There are five new first-round draft picks in the AFC West and they all belong to opposing teams. Each of those players hopes to factor in as the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos attempt to regain control of the AFC West division. Let’s take a peek and see how the rookies have done during the course of preseason play:
Los Angeles Chargers
DT Jerry Tillery
We were fans of Jerry Tillery here at Chiefs Wire. He would have made a nice fit with new defensive line. Had the Chiefs stayed in the first round fans would have been disappointed when the Chargers took Tillery one selection before the Chiefs were slated to pick. Tillery has been dealing with a shoulder injury, which caused him to miss the preseason debut against the Cardinals.
He finally suited up against the Saints in preseason Week 2 and he flashed some serious potential. He notched three total tackles and an impressive sack. Check out how quick he is off the ball here:
If he continues lining up on the defensive left side, he’ll be going up against Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, which is probably the favorable matchup for the Chiefs.
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Oakland Raiders
DE Clelin Ferrell
Ferrell has taken 50 total snaps this preseason and has three tackles to show for it. One of those tackles was a third-down stop on a scrambling QB. He’s shown the ability to take on double teams in the run game. Ferrell also has some wheels, coming unblocked and chasing down Kyler Murray in Week 2. On the downside for the Raiders, he hasn’t yet notched a sack and he’s had some illegal hands to the face penalties that he’ll definitely need to clean up moving forward.
RB Josh Jacobs
Jacobs didn’t play in preseason Week 1. In Week 2 he had four carries for 21 yards on six snaps. His long carry went for eight yards. He looks the part, but it’s a very limited sample size thus far.
S Johnathan Abram
Abram’s second week felt more successful than his first week. With 34 total defensive snaps, Abram has three tackles. His first two tackles came in coordination with other defenders and they gave up first downs. His third tackle was in the box and came against David Johnson in the shellacking of the Cardinals. Many believe that Abram can solve the safety woes that the Raiders have had for many years now, but the verdict is still out on that.
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Denver Broncos
TE Noah Fant
Through three preseason games, Fant is 5-for-8 receiving for 28 yards. While Fant hasn’t been too exciting in the receiving game, he’s at least proven to be a reliable target. He’s also shown that he’ll be an asset as a blocker in the run game. During the most recent game against the 49ers, Fant suffered a mild ankle sprain. It’s something to monitor going forward, especially given the Broncos recent wave of bad luck surrounding TE injuries.
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