Tag: denver-broncos

2026 AFC West Preview

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers finished 11-6 last season and were three games back of the Broncos in the division.  They pulled that off without their starting OTs and with Greg Roman running the offense, that’s impressive.  There is a very likely chance that Chris O’Leary, the new defensive coordinator, isn’t the brilliant defensive mind Jesse Minter was so that’s a downgrade on defense.  However, I’m quite certain that Mike McDaniel is a massive upgrade at offensive coordinator over Greg Roman.  What McDaniel can do with a QB like Justin Herbert and the skill position talent on this team will be quite impressive. 

Justin Herbert didn’t have his best season last year passing the ball, but he did more with his legs than he had in the past.  Some of that was by necessity given their offensive line issues but McDaniel should fix those along with some better health.  McDaniel built a short, quick passing attack in Miami because that’s what Tua Tagovailoa was good at throwing, Herbert can make any throw.  McDaniel will fix the run game and that should lead to a better passing attack from Herbert. 

While the Chargers don’t have a peak Tyreek Hill type of speedster, they do have guys who have receiving skills McDaniel can use.  Ladd McConkey should be a demon in a McDaniel passing offense that will take advantage of his elite change of direction skills.  Quentin Johnston has been miscast as a downfield receiver at times while with the Chargers.  Johnston’s best skill is his after-the-catch ability.  He could really blossom in a McDaniel offense.  Tre Harris should give McDaniel the downfield threat he never really had in Miami and didn’t really need because Tua couldn’t use it anyway, Herbert certainly can.  At TE, Miami’s offense did best with a serious pass catching guy like Jonnu Smith, the Chargers have Oronde Gadsden.  The Chargers also have Charlie Kolar to be the big blocking TE and even signed David Njoku, who can still be a weapon. 

The offensive line was awful last season, and you would think it was because they lost both starting OTs plus some backups and were really hurting from an availability standpoint outside.  Unfortunately, the interior was an even bigger issue as the healthy guys they had were simply bad.  LT Rashawn Slater and RT Joe Alt return to fix the edges, that’s a relief.  Those two can be the best OT duo in the league, they are that good.  Inside, they started the makeover with center Tyler Biadasz who was let go by Washington.  Biadasz isn’t some All-Pro but he was supposed to be a massive upgrade in the pivot, then he got hurt.  This is the Chargers so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised by that.  Luckily, the team drafted Jake Slaughter and he should step in as the starting center instead of fighting for a guard spot.  He’s a natural center so it should work out better for him.  The team signed Cole Strange, who was playing well for McDaniel in Miami at the end of last season, he’ll be better than Mehki Becton was last year at RG.  LG was supposed to be a competition but with Slaughter at center, Kayode Awosika is set to start.  Yeah, I don’t know who he is either. 

The running game was held together by duct tape and chewing gum last year after injuries took a toll.  And by duct tape and chewing gum, I mean Kimani Vidal who did some good work under tough circumstances.  This year Omarion Hampton should be back healthy and they signed Keaton Mitchell.  Hampton is the bell cow back everyone wants while Mitchell is the speed back McDaniel will love.  Vidal is also back but should only provide great depth if all goes well.  If the line can block at all, this running game can be dangerous. 

The defense returns nearly every player of note, and the biggest loss is at defensive coordinator.  Jesse Minter got the Baltimore job based on the excellent job he’s done for two years with less-than-ideal players with the Chargers.  The team isn’t teeming with Pro Bowlers on the defense, but Minter made them a top ten unit.  Chris O’Leary, a former Minter protégé, returns after being a college defensive coordinator for one year last season at Western Michigan.  He’s never called plays in the NFL but it’s his job now. 

The defensive line returns Jamaree Caldwell and Teair Tart, two guys who played quite well last year.  Dalvin Tomlinson is the veteran they signed to start after losing Deshawn Hand in free agency.  Tomlinson is a big body who can plug up the middle quite well.  There’s not much depth to speak of and Tomlinson is 32 with plenty of wear and tear on his tires.  It’s a tenuous group they hope can hold up.

At LB, Khalil Mack is still and awesome run stuffing OLB with enough juice off the edge to still be useful.  He’s a legend and he just keeps showing up.  Tuli Tuipulotu had his best season last year and is their most important pass rusher.  He’s going into a contract year, and he wants a new deal.  The Chargers don’t have much leverage, and they need him if they are going to be competitive.  Last year, the pass rush wasn’t very effective until they traded for Odafe Oweh from Baltimore and unleashed him.  He signed with Washington and now they need rookie first rounder Akeem Mesidor to be a worthwhile replacement.  Daiyan Henley had a weird year last season with some injury issues and some personal off-the-field stuff.  They need him back to being his best self.  33-year-old Denzel Perryman would be the other starter if he wasn’t on IR and the Junior Colson experiment seems over as he’s been relegated to the practice squad.  Troy Dye holds down the other ILB spot for now, that’s not ideal. 

If you want to talk about the brilliance of Jesse Minter, look no further than the Chargers secondary.  Yes, Derwin James is an elite play maker and does everything, but the rest of this group doesn’t scare anyone individually.  CBs Tarheeb Still, Cam Hart, and Dante Jackson are not guys that get talked about as elite individual performers, but they have been excellent in Minter’s defense.  S Elijah Molden found his best spot under Minter too.  Tony Jefferson was retired before he returned to play for Minter and they got by just fine.  It’s up to O’Leary to get the best out of this group, and if he doesn’t, this defense could fall apart fast.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos won the AFC West last season by three games and went all the way to the AFC Championship game where they lost to New England.  If Bo Nix plays in that game, they probably win and go to the Super Bowl.  The Broncos’ defense is elite and one of the best units in football.  The offense was good enough last season and this season they added WR Jaylen Waddle who gives them a dimension in the passing game they just haven’t had.  I do see some areas where they could regress, which is why I think they finish just behind the Chargers or maybe these teams have the same record at the end of the season.

Bo Nix was pretty good last season, but he still has his frustrating moments.  He’s a good athlete who can keep the offense moving but he’s just not an elite passer.  He needs his teammates to pick him up and last year they did most of the time but not always.  Sean Payton has turned over play calling to his newly appointed offensive coordinator Davis Webb.  Webb was the QB coach, and they fired the OC and gave the job to Webb.  We will see if Payton can resist the temptation to take back the play calling duties if things get off to a slow start.

Courtland Sutton has been a dependable if unspectacular WR1 for a few years now for the Broncos.  He’s a good WR but he’s not the type of guy who makes defensive coordinators scheme up coverages against him or worry too much.  He’s got size and plays to it, but he’s not overwhelming.  Also, this team has been looking for someone to complement Sutton’s skills, and they hadn’t found it until now.  They traded for Jaylen Waddle from Miami, and he’s an excellent addition and truth be told, he’s the WR1 now, Sutton is the complementary piece.  Waddle is a yards-after-the-catch monster, and this team has been dying for a guy to be that, sorry but Marvin Mims just isn’t that guy.  Mims, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant give the Broncos nice depth, Waddle gives them real juice.  The TE group isn’t great but Adam Trautman does what Sean Payton asks and that all you need.  Evan Engram is still here but he’s not the weapon he once was. 

The offensive line was mostly healthy all of last season and this is where some regression could happen as guys are aging.  LT Garrett Bolles was an All-Pro last season but he’s 34 and has played a ton of football, he may not be at that All-Pro level this year.  They did have some injuries on the interior with C Luke Wattenberg having a shoulder issue late in the year and LG Ben Powers missing about half the season.  They need those guys to be healthy as they don’t have a ton of depth.  RG Quinn Meinerz was a rock, and he is one of the better guards in football.  RT Mike McGlinchy played well all year too but he’s 31 and the clock could be ticking on him too.  If the offensive line doesn’t have the great health it had last season and it’s compromised at all, that makes things tough on Nix.      

The RB group is interesting.  They re-signed JK Dobbins and apparently teams are just going to keep signing him hoping someday he’ll have a healthy season.  If he ever does, he could be great, I don’t see it happening.  They also return RJ Harvey who had a nice rookie year but clearly showed he’s probably not a bell cow back.  They need someone to carry the early down load when Dobbins goes down and they found that guy in the draft, Jonah Coleman.  Coleman is 5’8 and 220 lbs. and he’s a bowling ball on the field.  I think it’s his job once Dobbins goes out, he’s a very talented back. 

Vance Joseph returns at defensive coordinator, and he should keep this unit rolling as one of the best in the game.  There isn’t much name recognition for the guys up front but Zach Allen is one of the best 3-4 ends in football.  It’s a very unique skill set and he does it better than most.  They still have DJ Jones at NT and he’s good.  They re-signed Malcolm Roach and let John Franklin-Myers leave in free agency to get a little younger and a little cheaper up front. 

They did that so they could afford their edge rushers who are quite good.  OLB Nik Bonitto is one of the best pass rushers in football even if he doesn’t always get mentioned with the top group.  He’s an undersized player but he had 14 sacks last year and that’s not uncommon for him.  Jonathan Cooper played well opposite Bonitto with eight sacks, he’s just hitting his prime years.  Cooper had an off the field issue in the off season and starts the year on the Commissioner’s Exempt list so he’s not available.  They will count on Jonah Ellis and Que Robinson to take up the slack.  ILBs Justin Strnad and Alex Singleton are not the greatest duo, but they get the job done and they do what Joseph asks of them. 

The secondary is home to arguably the best CB in football, Patrick Surtain II.  The argument against it isn’t because he’s gotten worse, it’s just a few guys are starting to play as well as he is, he still sets the bar.  Surtain won a Defensive Player of the Year award a few years ago and he’s still that good.  Riley Moss has been one of the most picked on CBs in football since he entered the league because he starts opposite Surtain.  He’s done a very good job and he’s heading towards free agency; they are hoping to get one more good year from him before someone else probably pays him more than they can afford.  JaQuan McMillan is a good slot corner and Jahdae Barron gives them good depth at CB.  Talanoa Hufanga played in 17 games last year, that was what they needed from him.  He’s an enforcer over the middle and the team benefits from his toughness.  Brandon Jones is a solid FS who is the last line of defense and does pretty well at that.  

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs luck ran out last season as they had the season from hell.  They were off to a rough start early and then Mahomes got hurt and it only got worse from there.  The running game was non-existent, the pass catchers were not good, and the defense was okay but just not enough to make up for an offense that was in shambles.  Andy Reid sent Matt Nagy packing and brought back Eric Bieniemy after he spent last season with Ben Johnson in Chicago.  Reid needs some new ideas and hopefully for the Chiefs sake, Bieniemy learned something in Chicago.

Patrick Mahomes has always been the engine of this offense since the day he stepped on the field but over the years the other pieces of the car have fallen apart.  He’s still an incredible talent but he shouldn’t have to do all the heavy lifting.  The passing game is far too reliant on unreliable WRs and Travis Kelce who just isn’t what he once was.  Mahomes is already back from his ACL tear and fully practicing but he can’t fix this passing game himself.  They didn’t even sign a solid veteran like Stefon Diggs or even Jauan Jennings who could have helped Mahomes.

They are still going to count on Rashee Rice to be WR1 and that’s a dangerous place to be considering his off-the-field issues and he was pretty mediocre last year.  Xavier Worthy is a fun idea because he has electric speed, but he just isn’t built to be a high-volume pass catcher.  He’s a gadget guy at best and shouldn’t be used more than that.  Tyquan Thornton has found his niche as a deep threat and playing with Mahomes gives him opportunities.  Travis Kelce is back again but he’s a shell of his once former amazing self and they have to use him sparingly and find the best possible situations to get him the ball.  He shouldn’t be an every down TE.  They need Noah Gray to become a bigger weapon.    

The offensive line should be fine if their OTs can hold up.  LT Josh Simmons had an uneven rookie year while dealing with some injury stuff and some personal issues.  If he’s good to go he has all the talent in the world to be a top LT.  Jaylon Moore was signed last year to address the LT issue before they drafted Simmons and now, he steps in at RT to replace Jawaan Taylor, he can be better than Taylor.  They have tinkered with Moore at guard with Trey Smith banged up.  That has put rookie Khalil Benson at RT, that’s not ideal.  The interior is anchored by the best center in football, Creed Humphrey, and RG Trey Smith is one of the best in the league.  Kingsley Suamataia should be the full-time LG and he’ll be fine, he started to figure it out last year and should just get better.     

The Chiefs’ running game was awful last season and they revamped most of the RB group.  Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are gone, and they signed Kenneth Walker III to a big free agent contract after he won Super Bowl MVP.  Walker hasn’t always been the most consistent player, but he’s always been a big play RB.  The Chiefs offense lacked big plays in any phase, and they chose to sign Walker to get them some big chunk yardage plays this season.  They also signed Emari Demarcado to give them some depth but waived him during camp.  They drafted Emmett Johnson; a guy I like a lot.  Johnson can be a real weapon for them and it’s him and Brashard Smith behind Walker. 

The defense returns DT Chris Jones and DE George Karlaftis as the mainstays.  Jones may not be at his peak anymore but he’s still one of the best pass rushing DTs in the game.  Karlaftis is a powerful end and while his sacks numbers have trended down two years in a row, he’s still an effective pass rusher.  What this team needs is more help to draw attention away from these two.  Austin Gillotte is the other starting DE right now, but they also added R Mason Thomas in the draft, he’s the type of speedy edge rusher they have been missing.  DT Khyris Tonga isn’t a pass rusher, but he’ll fix their run defense problems alone.  He’s an immovable object in the middle of the line. 

At LB, Nick Bolton is the heart and soul of the defense.  He’s the leader, the green dot guy calling out the defense, and they go as he goes.  Bolton is going to be the biggest beneficiary of Tonga manning the middle up front.  He shouldn’t face as many blockers getting to him from the offensive line.  Drue Tranquill is the other starter at LB and he’s solid and has gotten better every year. 

DC Steve Spagnuolo likes to play his nickel defense a lot and there are going to be plenty of changes after they traded Trent McDuffie and lost Jaylen Watson in free agency.  They traded up to draft Mansoor Delane and he’ll be good.  It took a little time in camp for him to win over Spags but he should start.  Nohl Williams, from the third round of the 2025 class has the edge at one CB spot while L’Jarius Sneed is the third guy.    Chamarri Conner should start at SS, he seemed to settle in at safety last season.  Jaden Hicks is trying to be the nickel corner but they will likely use Williams, Delane, and Sneed together.  They signed Alohi Gilman to be the veteran replacing Bryan Cook.  Keep an eye on Xavier Nwankpa, he showed out in camp and stole a roster spot at safety.  He’ll be a special team’s guy early but he may be coming for someone’s job. 

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders were a disaster on the field last season.  The hiring of Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly could not have gone worse.  Carroll may have been undone by the hiring of his sons as much as anything but that was his choice.  Kelly really wasn’t his choice but agreed to it until he had to fire him.  Carroll is gone and Klink Kubiak is here to restore order on the offensive side of the ball.  Patrick Graham survived multiple coaching changes to remain DC in Vegas but finally he’s off to Pittsburgh and they have a new coordinator, Rob Leonard.  He’s an unknown as a play caller but at least, he’ll have a little more talent to work with.

They drafted Fernando Mendoza to be the future face of the franchise, now the question becomes how soon does he take the reins.  The team signed Kirk Cousins to start the year at least, Tom Brady isn’t a fan of rookie starting QBs so Cousins gets the nod for now.   Mendoza did struggle in the preseason so it’s possible he’s not even the backup on game days, they have Aidan O’Connell who has NFL playing experience.  Kubiak will make the system QB friendly, and it will aid Mendoza’s transition eventually.  We will see Mendoza eventually but this team isn’t really playing for anything except maybe a chance to draft WR Jeremiah Smith next year. 

The WR group is not set up to help a rookie QB because there’s a lack of overall talent.  Although, some of the young guys should be considerably better playing in Kubiak’s passing game than whatever that was Chip Kelly was doing last season.  Jack Bech was miscast by last year’s coaching staff; Kubiak should have a better role for him.  Tre Tucker is small but speedy and Kubiak was a fan of Rashid Shaheed; he should understand how to use Tucker.  The team signed Jalen Nailor in free agency, he should be a perfectly fine third WR, if he’s more than that, it could be a problem.  The real star of the passing game will be TE Brock Bowers.  Assuming he’s over his injuries from last year, he’s a playmaker Kubiak will spend his nights staying awake trying to find ways to get him the ball.  He’s electric with the ball, they need that.  TE Michael Mayer should also benefit from Kubiak’s offense; there’s always ways to use TEs in that offense. 

The offensive line has no choice but to be better than they were last year.  The signing of C Tyler Linderbaum, the return of a healthy LT Kolton Miller, and the fact that Brennan Carroll is no longer the line coach guarantees they will be leaps and bounds better than they were last year.  Linderbaum is one of the best centers in football and he’s going to an offensive system that fits his skills perfectly.  Kolton Miller doesn’t get mentioned with the elite LTs in the game but he’s really good when he’s healthy.  He is rock solid at LT and that goes a long way.  They team also signed Spencer Burford, a former 49er who at least knows the system.  He’s not great but playing between Miller and Linderbaum should help him a ton.  The right side still has questions.  Jackson Powers-Johnson is set to be the RG, if he buys into the system and playing guard, he’s a talent.  RT DJ Glaze was okay as a rookie two years ago and awful last year.  If you believe last year’s issues were scheme and coaching related, and I do, I think he can be fine.  If not, they have Charles Grant or Trey Zuhn III who they could turn to. 

The running game should have been better last year with a talent like Ashton Jeanty but again, the offensive scheme and the o-line coaching were a hinderance.  Jeanty didn’t forget how to play football but when a RB gets hit behind the line of scrimmage as much as Jeanty did, there’s not much he can do with the ball. Jeanty sustained an injury in camp so he may not be ready early in the season.  The team did invest in some depth by drafting Mike Washington, a guy who has no business being as fast as he is with how big he is.  He should be fine while Jeanty is out and then be an excellent complement to him. 

The defense was always better than it had any business being under Patrick Graham, he may be a wizard, I’m not sure.  Now he’s gone but they did at least upgrade the talent.  They tried to trade Maxx Crosby, but it fell through because he failed his physical.  Now he’s back and he’s still the best defender they have.  Crosby wasn’t at his best last season, and he still had 10 sacks.  The rest of the front didn’t get a ton of help, but Adam Butler and Thomas Booker IV should be fine at DT.  Malcolm Koonce should be better at DE another year removed from his injury two years ago.  They also got some depth, signing Kwity Paye and drafting Keyron Crawford.  Watch out for Crawford, he’s a talented young player.

The biggest change was the team going from some small LBs to some new bigger, better players.  They spent a ton of free agent money to sign Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean.  These two played LB together at Georgia and they are massive upgrades from last year’s LB crew.  Dean brings a major injury risk, but the Raiders had to invest in LB and Dean is worth the gamble.  They will mostly play just these two at LB, but Tommy Eichenberg isn’t a bad third LB to have. 

The secondary returns most of the starters from last year’s team.  CB Eric Stokes revived his career after it was flailing when he left Green Bay, he played pretty well.  Darien Porter started a little last year and for now, he’s penciled in opposite Stokes.  It could be a tenuous hold on that job if Jermod McCoy’s knee holds out.  McCoy dropped in the draft due to knee concerns, but if that doesn’t hold him back, he’s arguably the most talented CB on the roster, sorry Eric Stokes.  Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao return as the starting safeties.  I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.  They seem like very specific types of players but if new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard uses them right, they can be good at their jobs.  Taron Johnson was signed as a veteran addition to take over the nickel, they were bad there last year.  However, they drafted Treydan Stukes in round two and he very well could steal the job although he may be pushing for Pola-Mao’s starting safety job instead.  They should have more depth in the secondary and they certainly added more talent.     

2025 AFC West Preview

Kansas City Chiefs

Most fanbases would be pretty happy after a 15-2 season and a trip to the Super Bowl but the Chiefs have set the bar higher, they expect to win the Lombardi Trophy.  Andy Reid’s coaching staff returns intact and this team will continue to be the standard in the league.  As long as Reid and Patrick Mahomes are together in Kansas City, the Chiefs are contenders. 

Mahomes is still one of the best QBs in the league and while a few guys may have caught up to him, none have really surpassed him.  He raises the game of the guys around him and if the offensive line had been better, he may have beaten the Eagles in the Super Bowl.  They had to make some choices on the line this year, RG Trey Smith was a free agent and they needed to upgrade at LT.  They traded Joe Thuney so they need a new LG.  The originally signed Jaylon Moore to be their LT but then Josh Simmons fell to them in the draft.  Simmons has recovered from his knee injury and already took the LT spot from Moore. They need either Kingsley Suamataia or Mike Caliendo to step up at LG, it’s not apparent either one is going to be that good.  Moore could also potentially replace Jawaan Taylor at RT, for now, he’s the swing tackle.  They did eventually re-sign Trey Smith to a massive extension so C Creed Humphrey, Smith, and Taylor should give them stability on the right side unless Taylor struggles.  These changes were necessary after last year’s Super Bowl debacle where the Eagles defensive line destroyed the Chiefs offense before it could even start. Moore is an expensive third OT but after last season, I don’t think the team minds paying a premium, I’m sure Mahomes appreciates. 

Mahomes is the guy who makes the skill position guys better than they really are.  At WR, they are looking to get Rashee Rice back after his injury but he’s also looking at a six-game suspension for a hit-and-run.  He’s their top WR once he’s back.  They did find ways to use Xavier Worthy last year as more than just a fast guy running decoy routes.  He’s still undersized and you can’t count on him being a big volume guy.  Hollywood Brown returns after a lost season due to injury, that’s a familiar story for him, but wait, hold up, he already has a foot/ankle issue.   JuJu Smith-Schuster is the only veteran to count on.  The one guy I want to see is rookie fourth-round WR Jalen Royals, he’s a good player.  RB Isaiah Pacheco hopes the offensive line gets him and the running game back on track.  They brought back Kareem Hunt but rookie seventh-rounder Brashard Smith is an intriguing back to me.  He could give them a little Jerrick McKinnon type of player. 

Steve Spagnuolo is one of the best defensive play callers in football and he has had this unit humming the last few years.  The front four is still dominated by DT Chris Jones but he’s starting to get some help.  DE George Karlaftis is an excellent end and Mike Danna has proven to be a steady player on the other side.  It would have helped if former first-rounder Felix Anudike-Uzomah could have contributed as a designated pass rusher but he’s already been placed on IR.  DT Mike Pennel is a decent rotation guy but rookie Omar Norman-Lott is going to be needed to add something inside. The team wasn’t satisfied with the DL rotation coming out of camp so they traded for Derrick Nnadi who was a free agent they let leave in the spring for the Jets but decided to reacquire just before cutdown day.  He’s a familiar face they are glad to have back.  He’s already listed as the starter next to Chris Jones.   

Nick Bolton was re-signed at MLB; he’s the brains of the operation.  Drue Tranquill and Leo Chenal fill their roles flanking Bolton at LB.  The secondary has Trent McDuffie; he’s an elite player who is best in the nickel role but can play outside too.  CB Jaylen Watson returns and they added Kristian Fulton hoping these two could play outside so McDuffie can stay at nickel.  S Jaden Hicks steps in for Justin Reid and pairs with Bryan Cook.  These are smart players who fit Spagnuolo’s style which is why they work. 

Los Angeles Chargers

The Jim Harbaugh era got off to a good start with an 11-win season and a playoff berth.  The team tried to commit to the run but the offensive line had some issues and they didn’t have the best luck with their running backs.  The offense has one of the better QBs in the league with Justin Herbert but they have lacked the overall talent at WR to take advantage of Herbert’s gifts. 

Herbert is considered one of the top QBs in the league but there is a question if he is held back by offensive coordinator Greg Roman.  Roman is a solid but unspectacular play caller. Herbert is also hindered by the lack of a game breaker at WR.  Last season Ladd McConkey was excellent as a rookie but he’s more of a move-the-chains, keep the drive going WR and not a downfield threat.  The team tried bringing back Mike Williams but he announced his retirement before training camp.  The guy they need to step up is rookie Tre Harris.  Harris has the skill set to be the big, downfield guy to open up the offense, but again, he’s a rookie.  Quentin Johnston played better last season but he’s still not a great player.  Late in training camp the team decided to reach into their recent past to try to help the WR group and they re-signed Keenan Allen.  Allen is a solid pro who is definitely careening towards the end of is career but he’s a guy Herbert will trust in key situations. The TE position doesn’t have any dynamic weapons unless rookie Oronde Gadsden breaks out.  Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin are solid vets but that’s it. 

The running game was set back last season because JK Dobbins couldn’t stay healthy and neither could Gus Edwards. The team decided it needed new blood so they signed Najee Harris and drafted Omarion Hampton.  Harris wasn’t a factor in training camp due to an eye injury he sustained on July 4th due to a fireworks accident.  Hampton can be the dynamic piece they have been missing and it’s his job now.  He can be difference maker for this offense.

The offensive line got an emergency shuffle during training camp as LT Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending knee injury.  Joe Alt will move from RT to LT while Trey Pipkins gets the RT job unless they find an alternative before the season starts.  Mekhi Becton was brought in to be the new RG, he should help if he’s healthy.  Zion Johnson was the LG last year and Bradley Bozeman was the center. They tried to switch those two this preseason and the experiment apparently didn’t work because Johnson and Bozeman are back to their original positions. They were hoping the offensive line would be a strength but without Slater that’s a tough ask.  They have to just hope for competent play now.  Alt will be fine at LT, the other four spots have questions.    

Jesse Minter is a very good defensive coordinator but they are going to test him from a personnel standpoint this season.  They lost NT Poona Ford and Ford was the best player they had up front.  The defensive line looks like Da’Shawn Hand, Teair Tart, and Otito Ogbonnia which doesn’t instill confidence.  This defense wasn’t great at stopping the run last year and they lost Ford who was the best run stuffer they had.  Joey Bosa is finally gone after a few years of looking like they might cut him.  He’s not a huge loss because he’s injured more than he’s healthy.  Khalil Mack is aging but still quite good at OLB while Tuli Tuipulotu should step in for Bosa as the full-time starter. They need Tuipulotu to be a real player now, it’s his time. At ILB, Daiyan Henley is a potential breakout star but there was a last minute change at the other spot. Junior Colson, who was a third-round pick last year and a guy they were hoping would have a breakout season, ends up with a undisclosed injury and has been placed on season-ending IR. That’s a blow and now it’s veteran Denzel Perryman trying to fight off father time for another year. They need the ILBs to be good because the guys in front of them are average at best. 

The secondary was better last season than it had any right to be given the personnel.  SS Derwin James is a good player and his partner Alohi Gilman is solid but unspectacular.  At CB, they found some late round gems in the draft with Cam Hart playing well when he was healthy and Tarheeb Still being a solid player too.  Veteran Donte Jackson is penciled in at the other CB spot on the outside.  It’s not a dynamic group but Jesse Minter gets the best out of these guys.  For some reason, Minter also likes free agent signing Benjamin St.-Juste who came over from Washington. For the life of me I’m not sure why, he was never good in Washington but Minter sees something.

Denver Broncos

Sean Payton took his shot on his QB last year with Bo Nix and it worked out quite well for the Broncos.  Between a good rookie year out of Nix, a solid offensive line, and a great defense, the Broncos won 10 games and made the playoffs.  That was better than most probably thought the Broncos would do last year, now they need to build on that success.  Payton has the offense working for Nix and Vance Joseph is running an incredible defense. 

Nix isn’t the most physically gifted QB but he does all the things Payton likes in his offense.  He has athletic ability to keep a play alive, he’s excellent in the short to intermediate passing area, and he efficiently moves the offense down the field.  The passing game is a lot of short stuff but he does have one big play WR in Courtland Sutton even if they don’t use his downfield ability as much as they could.  Payton found a way to turn Marvin Mims into a run after the catch weapon in the offense.  Payton got some good play out of DeVaughn Vele too but between Troy Franklin stepping up and rookie Pat Bryant looking good, the Broncos felt safe trading Vele to the Saints.  That bodes well for Franklin and Bryant. Payton also went out this off season and got Evan Engram who is a playmaker at TE they just didn’t have.  He should be a favorite of Nix’s pretty quickly. 

The running game wasn’t good last year despite a very good and very healthy offensive line.  They let RB Javonte Williams leave in free agency and drafted RJ Harvey.  Harvey should be the starter but they did also sign JK Dobbins hoping he’ll be healthy enough to give them a veteran presence.  Dobbins is listed as the starter but that doesn’t feel like it will last and is probably not a great bet by Payton, Harvey is a more dynamic back.  Their offensive line of LT Garrett Bolles, LG Ben Powers, C Luke Wattenberg, RG Quinn Meinerz, and RT Mike McGlinchey started most of the games as a unit and they were quite good.  Wattenberg and McGlinchey missed some games but if they get the same health out of this group, they will again be very good.  Adding a more talented RB will enhance the running game. 

Vance Joseph’s defense was extremely tough to move the ball against.  They don’t have superstars on the front line but DE Zach Allen, DE John Franklin-Myers, and NT DJ Jones are as tough as they come.  Allen is one of the best pass rushing 3-4 DEs in the league, it’s not something you normally expect at that position.  These guys also push the pocket to help OLBs Nic Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper excel off the edge, and they did with both getting double digit sacks.  It makes the pass rush really good and that makes the pass defense overall, very tough.  One thing they need to do better is be strong up the middle. ILB Alex Singleton is fine but they wanted an upgrade next to him so they signed Dre Greenlaw.  When he’s healthy, Greenlaw is a star but he’s coming off an injury and it’s a risk. 

They took another risk trying to improve the middle of the secondary with another former 49er, SS Talanoa Hufanga.  Hufanga is the type of enforcer this team needs up the middle of the defense but like Greenlaw, he’s coming off injury and has an extensive injury history.  Brandon Jones is a solid FS to play with Hufanga.  At CB, the Broncos have the best in the game, Patrick Surtain II.  He was the Defensive Player of the Year so he gets the #1 spot even if he has some competition (Derek Stingley mainly).  Riley Moss stepped up to be the other outside CB last season and he was solid.  When you’re the guy opposite Surtain, teams look your way a lot. The team did draft Jahdae Barron in the first round and he’s going to be a great addition.  He will be the nickel corner, he can also play some outside CB, or he could be another safety.  Barron is a real talent and Vance Joseph will find a way to use him. 

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders were bad last year and with a coach like Antonio Pierce, a starting QB like Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew, and a running game led by Zamir White it’s not hard to figure out why.  Tom Brady has become a minority owner, they hired John Spytek from Tampa Bay to be the GM, and installed Pete Carroll as head coach.  That’s what it looks like to add competence all around, Carroll also hired Chip Kelly to be the OC after he won a National Championship as Ohio St’s OC last year. Retaining Patrick Graham as DC was also a good move.

The first moves this team made personnel wise were trading for Geno Smith to fix the QB problem.  Smith isn’t a long-term solution but Pete Carroll is 73, he’s not working on a five-year window.  It’s going to be an interesting mix in the passing game with what Chip Kelly will want to do, what Geno Smith is best at, and what the pass catchers can do.  Smith is a downfield thrower but the receiving talent isn’t necessarily built for that at first glance.  The best pass catcher is TE Brock Bowers who was elite as a rookie.  He can get down the field but he’s better getting the ball and making things happen.  Jakobi Meyers is probably the best WR they have and he’s more of a slot guy, over the middle type.  They drafted Jack Bech who’s an outside receiver but not a true down the field threat.  The best down the field guy is their fourth-round pick Dont’e Thornton Jr.  He’s big, he’s fast, a he’s raw but he has really performed in camp and he’s listed as a starter.  They really think they found something in Thornton.  Tre Tucker is a nice speed receiver too and he should benefit from having Geno Smith around.  Smith is a huge upgrade talent wise; it’s going to depend on if they can put the offense together for him. 

The running game was awful last season with an offensive line that was finding it’s footing and almost no talent at RB.  They fixed the running back talent issue by taking Ashton Jeanty in the first round, he’s an elite talent.  He alone will make this running game better but he won’t have to do it alone.  They moved Jackson Powers-Johnson to center towards the middle of last season and thought he would stick there but in camp they moved Jordan Meredith to the pivot and JPJ is playing RG now.  LT Kolton Miller is a very solid guy while they liked what they saw from rookie DJ Glaze at RT.  Glaze is a work in progress but should get better with more reps.  With Meredith moving to the middle, Dylan Parham should be the LG with Alex Cappa as a depth piece.  The other big upgrade is Chip Kelly calling the offense, especially the running game.  He’s light years ahead of where they were last year with Luke Getsy calling the offense. 

Pete Carroll made a great call by keeping Patrick Graham as his defensive coordinator.  The Raiders defense wasn’t good last year but Graham got the best out of what he had.  They didn’t exactly stack the defense this off season as they seemed more focused on offense, but they did get some veteran help. DE Maxx Crosby is one of the best in the NFL and now he’s paid like it. He needed some help after team cut DT Christian Wilkins in one of the more stunning moves before fall camp even started.  Wilkins had some issues with the organization and let’s just say it ended ugly. They traded former starting CB Jakorian Bennett to Philadelphia for DT Thomas Booker IV and he looks like a great addition as he’s already a starter. DT Adam Butler is a solid player and if Malcolm Koonce comes back healthy at DE, that would really help.  Perhaps Pete Carroll can find a way to motivate Tyree Wilson and turn his career around so he’s not a bust at DE. 

At LB, they made a late off season addition of Germaine Pratt who had been released by Cincinnati.  Pratt isn’t an elite LB but he’s a big upgrade for this team.  Elandon Roberts was signed too but he’s a downgrade from Robert Spillane.  The secondary is where they need to really up their game.  They signed SS Jeremy Chinn and he’s solid, even if he’s not better than Tre’von Moehrig.  The other safety spot isn’t good at this point.  Rookie Darien Porter had a shot to start at one CB spot but looks like he’s been pushed aside by Kyu Blu Kelly, a guy I really liked in the 2024 draft.  Porter will still get a chance but Eric Stokes is the other starting outside CB.  Those could be upgrades at outside CB but Darnay Holmes is almost assuredly a downgrade from Nate Hobbs in the slot.  It’s a mixed bag but overall, there is more talent for Graham to work with on defense.              

2025 AFC West Draft Review

Denver Broncos

(20) Jahdae Barron CB Texas
(60) RJ Harvey RB UCF
(74) Pat Bryant WR Illinois
(101) Sai’vion Jones DL LSU
(134) Que Robinson Edge Alabama
(216) Jeremy Crawshaw P Florida
(241) Caleb Lohner TE Utah

Immediate Impact: CB Jahdae Barron, RB RJ Harvey

The Broncos took one of the best defensive backs in the draft in Barron. He can be an elite nickel corner who can switch outside depending on the matchup. They have the best CB in football in Patrick Surtain and Riley Moss played well last year. Now they complete their trio to give them a nice nickel package. Harvey is short but big at 5’8 220 lbs. He has a tough running style with burst and speed and he’ll fit this scheme quite well. He can also catch out of the backfield which is a trait Sean Payton loves.

Best Value: DL Sai’vion Jones

Jones isn’t flashy because he’s a big power end but that’s perfect for this defense. The Broncos have Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers, two big power ends who don’t have much backing them up. They are also both free agents to be so Jones is a nice hedge against that. He needs to learn a few tricks of the trade and veterans like Allen and Myers are good guys to learn from. He could be a starter for them at DE in 2026.

Sleeper: Edge Que Robinson

Robinson comes from Alabama where there were just waves of elite pass rushers around him his whole career so he never got the chance to be a full-time player. He made the most of his pass rush opportunities but he’s just not very experienced. He’s a bit undersized but that hasn’t been a problem for Denver’s defense, they seem to like those guys.

Overall Analysis

Jahdae Barron is going to be a good pro for a long time, he’s just too good of a football player not to be. RJ Harvey should thrive in Payton’s offense and this team desperately needed a top RB. WR Pat Bryant felt like a bit of a reach in round three. He’s tall but he’s not fast, he’s not particularly big, and he’s not all that athletic. He runs good routes and understands positioning but he feels like a poor man’s Courtland Sutton and I think there were better options on the board; Jalen Royals and Elic Ayomanor for example. He’ll make this roster because they don’t have much behind Sutton but I wouldn’t expect a ton of production.

The Jones and Robinson picks are very good mid-round picks who should help the Broncos defense with depth in the front seven. The defense has been good and these are solid reinforcements and investments for the future. They drafted a punter in the sixth round, the only thing I hate more than drafting a kicker is drafting a punter. They finished up by drafting a TE from Utah who barely played. He was once a basketball player who switched up to finish his college career playing football. Sean Payton may think he can turn him into Jimmy Graham, that’s not going to happen.

Nitpick or Concern: This team needed more WR help than Pat Bryant. At the very least, those last two picks could have been used on guys like Tez Johnson or Kaden Prather. Tez Johnson would have been a nice story with his connection to Bo Nix. He also would have given them a playmaker in the slot.

Kansas City Chiefs

(32) Josh Simmons OT Ohio St.
(63) Omarr Norman-Lott DT Tennessee
(66) Ashton Gillotte Edge Louisville
(85) Nohl Williams CB California
(133) Jalen Royals WR Utah St.
(156) Jeffrey Bassa LB Oregon
(228) Brashard Smith RB SMU

Immediate Impact: OT Josh Simmons, DT Omarr Norman-Lott

Simmons might not start the season as he recovers from his knee injury but he’ll eventually take over at LT. I know they signed Jaylon Moore for too much money but Simmons is the better player. Norman-Lott gives them a nice interior pass rusher and they lack depth there. Chris Jones is working alone at this point and I don’t think Mike Pennel or Jerry Tillery are going to keep Norman-Lott off the field.

Best Value: WR Jalen Royals

No way Royals should have been available in round four. I know he’s coming off an injury but he’s a very talented WR. They have Xavier Worthy and then two guys coming off injury, Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice. Royals is better than the rest of the depth chart; JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore, and Tyquan Thornton are not better than Royals. If I were those guys, I’d be worried.

Sleeper: RB Brashard Smith

At one time in his college career, Smith was a WR. He moved to RB at SMU and he excelled at it despite not being the biggest guy. One thing he is, is fast. He brings a speed element the backfield lacks and he obviously has pass catching skills. He’s basically the Jerick McKinnon starter kit and I think Andy Reid will love him.

Overall Analysis

The Chiefs are obviously a good team with solid roster but they have been good long enough that guys have started to leave as players get more expensive. They need this draft to replenish some spots and they did a solid job. Simmons fills the biggest hole and the one they have barely been papering over for several years. He and Moore give them options if they have injuries too. They lost Derrick Nnadi in free agency after losing others over the years leaving Omarr Norman-Lott a opportunity to find playing time. DE Ashton Gillotte is a powerful prospect who fits their preference and is insurance with Charles Omenihu’s recent injury history and Felix Anudike-Uzomah being undersized and underdeveloped.

CB Nohl Williams has good size and a lot of experience from his time at Cal and he fits the same mold as other CBs in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. I think WR Royals is a steal and he’s going to allow them to boot some of the dead weight off the WR depth chart. LB Jeffrey Bassa was a good fifth-round pick, he’s fast and fluid running to the ball. He needs a little more power to his game but he’s useful player. I love the Brashard Smith pick for this team, he couldn’t be a better fit for the skills they lack in the backfield.

Nitpick or Concern: As much as I like Brashard Smith they could have used an earlier pick on a guy with more upside or someone who could push Pacheco at RB. The pick where they took Nohl Williams, they could have had a guy like Dylan Sampson or even with the Jeffrey Bassa pick they could have had Devin Neal. Those guys would have been real competition for the starting RB job. Smith is a complementary piece.

Las Vegas Raiders

(6) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise St.
(58) Jack Bech WR TCU
(68) Darien Porter CB Iowa St.
(98) Caleb Rogers OL Texas Tech
(99) Charles Grant OT William & Mary
(108) Dont’e Thornton Jr. WR Tennessee
(135) Tonka Hemingway DL South Carolina
(180) JJ Pegues DT Ole Miss
(213) Tommy Mellott WR Montana St.
(215) Cam Miller QB North Dakota St.
(222) Cody Lindenberg LB Minnesota

Immediate Impact: RB Ashton Jeanty, WR Jack Bech, CB Darien Porter

The Raiders RB group was looking pretty rough before they added Jeanty. He’s a truly talented player who changes the complexion of the offense. He’s a three-down back who can carry the workload for sure. He’s the playmaker they need on offense to go with Brock Bowers. WR Jack Bech is a good WR who doesn’t have great speed but just knows how to win. He’ll come down with the tough catch and he should be additive to an offense that needs guys who can make plays. Porter is walking into a CB room that needs help. He’s a big, raw CB but if anyone can get him ready to play, it’s Pete Carroll, he likes guys like this.

Best Value: CB Darien Porter

An early third round pick who has a chance to start immediately at CB is good value. Porter isn’t going to be the best CB right away but he has talent and physical skills. Carroll has taken mid to late round CBs and turned them into starters early in their careers; think Richard Sherman and Riq Woolen. Porter could be the next one.

Sleeper: OT Charles Grant

Grant has the measurables and the athleticism to be a LT in the NFL. He’s making a major step up in competition coming from William & Mary but it can be done. He may be the heir apparent to Kolton Miller if the Raiders can’t work out an extension for Miller. He may even help them out at guard this year and move outside next year.

Overall Analysis

The Raiders have a big class with 11 players so they took some chances. Jeanty is about as sure of a thing as you get with a RB. He has every skill you need to be a true three-down back. WR Jack Bech is a useful player and that makes him valuable to the Raiders, they don’t have many of those at WR. Porter gives them a good prospect at CB and they need that too. Then in round three they went back-to-back with offensive linemen. Carlos Rogers is a big guy they will move inside. Grant gives them a potential OT of the future.

In round four they took the Al Davis memorial award winner WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. He’s a 6’5 214 lbs. speedster who doesn’t catch all that well. They need a deep threat but I’m not sure Thornton will ever be that guy. They were really into doubling up at positions because after taking two offensive linemen and Thornton, they took two DTs. Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues give them two different types of DTs. Hemingway is the smaller, slasher type while Pegues is the bigger body player.

They followed that up with two FCS QBs; Montana St. QB Tommy Mellott and North Dakota St’s QB Cam Miller, clearly, they watched the FCS National Championship game. It’s a little misleading though, they plan to move Mellott to WR and try him in the slot. Miller will be the developmental QB here. LB Cody Lindenberg isn’t making the roster unless it’s as a special teamer.

Nitpick or Concern: They could have done a little more in the secondary. Porter gives them an option at CB but they could use some help at safety. They are also counting on Darnay Holmes to be the nickel back, that could be an issue.

Los Angels Chargers

(22) Omarion Hampton RB North Carolina
(55) Tre Harris WR Ole Miss
(86) Jamaree Caldwell DT Oregon
(125) Kyle Kennard Edge South Carolina
(158) KeAndre Lambert-Smith WR Auburn
(165) Oronde Gadsden II TE Syracuse
(199) Branson Taylor OT Pittsburgh
(214) RJ Mickens S Clemson
(256) Trikweze Bridges CB Florida

Immediate Impact: RB Omarion Hampton, WR Tre Harris

The Chargers signed Najee Harris in free agency but Hampton is going to be the guy for Harbaugh. Hampton is just a more explosive playmaker even if he isn’t a homerun hitter. He’s a better pass catcher than Harris and Harris will just give the Chargers a very reliable backup. WR Tre Harris can be everything the Chargers thought they were getting in Quentin Johnston and more. He’s a true deep threat with good size and ball skills down the field. He will finally give Justin Herbert a downfield playmaker.

Best Value: DT Jamaree Caldwell

The Chargers lost Poona Ford in free agency and while they brought in Teair Tart, they are very thin up front. Caldwell was a late third round pick and he could be very important to the defensive line. He’ll certainly be in the rotation and he might start. He’s a good player with great size and they are in short supply of that.

Sleeper: S RJ Mickens

Mickens is a good safety who played at Clemson and has NFL bloodlines. He dad was long-time NFL CB Ray Mickens. The Chargers have Derwin James and Alohi Gilman but their depth isn’t great and Mickens could be a starter eventually. He could certainly play safety over Tony Jefferson at this point. I think they found a long-term starter in round six.

Overall Analysis

Hampton and Harris are going to help the offense immediately and that’s impressive for a couple of rookies. Those are good draft picks when you pull that off. Caldwell gives them a good player on front line, which they need. Edge rusher Kyle Kennard is a big rush end who gives them some depth they need even if he’s not an elite pass rusher. He could still give them a little more at the position than Bud Dupree.

The next three picks were on offense with another deep threat WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith, he’s sort of the poor man’s Tre Harris. He’s a solid player and with their desperate need to open up the offense he can make this team. If I were Mike Williams, Quentin Johnston, or Derius Davis I wouldn’t feel confident in place on the roster. TE Oronde Gadsden II isn’t scaring Will Dissly or Tyler Conklin but he could be the third TE. OT Branson Taylor is a big man who could be a swing tackle for them. Mickens is a real player at safety but I’m not sure Bridges makes the team, even though they need help at CB.

Nitpick or Concern: They could have done more to help the defense. They need some more depth on the line, they probably could have been more aggressive to upgrade the pass rush, and they needed CB help. They gave the offense an upgrade but I don’t think they upgraded the defense even with the guys I do like.