Draft grades and reaction: AFC West

The home of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the AFC West looks loaded heading into the 2023 season. Have the Chiefs been able to reload to go again? Did the Chargers upgrade Justin Herbert’s supporting cast enough? Have the Raiders and Broncos improved enough to be contenders? Let’s take a look.

The Broncos would have had two first-round picks but traded one for Russel Wilson last year and the other to acquire head coach Sean Payton this offseason. Wilson looked a shell of his former self last season so they need him to turn it around, but Payton is one of the better coaches out there so could be good value.

Marvin Mims in the second round is a nice addition to an offense that isn’t loaded with talent, but it was the third-round selection of Drew Sanders which made you sit up and take notice. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will enjoy coaching the versatile linebacker. Drew Moss out of Iowa could add solid depth in the defensive secondary.

The Broncos lacked picks in the later rounds but were able to add some depth at safety with JL Skinner and along the offensive line with Alex Forsyth. Both could be useful additions, but as with all late-round picks, there is nothing guaranteed.

The Broncos expect a rebound in 2023 and if they don’t their lack of draft capital is starting to look awfully costly. Some good selections on day two really bolstered this draft but overall it was hampered by no first-round pick.

The Chiefs selected Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the number 31 pick, a pass rusher with good size coming out of Kansas State. He will be asked to replace Frank Clark on the edge and is a fairly good facsimile for Clark’s profile. Given some other options on the board, however, maybe they could’ve gone elsewhere.

The Chiefs selected wide receiver Rashee Rice out of SMU in the second round and tackle Wanya Morris in the third. Both picks look to be slight reaches but add depth in areas where they don’t have much. When you have Patrick Mahomes you have a little more breathing room as well.

With four picks in the later rounds, the Chiefs added depth at edge, corner and defensive tackle. All solid enough selections, but there is some buzz around Chamarri Conner out of Virginia Tech. The Chiefs won the Super Bowl with a near all-rookie secondary, so they clearly know what they’re doing.

When you have Mahomes at QB it is easy to deprioritize the wide receiver position and to focus on keeping the defense at a good enough level to compete year in and year out. That is what the Chiefs did here and it certainly looks as though they are ready for another title push.

The Raiders stuck at seven and selected the consensus second-best edge rusher in the class, Tyree Wilson. Wilson looks every bit the pass rusher with a great frame and athletic profile. He will be bookending the defensive line across from Maxx Crosby which also helps.

Making the bold call to trade up for Michael Mayer from Notre Dame was a smart play and offers new QB Jimmy Garoppolo a nice target underneath. The third-round selection of Byron Young possibly came a little earlier than expected.

With seven picks in the later rounds, the Raiders did well to pick up some positions of need, but having reached with their third-rounder, they possibly did so again in the fourth by taking wideout Tre Tucker. Elsewhere they selected depth defensive backs and took a swing on a QB.

If Tyree Wilson lives up to his pre-draft hype, which saw him sneak ahead of Will Anderson as the best pass rusher in the draft in some people’s eyes, the Raiders have had a very solid draft. Upgrading the pass rush and adding a good receiving tight end is a solid outcome.

Everyone knew the Chargers needed to select a wide receiver at the top of the draft, and they did, but they haven’t changed the profile of the offense much. By taking Quentin Johnson at 21, they are still lacking serious speed and have essentially drafted a Mike Williams clone, whilst still having Mike Williams.

The Chargers used their two-day two picks to select linebackers Tuli Tuipulotu and Daiyan Henley. Tuipulotu looks to offer the Chargers some extra pass rush but could well spend some time inside as well. Henley is a conventional inside linebacker but could develop nicely.

The Chargers finally added some speed to their offense in the fourth round, taking Johnson’s teammate from TCU, Derius Davis. Despite standing 5’8” and 165 lbs, Davis has some real juice and his 4.36 speed could immediately help. Some depth at the offensive and defensive lines as well as Davis and Johnson’s college QB Max Duggan rounded things out.

There was an opportunity for the Chargers to shift the paradigm of their offense but they chose not to by taking a player with such a similar profile to one they already have. They still look to be a very good side moving forward, but perhaps missed an opportunity here.