The AFC West had a mostly uneventful Round 1 of the NFL Draft, with the team making the most noise in the offseason also the one making the most trades in the draft- the Denver Broncos. The Broncos ended up trading out of the first round altogether, while the Chargers and Chiefs both picked defensive linemen.
The Chiefs were up first at pick 11 and selected Dontari Poe, DT from Memphis. Poe is a beast who is virtually unblockable when giving his best effort. However, if you watch all of his film, max effort is rare. He tends to take plays off and not give the game his all. It’s a shame, because if he went all-out all the time he could be one of the best defensive linemen in football. He will be quite a load for any offensive lineman to handle, but the Chiefs have taken a couple defensive linemen recently (Glenn Dorsey, Tyson Jackson) who have yet to distinguish themselves so Poe will have to play to his full potential from the beginning to avoid any rumblings of him being a bust.
The Chargers waited patiently and got DE Melvin Ingram from South Carolina with pick #18. I think this is a steal, as many expected Ingram to be taken in the top 10 picks. His high motor and skill set certainly justify that sort of opinion. The Chargers have needed good pass rushers for years and Ingram fits the bill. He is a tremendous player and will be terrorizing opposing QBs for years to come.
The Broncos decided they wanted no part of the first round at all. First, they traded pick 25 to the Patriots for picks 31 and 126. They then flipped BOTH those picks to Tampa Bay for picks #36 and 101. The Broncos now have two picks in the second round. I anticipate them to take a secondary player and a running back.
The Raiders sat back and watched as Cincinnati selected Dre Kirkpatrick with the pick that would have been theirs, had they not traded for Carson Palmer. Kirkpatrick is an excellent player, but Palmer is a franchise QB, so the Raiders are probably better off as they are. They will have the last pick in the third round tomorrow. I expect a linebacker or secondary player to be chosen.