The AFC West had a lot of activity in rounds 2 and 3, with many of the picks focusing on linemen. The Chiefs took two of them, the Broncos took one, the Chargers took one, and the Raiders took one with the only pick they had. The Broncos also took a couple skill position players, including a certain very tall quarterback.
The Chiefs decided they did not need any help at the skill positions or the defensive backfield, opting instead to select offensive linemen Jeff Allen at pick #44 and Donald Stephenson at pick #74. Allen will be able to step in right away, but Stephenson is more of a project. If he pans out, however, he will be formidable.
Denver started the AFC West’s day by talking Derek Wolfe, a NT from Cincinnati at #36. Denver is very thin at defensive tackle with Brodrick Bunkley leaving as a free agent. Wolfe isn’t the sort of gap-plugger that Denver probably needed but he is a good penetrator who can stuff the run and pursue the quarterback. The Broncos then elected to draft their QB of the future at pick #57 in the form of Brock Osweiler out of Arizona State. Osweiler is, as you may have heard, very tall. He is around 6’7" and has a rocket arm. He is definitely not starter-ready like Andrew Luck, but he is certainly ready to pick splinters out of his rear end for a few years while Peyton Manning fulfills his contract.
The Broncos then took RB Ronnie Hillman from San Diego State with the 67th pick. This guy is insurance for Denver’s current RBs, the ancient Willis McGahee and the oft-injured and never-good Knowshon Moreno.
The Chargers took another defensive lineman in the second round, choosing DT Kendall Reyes from Connecticut with the #49 pick. He and Melvin Ingram will infuse some youth and athleticism into an aging defensive line. The Chargers then picked Brandon Taylor, Safety from LSU. Strong safety has been an issue for the team for years and they are counting on Taylor to rectify that. I expect San Diego to pick some offensive skill players on Saturday, to replace Vincent Jackson and Mike Tolbert.
The Raiders only had one pick, the very last one of the evening. They spent it on Tony Bergstrom, OL from Utah. The Raiders don’t have a lot of depth on the offensive line, and only three of their linemen would start for just about any other team, so this was an obvious need selection. Bergstrom is a proficient zone blocker who has the versatility to play any spot on the line. That is just what the doctor ordered for Oakland. Look for them to take linebackers and defensive backs in rounds 4-7.