Chargers should be worried greatly about these AFC West draft picks

It is fair to say that the LA Chargers put together what looks like a really solid 2024 NFL Draft class on paper. The players selected still need to prove that it was a good draft with their play over the next four years but the early impressions are that GM Joe Hortiz did a good job in his first draft at the helm.

The Chargers were not the only team with a good draft class, however. There were a lot of talented prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft who landed in great situations. Unfortunately for the Chargers, some of those prospects landed on AFC West foes.

Chargers fans are already sick of playing the same familiar faces who wreck games and decide outcomes — the Travis Kelces and Maxx Crosbys of the world. These prospects have a lot of work to do to reach that level, but they still will be unpleasant to play against twice a year.

AFC West draft picks the Chargers should be worried about:

Brock Bowers (taken 13th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders)

There have been two tight ends in recent draft classes that Chargers fans liked. The Las Vegas Raiders now have both of them.

A year after taking Michael Mayer in the 2023 NFL Draft the Raiders doubled up and took the best tight end of this class in Brock Bowers. To some, this might seem absurd as the team is doubling up at a not-so-important position but that is not the right way to look at it. The Raiders just got an elite offensive weapon, regardless of which position he plays.

The quarterback situation in Las Vegas is not great, so having two truly impactful tight ends to make a difference alongside Davante Adams is a good place to start. Tom Telesco went best player available, and it was a good pick.

Jackson Powers-Johnson (Taken 44th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders)

Hate to say it but Tom Telesco hit a home run with his first two picks as the Raiders GM (don't worry, he made a classic Telesco mistake in the third round of this very same draft). Getting Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round of this draft is a huge win for the Raiders.

JPJ was the best center of this draft class and prior to the draft itself many viewed him as a first-round prospect. He was so highly touted that Chargers fans abandoned the idea of drafting him with the 37th pick because it was assumed he would be gone by then. He ended up going 44th overall.

Xavier Worthy (Taken 28th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs)

Xavier Worthy made headlines for his record-setting speed at the NFL Combine. Worthy is not a perfect first-round wide receiver prospect but if he found the right team then the sky really is the limit for him.

Unfortunately for the Chargers, Worthy landed in a dream spot. Worthy is such a great fit on the Chiefs as he gives the team game-breaking speed and is in a situation where he is going to be able to maximize his output.

With free-agent signing Marquise Brown also on the roster, the Chiefs now have two burners who are going to be very hard to stop on Sundays.

Hunter Nourzad (Taken 159th by the Kansas City Chiefs)

This has more to do with the fact that the Chargers didn't draft Nourzad. Nourzad probably is not going to even play much his rookie season in Kansas City but he still has a world of potential as one of the better late-round center options in this draft class.

The Chiefs continue to prioritize the interior offensive line and the center position specifically. This is something the Chargers probably should have done considering the status of the roster and in the future, this could come back to bite.

Troy Franklin (Taken 102nd by the Denver Broncos)

The Chargers definitely should not worry about the quarterback the Broncos drafted in the first round but they may have to worry about his college teammate who they drafted in the fourth. Denver moved up to take Troy Franklin, who many projected to be taken in the second round.

Franklin is a bit undersized (probably why he fell) and that may hinder his performance as a rookie. However, as he develops in this league he has all the makings of being a pesky receiver that the Chargers struggle to slow down.

Audric Estime (Taken 147th by the Denver Broncos)

Audric Estime is not someone who is going to take over a game and win it for the Broncos in his first season but he is still an absolute tank. Estime was viewed as one of the most exciting mid-to-late-round running backs in this draft and he sort of fell right into the Broncos' lap in the fifth round.

Estime couldn't fit any better than he does in Denver as he will be a completely different option than both Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine. This was a great draft pick by Denver.