Best of AFC West: Best QB, draft pick, fans and more

The season is creeping closer. Before we know it, the Pro Football Hall of Fame game (Aug. 3) will be here. As we speed toward the 2023 season, let's examine the best of the AFC West.

BEST QB | Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: Surprised, huh? Tabbing Mahomes — a star in Netflix's "Quarterback" — as the best QB in the AFC West is a no-brainer. In 2022, he led the league in passing TDs (41), passing yards (5,250) and QBR (77.6) en route to winning his second MVP. He also guided Kansas City to its second Super Bowl title in four years.

"Tom Brady is the unquestioned greatest of all time, and in my lifetime, quarterbacks like Peyton Manning and Drew Brees have made a massive impact on the sport," wrote The Ringer's Kevin Clark in February. "But Mahomes' career will be unlike anything we've ever seen."

BEST COACH | Andy Reid,  Chiefs: Even though Denver hired former Saints HC Sean Payton, a Super Bowl champion, as head coach, Reid remains the best coach in the AFC West. Since Reid assumed the HC role in 2013, Kansas City has won the most regular-season games (117) in the NFL.

The close relationship between Mahomes and Reid is a big reason why the Chiefs are a budding dynasty and why they will continue to prosper. 

"[Reid is] just the best," Mahomes recently said on the "AP Pro Football Podcast." "He just lets me play the QB position the way I want to play it. I think that's what's made me a different type of QB in this league."  

BEST FREE-AGENT SIGNING | Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders, WR: Meyers was one of the more coveted free agents this offseason after catching 67 passes for 804 yards and six TDs, a career high, in 14 games with the Patriots last season. The Raiders signed him to a three-year, $33M deal.

The 26-year-old should complement six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. Plus, if he plays as well as last season, he should take the passing attack up a notch. Per Pro Football Focus, Meyers only had one drop last season.

BEST 2023 DRAFT PICK | Quentin Johnston, Chargers, WR: The Chargers selected Johnston with the 21st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Johnston is big (6-foot-3, 208 pounds) and specializes in yards after the catch. During his final season at TCU, he averaged 8.9 YAC, tied for 10th in the FBS, via PFF. 

The 21-year-old could quickly become a top target in Los Angeles. He has already impressed Chargers QB Justin Herbert. 

"He's young, but he's going to be something special," he recently said of the rookie WR, per the team's website.

BEST FANS | Denver Broncos: Despite the Chiefs winning their seventh consecutive division title, Denver had a higher home attendance (607,845) than Kansas City (587,997) in 2022, per Pro Football Reference. The Broncos also had the league's second-highest home attendance (686,921) in 2021.

The fans' loyalty is impressive, considering the Broncos have languished in the NFL cellar for over half a decade. Denver hasn't made the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in the league behind the Jets, who last appeared in the playoffs during the 2010 season. The Broncos, on a streak of six straight losing seasons, must get their act together. The fan base deserves better.