Broncos May Be In Strongest Division In NFL

A division that has been dominated by one team, the AFC West, may be the most competitive division in the NFL this season. The Kansas City Chiefs have won the AFC West since 2016 and dominated the division for the last decade. This seems like it will possibly come to an end, as all the other teams have finally made pushes to be able to contend. 

The Los Angeles Chargers made it to the playoffs last season and have looked like they are moving in the right direction with their second-year head coach, Jim Harbaugh. They also have had one of the most talented QBs in the league in Justin Herbert, and they have worked the past few seasons to get him weapons like Ladd McConkey, Omarion Hampton, Mike Williams, and Tre Harris.

With a full year under Harbaugh down, this seems like the best Chargers team since Philip Rivers was the quarterback. They have also done a good job of beefing up Herbert's protection and solidifying the defense. The Chiefs are 8-2 against the Chargers in their last ten games, but the Chargers are in a great position to start to turn that around.

What will most likely be the worst team in the division may be better than people think. The Las Vegas Raiders have been making a lot of moves this offseason that already have them looking twice as good as last year on paper. They brought in Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll, and he has brought in a lot of talent.

The Raiders traded for Geno Smith, whom Carroll coached in Seattle. They also drafted star running back Ashton Jeanty and wide receiver Jack Bech in the draft. This is to go along with Jakobi Meyers, who may be the most underrated receiver in the NFL, and Brock Bowers, who was one of the best offensive rookies in the league last year.

Defensively, they still have Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, and they brought in players like safety Jeremy Chinn and Devin White during the offseason. The Raiders, who are normally immediately counted out of the division, have a new life with their new head coach, quarterback, and playmakers.

The Chargers and Raiders have a good chance of being able to compete with the Chiefs, but the team that has the best chance of being a threat to the Chiefs in the AFC West is the team that came in third last year. The Denver Broncos' 10-7 record was half a game behind the Chargers and five games behind the Chiefs.