As the dust settles on the 2019 NFL Draft, it’s time to look back and see who, based off of our rankings, had the best draft in the AFC West.
While it’s obviously early to analyze a draft class of players who won’t have truly proven their worth until their rookie contracts are up in four years, it’s a worthwhile exercise to see who was able to get the best value out of the draft based on our pre-draft evaluation.
After all, winning the draft is going to lead to wins on the field and have long-term repercussions on how the balance of power in the division shifts in the next few years. Here’s how the Denver Broncos and their rivals did in Nashville this weekend.
Denver Broncos: A-
The Broncos came in with three top-100 picks and turned that into four top-50 prospects by moving down 10 spots in round one and adding great value at each pick.
Now, by the time the Broncos were on the clock with the 20th selection, they had a few first-round graded players remaining on our board but decided instead to go after Noah Fant, a phenomenal talent who’s still a bit rough around the edges.
Fant’s appeal goes beyond a regular tight end as he’d be a high-end athlete even for the wide receiver position. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Fant’s an offensive weapon who, if utilized the right way, could change an offense and allow Rich Scangarello to play more two tight-end sets, while having the type of personnel that allows him to essentially be in three-receiver looks, which will force opposing defenses to adjust. That’s a huge asset to have added to the offense even if he wasn’t perfect value on our board.
From there, the Broncos dominated the draft by grabbing a top-30 offensive lineman in Dalton Risner, who’s a plug-and-play starter. Risner’s appeal lies in his positional versatility, as he could easily play right tackle at a competent level but could be one of the better centers or guards in the NFL if converted. His plus character is another big selling point for the local kid who should’ve easily made it into round one ahead of other tackles like Tytus Howard or Kaleb McGary.
The pick of the draft was made with the Broncos moving up to select quarterback Drew Lock, our third-ranked passer and 20th-overall prospect. While still far from a finished product, Lock’s high-end upside and the progress he’s made throughout his career make him a very intriguing developmental piece. His strong character makes him a safer gamble as well. The price of a top-50 pick made this selection a no brainer.
Denver’s best value pick of all was Dre’Mont Jones, our 42nd ranked prospect who they were able to get at the top of round three. Jones has prototypical size and an electric first step, both qualities that turned him into one of the best interior pass rushers in the draft class. The sky is the limit if he can improve his technique and add strength.
Denver got started on day three with the versatile and athletic Justin Hollins who could wind up being a nice piece in Vic Fangio’s defense. Hollins is a sound football player who can do everything at outside backer and could even be used in the middle from time to time.
John Elway closed the draft off by selecting underutilized wide receiver Juwann Winfree. Winfree is all projection, possessing size, hands, and speed, and could compete for the third receiver spot on the depth chart sooner rather than later. With that being said, with Fant in the mix, the third wideout might not see nearly as many snaps as he would’ve in the past.
Overall, the Broncos addressed all their needs outside of defensive back and found immediate contributors with four projected high-end starters. That’s a massive haul. Another big selling point for this class is that everyone has a relative high-floor but also plenty of upside, you can’t say that about many draft classes.
Maybe more important, Elway finally addressed the offense, and between free agency and the past two drafts, there’s a lot to work with for Scangarello and his staff.
If there’s one criticism of this class, it’s that there’s only one day-one starter in the group, as everyone outside of Risner might be more of a part-time contributor than an immediate starter. With the 10th pick, you’d expect a little more than that, but it’s hard to complain about the best Broncos draft, by a long shot, since we’ve been publishing our rankings.
Riskiest Pick
Any time you select a quarterback there’s risk involved, especially when you trade up for one, but given Lock was drafted at 42 overall, that risk is mitigated quite a bit.
That’s why Fant is the pick here, who at his best could be a dynamic receiving weapon that changes the balance of the Broncos offense. However, if he ends up just being more of a gadget player whose hands and route running remain unrefined, the 20th pick will prove to have been too high.
A lot rides on the coaching staff to bring Fant along and utilize him in a way that maximizes his unbelievable raw talents.
Best Pick
Pick any of the top four, and you’d be right, but we’re going with Jones, whose ability to get after the quarterback, added to the pass rushing talent Denver already has on their roster, could prove to be a scary combination.
If Jones can iron out his game and turn himself into an every down starter, this will end up being a first-round level talent and the steal of the Broncos draft.
Kansas City Chiefs: C
This was a D-level draft when you look at the value the Chiefs got on a pick-by-pick basis. Their saving grace is the Frank Clark trade, which still came at a high cost and now limits KC’s cap spending going forward.
Essentially, this is the roster they’ve chosen to go all in with for the next three years, while Patrick Mahomes is under a rookie deal. They better be right or could look back and realize they wasted the most promising championship window in franchise history.
After sitting out day one with their $100 million pass rusher in hand, the Chiefs used the first of their two second-round picks on Georgia receiver Mecole Hardman, an undersized speedster who should replace Tyreek Hill.
Hardman’s 4.3 speed and return ability make him a fascinating fit in this offense but he was also our 26th ranked receiver and just barely missed the cut in our top-200. At pick 56, that’s a monumental reach. The Chiefs had other speedy receiver options with much better production and a bit more muscle to create YAC in their offense, a key to replacing Hill. Passing on guys like Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, and even Andy Isabella, could come back to haunt them as Hardman’s production at Georgia was underwhelming and he didn’t have a much better average yard per reception than Noah Fant. This felt like a win-now move, much like the Clark trade, and forced the Chiefs to reach on a player who fits the profile they were searching for.
Their other second-rounder, Juan Thornhill is a workout-warrior who could be an asset covering the slot or at either safety spot, in essence giving them a new starting safety and a potential third corner. This was another reach at 63 overall, as Thornhill has obvious holes in his game. More troubling, he seems a bit redundant with Tyrann Mathieu as KC really needed a cornerback more than anything else here.
Pass-rushing interior defensive lineman Khalen Saunders was a nice addition in the third round at pick 84. Saunders is ultra-athletic and can get after the passer, but he can be inconsistent against the run, much like Chris Jones, meaning they might’ve ended up just getting a third-down specialist instead of a future starter.
Day three was nothing to write home about for the Chiefs, who did make one noteworthy addition in undersized speedy back Darwin Thompson. Thomspon’s speed, quickness, and contact balance stand out, making him a dangerous weapon in KC’s backfield.
With the urgency of adding immediate contributors, the Chiefs pressed a bit to get their guys instead of letting the board fall to them. With three top-100 picks, they didn’t get their money’s worth according to our rankings.
Riskiest Pick
Hardman has to be the riskiest pick of the bunch having only caught 59 passes in the last two seasons for less than 1,000 yards. He wasn’t even Georgia’s best receiver, yet, he was the first taken as Andy Reid is gambling he can recreate what he had in Hill with another late-round pick. Only Hardman wasn’t taken that late, he’s a borderline top-50 selection and for all that he brings, he won’t be nearly as tough to stop as Hill was.
Best Pick
The Chiefs have completely revamped their defensive front to fit what new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the NASCAR-front savant, wants. They now have Clark, Emmanuel Ogbah and Saunders to pair with Jones, not a bad foursome to have.
For all his limitations Sanders can rush from inside or outside despite having prototypical defensive tackle size. He might be too much of a finesse player right now and could take a while to adjust to the NFL coming from the FCS, but there is lots to like with this pick.
Los Angeles Chargers: B
The Chargers keep adding to their defense and worked the draft board nicely by snatching up three players in our top 75 with three top-100 picks.
It all starts with Jerry Tillery who has as much upside as just about any defensive lineman in the loaded 2019 class. If Tillery reaches his lofty potential, offenses out west will be in deep trouble as he can rush the passer and has prototypical length.
Safety and nickel corner Nasir Adderley was a nice value pick at 60th overall in the late second, his versatility will allow the Chargers to get creative with him Derwin James, who complement each other nicely.
Fourth-round pick Drue Tranquill was a steal at pick 130, as the converted safety was impossible to miss when watching Notre Dame tape last year. He plugs a hole in the Bolts interior linebacker group and has an ideal profile to become a high-end special teamer too.
Outside of those three picks, the Chargers didn’t get great value and were unable to address huge needs on offense, especially on the offensive line. LA did take tackle Trey Pipkins 91st overall, a long-term project out of Division II Sioux Falls. It’s hard enough to play early in the NFL as an offensive tackle, it’s that much harder when making a transition from DII. The value on that pick was not good.
The Bolts got another small-school prospect in Easton Stick, who they’ll try to groom as their quarterback of the future, an okay pick at 166, though there were better options. Stick’s stock fell off a bit after a lackluster East-West Shrine performance. He’s mobile and will make some flash throws but was also helped by all the talent surrounding him on the most dominant football program in the country, for their competition level, at North Dakota State.
Defensively, the Chargers knocked this draft out of the park, but the offensive haul was underwhelming, to say the least.
Riskiest Pick
This has to be Pipkins who didn’t test off the charts at the combine and was taken ahead of more accomplished offensive tackle prospects like Yodny Cajuste and Chuma Edoga. The Chargers better have guessed right on the small-school gem, or they’ll end up watching him struggle while Philip Rivers finishes out his career.
Best Pick
Tillery is a phenomenal pick in the late first who really had no business still being around at 28. His pass rushing upside is off the charts, and he’ll see plenty of one-on-one opportunities on a defensive front with Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa.
Oakland Raiders: B+
As we explain in our first-round grades, the Raiders did what they had to with three first-round picks, getting adequate but not great value. At 40th overall, with their selection of Clemson cornerback Trayvon Mullen, they did more of the same, getting a nice pick but not a steal.
It’s what they were able to do after the first two rounds that stood out, as Oakland came away with six top 80 prospects, exactly what a rebuilding franchise needs to do in a monumental draft like 2019 was for the Silver & Black.
Edge rusher Maxx Crosby is a very intriguing pick for his plus athleticism, production, and length, forming a nice young core with fourth-overall selection Clelin Ferrell and second-year player Arden Key.
Adding a long cornerback like Isaiah Johnson at 129 was another quality pickup, as was blocking tight end Foster Moreau, who has upside as a receiver given his plus-athleticism.
Even slot wideout Hunter Renfrow was a solid selection at 149 in round five.
The Raiders valued character above all and got some solid prospects with great measurables, making them worthwhile gambles to reach their ceilings. They did a good job of addressing most of their needs outside of linebacker as well.
New GM Mike Mayock had to nail this draft and did a really good job adding value on day three, significantly upping their grade. If not for a ho-hum first four picks, this would’ve been an A-level draft.
Riskiest Pick
Given how high he was picked, Ferrell becomes the riskiest pick of the bunch, as he was our ninth-ranked prospect who the Raiders took fourth overall. Ferrell has a really high-floor and a great blend of power, motor, length, and finishing ability. He’ll be a menace for sure, but he also benefitted from playing on a line with three other high-end NFL caliber talents at Clemson. That won’t be the case in Oakland where he’ll have to be the man on the defensive front. That’s where the risk comes in as Ferrell might just be a top 10-to-15 NFL edge rusher, lacking elite bend or athleticism for the position.
Time will tell if the Raiders were right to pass on players like Josh Allen or Brian Burns who profile to be more electric speed rushers off the edge.
Best Pick
Crosby is really enticing and was a fine pickup with the 106th pick, as we ranked him 77th overall with a third round grade. He has everything you look for in an edge rusher and tested much better than Ferrell at the combine. The only question is the competition level he faced, but his high-end measurables say his production in the MAC should translate.
Offensive tackles out west have been put on notice, after a year off from blocking Khalil Mack, the Raiders intend to get after the quarterback again, and Crosby shouldn’t be taken lightly.
