Over the next two weeks I will be going through and giving my assessments of how the draft played out for each team in a specific division. I’ll start with my most familiar division, the AFC West. Without further ado, let’s get this going:
Best Pick: Round 2 pick 36, Derek Wolfe, DT, U of Cincinnati: Wolfe brings something that is an obvious weakness (at least in the mind of the media and draft analysts) to the Denver Broncos,
gap shooting three technique that can provide an instant pass rush to force the QB back into the ferocious pass rush of Doom and Gloom. Wolfe should be a day one starter next to Ty Warren if he can remain healthy.
Worst Pick: Round 2 pick 57, Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State: Before the draft, John Elway clearly proclaimed that the Denver Broncos would approach this draft looking for impact players. Brock is not the impact player that Bronco fans were looking for after having to wait through the first round with no picks. The stun from John Elway (and crew) picking Derek Wolfe with pick 36 hadn’t sunk in yet, and then they made this pick. A future pick is what this was, and will be. If Brock can blossom under Elway and Manning, then Elway will look like a genius in four to five years. Let’s hope that is what happens.
Best Pick: Round 1 pick 18, Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina: When A.J. Smith drafted Larry English with the 16
th pick in the 2009 draft, he was looking for what Melvin Ingram should provide the team with: an outside pass rush to match up with an aging Shaun Phillips. English never panned out only putting up 2 sacks in 2009, 3 sacks in 2010, and 2 sacks in 2011. Those aren’t the numbers you want to see from your first round pass rusher over three years. Especially since A.J. had to watch Denver land 11.5 sacks from their rookie last year in Von Miller.
Worst Pick: Round 5 pick, Johnny Troutman, Guard, Penn State: The Chargers lost one of the best deep threats/big play wide outs in the game with Vincent Jackson. They did not draft one single wide receiver to help recover from this. Robert Meacham and Eddie Royal, together, will not match Jackson’s production. While I like what Troutman can bring to the table, I feel this pick should have been one of the wide receivers left.
Kansas City Chiefs:
Best Pick: Round 1 pick 11, Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis: Lots of people criticized the Chiefs for making this the 11
th pick in the draft, but the Chiefs needed a nose tackle. Specifically, one that would be the foundation of their defense for the next decade. Poe looks to be that guy. When anyone analyzes a nose tackle, you cannot use stats to tell the story of the player. The nose tackle eats up blocks and allows the athletic linebackers to swarm the ball carrier, or the quarterback.
Worst Pick: Round 2 pick 44, Jeff Allen, G, Illinois: The Chiefs needed a home run with their second round pick. One strong suit for the Chiefs the past few seasons has been the offensive line. A not so obvious weakness is their safety position. Eric Berry is a young stud and could potentially become one of the best in the league, but who can mirror the productivity and fear that Berry brings to the team to fill the other safety position? Their corner situation is great and they have good depth with quality starters. Harrison Smith would have added the much needed support in the free safety department for the KC Chiefs, even if a move-up would have been needed.
Going through the Raiders picks were hard. This regime is coming into a mess. Al David, with all due respect, completely destroyed this team. From the head coach to the towel boy, this team was, and is, a complete disaster.
Best Pick: Round 5 Pick 168, Juron Criner, WR, Arizona: Criner flew under the radar throughout most of the draft. He has soft hands, and possesses good route running. I predict Criner will flourish under the arm of Carson Palmer. Note, Criner was Nick Folk’s favorite target, and might just become Oakland’s favorite target… whoever the QB might be.
Worst Pick: Round 6 Pick 189, Christo Bilukidi, DT, Georgia State: With Forster still on the board and many other options for defensive line help, this pick is a head scratcher. It seems a little bit like Al had a strangle hold on McKenzie, and Reggie decided to please his boss from above.
Thank you for reading. Please feel free to share your thoughts and/or questions on this topic.
-Randy Schwimmer
Follow me on Twitter: @randyschwimmer7
