With the NFL draft just over one day away, it’s time to examine the top needs of a division that saw three teams make the playoffs last year, the AFC West. Of course the Broncos won the division, the Chiefs had a surprising resurgence, and the Chargers came on strong at the end to get in to the playoffs. The bottom feeder of the Division, the Oakland Raiders, spent big money this off-season in an attempt to catch the pack.
With the Broncos winning the division three years running the rest of the division looks to close the gap.
Draft Needs: AFC West
1) Denver Broncos Team Needs: OG, CB, LB,
For a team that had the best record in the conference, made the Superbowl and went on an off-season spending spree, the Broncos still have a surprising number of team needs. Champ Bailey and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie have left as corners, and while Aqib Talib was brought in, they still need depth at corner, especially with the fact Talib doesn’t have a track record as the healthiest player in the world.
On the offensive line the Broncos have seen Zane Beadles leave for Jacksonville, and it was a line that was exposed against the Seahawks in the Superbowl, adding a player here is a must.
Lastly, LB is a real question mark as Von Miller is coming back from injury while Jamar Chaney and Danny Trevathan just aren’t the type of linebackers who scream “starter on a Super Bowl contender” at you.
Possible Picks at 31: Dee Moses, C.J. Mosley, Bradley Roby, Joel Bitonio, Cyrus Kouandjio, Xavier Su’a Filo, Kyle Fuller,
2) Kansas City Chiefs Team Needs: WR, QB, O-line, DE
The Kansas City Chiefs started the season 9-0, but lost five of their last seven regular season games to lose the division, and then fell in the wildcard round of the playoffs due to the heroics of Andrew Luck.
The Chiefs really need to find another patch catcher on the outside. Yes, Jamal Charles is a great running back, but did you know that he was Kansas City’s leading receiver as well last season (70 receptions)? Dwayne Bowe is 30 years old, and the team could really use a true number two option. Versatile receiver Dexter McCluster also left in free agency.
Rumors are that talks surrounding a contract extension for Alex Smith are not going well, and the Chiefs may want to shore up that position in a deep quarterback draft and get some insurance if he leaves after this season.
On the line, the Chiefs lost left tackle Branden Albert and guards Geoff Schwartz and Jon Asamoah in free agency. At some point in this draft, they are going to need to draft some offensive linemen.
Dontari Poe is a stud on the Chiefs defensive line, but he can really use some help from some defensive ends but probably not in the first round.
Possible picks at 23: Marqise Lee, Brandin Cooks, Kelvin Benjamin, Odell Beckham Jr., Zack Martin, Morgan Moses, Cyrus Kouandjio, Xavier Su’a-Filo
3) San Diego Chargers Team Needs: CB, DT, OLB
A penalty on a missed field goal on what would have been the last play of the season gave the Chargers new life last year, and helped the team win four in a row to end the year and grab the last wildcard spot in the AFC.
The Chargers corners got exploited a lot last year, as the team was 29th in the NFL against the pass. Improving the secondary, especially in a division where they will need to stop Peyton Manning is a major priority if this team wants to improve on their wild card showing.
Corey Liuget led the Chargers in sacks last season. He had 5.5 on the season. Thats just not enough pressure in the 3-4, and a pass rushing OLB would be a big addition and help that secondary as well.
Defensive tackle Cam Thomas has left the Chargers and headed for Pittsburgh, as a result, the team really needs a replacement at defensive tackle to anchor their 3-4 defense.
Possible Picks at 25: Louis Nix III, Bradley Roby, Dee Ford, Kony Ealy, Jason Verrett, Kyle Fuller
4) Oakland Raiders Team Needs: WR, O-Line, QB
The Raiders were disappointing last season, but they believe that off-season additions of LaMarr Woodley, Justin Tuck, Matt Schaub, and Maurice Jones-Drew will help get them back in the playoffs, well at least Woodley believes that.
The Raiders really need a quarterback, but it appears that the team believes that Matt Schaub is a viable long-term starter, so their chances of taking a quarterback at fifth overall are slim.
However, they also need some targets for Schaub, even after signing James Jones. The Raiders definitely need to get some receiving talent and their should be at least one good option on the board for them in the first round.
Offensive Tackle was a bit of a saga this off-season in Oakland, and even after signing Donald Penn, they could take one of the quality tackles in this draft off the board.
Possible Picks at 5: Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Jake Matthews, Greg Robinson, Johnny Manziel,
Be sure to also check out the rest of Last Word On Sports’ NFL draft coverage.
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