Draft Nation's Focus: AFC West

With less than a month until the 2025 NFL Draft, teams in the AFC West will be finalizing their targets. Ian Martin evaluates prospects likely on the board for the Raiders, Broncos, Chargers, and Chiefs.

Raiders:

With the sixth overall pick, the Raiders are in an interesting position. The consensus top prospects will most likely be gone or traded up for by the time pick six rolls around. Pete Carroll will be setting the tone for his new regime with their selection.

• Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State): Jeanty offers an elite combination of speed, vision, and balance in a compact bowling ball package. Pete Carroll would certainly make great use of Jeanty's talents in his rush-focused offense. Considering the Raiders current RB1 is an aging Raheem Mostert, and they were last in rushing last year, adding Jeanty significantly upgrades the position.

• Mason Graham (IDL, Michigan): Graham is a high-floor defensive linemen. His elite workhorse motor plus constantly active hands give Graham a chance to have an immediate impact at the NFL level. Pairing him alongside Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby presents more opportunities for all three as offenses will need to focus on all of them.

Broncos:

Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos will be looking to build around the success of Bo Nix’s rookie year. The Broncos will be looking to add more weapons to Nix’s arsenal at the draft. Running backs and wide receivers are especially areas of focus. 

• Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State) - There is a lot of draft fatigue with Egbuka as he could have been a top prospect last year. His decision to stay another year with Ohio State and win a championship has led some to forget just how great Egbuka is. Egbuka doesn't need to be the X in an offense to be effective. Having a player who can complement Courtland Sutton and can develop into his replacement later makes Egbuka a solid option.

• Omarion Hampton (RB, North Carolina) - Hampton got two-thirds of his yards after contact. He is a wrecking ball. Selecting Hampton would add a bruising haymaker to pair with Payton’s complex pass-focused offense. Add in that Hampton can run routes in the passing game means his versatility gives Bo Nix another passing target. Hampton’s presence would keep defenses honest and relieve pressure from Bo Nix.

Chargers:

The Chargers and Jim Harbaugh proved they have the pieces to compete. Now they need to fill the holes in their roster. 

• Kenneth Grant (IDL, Michigan) - The Chargers lost Joey Bosa this off-season, but an undervalued loss is the loss of Poona Ford at defensive tackle. Kenneth Grant played nose tackle at Michigan and would be an excellent high-potential option to replace Ford. Grant won't immediately be as good as Ford but developed well at Michigan with Harbaugh as his coach.

• Matthew Golden (WR, Texas) - Golden is a well-rounded wide receiver prospect. Right now, the Chargers don't have a second option that compliments Ladd McConkey. Quentin Johnston is a good wide receiver, but his skills overlap with McConkey. Golden's adaptability to play as a Z-receiver or X-receiver gives Harbaugh more play diversity.

Chiefs:

The Chiefs are one of the best teams in the league but their loss in last season’s Super Bowl showed they are not invincible. Andy Reid and the Chiefs need to find answers to the questions along the offensive line, and these answers can come from the draft.

• Grey Zabel (OT, North Dakota State) - While Zabel played tackle in college, his future at the next level is at another position. Zabel is a future elite guard in the NFL. Zabel impressed scouts across the league playing center and guard at the Senior Bowl, and he provides rare versatility where he can play any position across the offensive line. However, replacing Mike Caliendo with Zabel would shore up a Chiefs offensive line that struggled against four-man rushes the entire Super Bowl.