2024 NFL Draft- AFC West Grades

All 257 picks have been made in the NFL Draft. Who won? Who lost? Draft Nation is here to let you know who stretched too far for a player and who found a diamond in the rough.

Today we review the AFC West:

Denver Broncos

All 257 picks have been made in the NFL Draft. Who won? Who lost? Draft Nation is here to let you know who stretched too far for a player and who found a diamond in the rough.

Round 1 (12) QB- Bo Nix, Oregon

The Denver Broncos took the 6th quarterback of the draft at pick #12. With only Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham on the roster, the Broncos hope they have their future signal caller in Nix. Nix struggled early on in his career playing for Auburn but seemed to find his stride the past 2 seasons in Oregon. Now Denver will find out if his performance in a quick hit offense translates to the NFL.

Round 3 (76) LB- Jonah Elliss, Utah

Besides quarterback, the Broncos biggest need was an edge rusher. They grabbed perhaps a sleeper and a prospect that brings sneaky value by taking Elliss in the 3rd round. He had 13 sacks in only 10 games last season and is one of the best pure pass rushers in the class. And it doesn't hurt that he comes from NFL bloodlines.

Round 4 (102) WR- Troy Franklin, Oregon

Another excellent value pick, Franklin was a 2nd or 3rd round talent on most boards and will get to be reunited with Duck quarterback Bo Nix. Franklin has the tools to be a productive #3 wide receiver in the NFL.

Round 5 (145) CB- Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri

Denver benefits from another prospect sliding down the boards. As a 5th round pick, Abrams-Draine has the ability to start down the road. He will be a quality reserve for Denver if Levi Wallace does not pan out.

Round 5 (147) RB- Audric Estime, Notre Dame

Audric Estime has the ability to be a starting running back in the league. He is built to take the wear and tear and strong enough to break tackles. He lacks breakaway speed and won’t threaten a defense with big plays. For a 5th round pick he has a higher ceiling than most. 

Round 7 (237) WR- Devaughn Vele, Utah

Vele has the ability to become a competent receiver down the road. He may need to show some special teams skills to break camp with the Broncos, but if he makes the roster and learns from the likes of Cam Sutton, he could be a diamond in the rough for Denver.

Round 7 (256) G- Nick Gargiulo, South Carolina

Between Yale and South Carolina, Garguilo has played center, left guard, and left tackle. His versatility could be his best shot of landing a roster spot.

Final Grade (B)

Denver takes a necessary risk on Bo Nix at twelve, but they steal Jonah Elliss, Troy Franklin and Audric Estime one round later than each was projects. Considering they didn't have a second round, the Broncos made up for it but filling in voids and landing value in late day two and early day three. 

Kansas City Chiefs 

Round 1 (28) WR- Xavier Worthy, Texas

The Kansas City Chiefs trade up and select the fastest player in combine history. Worthy, who ran a 4.21 in the 40, gives Patrick Mahomes a bonafide deep threat they haven’t had since Tyreek Hill.

Round 2 (67) T-Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

The Chiefs trade up one spot to select Suamataia and believe he can be their future left tackle. There will be an open competition between Suamataia and last year’s 3rd round pick Wanya Morris. The Super Bowl Champions have improved their offense in each of the first 2 rounds.

Round 4 (131) TE- Jared Wiley, TCU

Kansas City adds to the collection of offensive weapons with the selection of Jared Wiley. Wiley has strong hands and defenses will have to pay attention to him as well when he is lined up in double tight end sets with Travis Kelce.

Round 4 (133) S- Jaden Hicks, Washington State

Jaden Hicks was a standout at the Senior Bowl and adds another young talented defensive back to the Chiefs secondary. He is a playmaker who has good football I.Q. Back to back good picks in round 4 by Kansas City.

Round 5 (159) C- Hunter Nourzad, Penn State

Nourzad has a high floor and projects as an NFL backup and depth piece. A nice fallback in case something happens to Creed Humphrey.

Round 6 (211) DB- Kamal Hadden, Tennessee

Hamden struggles in the run game, and has problems playing physical from time to time. He has enough upside to be a quality depth piece and a player who could become a nickelback over time.

Round 7 (248) OL- C.J. Hanson, Holy Cross

Hanson graded out better as a run blocker than he did as a pass blocker. The rise in level may be tough for Hanson to overcome. A possible practice squad candidate.

Final Grade (A)

The Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions for a reason. They add Xavier Worthy and Jared Wiley to an already explosive offense. They also may have upgraded their left tackle position and got great quality in Jaden Hicks and Kamal Hadden to add to their secondary.

Las Vegas Raiders

Round 1 (13) TE- Brock Bowers, Georgia

With the six quarterbacks already selected, the Raiders go with the best player on the board. Brock Bowers out of Georgia adds a play making dimension to a Raiders offense that needs some flair. Bowers will line up at tight end, x-receiver, h-back and potentially running back on some trick plays. Look out… 

Round 2 (44) G- Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Many had Powers-Johnson as one of the top centers in the draft class. However, Las Vegas had several struggles at the guard position in 2023 and will plug Powers-Johnson into the starting lineup there in 2024. Powers-Johnson could still become a starting center when incumbent Andre James’s contract is up.

Round 3 (77) T- Delmar Glaze, Maryland

The Raiders reached for Glaze here at pick #77. Glaze has struggled at tackle and many see him as a possible interior lineman. 

Round 4 (112) CB- Decamerion Richardson, Mississippi State

Richardson is a 6’2” cornerback who the Raiders may have reached for. He is very good in the run game but has struggles in coverage.

Round 5 (148) LB- Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State

After two consecutive reaches, the Raiders made a good value selection in Tommy Eichenberg. Eichenberg will add depth at the linebacker position and as a reserve he will help Las Vegas improve with his tackling abilities. He has the potential to be a long term starter if he can stay healthy.

Round 6 (208) RB- Dylan Laube, New Hampshire

Las Vegas got a running back who can help as a 3rd down back and could be a weapon on special teams with the new kickoff rules. A quality pick at #208. Laube is a surprising talent that showed what he could do at the NFL Combine.

Round 7 (223) S- Trey Taylor, Air Force

Taylor won the Jim Thorpe Award for the best defensive back in college football in 2023. Taylor struggles in the run game and needs to improve his overall tackling skills. He provides some upside in round 7.

Round 7 (227) CB- M.J. Devonshire, Pitt

Devonshire is a playmaker who seems to make the biggest plays when the spotlight is the greatest. He struggles with mechanics and footwork and bites too easily on fakes. He has an uphill battle to make a roster spot in Las Vegas and will need to impress on special teams to hang around.

Final Grade- ( C )

The Raiders reached for a couple of their mid-round picks and we aren’t sure they are going to be able to get the most out of Brock Bowers in their offense. We like the Powers-Johnson and Eichenberg picks.

Los Angeles Chargers

Round 1 (5) T-Joe Alt, Notre Dame

The Chargers had two big needs: wide receiver and tackle. At #5 they elected to go with arguably the best tackle in the draft. Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater will team up to keep quarterback Justin Herbert upright and don't be surprised to see his numbers improve in 2024.

Round 2 (34) WR- Ladd McConkey, Georgia

The Chargers improved their offensive line in round one and then they traded up a few spots to get Justin Herbert a weapon in Ladd McConkey. McConkey has the speed to win vertically and the route running ability to be a real headache for defenses. He will be a huge part of the receiving group in 2024.

Round 3 (69) LB- Junior Colson, Michigan

Jim Harbaugh finally got one of his Wolverines in round three. Colton should step right into the starting lineup ahead of Denzel Perryman and will improve the overall play of the linebacker group. Colson is one of the best linebackers in the country and excels in coverage. 

Round 4 (105) DL- Justin Eboigbe, Alabama

Justin Eboigbe has exceptional versatility and has been productive both inside and outside. Another strong pick who should see the field this season in some sort of rotation.

Round 5 (137) CB- Tarheeb Still, Maryland

Still is a physical cornerback who projects as a solid nickelback. He is more of a coverage corner who uses his size to press and run receivers off their routes. He struggles in the run game and needs to shore up his tackling mechanics.

Round 5 (140) CB- Cam Hart, Notre Dame

The Chargers take another quality cornerback in the 5th round. Cam Hart is a great value here at #140 and will add depth to the cornerback position. Unlike Still, who projects as a nickelback, Hart has starting potential a year or two down the road.

Round 6 (181) RB- Kimani Vidal, Troy

Vidal is a unique prospect, as he ran a 4.46 in the 40 yard dash and is 5’8” and 213 lbs. He will battle Isaiah Spiller for that 3rd running back roster spot. 

Round 7 (225) WR- Brenden Rice, USC

Nobody seems to know why Brenden Rice slid as far as he did, but the Chargers may have the steal of the draft. Rice, the son of hall-of-famer Jerry Rice, was a productive route runner at USC and has strong hands to bring the ball in. He had moments of laziness at USC and seemed to take plays off, possibly causing this massive slide.

Round 7 (253) WR- Cornelius Johnson, Michigan

Jim Harbaugh nabbed his 2nd Wolverine in the draft here with his last pick in the 7th round. Cornelius Johnson is a ferocious run blocker and at 6’3” he ran a 4.44 in the 40. He did not put up gaudy numbers at Michigan but a lot of that had to do with the rate Michigan ran the ball and the numbers wideout Roman Wilson put up. Look for Johnson to make this team and see the playing field in 2024.

Final Grade (A)

Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers had an amazing draft. They filled their two biggest needs with Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey. It is hard to argue or find anything wrong with any of their 9 picks. Rice and Johnson in round 7 can easily make this an A+ draft.