One of the most talented divisions in football, the AFC West is a collection of franchises desperately looking toward the draft in order to keep pace in the proverbial personnel arms race. With the Broncos coming off of a Super Bowl victory, they are seemingly the frontrunners for the division crown entering 2016. From the perspective of the other franchises in the division, however, the Broncos have never looked weaker. They have some serious question marks nearly everywhere on offense and now even need to reboot slightly on the defensive line – an area that largely propelled them to Super Bowl heights last season. With a good draft from either the Chiefs or Raiders, a new champ could be crowned out West, while a great one from the Chargers can get them into the playoff discussion as well. 

Denver Broncos

2015 Record: 12-4

2016 Draft Picks: 31, 63, 94, 98, 136, 144, 291, 238, 235, 253

As highlighted above, the Broncos may be riding high off of their February Super Bowl victory over the Panthers, but they must come back to reality soon, as there are some major holes on this roster to fill. First and foremost, they need to address their quarterback situation. With the retirement of Peyton Manning and the departure of Brock Osweiler, they are now hamstrung at the position to the point of potentially beginning the season with Mark “Butt Fumble” Sanchez as their starting quarterback, unless of course they address the position in the draft… We’ll get to that later. Now with all joking aside, I actually rather like The Sanchize’s game. However, if you are looking to make a run at a second consecutive Super Bowl, he is not exactly the guy to lead the way, unless of course he is surrounded with incredible talent. While Denver would love to get him a stud offensive lineman to protect him, a star running back to take the pressure off him, or a game-breaking wideout to make the throws easier for him, my board just doesn’t seem to show pick No. 31 being the spot to do it. Instead, the Broncos would be best served taking a defensive lineman to fill the gaping void left by Malik Jackson’s departure.

Jonathan Bullard out of Florida seems to be built from the same mold as Jackson, which is just what the doctor ordered, as Jackson was arguably the Broncos' most impactful defender last season. On tape Bullard shows incredible explosion -- maybe the best first step in the draft. He often punished opposing offensive linemen before they even get out of their stance. This excellent jump off of the ball allows Bullard the ultimate scheme flexibility in that he can two-gap with his hands extended and engaged on offensive linemen, or he can shoot a single gap, blowing up plenty of plays in the backfield before they even get started. Here’s a perfect example of what I’m talking about in terms of his explosive first step…

https://gyazo.com/cd4a1be42ab09b44e0a6cb83c4eb1287

With the addition of Bullard, there would obviously be a learning curve, but he likely gives Denver the best chance of maintaining their defensive identity, without taking too many steps backwards in 2016.

As stated previously: considering they might be entering the season with Sanchez as their starting quarterback, mark my words, the position will be addressed in the draft in some form or another. The Broncos could target a Plan B QB as early as the second round, where Connor Cook of Michigan State or Christian Hackenberg of Penn State might be targeted. In the middle rounds of the draft their options become a bit broader based off of preference. However, considering their recent interest in Colin Kaepernick, one with some athleticism likely seems like the most logical fit. Prospects in play include Jacoby Brissett out of NC State, Cardale Jones of Ohio State, Dak Prescott of Mississippi State, and Jeff Driskel of Louisiana Tech.

While they did match and extend C.J. Anderson’s contract this offseason, the Broncos are far from set at the running back position. Expect them to target one as early as the second round if Derrick Henry of Alabama somehow falls to them at 63. Other targets include C.J. Prosise of Notre Dame, Paul Perkins of UCLA, Jordan Howard of Indiana, Kenneth Dixon of Louisiana Tech, Jonathan Williams of Arkansas, and many more.

I hate to keep banging on the defending champs here, but they really still have some glaring holes, even if they were to draft all three of the previously listed positions. They also could use two more inside linebackers, two guards, an offensive tackle, and a tight end if they plan on successfully defending even their divisional crown, let alone their Super Bowl championship.

Kansas City Chiefs

2015 Record: 11-5

2016 Draft Picks: 28, 59, 126, 162, 165, 203, 249

The Chiefs were an incredible story last season, as after Week 6 they were 1-5 and in real danger of completely allowing their season to fall off the tracks after having just lost Jamaal Charles – their best player – to a torn ACL. Instead, they somehow rallied around the despair and rattled off an improbable 10 straight wins to close out the season, giving them one of the best records in the NFL. Considering this incredible turnaround, the eventual return of Charles, and stable of other quality backs, the Chiefs are without many glaring needs. Ideally, they would take a corner in the first round – their most pressing need – but by No. 28 overall, there aren’t many worthy first rounders left at the position. Because of this, I expect them to turn their attention to the offensive line – most specifically offensive tackle – as they look to upgrade the protection that Alex Smith gets on a more consistent basis.

Taylor Decker out of Ohio State should fall right into their laps at No. 28, as his advanced skillset should slip through the cracks in the mid-first round due to his assumed inability to play on the left side at the next level. In reality, the pundits are probably right, as his arm length isn’t ideal for an NFL left tackle. Good news for the Chiefs is that they would be fine upgrading their right tackle, giving them a player with a LT skillset playing on the right side. To go along with his impressive kick slide and pass protection technique; Decker does some of his best work in the run game. As you can see here, Decker (LT No. 68) works with the left guard on a hedge block, eventually securing the block one-on-one so well that he allows the help blocker move along to the second level. Decker ends up with a pancake on the play, while displaying his nastiness and relentless motor all in the same action.

As for corner, the Chiefs might be lucky enough to snag Artie Burns out of Miami or Xavien Howard out of Baylor in the second round. If they have to wait, D.J. White out of Georgia Tech is a solid option in the middle rounds, as is Zack Sanchez out of Oklahoma. A late-round sleeper to keep an eye on is James Bradberry of Samford, who would compliment Marcus Peters very well as the other outside corner.

Oakland Raiders

2015 Record: 7-9

2016 Draft Picks: 14, 44, 75, 114, 143, 154, 194, 234

The Raiders were one of the biggest surprises of 2015, as they turned their team around quickly to the point of making a near playoff push at the end. A team who is building very well and incredibly fast on both sides of the ball, a great draft would be something that could potentially put them over the edge as one of the most feared teams in the conference. With their 14th overall selection, I expect them to turn to the secondary and select Mackensie Alexander – cornerback out of Clemson.

Alexander is an accomplished and confident collegiate cornerback, who played with tremendous heart and a relentless motor at all times. He’s a bouncy, quick twitch athlete who considers himself -- through his physical play on the field -- to be more than just a cornerback. He’s always willing to mix it up in the run game and never shies away from contact. His tape shows ultra-competitiveness in man coverage, as he tends to mirror receivers with his useful hand checking and polished footwork.

While I consider him instinctive in zone coverage, Alexander didn't produce as many turnovers as scouts might like. He's slightly undersized for the preference of most NFL evaluators to play outside, but from day one should make a living as a physical slot corner. Oakland will love the swagger and tenacity that Alexander will bring to the defense from day one, and no matter where he plays, he will make an impact.

In the second round and third rounds, expect them to continue targeting the secondary, as a safety upgrade or two is in need for the Raiders. Strong safeties in play include Von Bell of Ohio State, Keneau Neal of Florida, Karl Joseph of West Virginia, and Miles Killebrew of Southern Utah, while free safety options include Jalen Mills of LSU and Darian Thompson of Boise State.

In the middle rounds of the draft they will look to add some defensive and offensive line depth, while inside linebackers such as Tyler Matakevich of Temple and Scooby Wright of Arizona would fit well surrounded by all of the great athletes that this Oakland defense already possesses.

San Diego Chargers

2015 Record: 4-12

2016 Draft Picks: 3, 35, 66, 102, 175, 179, 198, 224

We all clamor for it in today’s game, and you’ve probably heard me say it a thousand times already this offseason, but positional versatility is king right now in the NFL, and while there are plenty of scheme versatile players in this class, there might not be a better prototype for what teams are looking for than Jalen Ramsey – defensive weapon, Florida State. To put in simple terms, most consider him a defensive back of sorts. His skillset: blitzing ability of an outside linebacker, hits like a safety, and covers like a corner. If he is still available with the third overall pick, expect the Chargers to run up to the podium waiving their card in hand with his name plastered all over it in big bold letters.

As you all know, I typically will add a .GIF file to show a particular prospect’s strong suit on the field, but in this case – because there were just too many splash plays to choose from – I will have to embed a video. This is a video from 2014 when the Seminoles played Miami. To say that Ramsey was all over the field in this one is an extreme understatement. He had countless quarterback hurries, four pass deflections, and an interception, as he basically singlehandedly willed his team back from behind in order to pick up the improbable victory over the Hurricanes. This video takes all of his impact plays in the contest and condenses them into roughly two minutes of on-field action… Enjoy.

*** Check back in on Sunday for my breakdown of the NFC South and their respective draft needs ***