2015 AFC West Draft Grades

Denver Broncos

Grade: B+

Best Pick: Round One-Shane Ray-Outside Linebacker-Missouri

With quarterback Peyton Manning on board the past three seasons, the Denver Broncos have been a perennial contender for the Super Bowl. This upcoming season could be Manning’s last go round in the National Football League and Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway is attempting to put the best team around him in order for one last push at the Super Bowl Championship. Injuries are starting to get the best of Manning and when a team sets out to protect their starting quarterback, it begins with the offensive line.

The Broncos used two of their first four selections on offensive linemen. The second round saw the Broncos select Colorado State offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo and in the fourth round it was Florida center Max Garcia. A recent arrest for marijuana possession saw outside linebacker Shane Ray fall to the Broncos with the 28th overall selection and if he’s focused, they found a steal there. Ray has fantastic skills as an edge rusher and he’ll learn from two of the best in the NFL in Broncos outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller.

It’s all about putting the players around Manning on both sides of the football and that is exactly what Elway is doing.

Kansas City Chiefs

Grade: B

Best Pick: Round Three-Steven Nelson-Cornerback-Oregon State

The Kansas City Chiefs had a very business like approach to the 2015 National Football League Draft. Cornerback Marcus Peters has tremendous coverage skills, but his draft stock dropped a bit after he was kicked off of the University of Washington’s football team after several arguments with the coaching staff. But Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has always had a calming influence over his players and he should be able to coach Peters up in the NFL. In the second round the Chiefs selected offensive tackle Mitch Morse from the nearby University of Missouri and he should be able to come in and become an immediate contributor in Kansas City. In the third round, Kansas City selected cornerback Steven Nelson who in just two years at Oregon State recorded eight interceptions and that was with quarterbacks being scared to test him.

The Chiefs know that if they are going to win the AFC West in 2015, they’ll have to get through the Denver Broncos and quarterback Peyton Manning along with the San Diego Chargers and their quarterback Phillip Rivers which means that they had to sure up their secondary at the 2015 NFL Draft.

San Diego Chargers

Grade: B

Best Pick: Round One-Melvin Gordon-Running Back-Wisconsin

The San Diego were only to attain five players at the NFL Draft, but they made the most of them. After seeing running back Todd Gurley come off of the board rather early, the Chargers had to make a move. Chargers general manager Tom Telesco moved up in the first round with the San Francisco 49ers to select running back Melvin Gordon. Gordon will give the Chargers offense explosiveness that they have not had since the days of LaDanian Tomlinson. The Chargers have a strong linebacking corp and they were able to add to that in the second round when they selected inside linebacker Denzel Perryman who can be a good interior inside linebacker in San Diego alongside Manti Te’o.

The Chargers weren’t able to add that much depth, but what they did get is overall quality at the NFL Draft.

Oakland Raiders

Grade: B-

Best Pick: Round One-Amari Cooper-Wide Receiver-Alabama

In the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the perception was that the Oakland Raiders were going to select a wide receiver and they stuck to that. The Raiders owned the fourth overall pick and it was either going to be either wide receiver Amari Cooper or wide receiver Kevin White. The Raiders decided on Cooper who is the more polished route runner as Oakland desperately needed to give quarterback Derek Carr better options in their passing game. Led by second round pick, defensive end Mario Edwards Jr., the rest of the Raiders draft has boom or bust potential and unfortunately for Oakland and their recent track record, it will more than likely be the latter.