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2015 NFL Draft: AFC West Grades

With the 2015 NFL draft now complete, teams are starting to look at pretty much what will be their final rosters heading into the upcoming season. They are also going to start evaluating new additions during offseason activities.

The AFC West is going to be among the most competitive divisions in football in 2015. What the three teams behind the Denver Broncos have done this offseason makes it a near certainty that this division will be up for grabs late into the regular year. That’s only magnified by the successful drafts that the Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders put up last weekend.

Let’s check in on our team-by-team draft grades for the AFC West.

Denver Broncos

I really don’t get why the Broncos traded up five spots in the bottom of the first round to nab former Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray. While supremely talented, giving up two fifth-round picks and guard Manny Ramirez didn’t make a whole lot of sense. Remember, Denver lost starting guard Orlando Franklin to the division-rival San Diego Chargers back in March. Without Ramirez and Franklin, depth is a major issue on the interior of the team’s offensive line.

Looking at Ray for a second, a recent citation for marijuana possession enabled the Broncos to even consider him in the first round. While an attractive option, John Elway and company had more immediate needs. Is the team really set with Brandon Marshall at inside linebacker? What about finding an upgrade over Malik Jackson at defensive end? After all, Mississippi State’s Preston Smith was available, and would have been a tremendous fit.

Denver did do a solid job of adding value at need positions on Day 2. Former Colorado state offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo fills a long-term hole at either right tackle or left tackle. He’s a bit raw and will take some time to become a starter in the NFL, but the athleticism and talent is most definitely there. No one should have an issue with Denver looking to the future in Round 2.

Probably Denver’s best pick of the draft came in the third round when it nabbed an underrated tight end, Jeff Heuerman, from Ohio State. At 6’5″ and 254, he’s a mountain of a man. The former Buckeye struggled to make an impact in 2014 due to a foot injury and the team’s quarterback issues, but he has the potential to be a dominating vertical threat for Peyton Manning and company. You simply can’t teach that frame and athleticism combination.

Denver then added depth more than anything throughout the remainder of the draft. Former Florida guard/center Max Garcia might have been a reach in Round 4, but he adds to a position of utmost need on the interior of the offensive line.

Grade: B-

Kansas City Chiefs

Courtesy of USA Today: Marcus Peters has elite CB written all over him.

People have questioned Kansas City’s decision to go with former Washington corner Marcus Peters with the 18th pick. I don’t get that at all. Despite some character issues after being dismissed from the Huskies football team, Peters was clearly the top man cover corner in the entire draft. He’s not afraid to play physical football, and possesses the best reactionary skills of any defensive back in the draft.

He was the best corner in the draft,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller said. “This kid was a NFL pro playing against PAC 12 competition. They couldn’t do anything to him. Size, speed, instincts, swagger, toughness. He is a bad man in coverage.

Peters also filled a position of need for the Chiefs, who really had only one starter-caliber corner on the team in Sean Smith. A Day 1 starter, Kansas City found value at need in the second half of the first round.

After that, there were a lot of questionable picks here. Former Missouri offensive lineman Mitch Morse in the second round was a tremendous reach. He’s likely going to be moving to center in the NFL, but there was no real value nabbing him within the first 50 picks. Former Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley was also a questionable pick in the third round. While he does possess top-end speed, the Chiefs really needed to get another guy that could provide Alex Smith with a consistent target on intermediate routes.

If the Chiefs were going to go wide receiver there, Auburn’s Sammie Coates would have been a better scheme fit. He displays top-end speed as well, but is bulkier and plays with more physicality.

Grade: B-

Oakland Raiders

This will be the draft that’s known as Amari Cooper and everyone else. Throughout the entire draft process, I was against Oakland spending a top-five pick on a wide receiver. And when it chose Cooper over former Southern California defensive tackle Leonard Williams, my initial reaction was one of surprise. However, the more I thought about it, this pick made sense. The team is sold on Derek Carr as its franchise quarterback. So why not go out there and get him that top-flight receiving option? The recently signed Michael Crabtree will be a decent No. 2 option, but he’s not going to scare opposing defenses. As the near-consensus top receiver in the draft, Cooper will do just that.

Oakland then decided to go defense with its second-round pick by adding an enigmatic prospect in the form of former Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards. The 6’3″, 279-pound youngster has a rare combination of strength and initial burst that made him a potential Day 1 prospect to some. Others wouldn’t have touched Edwards until the middle rounds because of weight issues. It’s the perfect definition of a high-risk, high-reward pick. Edwards never really allowed his talent to show up on a consistent basis at Florida State, but he can be coached up. Now in the best shape of his life, new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has a toy to play with. Expect Edwards to play inside initially.

Outside of Cooper, the best pick of this draft for Oakland was former Miami (F) tight end Clive Walford in the third round. The big-bodied pass catcher is going to be a tremendous asset for Carr in the passing game. Solely a receiving option early in his career due to substandard blocking, we can expect Walford to play a major role out of the gate. It was a great value pick at a position of utmost need.

Oakland didn’t really make much of an impact during the remainder of the draft. Trading its way down the draft to pick up additional selections, the team was attempting to build depth. Linebackers Ben Heeney (Kansas) and Max Valles (Virginia) represent upside in the later rounds.

Grade: A

San Diego Chargers

Courtesy of USA Today Sports: Melvin Gordon will stand tall for Philip Rivers and the Chargers.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports: Melvin Gordon will stand tall for Philip Rivers and the Chargers.

Exhausting two mid-round picks to move up just two slots for Melvin Gordon was a bitter pill for Chargers’ fans to swallow. That’s a lot to give up for a running back in a class that was ripe with talent at that position. However, Gordon is going to come up absolutely huge for Philip Rivers and company. He was my top running back in the class due to a scary combination of speed, vision and pure power. At 6’1″ and 215, Gordon is also a prototypical three-down running back in the NFL. That’s only magnified by his superior receiving ability.

I really like this kid. He lights up the room. He has special talent and ability. He catches the football well out of the backfield,” NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said about Gordon. “When you watch him run in tight areas, that is what differentiates him. Gordon changes the whole balance of the Chargers’ offense now. Philip Rivers will get better also.

That’s the real key here. Gordon changes the entire dynamic of San Diego’s offense. He’s going to give Rivers the balance he needs on offense to succeed. Two mid-round picks as compensation to guarantee themselves Gordon isn’t a high price to pay for the Chargers.

Former Miami (F) linebacker Denzel Perryman was also a tremendous get in the second round. He should eventually challenge Donald Butler for the team’s starting linebacker job. If not, Manti Te’o should be concerned. Simply put, Perryman is a starter in the NFL, and will be for 10 years.

Grade: A

Check out our NFC West grades here. 

Photo: Raiders.com

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