Ted Sundquist’s AFC West Draft Needs

[Editor’s note: Former Broncos G.M. Ted Sundquist will be looking at the primary needs of each NFL team, separated by division. He starts with his old stomping grounds, the AFC West.] The AFC West stumbles into the 2009 draft as the only division with all four teams having earned the right to select in the top half of the 1st round. Rebuilding is taking place in Kansas City and Denver, Oakland continues last season’s reclamation project, and the Chargers are looking to get back into regular-season form after having to win the division in Week 17. Team needs will be pushed by scheme, injuries, and free agent losses. The majority of two-deep rosters are filled with first-and-second-round talent and focus will be on finding long term starters immediately so let’s get right to it. Denver Broncos Primary Need: Defensive Tackle The fourth defensive coordinator in four seasons not only brings another change in leadership but a whole different philosophy as well. Denver is moving from a predominant 4-3 scheme to the 3-4 that has been so good to the “Patriot way” over the past few seasons. The problem is that after ranking at the bottom of the League in just about every category, the personnel to run the 3-4 aren’t currently in the locker room at Dove Valley. The Broncos need a major overhaul in the front seven and it starts at the NT position. Look for focus to be on finding an inside anchor first and then perhaps bulking up at the DE position as well. Raji is tempting but off field questions persist. One more question: Is Orton really their man? Potential targets: NT B.J. Raji (Boston College), DT Ziggy Hood (Missouri), DE Tyson Jackson (LSU) Kansas City Chiefs Primary Need: Defensive End Another AFC West team looking to mold themselves in the manner of New England is the Chiefs. Scott Pioli has already begun the change in the Personnel Department and look for it to spill over to the personnel on the roster. Kansas City was miserable in putting pressure on opponents in ’08. The Chiefs finished with only 10 total sacks as a team and twelve players across the League had 10 or more sacks on their own. The Chiefs will be looking for edge pressure in their own 3-4 scheme and OLB will be a priority. There are a number of talented college defensive ends that could make the switch to the perimeter but look for one player to be in Pioli’s crosshairs. Aaron Curry may be the best player in the draft. Potential Targets: OLB Aaron Curry (Wake Forest), DE Brian Orakpo (Texas), DE Larry English (Northern Illinois) Oakland Raiders Primary Need: Wide Receiver Al Davis has elevated Tom Cable from interim to full-time Head Coach. That’s made Cable’s full-time job to shore up an offense rated 31st in the League, with a passing game at 30th. It’s time for the Raiders to start getting some return on their investment in QB Jamarcus Russell. With Darren McFadden in the backfield Oakland has the makings for as balanced an offense as there is in the division. What they don’t have are enough consistent targets for Russell to target. The Raiders didn’t have a single receiver rated in the top 80 at the position (over 50 receptions) in 2008. WR may very well be the deepest position in the early rounds and at #7 Oakland could land the pick of the litter. Michael Crabtree has fought injury and has yet to post workout numbers, Kenny Britt has off field questions. Potential Targets: WR Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech), WR Kenny Britt (Rutgers), WR Jeremy Maclin (Missouri) San Diego Chargers Primary Need: Defensive End After stumbling out of the gate at 3-5 and losing defensive phenom Shawne Merriman for the season, many had written off the Chargers and were talking about a “changing of the guard” at the top of the division. San Diego stormed back to overtake Denver in the final week of the regular season and then made a nice run to the divisional round. Now Norv Turner and A.J. Smith look to get back to consistency. The return of Merriman should help a defense that struggled at times to stop the perimeter runs and pressure opponents. Early emphasis will still be on replacing the loss of DE Igor Olshansky and the No. 16 overall pick should provide a solid launching point to do just that. Johnson’s size and athletic ability project the cleanest at the position. Potential targets: DE Larry English (Northern Illinois), DE Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech), DE Robert Ayers (Tennessee).