NFL Draft Grades: AFC West
With the 2020 NFL Draft officially complete, theScore's NFL editors hand out their initial grades for how teams fared over the course of the three-day event.
NFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
AFC
EAST | NORTH | SOUTH | WEST
Denver Broncos
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | WR Jerry Jeudy |
| 2 | 46 | WR K.J. Hamler |
| 3 | 77 | CB Michael Ojemudia |
| 3 | 83 | C Lloyd Cushenberry |
| 3 | 95 | DT McTelvin Agim |
| 4 | 118 | TE Albert Okwuegbunam |
| 5 | 178 | LB Justin Strnad |
| 6 | 181 | G Netane Muti |
| 7 | 252 | WR Tyrie Cleveland |
| 7 | 254 | DE Derrek Tuszka |
Grade: A-
The Broncos accomplished their goal of upgrading the cast around second-year quarterback Drew Lock. Jeudy was theScore's top-ranked wide receiver, and the Broncos did well to land him without needing to trade up. Hamler gives Denver a deep threat and should complement the skill sets of Courtland Sutton, Jeudy, and former first-round tight end Noah Fant nicely. John Elway also improved his young signal-caller's protection by selecting Cushenberry, who could immediately slide into the starting lineup at guard or center.
Kansas City Chiefs
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32 | RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire |
| 2 | 63 | LB Willie Gay Jr. |
| 3 | 96 | OT Lucas Niang |
| 4 | 138 | S L'Jarius Sneed |
| 5 | 177 | DE Michael Danna |
| 7 | 237 | CB Bopete Keyes |
Grade: B
First-round running backs don't offer great value, though it's acceptable because the defending Super Bowl champions had no glaring needs to address. Edwards-Helaire figures to be a long-term piece in Andy Reid's offense and could become a workhorse if Damien Williams leaves via free agency in 2021. Niang was a sneaky pick in the third round, as the TCU product will improve the Chiefs' depth up front while likely serving as the swing tackle as a rookie.
Las Vegas Raiders
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | WR Henry Ruggs III |
| 1 | 19 | CB Damon Arnette |
| 3 | 80 | WR/RB Lynn Bowden |
| 3 | 81 | WR Bryan Edwards |
| 3 | 100 | LB Tanner Muse |
| 4 | 109 | G John Simpson |
| 4 | 139 | CB Amik Robertson |
Grade: C+
It's not like Ruggs is a one-trick pony, but the speedster is more of a specialty receiver than Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb. Arnette was a major reach at No. 19, and the Raiders' inability to trade down and wait for him later in the first round or the second round was disappointing. On the bright side, Las Vegas loaded up on picks in the top four rounds, understanding that late-rounders will have a tougher time cracking the roster this year since the offseason program is almost guaranteed to be wiped out.
Los Angeles Chargers
| Round | Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | QB Justin Herbert |
| 1 | 23 | LB Kenneth Murray |
| 4 | 112 | RB Joshua Kelley |
| 5 | 151 | WR Joe Reed |
| 6 | 186 | S Alohi Gilman |
| 7 | 220 | WR K.J. Hill |
Grade: C+
The Chargers may have found their quarterback of the future, but he's got nowhere near the polish or upside of Tua Tagovailoa, who went one pick earlier. With the Lions and Giants looking to trade down from No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, it's baffling that the Chargers decided to wait for the third-best prospect at No. 6. They became aggressive and traded up later in the first round, but again settled on the lesser prospect, selecting Murray over Patrick Queen. Murray struggles in coverage and could be limited to a run-stuffing role as a pro.