one has beaten him out for the job. Here comes his best competition. Forsyth is a power blocking center who can open holes in the run game and Sean Payton is going to lean on his run game, not on Russell Wilson. Forsyth is coming for the starting job.
Sleeper: S JL Skinner
The Broncos have Justin Simmons at FS but for now Caden Sterns is the SS and he’s coming off an injury. JL Skinner was injured during the pre-draft process and didn’t fully work out but he’s a huge safety at 6’4 220 lbs. and could be a nice duo with Simmons.
Overall Analysis
The Broncos didn’t have a lot of draft picks after the Russell Wilson trade and they used some more capital to move up to get WR Marvin Mims. I almost listed Mims as an immediate impact guy but that only happens if they trade or bench Jerry Jeudy. Clearly, Sean Payton saw something he likes in Mims and he is a very good player but it’s a crowded spot right now. If Jeudy is moved, Mims numbers could skyrocket. He’s the smaller, speedy complement to Courtland Sutton that Jeudy just hasn’t been.
Sanders was a massive steal in round three if Vance Joseph uses his pass rushing skills to his advantage. Riley Moss has been underestimated plenty of times throughout his football career but he’s a very good player who loves to compete. If Skinner gets healthy, he can help this secondary and I don’t think it’s a coincidence Payton drafted a power blocking center. This is a small draft class with only five picks but I think all five could be meaningful players this year.
Kansas City Chiefs
(31) Felix Anudike-Uzomah Edge Kansas City
(55) Rashee Rice WR SMU
(92) Wanya Morris OT Oklahoma
(119) Chamarri Conner S Virginia Tech
(166) BJ Thompson DE Stephen F. Austin
(194) Keondre Coburn DT Texas
(250) Nic Jones CB Ball St.
Immediate Impact: DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah
When you’re the Super Bowl champs it’s hard for a rookie to have a big impact unless you have some injuries like KC had last year that let some rookies start in the secondary. However, this year the Chiefs are looking to replace Frank Clark at DE and while Charles Omenihu is a solid veteran, he doesn’t really get to the QB. Anudike-Uzomah isn’t built to be a full-time DE but he’s going to be a really good designated pass rusher. He gives them some juice off the edge opposite George Karlaftis who is more of a power player.
Best Value: None
I really think Anudike-Uzomah went a little early, not much but a little. Rice was higher than I liked him but at best he was right there. None of the guys were real value picks.
Sleeper: DT Keondre Coburn
The team lost Khalen Saunders in free agency leaving Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi pretty lonely in the middle of the defensive line. They signed Danny Shelton but he’s on his fourth team in four years and he’s about to turn 30, does he have much left? Coburn is a mammoth dude at 6’2 344 lbs. and he has a little pass rush to his game. He won’t wow anyone but he can be steady and give them some good snaps inside. If they decide not to pay Derrick Nnadi next year, Coburn could be the guy they move up next to Chris Jones.
Overall Analysis
Super Bowl champions can do a couple of things in the draft, replace free agents who got too expensive to keep, and draft for depth. Anudike-Uzomah replaces Frank Clark, Rashee Rice replaces JuJu Smith-Schuster, the rest are depth. OT Wanya Morris was an interesting pick. He’s almost like the team is trying the Lucas Niang thing again. I’m not a big Morris fan but he does have some flexibility and Andy Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck are great line coaches. However, they have never been able to get Lucas Niang to fully develop. He’s had injuries that have slowed him down but Morris had a pre-draft injury issue, it’s feeling eerily similar.
Chamarri Conner and Nic Jones are third day defensive backs and while I don’t know a ton about them, I will say, after last year with Bryan Cook and Jaylen Watson, I’m not doubting Chiefs’ secondary draft picks. DE BJ Thompson is a small school pass rusher who they hope gives them a few flash plays a game. Coburn is a guy who they may actually need at DT.
Las Vegas Raiders
(7) Tyree Wilson DE Texas Tech
(35) Michael Mayer TE Notre Dame
(70) Byron Young DT Alabama
(100) Tre Tucker WR Cincinnati
(104) Jakorian Bennett CB Maryland
(135) Aidan O’Connell QB Purdue
(170) Christopher Smith S Georgia
(203) Amari Burney LB Florida
(231) Nesta Jade Silvera DT Arizona St.
Immediate Impact: DE Tyree Wilson, TE Michael Mayer
Chandler Jones had a tough season and he’s 33 this year, Wilson might not start but he’ll play snaps like a starter and he’ll be way better than Jones was last year (and I’m not even a huge Wilson fan). Mayer’s fall into round two was inexplicable and the while TE wasn’t a huge need, when one this good falls to you, you take him. Mayer will play more and be better than Austin Hooper and OJ Howard combined.
Best Value: TE Michael Mayer
They basically drafted Jason Witten in round two of a very weak draft. That’s elite value.
Sleeper: CB Jakorian Bennett
The Raiders depth chart at CB is Nate Hobbs, Duke Shelley, David Long Jr, and Brandon Facyson, Bennett could be better than all those guys. He has inside/outside versatility and will probably play outside because he’s better at that than all those guys. He will end up starting games for the Raiders this year, that’s a low bar but that’s good for a rookie.
Overall Analysis
As I looked over this draft I thought, solid job, except where are the offensive linemen? Not a single one drafted, that’s malpractice. Tyree Wilson and Michael Mayer were a great start, it gets pretty rough after that. DT Byron Young fills a need but they reached for him instead of getting a better CB or an offensive lineman. Then they drafted Tre Turner, a solid slot receiver but this team has Davante Adams, who likes to play out of the slot, Jakobi Meyers, best out of the slot, Hunter Renfrow, can only play out of the slot, and they signed Deandre Carter in free agency, another slot. Should probably have taken an offensive lineman there.
Jakorian Bennett was a solid choice but you could have taken a CB earlier and gotten a better player. They got in on the QB run that was happening way too early and they took Aidan O’Connell, a 25-year-old statue out of Purdue. They must have wanted to make Jimmy G and Brian Hoyer feel like mobile QBs. Christopher Smith was a solid round five pick at safety, a position that needed some depth, and Smith is a playmaker. LB Amari Burney is probably a special team’s guy at best and Nesta Jade Silvera is fighting an uphill battle to make the roster.
Los Angeles Chargers
(21) Quentin Johnston WR TCU
(54) Tuli Tuipulotu Edge USC
(85) Daiyan Henley LB Washington St.
(125) Derius Davis WR TCU
(156) Jordan McFadden OL Clemson
(200) Scott Matlock DL Boise St
(239) Max Duggan QB TCU
Immediate Impact: WR Quentin Johnston
The Chargers are in pretty good shape overall but they need a deep threat WR. Johnston isn’t a classic deep, over-the-top type of player, but he is a weapon and he will take coverage away from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. He’s a yards-after-the-catch monster and that can be useful.
Best Value: Edge Tuli Tuipulotu
The Chargers have two elite edge rushers in Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack but when those guys come off the field, they struggle to get pressure on the QB. Tuipulotu was a highly productive pass rusher at USC and he has plenty of pass rushing moves and still room to get better. Getting a productive pass rusher late in round two is very valuable.
Sleeper: WR Derius Davis
It’s a little weird that the Chargers took two WRs from TCU (and their QB) but Davis brings a different dimension to their WR corps. He’s the fast, little guy while Allen, Williams, and Johnston are the big-bodied type. Keenan Allen is a big slot receiver, Davis can be the quick jitterbug type inside. He could be a gadget guy for sure and maybe even take some pressure off of Austin Ekeler catching short screens and dump offs. It’s nice to have options for Justin Herbert.
Overall Analysis
This was a pretty solid draft class and even with a good roster in front of them I can see some of these players making a difference. I have questions about Quentin Johnston but I’m interested to see what Kellen Moore draws up with him in the fold at WR. He’s also a nice hedge against Allen’s age and Williams’ injury history. Davis also helps the WR corps quite a bit. Tuipulotu also gives them depth at a position where age and injury have struck before and now, they can hope some rotational help keeps Bosa and Mack on the field.
LB Daiyan Henley gives them another dimension at LB too. He’s a smaller player who can run and cover and has speed. He’s what Kenneth Murray is supposed to be. OL Jordan McFadden gives them depth on the interior after losing Matt Feiler and DL Scott Matlock gives them some depth on the front line. Maybe he can stop the run, the rest of the d-line struggles with that. QB Max Duggan is an interesting player. He’s had his ups and downs in his college career but he went out with a bang, getting TCU to the National Championship (we’ll forget they got destroyed by Georgia). Duggan doesn’t have an NFL arm and while he’s pretty mobile, he doesn’t have great athleticism. That said, every time someone doubts him, he proves them wrong. He didn’t win the starting job at TCU last year to start the year, even after being the incumbent starter. Then his competition got hurt in game one and he led the team to the National Championship game and was the Heisman runner up. He can be a solid backup who could keep the offense running if Herbert gets hurt. If I were Easton Stick, I’d be looking over my shoulder.
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