Draft Review: AFC West

Mike Valverde Posted On June 6, 2017

The AFC West is certainly not hurting in the offense department, and it showed in the NFL draft. Only the Denver Broncos went heavy in that area, but even they didn’t pick their first offensive skill player until the third round. They then picked four more from the fifth through the seventh round.

The Chiefs were offense-heavy up until round four as they drafted a quarterback (Patrick Mahomes), running back (Kareem Hunt) and wide receiver (Jehu Chesson) but that was it. The Chargers unexpectedly drafted receiver Mike Williams as their only skill position draftee, and the Oakland Raiders ignored the offense outside linemen, until the seventh round when they picked Elijah Hood.

Denver Broncos

Round 3, No. 82: Carlos Henderson, WR, Louisiana Tech

Round 5, No. 145: Jake Butt, TE, Michigan

Round 5, No. 172: Isaiah McKenzie, WR, Georgia

Round 6, No. 203: De’Angelo Henderson, RB, Coastal Carolina

Round 7, No. 253: Chad Kelly, QB, Mississippi

The Broncos were looking for a big playmaker, and they got one with Carlos Henderson. He is simply dynamite with the ball in his hands. Many consider him the best yards after the catch receiver in the draft. Henderson knows when to make the cuts on the field and can break ankles. According to PFF, he forced 48 missed tackles last season, nearly twice as much as the next best receiver (26). He is a triple threat player who can run and return kicks as one of the best kick returners in the nation last season.

[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]

Jake Butt was possibly the best pick of the draft. He has first round talent and was taken in the fifth round. The reason he fell so far was his injury history, including a season-ending knee injury in Michigan’s bowl game last season, his second ACL tear on the same knee. Butt is very confident with the ball in his hands and turns upfield immediately. He has a large catch radius and will rack up yards after the catch. He will need to become a better blocker in the run game, but has shown the aptitude to get better.

Isaiah McKenzie is shorter, faster, but less talented version of Carlos Henderson. Both are explosive receivers, both will play the slot, and both can play special teams as a returner. McKenzie is fast as he ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and he gets instant acceleration off the line of scrimmage. He will be a great gadget option for the Broncos.

De’Angelo Henderson should major in touchdown manufacturing because that is what he does. He visited the end zone 58 times and scored a touchdown in a Division I-record 35 consecutive games. Henderson has good speed as he ran a 4.48 forty at the combine. Henderson is a lights-out speed back that they don’t have other than veteran Jamaal Charles. He can be a receiver out of the backfield but needs to get better at pass protection.

Chad Kelly has a huge arm and a bad attitude to match. He was dismissed from Clemson because he was argumentative with coaches and told a bouncer that he was going to “spray this place.” With that said, he carries great family genetics. He is the nephew of Jim Kelly, and he throws, wins, and has the mobility of his uncle. Chad Kelly will get his chance to lead once he recovers from his ACL tear.

Kansas City Chiefs

Round 1, No. 10 overall: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech

Round 3, No. 86: Kareem Hunt, RB, Toledo

Round 4, No. 139: Jehu Chesson, WR, Michigan

The Chiefs jumped 17 spots with the Buffalo Bills to go from 27th to tenth to grab quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Even though Kansas City will be a great fit for Mahomes, the question will be whether or not they made a mistake by skipping over Deshaun Watson. I believe they made the right choice, as I believe Watson will struggle in his career with accuracy issues.

Andy Reid is a great quarterback coach, and Mahomes will learn from Alex Smith while developing as the backup. He has a great arm and can make all the throws. Mahomes will energize a team with his gunslinger mentality and has the strength to deliver the ball at all angles. He has good pocket awareness and has the mobility to escape pressure. However, Mahomes is wildly inconsistent and will need to learn patience before he can be relied on to start.

Kareem Hunt may not be explosive, but he has versatility and reliability. Hunt rushed for 1,475 yards last season. Kansas City can rely on Hunt to be that important cog in Reid’s offense as a pass catcher; he caught 41 passes as a senior. How much playing time he will get depends on how well he performs in training camp.

Kansas City liked Chesson so much that they traded up to select him in the fourth round. The question becomes how much of the offense Chesson will be involved with. He does run solid routes and has a great catching radius, but with solid depth at wide receiver, there may not be many opportunities. Chesson will have to fight to stay on the field, and his aggressive style with solid blocking may do just that. The only concern is that he suffered a knee injury in 2015.

Los Angeles Chargers

Round 1, No. 7 overall: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson

The Chargers drafting Mike Williams (6’4” and 218 pounds) seventh overall was a little surprising considering their needs on defense. Williams gives Los Angeles a great weapon and is a big, physical receiver. How quickly he can become the number one receiver will depend on the health of Keenan Allen and how much trust Philip Rivers has in the rookie.

Williams has a great catching radius and could be the best receiver in the draft when it comes down to winning 50/50 balls. What truly makes Williams successful is his ability to turn slants into big gains and score touchdowns. He is a bloodhound when it comes to tracking the ball and is confident in taking hits over the middle of the field. Even though Williams suffered a horrific neck injury in 2015, he would total 177 receptions for 2,727 yards and 21 touchdowns in 42 total games at Clemson. He should make the Chargers offense even better and rescue them if Allen goes down.

Oakland Raiders

Round 7, No. 242: Elijah Hood, RB, North Carolina

Elijah Hood is in the mold of Marshawn Lynch when it comes to running the ball. Hood is 6-foot, 230-pounds, a pure downhill runner who will make defenders miss by running them over. He won’t be breaking ankles out there. He has 28 broken tackles over the last two seasons. Hood is also solid in pass protection and can block in the open field. He has solid hands and can catch out of the backfield.

[/am4show]

Author
Recent Posts

Mike Valverde

Writer at Dynasty League Football

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice to go with my master degree in Business Administration. In between these programs, I graduated the from the police academy. Yet, I decided to write for a career. You can catch me at the movies, playing video games, reading or writing out cryptograms, basically anything that requires me sitting on my arse. And it's a surprise to many why I like fantasy football so much.