2023 NFL Draft Grades: AFC West
We’re rounding out the AFC draft grades here with this division. The AFC West 2023 NFL Draft grades are going to be really fun to talk about. Mostly because we’re going to have some bad grades coming. Let’s get right into it!
Denver Broncos: C+
Round 2: No. 63 — Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma
Round 3: No. 67 — Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
Round 3: No. 83 — Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
Round 6: No. 183 — JL Skinner, S, Boise State
Round 7: No. 257 — Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon
The Russell Wilson trade is a disaster. Giving up a first round pick plus more for Sean Payton feels brain dead. That being said, I think the Broncos did fairly well. This draft had the potential to be an F and they came out of this with an unreal save job.
The first three picks the Broncos made were home runs. JL Skinner can be added to that group. I wasn’t super high on him because I think he lacks pure coverage skills. But the 6th round for him is a steal. Let’s break this down further so you can hop on board.
The Broncos did a hell of a job crafting the ideal wide receiver room. Jerry Jeudy is your route running machine. Courtland Sutton is the big body guy. Now you’re adding a speed demon in Marvin Mims to stretch the defense. Mims is someone I’m really high on and think he’s going to carve a role in this offense.
Drew Sanders was my number-one-rated linebacker in the draft. I think he should have gone a round higher. The fact that they got him at pick 67 is silly. Silly in a good way. The same goes for Riley Moss who I was also really high on. This dude is a baller and the Broncos finally got their secondary corner.
I get why people will hate on this draft. The hate is warranted. If we’re just being real, the Broncos probably got three players that are going to really help them. That’s more than a lot of teams can say.
Kansas City Chiefs: F
Round 1: No. 31 overall: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State
Round 2: No. 55 (from Lions via Vikings): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
Round 3: No. 92 (from Bengals) — Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma
Round 4: No. 119 (from Lions via Vikings) — Chamarri Conner, S, Virginia Tech
Round 5: No. 166 — BJ Thompson, OLB, Stephen F Austin
Round 6: No. 194 (from Lions) — Keondre Coburn, DT, Texas
Round 7: No. 250 — Nic Jones, CB, Ball State
This draft sucks and I think they know it. Totally egregious to not trade down when teams were dying to move up into the first round for that 5th year option. To just turn the card in there for the Kansas State guy is hilarious. I mean hilarious in a bad way. He’s going to end up being the next Darrell Taylor and we’re all going to sit back and laugh at how comically wrong it was to turn the card in there.
Is there anything to like here? Rashee Rice has some promise but not sure that’s my second round pick. Wanya Morris was a big recruit and that’s probably the only pick I approve of.
Virginia Tech was unwatchable this year and you’re lucky if you get a special teamer out of Conner. BJ Thompson is a small school guy who has sack production but very easily could turn into nothing.
Brett Veach loves being weird on draft day. Can we stop pretending he’s a genius? This is the same guy that took Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round and the rest of you idiots praised him because they’re the Chiefs. Not everything he does is smart. This was a bad draft and there is no other way to slice it.
Las Vegas Raiders: F
Round 1: No. 7 overall: Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
Round 2: No. 35 (from Colts): Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
Round 3: No. 70 — Byron Young, DL, Alabama
Round 3: No. 100 (from Chiefs through Giants) — Tre Tucker, WR, Cincinnati
Round 4: No. 104 (from Texans) — Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
Round 4: No. 135 (from Patriots) — Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue
Round 5: No. 170 (from Packers through Jets) — Christopher Smith, S, Georgia
Round 6: No. 203 (from Giants through Texans) — Amari Burney, OLB, Florida
Round 6: No. 231 — Nesta Jade Silvera, DT, Arizona State
It was a classic Raiders draft. The poo poo factory of sadness over and over again. It was classic Raiders and you can’t make up the things they do at this point. Picking the wrong Byron Young was just the cherry on top.
I talked about it over and over again. Tyree Wilson is a massive risk. Guy did nothing at Texas A&M and only produced when he was older against inferior competition. There is no way to justify this pick other than by hoping and praying the guy hits his potential. There is a shot this works out but a more than likely chance it doesn’t. Hard to imagine either way he will end up being the 7th best player in this class.
I get the Michael Mayer idea but it’s poor execution. I’m much lower on Mayer than the consensus. He’s really slow and the hands aren’t great either. To trade Darren Waller for a third rounder and replace him with a guy that can’t run just stinks. They also used that Waller pick on Tre Tucker who is a nobody and wasn’t even the best receiver on Cincinnati.
I like the Jakorian Bennet and Chris Smith selections. Should be two potential contributors on day three. Other than that it was typical Raiders. Failed again. A frequent occurrence for them.
Los Angeles Chargers: C-
Round 1: No. 21 overall: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
Round 2: No. 54: Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC
Round 3: No. 85 — Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State
Round 4: No. 125 — Derius Davis, WR, TCU
Round 5: No. 156 — Jordan McFadden, OG, Clemson
Round 6: No. 200 — Scott Matlock, DT, Boise State
Round 7: No. 239 — Max Duggan, QB, TCU
Tom Telesco must have had a lot of fun when he scouted TCU because this draft doesn’t make a lot of sense without that caveat. Three TCU players in a class littered with risk. Was it necessary to take a second wide receiver from TCU? Derius Davis is tiny and will probably turn into nothing other than being a cool teammate to have for their first round pick. Max Duggan would have went higher but his accuracy was so awful predraft that he obviously slid down the board.
With that being said, I’m just not high on Quentin Johnston. Chaotic mover in a bad way and a big time body catcher. Massive risk in that selection. The good news is he will have the chance to learn from Keenan Allen and Mike Williams while not being asked to carry the load right away. That helps him tremendously. Before I sound like Jackson Law and use the word tremendously again, I’ll pivot to the next point.
Two picks I’m in on. That really gets it to the C-. In the third round I absolutely get the Daiyan Henley swing. Former converted wide receiver turned linebacker. Bit of an unknown but has serious potential. Have no issue with those kind of swings in the third round. Tuli Tuipulotu is another great pick. Another guy I’m high on. He will be a defensive weapon for them.
Quick side note: Jordan McFadden is terrible. I feel confident in saying that. Awful footwork at the combine.
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