Which Oakland Raiders Division Rival Had the Best 2012 NFL Draft?

The AFC West has been a division that has not had a clear leader in some time.  In fact, many regard the division as one of the worst in the NFL. 

Last season, three teams finished with the same record.  This season, there has been many changes and it's time for one of those teams to stand out from the others.

Of course, that team will be the Oakland Raiders, but which of the other teams made the biggest improvement through the draft and will be the Raiders biggest competitors?

Denver Broncos

Over the past two seasons, the Broncos were regarded as the worst.  Even with Tim Tebow in the lineup, the team was not very good, but they won games.  

The Denver Broncos came into the draft with a lot of confidence.  They had landed the biggest free agent since Deion Sanders.  Yet, the team still had holes to fill.  Both offensive and defensive lines had room for improvement.  

The Broncos had the 25th pick, but traded out of the first round.  They made their first pick at 36 and took Derek Wolfe, a versatile defensive end who is projected to play defensive tackle at Denver.

Their next two picks served as offensive depth as they selected Brock Osweiler and Ronnie Hillman.  They finished their draft with some notable players such as Omar Bolden, Philip Blake and Danny Trevathan.  

The Broncos did not have a superstar player, but came out with some valuable players.  Brock Osweiler is going to learn from two of the best quarterbacks in NFL history while Bolden, Blake, Wolfe and Trevathan all have the talent to be potential starters.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs surprised many two years ago and made the playoffs on the back of their star running back Jamaal Charles.  They took a step backwards with injuries to key players such as Charles, Eric Berry and Matt Cassel.  Yes, Matt Cassel is a key player.

Last season, the Chiefs were bad in run defense, finishing just one spot ahead of the Raiders.  To fix this, Kansas City took the workout warrior Dontari Poe with the 11th overall pick.  A 346-pound mountain, Poe will play between two young and talented defensive ends.  Pairing Poe with Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey is a line that is very intimidating.

That is, if Poe is not the bust many predict he may become.  

With their next two picks, Kansas City drafted two offensive tackles in Jeff Allen and Donald Stephenson.  A bit surprising since they have Branden Alberts on the left side, and newly signed free agent Eric Winston on the other.  Allen looks like the better fit as an heir to Ryan Lilja at left guard.  

Devon Wylie is an interesting pick.  The Chiefs already have a talented receiving corp with Bowe, Baldwin and Breaston.  Wylie, a "Wes Welker"-type player will see limited playing time as the team's fourth receiver.

The rest of their picks include DeQuan Menzie, Cyrus Gray, Jerome Long and Junior Hemingway.  Coming from the well-coached Nick Saban, Menzie has the best chance of having an impact.  

San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers and the Chargers have been the more consistent team in the past, but have been unsteady in recent years.  They have missed the playoffs in the past two years and their window of opportunity is slowly coming to a close.  

A.J. Smith has no plan on going out without a fight, however.  

The Chargers had a respectable draft, but in no means was it a great one.  They drafted Melvin Ingram, Kendall Reyes, Brandon Taylor, Ladarius Green, Johnnie Toutman, David Molk and Edwin Baker.

Reyes, Taylor, Green and Molk are very solid picks.  Kendall Reyes can play the five-technique in San Diego's 3-4 defense and should help their run defense.  

Brandon Taylor is a player who can come in and replace Steve Gregory, who bolted, pun intended, for New England.  

Molk was my fourth-best center coming into the draft.  He does not have great side, but he's strong and is very sound.  Nick Hardwick, who has been contemplating retirement, seems to be coming back for another season.  When he does retire, Molk will step in and anchor the offensive line.

Melvin Ingram is a good player, but Smith seemed to pick him out of luxury rather than need.  The Chargers had just drafted Larry English a few seasons ago and he has a lot of similarities to Ingram.  

The Verdict

I love the Broncos draft.  I know it's hard for you, Raider Nation, to see me say the words "love" and "Broncos" without saying "I love to see the Raiders dominate the Broncos," but I really love their draft.

Derek Wolfe is a great player who I had hoped would slide and eventually be available for the Raiders down the road.  At defensive end, he is great at stuffing the run, but can also get after the quarterback.  He has a nose for the ball and is always getting the ball-carrier down behind the line of scrimmage.  

Omar Bolden is a steal in the fourth round.  He is a player who has second-round talent but slid.  The Broncos have long needed a cornerback to play with the aging Champ Bailey and Bolden can be just that.  

My favorite pick is Danny Trevathan.  If you read my other articles, you may know that I have been very high on him lately.  Trevathan has a nose for the ball and is a machine.  Over the past two years, he's averaged 143.5 tackles per season.  He had six sacks, four interceptions, 12 pass deflections and nine forced fumbles.

Trevathan is a player that is going to make the big hits whether it be on special teams or in the starting lineup.

In Closing

The Broncos have done a lot to improve their team this offseason.  They will definitely be the team to beat in the AFC West.  While this stands as a challenge for the Raiders, I have no doubt that it is a good thing.  The Raiders will have tougher teams to face, improving their game all around.  

Tell me, Raider Nation!  Which of these teams are you looking forward to facing the most after the 2012 NFL draft?