With the NFL Draft being moved to May, that leaves more time for rumors and speculation as to what teams might do come Draft Day. Here’s a look at the latest rumors surrounding the AFC West with the Draft just around the corner.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders will have the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, and there has been a lot of speculation as to who will sport the silver and black this season.
There’s not much the Raiders don’t need, but General Manager Reggie McKenzie has said that he will utilize this years draft for the future, and he’ll have plenty of talented players to choose from. The Raiders draft needs include a quarterback, wide receiver, safety, and corner.
With the addition of Matt Schaub, the Raiders are now highly unlikely to use their fifth pick on a quarterback. All eyes are on wide receiver Sammy Watkins who, if available, is the Raiders top choice on Thursday night. Linebacker Khalil Mack is also on Oakland’s radar and would be a great fit.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are a good team with a talented roster who had a lot of success during the 2013 campaign. They made the playoffs, but showed some struggles against the better teams in the NFL.
Recently there have been rumors that the Chiefs could be eyeing a quarterback in the first round, but that seems unlikely considering they have a pretty good QB in Alex Smith. That being said, contract talks have stalled between the two, which could fuel some interest in a young quarterback for the future.
Entering the draft, the Chiefs will look to add some talent and depth at the wide receiver position as well as some help on the offensive line. The defensive tackle position is also a need for the Chiefs.
San Diego Chargers
San Diego made an impressive run last year, making the playoffs and getting past the first round, but they still need improvement at certain positions.
The Chargers draft needs include a cornerback, some offensive line help, and wide receiver.
The biggest need for San Diego is a cornerback as they had the worst pass rush last year. Jason Verrett could be a viable solution if available. San Diego also struggled against the rush last year, leaving Louis Nix III as a possible pick for the Chargers.
Denver Broncos
The defending AFC Champions will put another talented team on the field in 2014. There’s not much the Broncos need, so they may attempt a trade. John Elway was quite vague when he discussed the draft saying the team could potentially trade up or down on Thursday.
Some primary needs for the Broncos include cornerback, middle linebacker, and offensive linemen.
The top players at these positions aren’t expected to be available for the Broncos at 31, therefore a trade could very well be in the works.