1st Round Draft Targets for the AFC West
Photo Credit: Tony Walsh, University of Georgia Athletics
As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to hit the road for their 6th straight AFC Championship game this weekend against the Baltimore Ravens, their division counterparts are looking ahead towards the NFL draft. The Los Angeles Chargers are first up in the division with the 5th pick, then the Denver Broncos with the 12th, and the Las Vegas Raiders own the 13th.
Those teams need to make the right move early in the first round to give themselves a chance at dethroning the Chiefs, who won their 8th-straight AFC West title this season. The Broncos haven’t won the division since 2015, the Chargers since 2009, and the Raiders since 2002. Here’s the top options for each team.
Los Angeles Chargers: 5th Overall Pick
For the Chargers, the answer is obvious. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers should be available here assuming the first three picks are the three quarterbacks and Arizona takes Marvin Harrison Jr. at four. Bowers is one of the most dynamic prospects at tight end in recent memory and will instantly boost Justin Herbert’s offense.
Bowers, a unanimous first team All-American, finished the 2023 season with 56 receptions for 714 yards and six touchdowns, adding a seventh on the ground. Bowers also won the John Mackey award in 2022 and 2023, awarded to the nation’s best tight end every year.
Other options for Los Angeles include the two wide receivers, Washington’s Rome Odunze and LSU’s Malik Nabers, and the two edge rushers, Alabama’s Dallas Turner and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu. All four of these names are special talents, and would fill holes on LA’s roster, but it would be a bit of a head-scratcher if Bowers isn’t the pick here.
Denver Broncos: 12th Overall Pick
Broncos country is hoping that General Manager George Paton doesn’t have another poor draft like he did last season. Paton finally has a first-round pick to work with for the first time since they took Patrick Surtain II in 2021 with the 9th overall pick. The Broncos need an edge rusher and a cornerback at this pick.
The best options here are the two edge rushers mentioned above, but they will probably be gone, so Denver needs to look at either Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse or the cornerback position. Verse had 23 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and nine sacks last season as the leader of the Seminole’s defense.
The two cornerback options here are Clemson’s Nate Wiggins and Alabama’s Terrion Arnold. Wiggins had two interceptions, eight pass break-ups (PBU), 29 tackles, and one touchdown in 2023, while Arnold had five interceptions, 12 PBU’s, and 63 tackles. Arnold’s stats look better on paper, but both pass the eye-test, are outstanding players, and would fit great with Denver.
Las Vegas Raiders: 13th Overall Pick
The Raiders nailed their head coaching hire last week, officially making Antonio Pierce the team’s newest head coach after he finished the 2023 season as the interim head coach. Now, the Raiders front office needs to focus on the 13th pick to bolster this roster that had many glaring issues. Biggest needs for Las Vegas are on the line on both sides of the ball and a running back.
Expect the top two tackles to be off the board here, Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, but the next two options are still great. Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga and Alabama’s JC Latham should both be there for the taking. Fuaga had the 4th-best PFF grade for tackles in all of college football this season, and Latham was 14th-best. They are both 6-foot-6 and 335 pounds, and both play right tackle, so it’s going to come down to who’s tape the Raiders prefer. Both are phenomenal options.
Kansas City Chiefs: 29th-32nd Overall Pick
Kansas City is far from focusing on the draft, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have glaring needs. A wide receiver is the top need for Kansas City here, with defensive tackle being second. Names to watch include Kris Jenkins, who was the heart of Michigan’s championship defense, Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman, and Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin.
Franklin’s elite ability to gain extra yardage after the catch with his speed would fit perfectly in Andy Reid’s offense and is very crafty with his routes and releases off the line of scrimmage. He would be a great weapon for Patrick Mahomes if he can hold onto the ball.
The draft landscape will become clearer as April draws near. For now, the three AFC West teams who are striving to improve have obvious needs, and there is plenty of talent in the first round of this draft to fulfil those needs.
