Most of the AFC West spent its early draft capital on offensive players.<\/p>\n
The Broncos went the other direction, landing Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 20 overall pick<\/a> Thursday night.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a quick look at the rest of the draft hauls in the division.<\/p>\n Denver<\/p>\n Grade: B-<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n From there, the rest of the Broncos\u2019 draft was about fit. Sean Payton and George Paton fell in love with UCF back R.J. Harvey. Illinois receiver Pat Bryant fits Payton\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s free agency departure.<\/p>\n A bit light on sizzle,<\/a> but the perception will change quickly if Harvey and Bryant hit the ground running.<\/p>\n Kansas City<\/p>\n Grade: A-<\/p>\n Yeah, it\u2019s 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\u2019 blind side.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 draft class could be the Day 3 additions of Utah State receiver Jalen Royals and seventh-round SMU running back Brashard Smith. They\u2019re both fun to watch, have big-play ability and should be easy to fit into the Chiefs\u2019 offensive arsenal.<\/p>\n Las Vegas<\/p>\n Grade: B+<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s Tommy Mellott (who will play receiver in the NFL) and North Dakota State\u2019s Cam Miller on Day 3 is fun. The only knock on taking Jeanty is you don\u2019t want to waste a lot of mileage on a premium back before you\u2019re truly ready to compete. How fast can Vegas get there?<\/p>\n Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n Grade: B<\/p>\n Jim Harbaugh ended up with the running back many people thought Denver was after in North Carolina\u2019s Omarion Hampton. In the end, the Broncos weren\u2019t actually going to take him at No. 20 \u2014\u00a0they considered trading back and taking Ohio State\u2019s TreVeyon Henderson<\/a> \u2014\u00a0but the Chargers gladly did. He\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019ll represent terrific value.<\/p>\n