AFC Notes: Javonte Williams, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos GM George Paton mentioned at the Combine that he expects RB Javonte Williams, who suffered tears to his ACL and LCL last year, to be healthy for the 2023 season. However, they still plan to add to the position. 

“I think he’s on track,” Paton said, via BroncosWire.com. “I don’t want to put a date on it, but he’s out there jogging. He’s working his butt off. He’s rehabbing. Javonte — they anticipate he would be ready for the start of the season. We’ll have a plan. We’ll have another back or two to be ready if he can’t go [Week 1].”

“We need to add,” Paton said. “We’re high on some of the guys that are up, some of the free agents. … We do need to add at that position.”

Chargers

• Justin Melo reports South Dakota State TE Tucker Kraft had formal meetings with 15 teams at the combine including the Chargers.  

Chiefs

Chiefs GM Brett Veach said the team’s strategy entering the draft remains taking the best player available on their board regardless of position.

“Yeah, we always try to stick to best available,” Veach said, via Chiefs Wire. “It’s probably a cookie-cutter line all GMs use. It does become difficult sometimes when you have certain position groups that are really deep because you do think, ‘Maybe he’s a little higher in value but there’s depth in that position so maybe you can get something similar.’ So, it’s just working the board and really trusting your guys at the end of the day. You know, handicapping teams and their needs is a big part of that and that’s where our pro department comes into play in this college process, just kind of projecting what other teams will do. But I mean, yeah, you always try to stick to just the best player because it is a game of attrition. You can sit there and think that you’re deep at a position – I remember a few years ago we thought we were really deep at defensive line and within the first three or four weeks we lost three of them. So, you always want to make sure you take the best player.”

Veach added that the team places a high emphasis on the Senior Bowl and will still strongly consider those players even if they’re not marquee players at the combine.

“Yeah, I mean the Senior Bowl is certainly a very high priority list for us in regard to how we go about our process,” Veach said. “You know, (Executive Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl) Jim Nagy, he’s worked in the league for a long time, and he does a great job of reaching out to GMs, reaching out to scouting directors to make sure that game is run the way that it needs to be. I think if you just look at our roster – Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Noah Gray, Kadarius Toney, the two corners last year – I think if you just looked at our roster, I think it kind of tells the story of how important the Senior Bowl is for us.”

• The Chiefs had a formal meeting with Oregon LB Noah Sewell at the NFL Combine, according to Ryan Fowler. 

Raiders

• Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post mentions the Raiders are one of the teams at least keeping track of 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo‘s market before free agency.