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Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Raiders and why.

Oakland’s brass isn’t facing much pressure. General manager Reggie McKenzie and new head coach Dennis Allen are starting a new regime, and they will be given time to build their program.

However, that doesn’t mean no one in Oakland faces pressure in 2012. The heat is on quarterback Carson Palmer. He is one of the keys to quick success in Oakland. If Palmer fails to deliver in 2012, the Raiders may have to think of the future, whether that means trying to draft a franchise quarterback in 2013 or turning to 2011 supplemental draft pick Terrelle Pryor.

Remember, the previous regime was the one that brought Palmer in last October. McKenzie and Allen believe in Palmer and will give him a chance to succeed, but he’s not their guy. They will not feel emotionally attached to him if he fails.

Oakland gave up its first-round pick this year and a first- or second-round pick next year. (It’s a first-rounder if Oakland goes to the AFC title game.)

He was so-so last year. Palmer threw 16 interceptions and 13 touchdowns in 10 games with Oakland. Now, Palmer, who will turn 33 in December, must adjust to the West Coast offense in Oakland. The Raiders need Palmer to succeed.

Hopes are high for him, but if Palmer fails in 2012, so may the Raiders.

The Kansas City Chiefs just announced that their rookie free-agent class is signed. Here is the team’s release:

WR Josh Bellamy (6-0, 206) played in 26 games (17 starts) in two seasons at Louisville, compiling 53 catches for 681 yards (12.8 avg.) with seven touchdowns. Bellamy spent two years at Butte Community College in Oroville, Calif., prior to his arrival at Louisville. Bellamy prepped at Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Fla.

TE Tim Biere (6-4, 260) played in 44 games (28 starts) at Kansas, recording 66 catches for 798 yards (12.1 avg.) with six touchdowns. He was an all-super state first-team selection his senior year at Westside High school in Omaha, Neb.

OL Justin Cheadle (6-2, 290) played in 47 games (33 starts) at California. Cheadle started 21 consecutive games at right guard spanning all 13 contests of 2009 and the first eight of 2010, before returning to start all 13 games his senior season. He prepped at Bakersfield High School in Bakersfield, Calif.

RB Nate Eachus (5-10, 212) played in 37 games (28 starts) at Colgate, rushing 838 times for 4,484 yards (5.4 avg.) with 53 touchdowns and hauled in 40 receptions for 395 yards (9.9 avg.) with two touchdowns. He was team captain in his senior year at Hazleton Area High School in Hazleton, Pa., and was named the 2007 PIAA District Dream Team Player of the Year.

DB Jean Fanor (6-1, 200) played in 37 games (22 starts) at Bethune-Cookman, registering 127 tackles (70 solo), 6.5 tackles for loss (-26.0 yards), three interceptions for 19 yards, 13 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also spent time on offense as a wide receiver, recording five receptions for 91 yards (18.2 avg.) with a touchdown. He was an all-county performer at North Miami Senior High School in North Miami, Fla.

DB Chandler Fenner (6-1, 189) played in 44 games at Holy Cross, tallying 133 tackles (108 solo), 3.0 sacks (-14.0 yards), four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He added two interceptions returned for 49 yards and 18 passes defensed. The Virginia Beach, Va., native prepped at Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach, Va.

FB Taylor Gentry (6-2, 250) played in 44 games at North Carolina State, catching 38 passes for 313 yards (8.2 avg.) and recording 61 tackles (22 solo). He was two-time all-conference, all-area and team MVP at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, N.C., as a tight end, wide receiver, outside linebacker and defensive end.

DB Tysyn Hartman (6-3, 206) played in 50 games (45 starts) at Kansas State, tallying 258 tackles (155 solo), 10 interceptions returned for 119 yards and 12 passes defensed. He was a three-year starter at both quarterback and defensive back at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School in Wichita, Kan., earning first-team all-state honors as a defensive back.

LB Dexter Heyman (6-3, 238) played in 43 games (23 starts) at Louisville, compiling 156 tackles (98 solo), 23.5 tackles for loss (-80.0 yards), 6.5 sacks (-43.0 yards), three interceptions, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five passes defensed. He was a first-team all-state selection at Male High School in Louisville, Ky.

OL Cam Holland (6-2, 320) played in 36 games (30 starts) on the offensive line at North Carolina, primarily at center. He was a first-team all-state performer at Perry Traditional Academy in Pittsburgh, Pa.

DE Ethan Johnson (6-4, 300) played in 47 games (37 starts) at Notre Dame, compiling 97 tackles (43 solo), 18.5 tackles for loss (-83.0 yards), 12.5 sacks (-68.0 yards), a forced fumble, four fumble recoveries, six passes defensed and a blocked extra point. He was a U.S. Army All-American selection at Lincoln High School in Portland, Ore.

WR Brandon Kinnie (6-3, 220) played in 40 games (20 starts) in three seasons at Nebraska, recording 81 receptions for 892 yards (11.0 avg.) with six touchdowns. He caught 62 passes for 845 yards (13.6 avg.) and 10 touchdowns as a freshman at Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kan. He was an all-state performer at Grandview High School in Grandview, Mo.

DB Terrance Parks (6-2, 218) played in 43 games (25 starts) at Florida State, compiling 99 tackles (65 solo), nine passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown. He was an Under Armour All-American at Creekside High School in Fairburn, Ga., where he played in the same secondary as Chiefs S Eric Berry.

K Matt Szymanski (6-1, 196) played in 52 games between SMU (2009-10) and Texas A&M (2006-07), competing in 26 contests at each school. He converted 35 of 58 (60.3 pct.) career field goal attempts with a long of 61 yards and was successful on all 131 extra point attempts. He also punted 123 times for 5,105 yards (41.5 avg.) with a long of 74 yards. He was rated the No. 1 kicker in the nation at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas.

DB Neiko Thorpe (6-2, 185) played in 51 games (40 starts) at Auburn, compiling 279 tackles (172 solo), seven interceptions returned for 189 yards (27.0 avg.), 35 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. He was an Under Armour All-American at Tucker High School in Tucker,

In other AFC West news:

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Raiders have given former Jets vice president of college scouting Joey Clinkscales the title of Director of Personnel, overseeing pro and college operations. Schefter reported the Raiders hired Clinkscales earlier in the week. Clinkscales and Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie were childhood friends.

U-T San Diego reports that Chargers' first-round pick Melvin Ingram lined up at strongside linebacker at the team’s minicamp. The paper also reported former San Diego star safety Rodney Harrison is no longer scheduled to speak at Friday night’s celebration of life for Junior Seau at Qualcomm Stadium.

If anyone still hasn’t grasped that the Oakland Raiders are a changed organization, all they have to do is watch Juron Criner run routes during this weekend’s rookie minicamp.

A player with potential, Criner has speed in the 4.7-second range. He is not the burner former owner Al Davis craved, and if Davis were still alive Criner would likely not be in Oakland today.

The Autumn Wind is still a Raider, but it blows on a different course.

When Davis died at age 82 on Oct. 8, it was clear that the Raiders were going to embark upon a major transition period. Davis was the Raiders’ decision-maker for nearly 50 years, even into his ailing final days. That just doesn’t happen in the NFL anymore. Can you imagine George Halas still running the Bears, or Vince Lombardi still on the sideline in Green Bay?

While we anticipated change, the modification since the 2011 season ended in Oakland has been swift, dramatic and wildly intriguing. The Raiders are suddenly moving on from the staunchly independent ways of Davis and emerging as a modern outfit with youthful spirit and ideas.

“I think the biggest challenge is that because the leadership has been the way it’s been done for so long, people are used to doing things one way,” new Oakland head coach Dennis Allen said earlier this offseason. “I think the biggest challenge is just getting people within the organization to open up the thought process to doing things another way. There are different ways to do things in this league. I think everyone within the organization has been open and receptive to conforming to the way (new general manager) Reggie (McKenzie) and I are trying to do things.”

Though Davis was a legend, his ways didn’t always work in today's NFL. The Raiders’ last Super Bowl title came nearly 30 years ago and Oakland hasn't had a winning season in 10 years. Its nine-year playoff drought is tied for the second-longest in the NFL.

If there has been an MVP in Oakland since Davis’ death, it has to be his son, Mark. While his father ran the team, the affable younger Davis chose to ride in the background. Once he took over as the leader of the Raiders, Mark continued that approach.

Davis -- who was being advised some of his father’s top lieutenants in John Madden, Ron Wolf and Ken Herock --- listened to advice and hired Green Bay personnel man Reggie McKenzie as general manager shortly after the end of last season. Mark Davis deserves credit for respecting his advisors' recommendations (McKenzie has a strong ties to Wolf and Herock) and for allowing McKenzie to run the team once he was hired.

McKenzie’s task is a tough one and it will take time. But thus far, McKenzie -- a former Raiders linebacker -- has put his head down and dug in. The Raiders didn’t hire an Al Davis clone in McKenzie. The new GM is doing things his way.

McKenzie hired Allen, then Denver’s defensive coordinator, as head coach. The last defensive-minded head coach in Oakland was Madden -- who was hired in 1969. McKenzie fired longtime scouts and revamped the team’s draft preparation, focusing on modernizing the process. He has reportedly already hired a new college scouting director, former Green Bay colleague Shaun Herock, and has added former Jets' executive Joey Clinkscales to the front office. More scouts are likely on the way in.

McKenzie cut several players to whom Davis gave supersized contracts in his final years -- part of what should be a new emphasis on salary-cap management under McKenzie. The Raiders also added players in free agency and in the draft who fit Allen's schemes, rather than a rigid scouting plan. Speed and measurables are no longer as important as when Al Davis was running the team.

On the first day of the Raiders’ offseason program, newly signed linebacker Philip Wheeler made some eye-opening comments.

“I actually heard some of the coaches saying we’re not just big and fast anymore,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to be big, fast and we’re going work harder and have good football players. The (Raiders) were always bigger, faster and stronger than everybody. But the awareness of the game, some of it was down or whatever. I feel like Mr. McKenzie brought in a lot of players in who actually know how to play the game and aren’t just faster than everybody. We have actual football players here now.”

Change in Oakland haven't stopped with the players. It has flowed throughout the organization in the past few months, including the hiring of a new public-relations director with whom McKenzie has a history. The Raiders have become more accessible and appear to be willing to be more transparent than under the Al Davis regime.

It’s a new NFL world and McKenzie is introducing his team to it. Allen said the plan is to meld the past and the future in Oakland.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for all of us that are involved,” Allen said. “To take over such a historic program, be a part of that tradition there with the Raiders, is obviously exciting for all of us. We’re excited about the opportunity to put our stamp on the program.

“I think with every great program in the National Football League, I think you really have to respect the history and tradition within the organization. The Oakland Raiders. It’s one of the most storied franchises in all of sport, not just the NFL. We want to embrace those, embrace the past, and the history of the organization. But yet, we want to do it our way. Reggie and I are going to work together to do it the way we want to do it, and put the best team out on the field we can put out there.”

Much of the transformation will be based on bringing stability to the franchise. The past three head coaches -- Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Hue Jackson -- all created distractions for themselves and for the team. Throughout the years, instability caused many former Oakland players to be relieved when they became former Oakland players.

“There’s definitely a difference,” former Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt (whom McKenzie released) told reporters in Kansas City after he signed with the Chiefs this offseason. “You know what? I think there’s a little more stability here to say the least.”

Still, Allen made it clear the building process in Oakland will involve every facet of the organization.

“Our deal is, we want to foster an organization that’s based on trust, honesty, integrity, doing the right things, doing it the right way,” Allen said. “Those are things that both Reggie and I believe in. That’s the way we’re going to run that organization. We’re going to do things the right way. We’re going to do things in a first-class manner. We’re going to build a team that’s going to be tough, smart, disciplined. Just like I talked about doing the right things within the organization, that’s the way we’re going to do it as a team.”

Call it new shades of Silver and Black.

A lot has been made of Terrelle Pryor telling Sports Illustrated that he questioned whether he wanted to keep playing football last season and that he is now re-energized by the clean slate in Oakland.

What Pryor, who was taken in the third round of last year's supplemental draft by the late Al Davis, has to realize is, this new regime didn’t draft him. They are not attached to Pryor like they are to the young players they brought in this year.

Pryor will be given a chance to succeed just like every other player on the roster. But it’s up to him. He has to make strides. I just don’t see the new Oakland regime giving him a super long leash. He’ll get his time, but Pryor is like every other player on the roster from the Davis regime -- he has to prove to GM Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen that he belongs.

In other AFC West news:

The Chargers and Cowboys will hold joint practices in San Diego this August. Last summer, the Chargers visited Dallas in training camp.

The Denver Post believes the Broncos could make a run at free agent defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin.

It appears the Broncos are moving on without defensive tackle Marcus Thomas.

As expected, Joey Clinkscales is joining his childhood friend in Oakland.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Clinkscales, former Jets director of college scouting, is taking a prominent scouting job with the Raiders; there is a strong chance it will be on the pro-personnel side. The Raiders have reportedly already hired Green Bay’s Shaun Herock as their college scouting director.

ESPN New York reported prior to the draft that the Jets and Clinkscales were headed for a mutual parting of the ways, and that Clinkscales would likely end up in Oakland. Clinkscales played at the University of Tennessee and was childhood friends with Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie.

McKenzie has been making wholesale changes since he took over in Oakland in January.

In other AFC West news:

Two Kansas City rookies will miss a day of minicamp so they can graduate from college. Class move, Romeo Crennel. Jeff Allen and Tim Biere will have a million more NFL practice days. No more graduation days.

Kansas City signed defensive end Ropati Pitoitua. Pitoitua, 27, played in 22 games with the New York Jets over the 2009 and 2011 seasons; he will be a bottom-of-the-roster type if he makes the team.

I won’t make it a habit to disagree with Jerry Rice about the wide receiver position. I think it makes good sense to defer to the greatest receiver of all-time on the subject.

However, on NFL Live on Tuesday, the ESPN analyst said something I can’t be on board with -- Terrell Owens would fit in with the Oakland Raiders.

Asked if he thought Owens would fit in with an NFL team, Rice said he thought the Raiders would be a fit because they could use a veteran to go along with their several young receivers.

Adding fuel to the possibility, of course, is Owens is friends and former teammates with Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer. Owens worked out with Palmer and some Oakland receivers this offseason.

Still, I don’t like the fit.

The Raiders are going in a new direction in leadership and I think a player like Owens would not be a good addition to the locker room to start the Reggie McKenzie-Dennis Allen era. Owens can be a distraction. The Raiders don’t need any distractions.

Plus, Owens is 38 and he did not play in the NFL in 2011. Where’s the appeal here?

Rice is right that Oakland’s receiving crew is young. But these players need to play and develop. Having Owens taking away repetitions from the likes of Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore, Jacoby Ford, Louis Murphy and rookie Juron Criner just doesn’t make sense to me.

Again, it’s not wise to argue the reviver position with Jerry Rice. But I think it would be less wise for Oakland to pursue Owens.

The Oakland Raiders announced Tuesday that four long-time members of the Al Davis front office -- George Karras, Bruce Kebric, Jon Kingdon and Kent McCloughan -- will leave the team.

The departures of Kindgon and Kebric had been reported, and wholesale changes have been expected since Reggie McKenzie became the team’s general manager in January. Davis died in October at the age of 82.

The team said Kebric and Kingdon were relieved of their duties, while Karras and McCloughan will retire.

“This was a very difficult decision, because these individuals have been part of this organization for all or parts of four decades,” McKenzie said in the statement. “We’re grateful for their dedicated service to the Raiders.”

Former Green Bay front office member Shawn Herock reportedly will become Oakland’s director of college scouting. In its release Tuesday, the team said McKenzie plans to announce a restructuring of the team’s player-personnel department this month. Expect major changes in the scouting personnel.

McCloughan, who first joined the team as a cornerback in the 1960s, had this to say about his time with the Raiders in the team’s release:

“I had talked to Al Davis when I turned 65 and he said, ‘Listen, young man: You’re not quitting before I do.’ I owe him a lot. He was so nice to my family and me. We had some great years, including when Ron Wolf was with us. We won a lot of games. I had the opportunity to work 47 years with one team. I enjoyed it so much. I thought Al Davis was an outstanding person and boss. I enjoyed the scouting department, the coaches and players I had the opportunity to work with, and I’ll always be a Raider. I’m going out about as good as a person can go out. You couldn’t have written a better story for me. I have the NFL Sunday Ticket, and I’ll still be watching all the games. I might even come out to training camp. I wish Reggie and the entire organization the best.”

Can the Raiders stay in the race in 2012?

The Oakland Raiders are a team in transition.

Steadying the organization with an eye on the future is the goal of new general manager Reggie McKenzie, who is taking over the direction of the team after the death of legendary Oakland owner Al Davis. Davis died at the age of 82 last October. Because Davis desperately tried to win in his final years, McKenzie was saddled with a poor salary-cap situation and a lack of draft picks.

The result is that Oakland has not been able to add many major pieces who can help right away. The problem is, Oakland’s three competitors in the AFC West -- Denver, Kansas City and San Diego -- all made significant additions.

The Raiders’ additions were more of the modest variety. If Oakland, which was 8-8 and lost the AFC West title to Denver via a tiebreaker last season, has a chance to win the division for the first time in 10 years, it must hope quarterback Carson Palmer finds his groove, running back Darren McFadden stays healthy, its young receivers continue to develop and the defense makes huge strides under new coach Dennis Allen.

Oakland has depth issues on both sides of the ball, so it can’t sustain many major injuries. There is talent in Oakland, and the team is on the right track for the future, but the question is: Can the Raiders compete in the immediate future?

I caught up to Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. to get one thought that jumps out to him about each AFC West team’s draft last week.

Let’s take a look:

Denver

The drafting of Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler in the second round: “I like Osweiler. But it is a risky pick since the Broncos just signed a young backup in Caleb Hanie. There are other needs to address in the second round. But I get why Denver likes Osweiler and I think he can develop into a starter. He has a lot of tools and a great upside. He moves much better than people think. He has a funky release and he has to become a better decision maker, but there is a lot to like about him.”

Kansas City

The drafting of Fresno State receiver Devon Wylie in the fourth round: “I think Wylie can make an impact right away. To put him between their two big receivers (Dwayne Bowe and Jon Baldwin) and he can be very dangerous. He’s explosive and he knows how to get open. I think he can catch 40 passes and average 15-20 yards per catch.”

Oakland

The drafting of Utah offensive lineman Tony Bergstrom and San Diego State linebacker Miles Burris in the third and fourth rounds: “(Oakland general manager) Reggie McKenzie didn’t have a lot to work with, but he did some good things. Bergstrom is a guard or a tackle who will be a starter some day. He is a solid player. Burris is a guy I like. He is a heat-seeking missile, who creates a lot of explosion when he hits people.”

San Diego

The drafting of Michigan State running back Edwin Baker in the seventh round: "It was huge for San Diego to get Baker in the seventh round. I thought he’d be a fourth-rounder who could sneak in the end of the third round. He is an effective, hard-nosed Big Ten running back who lacks an ideal frame. He can be effective. It’s incredible he lasted until the seventh round."

Reggie McKenzie didn’t waste time in adding to his scouting department.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports McKenzie has hired longtime Green Bay scout Shaun Herock as the team’s director of college scouting. Herock was with the Packers for 19 years. McKenzie came to Oakland as general manager in January after a long stay in Green Bay.

Herock is the son of former Raiders and Packers personnel executive Ken Herock. Ken was one of the men who advised Oakland owner Mark Davis after Oakland owner Al Davis died last October. Herock also recommended McKenzie to Davis.

The Raiders fired former college scouting director Jon Kingdom after 33 years on Monday. Wholesale changes have been expected since McKenzie took over. Shawn Herock has long been considered as a possibility to join Oakland’s staff. He was the Packers assistant director of college scouting for 11 years. He’s been an NFL scout for 23 years.

Jets college scouting director Joey Clinkscale had been linked to the Oakland job. He went to the University of Tennessee and was childhood friends with McKenzie. During the draft, Clinkscale said he expected to remain in New York.

In other Oakland news:

The Raiders signed guard Ed Wang. He has played in six games with Buffalo. He was a fifth-round pick by the Bills in 2010 out of Virginia Tech. He was the first Chinese-American player drafted into the league.

The Oakland Tribune reports Raleigh McKenzie – the twin brother of Reggie McKenzie – will join the team’s scouting department.

Update: Clinkscale could still emerge as a pro personnel candidate in Oakland if he does leave the Jets.

According to a survey compiled by ESPN The Magazine, the Oakland Raiders are the second-highest paying NFL team behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Raiders are the 80th highest-paying team in the world and the Steelers are the 75th highest paying team in the world based on the 2011 season.

The survey encompassed 278 teams,14 major pro leagues, covering seven sports, spanning 10 countries. The salary numbers are calculated from an average of base salaries among players.

All the Raiders got for being the second highest-paid NFL team in the league was an 8-8 record. It is another reminder why new Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie had to cut several players and restructure several other deals. The late Al Davis spent wildly as he unsuccessful tried to buy a championship in his final years.

Expect the Raiders to be significantly lower on the list next year. This survey also struck me to what a bargain the NFL is. The league is a cash cow, but the highest paying team in the NFL is only No. 75 in the world?

In other AFC West news:

In an Insider piece, Mel Kiper thinks Denver will get an immediate impact from defensive tackle Derek Wolfe and running back Ronnie Hillman.

New Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie began the expected overhaul of the team’s scouting department Monday when he fired longtime scout Jon Kingdon, according to the NFL Network.

Kingdon was Oakland’s college scouting director and had been with the organization for 33 years. The team is restructuring the organization as it transitions after the October death of owner Al Davis.

Davis was Oakland’s decision-maker on every move, but Kingdon was one of his top chiefs. When McKenzie took over in January, it was expected that wholesale changes would be made.

Often such changes happen shortly after the draft so don't confuse the timing of the firing as a sign that Kingdon failed during the weekend. It was McKenzie’s show and I’m sure this move was planned.

ESPN New York recently reported that the Jets and college scouting director Joey Clinkscales were likely to mutually part ways and that Clinkscales could leave for a lateral move in Oakland. McKenzie and Clinkscales were childhood friends who played together at the University of Tennessee. Clinkscales said during the weekend that he expects to stay in New York.

However, there is now an opening in Oakland for him.

I know a lot of Raiders fans wanted to see new general manager Reggie McKenzie make a big splash and compensate for having less than a full slate of draft picks by trading up in the draft.

McKenzie, in his first year as a GM, made one deal as he moved down 10 spots in the fifth round and added a seventh-rounder. However, there were no bold moves.

It was the right call because the Raiders have to stop mortgaging the future. Compensatory picks can't be traded, so the Raiders could only deal their fifth- and sixth-round picks this year. Those picks have little value, so McKenzie likely would have had to include future picks if he wanted to trade up and pick higher than No. 95.

The problem is Oakland has a reduced draft class again next year, so McKenzie would have been foolish if he dipped into that class. McKenzie is not a fool.

The Raiders still owe Cincinnati a first- or second-round pick next year and they still owe Seattle a fourth- or fifth-round pick in 2013. The Bengals, as part of the Carson Palmer trade, will get the Raiders' 2013 first-rounder if Oakland goes to the AFC title game. If not, the Bengals will get the Raiders’ second-round pick.

As part of the Aaron Curry trade, the Seahawks will get either Oakland's fourth- or fifth-round pick based on Curry’s playing time.

The Raiders were bailed out by three compensatory picks this year. Don’t expect much of a comp-pick haul next season. The Raiders signed several free agents and lost Jason Campbell and Michael Bush to Chicago as free agents. So, unless Bush goes off in Chicago or Campbell has to play because of an injury to Jay Cutler, the Raiders aren’t going to get much in the way of comp picks. Yes, Oakland released several players who caught on elsewhere but released players are not part of the comp-pick formula.

Thus, Oakland is looking at a small draft class for one more year. McKenzie is playing it smart by being patient and careful. By 2014, it should pay off with a full draft class.

» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South


The biggest offseason move in the AFC West in years was the Broncos’ signing of superstar quarterback Peyton Manning in March.

It instantly changed the landscape of the AFC West and it likely will continue to do so for the next three years or so. During the draft, Manning’s impact was felt in the division when several of the premium picks by the Broncos’ rivals were defensive players.

The first player taken in the division was athletic defensive tackle Dontari Poe. The Memphis product was taken No. 11 by the Chiefs. San Diego used its first three picks on defensive players, all of whom have a chance to make an instant impact.

Let’s look at the highlights of the AFC West draft:

BEST MOVE

The first two days of the San Diego Chargers’ draft.

No one in the division scored like the Chargers did. Following up a strong free-agency class, Chargers GM A.J. Smith deserves a lot of credit for this draft. The Chargers badly needed impact players on defense and they got them.

San Diego made one of the top value picks of the draft when it watched South Carolina pass-rusher Melvin Ingram fall to them. He was supposed to be a top-10 pick. San Diego considered moving up to take Alabama safety Mark Barron but he went at No. 7. Instead, the Chargers stayed at home and watched an equally talented player fall to them. Ingram fills the Chargers’ biggest need and he should be an instant contributor.

The Chargers scored again by getting great value in the second and third rounds. San Diego watched Connecticut defensive lineman Kendall Reyes fall to them at No. 49. With LSU safety Brandon Taylor still on the board (San Diego considered him at No. 49), the Chargers moved up and took him at No 73. There is no way the Chargers could have scripted the first three rounds any better.

The 2012 Chargers got better in this draft.

RISKIEST MOVE

Arguably, there wasn't a riskier move in this draft than the Kansas City Chiefs’ choice of Poe at No. 11.

The nose tackle from Memphis was one of the most talked about players in the draft. After his stunning performance at the NFL combine, Poe was considered a potential top-five player. However, after teams dissected his game film, they discovered Poe didn’t consistently make plays against marginal competition.

By the time the draft rolled around, it seemed as though Poe could fall into the 20s. But the Chiefs took him because of his ability and the fact he fills their greatest need. Poe was the best talent at No. 11 and the fact he filled a major need makes this a logical pick.

But if Poe doesn't develop, the Chiefs will get heat for not following the general consensus. The team has failed to hit a home run with recent picks on the defensive line, so the Chiefs have to make this work. Kansas City thinks Poe will excel under coach Romeo Crennel because he will concentrate on one position as opposed to having to play several spots as he did in college. If the Chiefs are right, this will be a big score. If not, they’ll be forever reminded of it.

MOST SURPRISING MOVE

I don’t think it was shocking that the Denver Broncos picked a quarterback or that the quarterback ended up being Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler.

But I think it was a surprise Denver took him at No. 57. That’s a high spot for a player who probably won’t start until 2015, at the earliest.

The Broncos have other needs and they have Manning. Yet, Osweiler was a target. It shows how much Denver executive VP John Elway values the position and how much he liked Osweiler. He could have waited a couple of years to peg Manning’s successor, but he did it before Manning has even thrown a pass in Denver.

FILE IT AWAY

This draft will be remembered as a success for all four teams in the division. I was impressed with how each team approached the draft and the patience each team showed.

I think the Chargers got as many impact players for the immediate future as any team in the league. I like Denver’s creativity. It traded out of the first round and still got some quality players such as defensive linemen Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson and running back Ronnie Hillman.

The Chiefs quietly had a strong draft and middle-rounders such as receiver Devon Wylie, defensive back De'quan Menzie and running back Cyrus Gray will add depth to this team.

New Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie didn’t have many picks to work with -- his first was No. 95. But it is easy to tell there is draft-room stability with the post-Al Davis Raiders.

McKenzie played his board well and didn’t make any puzzling picks based on measurables as the late Davis was known to do. Oakland’s draft will not make many headlines, but McKenzie may have tabbed future starters in tackle Tony Bergstrom, linebacker Miles Burris and receiver Juron Criner.

Friday was a good draft for the AFC West. The Chargers were stars, the Broncos had a terrific Day Two after bailing out of Day One and the Chiefs have quietly added big beef so far.

• I give credit to Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie for being patient. Most first-time GMs would get antsy and trade up if they had to wait until the No. 95 pick. But with only the fifth- and sixth-round picks to trade (Oakland’s three compensatory picks cannot be traded), McKenzie likely would have had to dip into future years to move up. He wants to stop the Oakland trend of trading future picks and I don’t blame him. McKenzie is going to get what he can from this draft and move on. Smart move.
• I wonder if the Chargers will try to move up and get Miami running back Lamar Miller. If not, they might have to sign a free agent.
• Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins is still out there. He’d be a real nice value for Kansas City in the fourth round.
• As the ESPN telecast ended, Jon Gruden lauded the AFC West. The former Oakland coach said he believes this is becoming a potent division.
• Denver coach John Fox said the Broncos' third-round pick, running back Ronnie Hillman, will get a chance to be a returner.