Pressure on the quarterback is a major factor in the NFL. The AFC West has at times in recent years had some fantastic duos. While it isn’t quite the pass-rushing powerhouse division is once was, there are still some remnants that remain.
1. Broncos
Starters: Von Miller, Bradley Chubb
Miller was lost for all of last season, keeping him from heading to his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl. So, Chubb decided he would go and make the Pro Bowl instead. Basically, the Broncos have bookend Pro Bowl edge rushers. And of course, Miller is a lock for the Hall of Fame. Some believe at 32 years of age, his best years are behind him, but I’ll believe that when I see it.
2. Chargers
Starters: Joey Bosa, Uchenna Nwosu
If Miller is on the downhill of his career — and that’s a big if — then Bosa takes the crown as the top pass rusher in the division. He turned 26 years old yesterday, ready to embark on his sixth NFL season in pursuit of a fourth Pro Bowl nod. He led the division in sacks (7.5) and QB hits (27) last season.
Bosa won’t have Melvin Ingram on the other side, but Nwosu is solid too. The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He’s coming off a career-best 4.5-sack season and will be looking to put up big numbers in order to try and cash in with a second contract.
3. Raiders
Starters: Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue
Full disclosure had one of the starters been former top pick Clelin Ferrell, the Raiders would be dead last in these rankings. Ferrell has been an immense disappointment as an edge rusher with just 6.5 sacks over his first two seasons. His fourth-round draft classmate Maxx Crosby has been a revelation, putting up 17 sacks in that same amount of time despite not even becoming the full-time starter until midway through his rookie season.
So Crosby is having to do all the work around the edge himself, the team added Ngakoue to the mix. The recent journeyman lands on his fourth team in a calendar year despite never posting less than eight sacks in a season. He may not be known for much other than pass rush, but he bulked up this offseason to try and remedy that.
4. Chiefs
Starters: Frank Clark, Taco Charlton
Clark has most of the talent in this duo with 48 sacks and over 100 QB hits over his six-year career. Though he’s currently facing some serious trouble with a felony weapons charge, so his season is in jeopardy.
Charlton doesn’t add much to the mix. The former first-round pick has just 11 sacks and 20 tackles for loss over four NFL seasons with the Cowboys, Dolphins, and Chiefs.
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