NFL draft grades 2017: Did the Chargers get enough talent to make the leap in the AFC West?
The Chargers first season in Los Angeles could be a good one.
The 2017 NFL Draft concluded Saturday afternoon, casting the latest class of ballhawking defensive backs and developmental passers into the great wide open of rookie minicamps and contract negotiations. This year’s event was vital in the AFC West, a division that proved to be the toughest in the league. After a handful of hauls in Philadelphia, the West should wear that crown once more this fall.
The Chargers, the division’s last-place franchise, reloaded in a major way. Los Angeles added major help to an already-explosive offense by taking Clemson wideout Mike Williams and two of the event’s top interior linemen. They’ll need all the help they can get in a division that features two of the league’s most ferocious defenses in Denver and Oakland.
Was their lauded draft enough to launch a turnaround from the bottom of the West to its apex? Or did the Broncos, Raiders, and Chiefs add the talent they need to continue competing for the division’s crown? Here’s what experts had to say.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos were always going to have a tough draft. Their biggest position of need -- offensive line — fell victim one of the weakest classes of blockers the league has ever seen. Even so, the team did well to add Garett Bolles, a high-ceiling tackle, on day one. With a prolific defense already in place, Denver focused on rebuilding its offense, adding a pair of big name talents on day three. Jake Butt and Chad Kelly may never reach the dizzying highs of their college careers, but were low-risk, high-reward pickups for John Elway.
Dan Kadar, SB Nation: C+
Mel Kiper, ESPN: B+
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B
Chris Burke, SI: A
Nate Davis, USA Today: B-
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B
Kansas City Chiefs
The headliner for the Chiefs 2017 draft was a trade up to take Patrick Mahomes with the No. 10 pick. That’s a developmental play that does little to help the team win now and will hamstring them in the 2018 draft. They doubled down on the future by taking Villanova project Tanoh Kpassagnon in the second round. Kpassagnon is talented, but very raw. If he and Mahomes reach their ceilings, it will be a major win for the Chiefs — but that won’t happen for a few years, at least, and Kansas City needed to add impact players for 2017.
Dan Kadar, SB Nation: C
Mel Kiper, ESPN: C+
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B-
Chris Burke, SI: B
Nate Davis, USA Today: B-
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B+
Los Angeles Chargers
Philip Rivers turned Tyrell Williams into a 1,000-yard receiver last fall. Just imagine what he can do with Clemson standout Mike Williams. Los Angeles didn’t just supercharge Rivers’ passing game with a new weapon, it also added two dynamic blockers — Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney — to keep him upright and clear holes for tailback Melvin Gordon. Cornerback Desmond King could wind up being 2017’s biggest steal after being drafted in the fifth round. All in all, this looks like a haul.
Dan Kadar, SB Nation: B
Mel Kiper, ESPN: A
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B+
Chris Burke, SI: A
Nate Davis, USA Today: A-
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B+
Oakland Raiders
Oakland revamped its secondary with two talented playmakers — Gareon Conley and Obi Melifonwu. Both have serious questions to answer, whether it’s about their on-field play (Melifonwu) or off-field incidents (Conley). After that, they targeted high-upside prospects who may have been available later down the line. Eddie Vanderdoes has yet to match the hype he received as a high school recruit. David Sharpe is a project.
Dan Kadar, SB Nation: B-
Mel Kiper, ESPN: C
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B-
Chris Burke, SI: B-
Nate Davis, USA Today: C
Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B+