NFL MOCK DRAFT 2022- A LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL FIRST PICKS FOR EVERY TEAM IN THE AFC WEST

NFL / Football

Written by Joel Lefevre

Teams in the AFC West have been incredibly active in free agency this year as they look to upgrade their squads. It seems as though most of them are finished making those big splash moves so the next step will be to pick the right future players in the 2022 NFL draft. On paper, this will be a complex division to call, as several teams have improved, while the Chiefs are still pretty strong despite a critical loss. The AFC West picks are in the later stages of the draft, and there will be some big decisions for all four of these teams. Here is a breakdown of the players I could see taking their talents to the AFC West.

Treylon Burks | Source (Background Photo): Getty Images

Los Angeles Chargers- Round 1- Pick#17- Jordan Davis, defensive lineman

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley took a lot of flak for the timeout that he took in the dying stages of their final regular-season game against the Las Vegas Raiders with a playoff spot at stake. It was the wrong decision, but that was not the only factor contributing to this team narrowly missing the postseason in 2021. Only the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers allowed more rushing yards last season than the 2,361 conceded on the ground by the Chargers.

Jordan Davis is capable of making plenty of plays in the A gap and will make opposing offences think twice about running up the middle. You put him in with their big signing, Khalil Mack, and this defence could be scary good. When you have Joey Bosa on the line, wreaking havoc, plus Davis and Mack coming into blitz packages, life will not be easy for opposing QBs and o-lineman who face this team.

Davis is a great playmaker who is quick and strong enough to make a lot of tackles at the line of scrimmage and force significant losses. As a freshman All-American in 2018, this Georgia Bulldog got better and better each year, starting 14 of 15 games in 2021, posting 32 tackles, 5.5 of which went for losses. Davis has a great footballing IQ and is capable of reading opposing quarterbacks quite well.

Kansas City Chiefs- Round 1- Pick#29- Treylon Burks, wide receiver

Once again, KC is title contenders, though they lost a ton of speed and big-play ability when Tyreek Hill signed with the Miami Dolphins. The Chiefs brought in a solid slot receiver in Juju Smith-Schuster, but it will be hard for them to ignore the talent of Treylon Burks should he be on the table this late in the first round.

Patrick Mahomes is a phenomenal athlete who can make something out of nothing, but contrary to popular belief, he cannot do it all by himself. Burks averaged 9.3 yards after the catch last season, which was fourth in the nation. He is physical, with tremendous breakaway speed and capable of being an x-factor in what is already a solid receiving group in KC. He might not be the man to fill the void left by Hill immediately, but he does possess many similar qualities to the new Miami Dolphins receiver, and in time, Burks could be quite a weapon.

Denver Broncos- Round 2- Pick#64- Trey McBride, tight end

Russell Wilson coming to Mile-High was an incredible coup for this franchise, but the former Super Bowl champ needs protection and somebody with capable hands. New head coach Nathaniel Hackett has run some very successful offences in the NFL during his days as a coordinator, and he knows the importance of giving his star pivot enough time in the pocket to work his magic. When Wilson is healthy, he can still make intelligent decisions and provide an extra threat with his legs. None of that, though, will mean a thing if Denver doesn’t find a way to give him the time to make big plays.

Trey McBride excelled in three sports in his collegiate career, earning All-Colorado honours in football while also being pretty impressive at baseball and basketball. He has excellent size and strength to hold off would-be tacklers from getting to Wilson. He effectively catches the ball in traffic and can break through tackles for significant gains.

Las Vegas Raiders- Round 3- Pick#86- Haskell Garrett, defensive tackle

The Raiders should be a force on offence, capable of making many big plays, so adding depth defensively will be essential when they pick in the third round. We should see an explosive offence with Derek Carr and Davante Adams, but defensively speaking, Josh McDaniels will need to ensure that they do not give up more big plays than they are likely to make when they have the ball.

Haskell Garrett is strong at the point of attack and can provide a clean spin counter to give the Raiders a solid pass rush. His ability to occupy blocks and draw attention should allow the Las Vegas linebackers to formulate different blitz packages. He has many hidden talents that could make him a valuable asset to this franchise in the present and future.