Favorite Draft Picks: AFC

Here are some of my favorite draft picks of the AFC teams.

Baltimore Ravens

1. Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

I often have a tough time selecting a favorite Ravens draft pick. They typically have about five or six contenders. While I do like Penn State edge Adisa Isaac, it’s easy to go with Nate Wiggins.

Cincinnati Bengals 

2. Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan

Perhaps it’s from following J.J. McCarthy fairly close for the past couple seasons but I really liked several of the Michigan players. Kris Jenkins was one of my favorites.

Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Mason McCormick, G, South Dakota State

I really liked the Steelers draft. I really liked the way the team addressed their needs on the offensive line. There are several contenders for my favorite Steelers pick. I’m going with the talented guard from little South Dakota State, Mason McCormick. 

Cleveland Browns

3. Zak Zinter, G, Michigan

Another Michigan player. If not for a brutal injury at the end of last season, Zak Zinter might’ve gone a round, or two, earlier. 

Buffalo Bills

2. Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State

Unlike most of my favorite draft picks, Keon Coleman reached this lofty honor after the draft. His media interactions have been hilarious. On and off the field, he’s going to be a fun player. 

New York Jets

5. Qwan’tez Stiggers, CB, Toronto Argonauts

I discovered Qwan’tez Stiggers when I was startled that a Canadian Football League cornerback was playing in the East West Shrine Game. It was a “what the hell is going on here” moment. Then I learned about Stiggers’ unusual football path. I was soon a fan. 

New England Patriots

1. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

Through the pre-draft process, J.J. McCarthy and Drake Maye emerged as my favorite quarterbacks for the Vikings. I liked McCarthy but I hoped for Maye because it seemed like the Vikings preferred him. Through it all, I really came to like Maye. I feel bad that he fell to a team that really has nothing to offer him. That tends to happen when the most talented quarterbacks are selected by the least talented teams.

Miami Dolphins

1. Chop Robinson, Edge, Penn State

How can you not like a football player named Chop? He’s also a terrific football player. He emerged as one of my favorites as soon as I saw him choppin’ it up on the Penn State defense. 

Indianapolis Colts

1. Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA

Due to the USC, UCLA, and Washington’s destruction of the Pac-12 conference, the Cal-UCLA rivalry was already coming to an end. Still, I’m glad that Cal no longer has to face Laiatu Latu. He was a menace and I’m glad that he’s now in the NFL.

Jacksonville Jaguars

2. Maason Smith, DT, LSU

Prior to the draft, Maason Smith said that he might be selected late in the first round. I was hopeful that he was nuts. Due to an injury-impacted college career, I had pre-draft hopes that Smith might be available when the Vikings finally selected on Day 3. The Jaguars grabbed him with the 16th pick of the second round. He wasn’t nuts. 

Houston Texans

2. Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia

The Texans selected Kamari Lassiter with the pick that once belonged to the Vikings. I’m not sure if that’s why Lassiter is the pick here.

Tennessee Titans

2. T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas

Between JC Latham and T’Vondre Sweat, the Titans selected about 700 lbs of football players with their first two picks. Sweat had a bit of a yo-yo of a draft evaluation process. He started it as a possible first or second round pick. Then a DUI arrest dropped him to a possible Day 3 pick in the minds of many. Finally, he was selected with the sixth pick of the second round. Despite the DUI mistake, Sweat was one of the more intriguing players in the draft. 

Kansas City Chiefs

1. Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas

Patrick Mahomes is a ridiculously talented quarterback. An aspect of that ridiculous talent is that it doesn’t really matter the talent at the other end of his passes. He simply makes his offense go. Anyway, in Xavier Worthy, Andy Reid and the rest of the team’s play-designers will now have a player with insane speed. A fun offense gets more fun. 

Los Angeles Chargers

3. Junior Colson, LB, Michigan

Another Michigan player. It’s no wonder this team won a national title. It was peppered with many terrific players in this draft. Most great teams are. The Wolverines had a terrific defense. Junior Colson and Mike Sainristil were the heartbeat of that defense. 

Denver Broncos

5. Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri

I wasn’t a fan of the Broncos draft. Maybe it’s because I’m not a fan of the clown that coaches them. It came down to Oregon receiver Troy Franklin and Kris Abrams-Draine. I went with the aggressive corner from Missouri.

Las Vegas Raiders

1. Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia

Some talent evaluators had Brock Bowers as the most talented player in the draft. After the quarterbacks, he could reasonably have been selected anywhere from #4 to apparently #13. Bowers will be a top target for any quarterback the Raiders trot onto the field.