AFC West draft grades: Early offense across the board, except for Broncos ...Middle East

Most of the AFC West spent its early draft capital on offensive players.

The Broncos went the other direction, landing Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 20 overall pick Thursday night.

Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Chargers, meanwhile, took running backs in the first round, and Kansas City took steps to shore up its leaky offensive line.

Here’s a quick look at the rest of the draft hauls in the division.

Denver

Grade: B-

Denver stayed true to its board and took Barron at No. 20. Vance Joseph will be orchestrating a defense that should be hell on wheels. Fresh off a season in which the Broncos led the NFL in sacks and pressures, the group returns nearly everybody and now adds a versatile, playmaking chess piece in Barron.

From there, the rest of the Broncos’ draft was about fit. Sean Payton and George Paton fell in love with UCF back R.J. Harvey. Illinois receiver Pat Bryant fits Payton’s eye.

Fourth-round edge Que Robinson and seventh-round tight end Caleb Lohner are light on college playing experience but have athletic traits and upside. Sixth-round punter Jeremy Crawshaw should fill a need created by Riley Dixon’s free agency departure.

A bit light on sizzle, but the perception will change quickly if Harvey and Bryant hit the ground running.

Kansas City

Grade: A-

Yeah, it’s great to have a premium draft pick up high in the order, but it always seems to work out well for those that sit down at the bottom of the first round and wait patiently. For the Chiefs, that meant Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons coming right to them. Kansas City traded up one spot to make sure it got the talented offensive lineman, who would have been long gone if not for a 2024 knee injury. Kansas City can be patient and perhaps fill a long-term need on Patrick Mahomes’ blind side.

Tennessee defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott is disruptive and good value at the end of the second round. He was the second-highest defensive player taken in the division at No. 63 after Barron in Denver. The real steals in the Chiefs’ draft class could be the Day 3 additions of Utah State receiver Jalen Royals and seventh-round SMU running back Brashard Smith. They’re both fun to watch, have big-play ability and should be easy to fit into the Chiefs’ offensive arsenal.

Las Vegas

Grade: B+

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The Raiders under new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll needed a combination of difference-making talent and roster depth as they begin what is a pretty serious rebuilding project.

They appear to have accomplished both, first in landing running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6 overall and then by taking 11 players total for their class. Of course, those picks have to work out to actually jump-start a healthy roster. The Day 2 haul of TCU receiver Jack Bech, Iowa State corner Darien Porter and a pair of third-round offensive linemen will be critical to track. Adding a pair of former FCS quarterbacks in Montana State’s Tommy Mellott (who will play receiver in the NFL) and North Dakota State’s Cam Miller on Day 3 is fun. The only knock on taking Jeanty is you don’t want to waste a lot of mileage on a premium back before you’re truly ready to compete. How fast can Vegas get there?

Los Angeles Chargers

Grade: B

Jim Harbaugh ended up with the running back many people thought Denver was after in North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton. In the end, the Broncos weren’t actually going to take him at No. 20 — they considered trading back and taking Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson — but the Chargers gladly did. He’ll pair with Nahjee Harris to form a powerful 1-2 punch. L.A. doubled up on offensive skill players by taking Ole Miss receiver Tre Harris in the second round before going defense later on Day 2.

The fifth-round pairing of receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Syracuse tight end Orande Gadsden II has some bust potential, but both players are big-time athletes and if they hit, they’ll represent terrific value.

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