The dust has settled on the 2023 NFL Draft and it is time to look back at every team’s haul to assess how they did. The AFC West is sure to be one of the more fascinating divisions in football next season and their draft classes reflected that. Here are my grades for all four teams.
Denver Broncos
| Pick | Player |
| 2.63 | Marvin Mims – WR, Oklahoma |
| 3.67 | Drew Sanders – LB, Arkansas |
| 3.83 | Riley Moss – CB, Iowa |
| 6.183 | JL Skinner – S, Boise State |
| 7.257 | Alex Forsyth – IOL, Oregon |
With the Broncos still paying off the Russell Wilson trade, they were once again working with depleted draft capital. They ended up with just five selections (only the Dolphins had fewer) but they did a good job of making them count. Getting Marvin Mims at the end of the second round was very good business. He is a legitimate deep threat who averaged an impressive 19.5 yards per catch and who should be an immediate impact player in Denver.
Drew Sanders was another very sound selection. He is as raw as you would expect for a player with just one year’s experience as an off-ball linebacker but he has great tools and is already a troublemaker as a blitzer. In Riley Moss they get a tremendously experienced cornerback with ball skills who can provide reinforcement on the boundary or at safety. They even managed to come away with one of the bargain’s of the draft with Boise State’s JL Skinner in the sixth round.
Grade: A
Kansas City Chiefs
| Pick | Player |
| 1.31 | Felix Anudike-Uzomah – EDGE, Kansas State |
| 2.55 | Rashee Rice – WR, SMU |
| 3.92 | Wanya Morris – OT, Oklahoma |
| 4.119 | Chamarri Conner – S, Virginia Tech |
| 5.166 | BJ Thompson – EDGE, Stephen F. Austin |
| 6.194 | Keondre Coburn – IDL, Texas |
| 7.250 | Nic Jones – CB, Ball State |
Things got off to a great start for the reigning Super Bowl champions and hosts of this year’s draft, selecting Felix Anudike-Uzomah with the final pick of the first round. In his two years as a starter for the Wildcats, Anudike-Uzomah earned a reputation for splash plays, bagging 21 sacks and eight forced fumbles. With Frank Clark gone he provides an excellent option across from last year’s first round pick George Karlaftis.
The rest of the draft was somewhat less inspiring. Rice is a solid receiver who can be a decent replacement for JuJu Smith-Schuster but you can’t help feeling that the Chiefs passed up a number of other more dynamic pass catchers in that spot. Morris has high upside at offensive tackle, but he is very much a gamble. The other picks all felt solid enough, but outside of Anudike-Uzomah it doesn’t feel like the Chiefs came away with any obvious needle movers. Only time will tell if that is true.
Grade: C+
Las Vegas Raiders
| Pick | Player |
| 1.7 | Tyree Wilson – EDGE, Texas Tech |
| 2.35 | Michael Mayer – TE, Notre Dame |
| 3.70 | Byron Young – IDL, Alabama |
| 3.100 | Tre Tucker – WR, Cincinnati |
| 4.104 | Jakorian Bennett – CB, Maryland |
| 4.135 | Aidan O’Connell – QB, Purdue |
| 5.170 | Christopher Smith – S, Georgia |
| 6.203 | Amari Burney – LB, Florida |
| 7.231 | Nesta Jade Silvera – IDL, Arizona State |
This will be a big year for Josh McDaniels and the Raiders as they look set to move on into the next chapter of their franchise. They kicked things off by adding what they hope to be a franchise-defining edge rusher in Tyree Wilson in what feels like a high risk, high reward selection. Wilson has ungodly traits but he is still noticeably raw and underdeveloped as a technician. Their decision to pass on Christian Gonzalez at this spot despite an urgent need at cornerback was also more than a little perplexing.
Getting Michael Mayer in the second round was an inspired move and gives the Raiders the Darren Waller replacement they needed. He also feels like a better fit for the type of offense McDaniels wants to run. Their next pick in Byron Young felt a little early, but he should be a solid contributor nonetheless. If there is one later round pick to keep an eye on it is safety Christopher Smith. The former Georgia Bulldog didn’t test well but he is a cerebral player with a quick trigger and impeccable ball skills.
Grade: B-
Los Angeles Chargers
| Pick | Player |
| 1.21 | Quentin Johnston – WR, TCU |
| 2.54 | Tuli Tuipulotu – EDGE, USC |
| 3.85 | Daiyan Henley – LB, Washington State |
| 4.125 | Derius Davis – WR, TCU |
| 5.156 | Jordan McFadden – OT, Clemson |
| 6.200 | Scott Matlock – IDL, Boise State |
| 7.239 | Max Duggan – QB, TCU |
The Chargers started off very well, adding my top wide receiver in the draft class at No. 21 overall and giving Justin Herbert an embarrassment of riches at the position. It feels like every year there is a prospect we over-analyse and this year it was Johnston. People called out his spotty hands and issues in contested catch situations, but this is a player who has NFL-ready size and athleticism which he pairs with perhaps the best YAC ability in the class. Don’t be surprised if he has a huge impact as a rookie.
Addressing edge rusher with their next pick was smart given their lack of depth at that spot. It might have been a little early for Tuipulotu but he brings an impressive track record of production and is still just 20 years old. His alignment versatility is also likely to come in handy on passing downs. In Daiyan Henley they get a rangy linebacker who could be the long-term replacement for Kenneth Murray. Even their day three picks were good, adding a dynamic returner in Davis, some depth in the trenches, and a backup quarterback in Max Duggan.
Grade: A
