Another year, another draft is finally in the books. Last year’s class proved to yield several emerging stars in the AFC West, such as Brock Bowers, Joe Alt, and Bo Nix. It begs the question: can this division pull off another great draft? We’ll go team by team and assess how each did. Keep in mind that when discussing value, I am mostly referencing my notes and rankings. Let’s get into the grades!
AFC West: How did the Raiders do?
Las Vegas Raiders
Pick No. 6: Ashton Jeanty, Running Back, Boise State
Pick No. 58: Jack Bech, Wide Receiver, TCU
Pick No. 68: Darien Porter, Cornerback, Iowa State
Pick No. 98: Caleb Rogers, Offensive Lineman, Texas Tech
Pick No. 99: Charles Grant, Offensive Tackle, William & Mary
Pick No. 108: Dont’e Thornton Jr., Wide Receiver, Tennessee
Pick No. 135: Tonka Hemingway, Defensive Tackle, South Carolina
Pick No. 180: J.J. Pegues, Defensive Tackle, Ole Miss
Pick No. 213: Tommy Mellott, Quarterback, Montana State
Pick No. 215: Cam Miller, Quarterback, North Dakota State
Pick No. 222: Cody Lindenberg, Linebacker, Minnesota
Grade: B-
The Raiders had an interesting draft. Day 1 was pretty straightforward. Given what we know now about Shedeur Sanders and Will Johnson, Jeanty was the obvious pick. While the value may not be ideal, he was by far the best option for the Raiders at that spot, and he is going to be a good player at a position where Las Vegas was in dire need of talent. On the second day, the Raiders really turned some heads by doubling their number of picks for that day.
However, they did not get outstanding value. While Bech and Porter should be solid contributors at positions of need, both picks felt like reaches, especially with seemingly better options on the board, such as Elic Ayomanor and Shavon Revel Jr., respectively. To make matters worse, Las Vegas used their other two picks on offensive linemen that are unlikely to be starters this upcoming season.
Day 3 is where things get really weird. The Raiders doubled up at both defensive tackle and quarterback, but one of those defensive tackles can also play fullback/wildcat quarterback and one of those quarterbacks is actually converting to wide receiver/kick returner? The one really interesting prospect is Thorton. He has all the traits of a potential late-round steal.
Overall, the Raiders made many solid moves, but the value simply is not there. Their decision-making in this draft was what you would expect from a playoff team that lacks major holes in its roster, not one that went 4-12.
Denver Broncos
Pick No. 20: Jahdae Barron, Cornerback, Texas
Pick No. 60: RJ Harvey, Running Back, UCF
Pick No. 74: Pat Bryant, Wide Receiver, Illinois
Pick No. 101: Sai’vion Jones, EDGE, LSU
Pick No. 134: Que Robinson, EDGE, Alabama
Pick No. 216: Jeremy Crenshaw, Punter, Florida
Pick No. 241: Caleb Lohner, Tight End, Utah
Grade: C-
What were the Broncos thinking? Sure, the Barron pick is great. It is shocking that he fell that far. However, the decision-making on Day 2 was quite troublesome. Taking Harvey at 60th overall is bananas. He is 24 and may never be a true three-down back at the next level. To be clear, he is not a terrible player; he just went about 100 picks too early. Bryant, their third-round pick, possesses the same qualities.
The picks for Day 3 were just okay. They are unlikely to have discovered any exceptional players. Additionally, considering that the team really needs a tight end, one would have expected them to find someone better than Lohner in what was a very strong class for that position.
Ultimately, it is challenging to discern how Denver emerges from this draft as a significantly superior team.
AFC West: The Chargers are trending upward
Los Angeles Chargers
Pick No. 22: Omarion Hampton, Running Back, North Carolina
Pick No. 55: Tre Harris, Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
Pick No. 86: Jamaree Caldwell, Defensive Tackle, Oregon
Pick No. 125: Kyle Kennard, EDGE, South Carolina
Pick No. 158: KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Wide Receiver, Auburn
Pick No. 165: Oronde Gadsden II, Tight End, Syracuse
Pick No. 199: Branson Taylor, Offensive Lineman, Pittsburgh
Pick No. 214: RJ Mickens, Safety, Clemson
Pick No. 256: Trikweze Bridges, Defensive Back, Florida
Grade: B+
There is a lot to like about the Chargers’ draft. Hampton is the best back in this class not named Ashton Jeanty and he is a great fit for the Chargers. Speaking of excellent fits, Tre Harris is the perfect complementary piece to Ladd McConkey at wide receiver. On the defensive side of the ball, Caldwell and Kennard both have the potential to start right away.
One minor issue with this class is the value on a couple of players like Hampton and Caldwell. However, there’s merit in selecting your preferred player, and neither pick exceeded a 20-pick range. One thing that didn’t make sense on Day 3 was the Gadsden pick. It was surprising that they waited so long to take a tight end, given their need for one. To make matters worse, the tight end they chose is not really a tight end.
Looking at the class as a whole, there is not much to complain about. That being said, this is a good draft, but not a great one.
AFC West: Still the cream of the crop?
Kansas City Chiefs
Pick No. 32: Josh Simmons, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State
Pick No. 65: Omar Norman-Lott, Defensive Tackle, Tennessee
Pick No. 66: Ashton Gillotte, EDGE, Louisville
Pick No. 85: Nohl Williams, Cornerback, California
Pick No. 133: Jalen Royals, Wide Receiver, Utah State
Pick No. 156: Jeffrey Bassa, Linebacker, Oregon
Pick No. 228: Brashard Smith, Running Back, SMU
Grade: C+
This is a challenging class to evaluate. On paper, the Chiefs filled their biggest needs with guys that have the potential to become solid starters in the NFL. However, a closer look leaves a lot of room for concern. Both Simmons and Norman-Lott have significant injury concerns on top of a lack of versatility on the offensive and defensive lines, respectively. Kansas City’s other two Day 2 picks, Ashton Gillotte and Nohl Williams, feel like massive reaches.
The Chiefs actually had a solid Day 3. Royals, Bassa, and Smith should all be able to contribute early on in at least some capacity. Royals especially seems like one of those receivers that will thrive in Andy Reid’s offense.
Initially, it does not seem like a favorable draft for the three-time defending AFC champs. However, it usually works out for them in the AFC West, so who knows?
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