Around the AFC West: Pre-draft rumors from KC, LA and Vegas
Apr 17, 2020, 6:35 AM
We are counting down to the 2020 NFL Draft and things are starting to heat up around the league. We’re hearing all sorts of reports about teams, including the Broncos, wanting to move around the NFL draft to better their situation.
The Broncos division is arguably the toughest in the league, so they’ll need a solid draft to either make up ground on a team like the Chiefs or stay with (stay ahead?) of teams like the Chargers and the Raiders. While the news has been thick about the Broncos, there are some stories within the division that Denver needs to keep up with.
Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.
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Kansas City Chiefs
We could see the Chiefs make a move for an offensive lineman during the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As Super Bowl champions, they have the No. 32 overall pick at the end of the round and there is buzz building about them wanting o-line help.
Louisiana-Lafayette offensive lineman Robert Hunt is continuing to draw interest from the Chiefs ahead of the draft. Hunt is strong, athletic and has great hand strength. He has started 45 games during his career, with half behind inside at guard and the rest at right tackle. A groin injury last October caused him to miss the final seven games of his senior season.
I like Hunt’s game, but have a second-round grade on him. The Chiefs are at the end of the first round, so it’s basically the same value, but I think they might be able to get him later in the draft. However, I’ve always said if you like a guy, then take him or move up to get him.
The Chiefs have brought back 10 of 11 starters on offense from last year, with guard Stefen Wisniewski (Steelers) as the only player to move on. Perhaps Hunt could be plug in as a starter immediately on the interior of the offensive line.
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Las Vegas Raiders
Wide receiver is a sore subject with Raiders general manager Mike Mayock. In a recent interview with Dan Graziano from ESPN, Mayock said, “We need to get better at wideout.” The team wanted Antonio Brown as their No. 1 wide receiver last year and we all know how that worked out.
The Raiders have a top-12 pick (No. 12 overall) and that’s likely going to be a wide receiver. In fact, things are trending where the Raiders may have their choice of the “big three” at the position, including Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma) and Henry Ruggs III (Alabama).
It all depends on if the Jets take the first wide receiver off the board at No. 11 overall. The Raiders would love to add a top-tier talent in order to help out quarterback Derek Carr.
In fact, I’ve been told that the Raiders are likely to select at least two wide receivers in this draft. I fully expect them to take a wide receiver in the first round, and they should be interested in some quality late-round picks from the class. They’ll need to add more talent to go along with Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow.
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Los Angeles Chargers
This week, Chargers tight end Hunter Henry signed his franchise-tag tender. This gives him a one-year deal, fully guaranteed at a price of $10.6 million. The two sides have until mid-July to sign him to a new long-term deal.
Henry wants to stay with the Chargers and believes they should be able to come to a new agreement. In fact, the team should put a priority on Henry – especially if they add a rookie quarterback with a premium pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. They had a video interview with Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, and he could be a target for the Chargers in the second round.
Having a security blanket like Henry on the field would greatly help a young quarterback like Hurts. It would also help veteran Tyrod Taylor, who is currently pencilled in as the Chargers starter. He hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2017, even though Taylor did start a small handful of games for the Browns in 2018.
If healthy, Henry is one of the best tight ends in the game today. Expect the Chargers to get a new deal done.
