The AFC West is an interesting division in that the balance of power has only recently switched. The San Diego Chargers ruled the division for some time, but the addition of Peyton Manning by the Denver Broncos vaulted them well into first place last season. Now, the Chargers are trying to make up ground as the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders try to piece together a rebuilding effort.
2013 NFL Draft grades: Raiders, Chargers receive highest marks in AFC West
The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders may not be the favorites to win the AFC West next season, but they received the highest marks in the 2013 NFL Draft.
With the 2013 NFL Draft just wrapping up, expectations are fairly high for each team. Grades were mixed during the draft, but the overall hauls for each team seems to be respectable, as final grades seem to indicate. We’ll run through each team and go over their grades below.
The grades used will be from SB Nation’s Dan Kadar, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., CBS Sports’ Rob Rang and SI.com’s Chris Burke.
Denver Broncos
Kiper: B-
Rang: B
Burke: C+
Kadar's A+ Pick: DT Sylvester Williams
Denver had a big, big hole on the interior of their defensive line and Williams should fill that hole perfectly. That is a great pick for them, but the rest of the draft was so-so. Montee Ball could end up being a strong selection, but other than him, the Broncos didn't really impress draft experts, hence the lack of 'A's.
More: Mile High Report
Kansas City Chiefs
Kiper: B
Rang: C
Burke: B
Kadar's A+ Pick: OT Eric Fisher
They may have surprised a few people by taking Fisher over Joeckel, but the selection does make sense from the scheme that the Chiefs run on offense. Landing Sanders Commings late could be a strong pick, but the selections of Knile Davis and Travis Kelce could go either way, though their upside is significant. Their class may have been stronger if they hadn't traded a second-round pick for quarterback Alex Smith.
More: Arrowhead Pride
Oakland Raiders
Kiper: B-
Rang: B
Burke: B-
Kadar's A+ Pick: CB D.J. Hayden
The Raiders have had terrible drafts for years and years. They constantly trade away their picks and have nothing to show for it. But this year, they actually held on to some, and though they moved down in the first round, they got the players they were after. Earning a ‘B’ grade is significant for them at this point, though D.J. Hayden is the very definition of a wildcard with his injury history.
More: Silver and Black Pride
San Diego Chargers
Kiper: B+
Rang: B+
Burke: B
Kadar's A+ Pick: OT D.J. Fluker
San Diego desperately needed an offensive tackle, and they got their man in D.J. Fluker. But they got a huge steal when they took wide receiver Keenan Allen in the third round and have secured their wide receiver grouping for years to come, provided Allen ends up being good. Manti Te'o was somewhat surprising, and he can go either way at this point but nobody can argue against the Chargers getting a lot of players with an awful lot of positive tape on them.
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