So now let’s flip the coin to the AFC West, and within this division we have cash buyers, so to speak. This group of 4 holds a cumulative total of 34 Picks in this year’s Draft. No big dippers here, so to speak, but everyone has been judicious in their handling of Draft Picks, and now comes the payoff, they hope…
BRONCOS
Round 1, pick 9 PATRICK SURTAIN CB Alabama
Round 2, Pick 40 TEVIN JENKINS OT Oklahoma State
Round, 3, Pick 71 RICHIE GRANT S UCF
Round 4, Pick 114 DAVIS MILLS QB Stanford
Round 5, Pick 152 BOBBY BROWN DT Texas A&M
Round 6, Pick. 191 DAVID MOORE OG Grambling
Round 7, Pick 237 BUDDY JOHNSON IB Texas A&M
Round 7, Pick 239 RACHAD WILDGOOSE CB Wisconsin
Round 7, Pick 253 KHYIRIS TONGA DT BYU
John Elway is still the top dog in Denver, but the guy supervising this Draft is new GM George Paton. This Broncos roster needs some major adjustments, so I don’t see them pulling the plug on DREW LOCK, unless one of the Top QB’s fall to their Pick at 9. However, notice the Pick to start Day 3. The secondary, featuring a big Help Wanted sign on the current depth chart, gets the immediate help of SURTAIN, from the Saban factory. Gotta be an instant group upgrade. But they go back to the well for S/GRANT and CB/WILDGOOSE. TEVIN JENKINS will allow them to sort through the returning OL group and move some chess pieces, because JENKINS will be expected to start at one Tackle spot. Grambling road grader DAVID MOORE in Round 6 will be a longer term project, but a talent upgrade as well. DAVIS MILLS is a solid choice, at a bargain price, of another young QB in case LOCK fails to progress. BROWN and TONGA are two very large slabs of human flesh, to boost a thin DL group.
CHARGERS
Round 1, Pick 13 RASHAWN SLATER OL Northwestern
Round 2, Pick 47 ERIC STOKES CB Georgia
Round 3, Pick 77 DYAMI BROWN WR UNC
Round 4, Pick 97 MARVIN WILSON DT Florida State
Round 5, Pick 159 ROBERT HAINSEY OG/C Notre Dame
Round 6, Pick 185 ELIJAH MITCHELL RB LA/LAFAYETTE
Round 6, Pick 198 COLE VAN LANEN OT Wisconsin
Round 7, Pick 241 WYATT HUBERT DE/ER Kansas State
A bit of selective help for the Defense in STOKES, WILSON & HUBERT, but the main focus was surrounding JUSTIN HERBERT with more weapons, and especially more protection. SLATER will be expected to start, hopefully on the outside. HAINSEY gets a shot on the Interior, and his versatility should, at the very least, provide depth on the entire IOL. BROWN is a quicker than fast weapon to go with their returning vets. MITCHELL is a sleeper of sorts, who shared the load with RAGAS last season, then blazed a 4.38/40 at his Pro Day.
RAIDERS
Round 1, Pick 17 ELIJAH VERA-TUCKER OG Southern Cal
Round 2, Pick 48 JEVON HOLLAND S Oregon
Round 3, Pick 79 DYLAN MOSES LB Alabama
Round 3, Pick 80 SPENCER BROWN OT N. Iowa
Round 4, Pick 121 KELLEN MOND QB Texas A&M
Round 5, Pick 162 TONY POLJAN TE Virginia
Round 5, Pick 167 BENJAMIN ST-JUSTE DB/ST Minnesota
Round 6, Pick 200 WILLIAM BRADLEY-KING ER/DE Baylor
Their OL is in major rebuild and VERA-TUCKER & BROWN could both start in the near future. GM MAYOCK got Gruden his QB toy with KELLEN MOND, who should be a real challenge for Chucky. When he’s good, he’s really good, but when he is off, it gets ugly. Several DB’s should give you a clue that OL is not their only high emphasis rebuild position group. HOLLAND is felt by many to be the best S in this Draft. ST-JUSTE should immediately boost Special Teams play, while coaches try to locate their best role in the secondary. MOSES was a star LB for the Tide before injuries cut him down in 2019. He looked good at times in 2020, so the hope is he’s back 100% for 2021 as a pro.
CHIEFS
Round 1, Pick 31 SAM COSMI OT Texas
Round 2, Pick 63 BREVIN JORDAN TE Miami (F)
Round 3, Pick 94 NICO COLLINS WR Michigan
Round 4, Pick 136 CAMRYN BYNUM CB Cal
Round 4, Pick 144 DERRICK BARNES IB Purdue
Round 5, Pick 175 ADRIAN EALY OT Oklahoma
Round 5, Pick 181 ADE OGUNDEJI DE/ER Notre Dame
Round 6, Pick 207 IAN BOOK QB Notre Dame
The days of the championship team not needing any help are long gone in this league. After cutting both of their vet OT’s for Cap and durability issues, the team set out to patch things up. They plugged inside with VFA, but used this Draft to find two eventual starters in COSMI (sooner) and EALY (later). KELCE may be elite, but he ain’t getting any younger. JORDAN could be another killer weapon for Mr. Mahomes. NICO COLLINS gives Mahomes a large target to look for to supplement the speedsters like TYREEK and HARDMAN. BARNES had a stellar career in relative obscurity in West Lafayette, IN. BYNUM will shine on Special Teams and as a hard hitter in their secondary.
I don’t see any major flaws in the 4 team’s Drafts in this Division. I like 3 of the 4 teams looking for a young developmental/back-up QB on Day Three of the Draft. IMO, nice balance here between need and best available in general. This division lands 7 of my Top 50 prospects.
Pigskin
Up next the NFC East!
