2020 NFL Draft Dynasty Review: AFC West
The AFC West was a competitive division during the 2019 season. The Kansas City Chiefs emerged atop their division and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, the entire division seemed to have a unified theme: offensive weapons early. Each team dropped a first-round pick on an offensive player.
With the dust having settled, dynasty football players are assessing their teams and having rookie drafts. Here we are going through their picks from a dynasty perspective.
Kansas City Chiefs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB LSU (Round 1 Pick 32)
The reigning Super Bowl champs retained the majority of their explosive offense. Therefore, their draft strategy was lighter than other teams. They only felt the need to draft one offensive player. With the final pick of the first round, the Chiefs took the first running back selected in this draft.
Enter shifty running back Edwards-Helaire. Edwards-Helaire finished the 2019 season with 1,414 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. To complement those already impressive numbers, he also hauled in 55 receptions for an additional 453 yards and one more score.
There were a few landing spots for the Fresh Prince of Helaire that were good potential fits. None of them as tantalizing as touching down in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes and company. The Chiefs finished 27th in the NFL in rushing attempts (375), 23rd in rushing yards (1,569) and 14th with 16 rushing touchdowns. Needless to say, for one of the higher-octane offenses in the league, running the football was not their most successful venture.
While the coaching staff has already stated that Damien Williams remains the starter and that Edwards-Helaire will be able to compete for playing time, few are buying it. With limited picks and no other offensive weapons taken in the draft, there is a message between the lines. The Chiefs were subpar at running the football, and they chose one of the most dangerous and versatile backs as their first-round pick.
If there is any competition to be had, it will be short-lived. Edwards-Helaire is now paired with Andy Reid in an offense led by Patrick Mahomes. He is primed for an exciting rookie campaign and his ADP is reflecting that. He represents not only a high first-round rookie pick selection, but has been going 1.01 in many leagues.
Denver Broncos
Jerry Jeudy, WR Alabama (Round 1, Pick 15)
If anyone was questioning whether or not the Broncos committed to giving second-year quarterback Drew Lock a fair shake, they answered with their draft selections. The first receiver of their draft was Jeudy.
Jeudy finished his 2019 season with 77 receptions for 1,163 yards and ten touchdowns. The 6’1”, 193-pound receiver excels at playing both outside and in the slot. With the ability to line up in multiple places, this creates the opportunity for offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to play the mismatch.
Jeudy is a complete receiver who has excellent route-running ability and decent speed to help him create separation and get open. This should fit well opposite Courtland Sutton and even more so if Jeudy spends more time lining up in the slot.
In an offense that is looking to be more multi-faceted, Jeudy should have an immediate and integral role. He is currently a top-five rookie selection for dynasty purposes.
KJ Hamler, WR Penn State (Round 2, Pick 46)
Before we get into Hamler, allow me a moment to asses the receiving core already in place. Sutton is a big, athletic receiver who can use his 6’4” frame to box out defenders and then make the grab. Jeudy has the route-running chops that head coaches burn incense and daydream about. That brings us to the 46th overall pick for the Broncos.
Hamler has the afterburner type of speed that shows up on film. He has quickness off the line, but with a moment to get going, he is difficult to catch up to. He did not run at the 2020 Scouting Combine, so there are no official times to post. However, Penn State coaches indicated that he had been clocked a 4.28-second 40-yard dash. (The fastest 40 at the 2020 Combine was 4.27 seconds.)
Let’s just assume that despite an unofficial clock time, Hamler is fast, very fast. This rounds out the receivers in the Broncos new-look offense. Hamler may not be an every-snap player to begin with, but there will be plays drawn with the intent of getting the ball in his hands.
Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Missouri (Round 4, Pick 118)
In the two years that Lock and Okwuegbunam played together at Missouri, they paired for 17 touchdowns. There was obvious chemistry between quarterback and big tight end. Okwuegbunam is a massive prospect, standing at 6’6” and tipping the scales at 258 pounds. If his sheer size is not impressive enough, he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at the combine, which is good enough to place him in the 99th percentile among his position.
He has the size and athleticism to play a role in this offense, but it might not happen right away. With Noah Fant ahead of him on the depth chart, and developing nicely, Okwuegbunam may have quite a bit to learn before his red-zone prowess can be on display as a Bronco. With that in mind, he is a late-round option for rookie drafts.
Tyrie Cleveland, WR Florida (Round 7, Pick 252)
In the seventh round, the Broncos selected another speed asset in Cleveland.
He does not bring a huge production history to Broncos camp. In his four-year career with Florida, he totaled 79 passes for 1,271 yards and eight touchdowns. He also totaled ten kick returns for 242 yards.
With all the pieces added to the depth chart, it is difficult to see where Cleveland can carve out a role that is worth mentioning for fantasy purposes.
Las Vegas Raiders
Henry Ruggs, WR Alabama (Round 1, Pick 12)
The Raiders came to the draft like the birthday boy at the arcade, toting his fistful of tickets to the counter. When they slammed them on the counter, they eagerly pointed at speedy Ruggs. The Raiders were in dire need of help at receiver and went after the position aggressively, selecting the first receiver of the draft.
Ruggs’ 4.27-second 40-yard dash was the fastest of the 2020 combine. He finished his collegiate career averaging 17.5 yards-per-reception. He played in 12 games last season and finished with 746 yards and seven touchdowns.
Ruggs is not a tactical route-runner but does have top-end speed. He may require some time to acclimate to the NFL and learn the playbook, but Ruggs has some rookie draft appeal in a receiver-needy offense. Ruggs lands in the top-ten conversation in rookie drafts.
Lynn Bowden, WR Kentucky (Round 3, Pick 80)
Bowden is a bit of a conundrum as he enters the NFL. To explain for those who may be unfamiliar, he is a wide receiver who started as the quarterback (for the final eight games) and led his team in rushing and receiving. There, that should clear things up nicely.
He is versatile and excels at all-purpose usage but otherwise is not spectacular at any of the given roles he fulfills. He finished his junior season with 1,468 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He added 348 receiving yards and one more score through the air. As the quarterback, he threw for 35 completions, 403 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Bowden lines up almost exclusively as a slot receiver which plays to his build and athleticism. He is elusive and an excellent runner with a little bit of space to work with. He is excellent as a returner on special teams and possesses good vision with the ball in his hands.
The Raiders will need to try and scheme packages that play to his strengths and abilities. Look for him to spend plenty of time as the primary slot receiver with some gadget style usage mixed in. His long-term dynasty value is somewhat questionable until we see how they can utilize a Randall Cobb type of player in this offense.
Bryan Edwards, WR South Carolina (Round 3, Pick 81)
Did I mention that the Raiders needed help at receiver? Three of their first four picks were receivers, including back-to-back selections with Bowden and then Edwards.
Despite missing the final two games, Edwards finished his senior season by leading South Carolina in receptions (71), receiving yards (816), and receiving touchdowns with six. A knee injury kept him out of the final two games and then suffered a broken foot while preparing for the combine.
Edwards was consistently productive throughout his college career. He possesses a solid combination of size and speed that should translate to NFL production. He profiles as being more of an ancillary receiver than the WR1 for the Raiders.
He will need to put in some work on his hands and polish his route running to translate into a consistent producer at the next level but landed in a great spot for some immediate opportunity.
Edwards can sneak in as a top-20 pick for dynasty rookie drafts.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert, QB Oregon (Round 1, Pick 6)
The departure of Philip Rivers created a need for the Chargers to find their next franchise quarterback. Head coach Anthony Lynn has been bullish on his belief in Tyrod Taylor to not only be the starter this season but potentially longer than that. That did not stop the Chargers from spending their first pick on Herbert.
Herbert finished his 2019 season with some impressive numbers, throwing for 3,471 yards, 32 touchdowns and only six interceptions. When analyzing him from a dynasty perspective, there are mixed reviews.
He is big, standing at 6’6” and 236 pounds. Despite his size, he is extremely athletic and able to use his legs for short-yardage situations and goal-line carries. At the combine, he posted a 4.68-second 40-yard dash, which puts him in the 84th percentile among his peers.
As a thrower he finished his collegiate career with a 64.0% completion percentage. He is accurate, especially in the red zone. His 18.5 breakout metric lands him in the elite 99th percentile range.
Herbert does, however, struggle with putting some touch on his passes and leading his receivers away from contact.
The rookie would benefit from a season to develop behind Taylor, who is also known to be stingy with turnovers. He could also benefit from time to be more assertive with leadership skills. All in all, Herbert has the tools, size, and athleticism to be a long-term dynasty asset, even if he spends a season on the bench. He is a high-ceiling prospect at the NFL level.
Joshua Kelley, RB UCLA (Round 4, Pick 112)
With the departure of Melvin Gordon, the Chargers added some depth at the running back position.
There is little doubt that Austin Ekeler has the nod to be the starter, and Justin Jackson had a role during the 2019 season as well. Kelley may be more than just a depth add as his running style is vastly different than Ekeler.
Kelley is more of a bruising style of runner who does not shy away from contact. In fact, he can be a downright tackle magnet at times as opposed to trying to make defenders miss. His tough running style may prove to be effective in short-yardage or goal-line situations which would complement the offensive scheme.
The skillset and running style fits in the offense and may lead to Kelley being an under-the-radar type of value in dynasty formats. He is worth a late-round stab in rookie drafts.
Joe Reed, WR Virginia (Round 5, Pick 151)
When Reed burst onto the scene for Virginia, he did so by dazzling coaches as a returner. The converted running back totaled more than 700 kick return yards in three of his four-year college career and averaged 28.7 yards-per-return.
Reed is built like a running back, standing at 6’0” and weighing in at 224 pounds. With the ball in his hands; whether it be a kick return, carry, or reception he maintains the vision of a running back. As a receiver, he lacks the polished route-running coveted by most NFL teams.
Reed would require some dedication to work on his hands and route running to compete as a receiver in the NFL, but could find some work in the return game. The majority of his explosive plays come on catch-and-run situations. His versatility may get him on the field as he develops, but it might take a while to be a full-time contributor in this offense.
KJ Hill, WR Ohio State (Round 7, Pick 220)
Hill is Ohio State’s all-time leader catch leader.
He works primarily from the slot, which could limit his usage with Keenan Allen still operating there. Hill was consistent in his production and a reliable weapon. While not flashy, super fast or shifty, Hill does run a full complement of routes.
It is difficult to imagine Hill having an immediate value in dynasty formats without an injury ahead of him. He is a late-round pick who could materialize in value later on down the line.
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