The NFL Draft is almost here, so here are my BOLD draft predictions for the AFC West:
Kansas City Chiefs: You have to do something to beat Philadelphia:
It was incredibly apparent that Kansas City just could not compete on the offensive and defensive lines with Philadelphia in the Super Bowl. If they want to get back to the Super Bowl and have a different outcome, they have to get better on the line. Expect the Chiefs to hammer home picks on both sides of the trenches in this draft.
A shiny new toy for Mahomes:
The Chiefs have drafted Xavier Worthy and Rashee Rice in back-to-back drafts, and both of whom have been great. So while I don’t think it’s a WR, expect Kansas City to add an offensive weapon. Either a TE who can be the successor to Travis Kelce like Terrance Ferguson, or a RB who can play on passing downs like TreVeyon Henderson or Devin Neal.
Los Angeles Chargers: Tight end and Wide receiver get addressed:
The Chargers’ weakness last season was the lack of dynamic playmakers on offense. They partially addressed that by signing Mike Williams in free agency, but I think that Los Angeles will add both a wide receiver and a tight end in this draft to give Justin Herbert more help, and the Chargers would make the perfect home for Tetairoa McMillan if he falls that far.
Getting Edgy:
Joey Bosa has moved on to greener pastures, and the Chargers do have two productive, but aging edge rushers in Bud Dupree and Khalil Mack. So I do expect them to add one in this draft that can be mentored by the veterans before stepping into the starting role.
Denver Broncos: The second running back off the board:
No matter how the top half of the first round shakes out, I anticipate that Denver will draft exactly the second running back off of the board. It is a clear position of need and would be a value pick by the time Denver is on the clock on Thursday. If it were up to me, the pick would be Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina, an athletic thumper who can immediate play early downs while Jaleel McLaughlin is on the field for passing downs.
Bo knows wide receivers:
If Denver addresses RB in round one, expect them to add another WR on day two. In fact, why not go after Bo Nix’s former college teammate in Tez Johnson?
Las Vegas Raiders: The next great Raider RB:
From Marcus Allen to Bo Jackson to Darren McFadden and Josh Jacobs, the Raiders franchise has a great history at the running back position. I expect them to pass on that legacy in this draft to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who in my mind is no worse than the 3rd best running back prospects of the last 7 years
Another speedy Raider WR:
Under Al Davis, the Raiders were notorious for drafting the fastest WRs that were available at the time. That tradition has actually continued since Davis’ passing, and I think they do it again here. With Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers eating a lot of the targets underneath, they could use someone like Elic Ayomanor or Isaiah Bond to stretch the field as the new speedy target.