AFC Notes: Brock Bowers, Bo Nix, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos’ first-round QB Bo Nix recalled the moment Denver drafted him at No. 12 overall and felt like things got more “intense” as the early picks waged on. 

“Yesterday afternoon and yesterday evening, it started to become real to me,” Nix said, via BroncosWire. “I had everybody at the house. I had a great group show up, a lot of friends and family. It was an exciting moment for me and the entire family. Then as the draft started, it got intense. We knew how the first part of the draft was going to go, and then as it went you just never know how things were going to shape up. Right there at pick 12 I got a phone call, and I was just extremely excited and honored for it to be the Denver Broncos.”

Nix said the Broncos were his top choice on where he wanted to play.

“I truly can tell you this: If I could pick where I wanted to go, I was going to pick Denver because of the relationships that we had built throughout the process. I just felt like it was a great fit for me, and I was just excited to get that phone call. Then after that, that’s when everything really started happening fast. It takes a long time for the draft to get here, but once it does, it happens quickly. Now I’m in Denver, and I’m speaking with you guys. So I’m excited. Already love the city, it’s a pretty day outside and I’m just excited to be here.”

Chiefs

The Chiefs addressed a need in the wide receiver room by trading up to get 2024 first-round WR Xavier Worthy. After setting the record for 40-yard dash time at the combine, many believe Worthy can resemble former Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill, but Kansas City HC Andy Reid feels he’s more like DeSean Jackson.

“[Hill and Worthy are] different, and he’ll put his own mark on things once he gets a feel for it,” Reid said, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “That wasn’t necessarily the comparison, as much as it was him being a good football player that was a good wide receiver. Now you add in there the return ability. I’ve had some guys like that Tyreek, DeSean Jackson — probably body type a little more like DeSean.”

“Both of those two [Brown and Worthy] can run well. I think both love to play the game and are good football players. I think that that will help us. It doesn’t hurt to have down the field speed. We’ve functioned without the great speed down the field and done well. If you have an opportunity to get somebody that you think is a good player, just not a speed guy but a good football player, I think you probably need to take advantage of that.”

Raiders

Mike Sando of The Athletic cites an anonymous NFL executive who thinks the Raiders scrambled at No. 13 to select TE Brock Bowers after Michael Penix went to the Falcons. In the end, the executive feels Bowers is a “luxury item” that didn’t address specific needs. 

“I think they were stuck once Atlanta took (Michael) Penix and they were like, ‘Oh, crap, we might not get a quarterback to fall to us,’ and they scrambled and took that kid,” an executive said. “He is a good player, but a luxury item. I don’t like those kinds of picks unless you have everything else.”

Another executive believes the Raiders are well-suited to run a 12-personnel system with Bowers and TE Michael Mayer. 

“If they are willing to do that, which nobody other than New England has really leaned into since they had (Aaron) Hernandez and Gronk (Rob Gronkowski), it’s great,” an executive said. “If you go out there in base, they are going to throw the ball on you. If you play nickel or dime, they will run the ball down your throat.”