Could Sedrick Ellis be the man for Oakland at #4?The four teams in the range from contenders (San Diego) to a franchise re-writing the blueprint (Kansas City). The Broncos could be on the verge of returning to their regular position among the league’s best and the are putting the pieces together to compete, at least within the next few years.

With the possible exception of San Diego, every team has gaping holes they will look to address in the upcoming draft.

: With the Broncos cutting and the retirement of , the Broncos lack a true number one receiver. and are nice complementary pieces, but this year is a key developmental season for . He’s shown that he has the tools to lead the Broncos, but now management has to step up and give him some help.

believes they may be just a player or two away from returning to their elite form and an early round pick on a wide receiver may be that player. However, although the Broncos were productive with on the ground finishing ninth in the league in rushing, Cutler was sacked 27 times, so the coaching staff may identify help along the offensive line as a priority.

Kansas City: The Chiefs are a team that is clearly starting over from scratch. After the retirements of both and , things began to go downhill for the Chiefs. So far this year, they’ve cut linebacker , wide receiver , cornerback and defensive end . certainly isn’t the answer at quarterback and the rush defense is among the worst in the league.

The Chiefs could easily justify going in any number of directions in this year’s draft, particularly at offensive line, quarterback and wide receiver. It’s looking more and more like it will be at number five for the Chiefs, if he’s still on the board, but look for Kansas City to look towards someone like , , or maybe even in the third round.

Oakland: The Raiders are another team that has a ton of holes to fill, but unlike the Chiefs, the Raiders have the ability to be more competitive in 2008 than they were in 2007. While Oakland only doubled their win total from 2 to 4 in ’s first year, they have some nice pieces in place, especially now that they have acquired cornerback . If plays as advertised, Oakland could be on their way up.

But this is an important draft for them and much of how the first round will fall for other teams depends on what they do at four.

With the recent retirement of , Oakland may have their pick of either or . They also may surprise no one by selecting , although with so many needs, that may be more foolish than wise. The team also lost to free agency and lack a true number one wide out. That could be a second round priority with someone such as ’s or former Russell teammate from LSU.

San Diego: Many experts believe it is the Chargers, not the Patriots, who have the best talent in the league. They are loaded at the skill positions and the defense is solid, if unspectacular. It’s difficult to pinpoint a specific area of need for the Chargers, but may be wishing for some help along the offensive line. Rivers was sacked 22 times last year, not an extraordinary number, but enough to cause concern, especially when the run blocking is still solid.

At No. 27, the Chargers may look to address the right side of the offensive line. Guard is entering his 11th season in the league and tackle is number one on the depth chart, but didn’t start a game last season. The Chargers may look to address depth at running back after signed with the Falcons and the team cut Pro Bowl fullback . After all, LaDainian Tomlison can carry the ball every down.

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