We move inside now to weigh the strengths of the interior offensive lines in the AFC West. The big fellas who hold off the pass rush up the gut and open holes for the running backs.
What you notice in this division is a lot of rebuilt lines. So, it will be interesting how each of them holds up with some having more than one new starter.
1. Chiefs
Starters: C Creed Humphrey, LG Joe Thuney, RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Three new starters for the Chiefs from last season. But that doesn’t mean unproven. While their new center is a second-round rookie, he will have proven veterans on each side of him.
Joe Thuney is a proven veteran starting guard, coming over after several years in New England where he never missed a start and collected two Super Bowl rings. Duvernay-Tardif opted out of last season to go put his medical degree to good use in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was the team’s starting right guard for their Super Bowl-winning 2019 season.
2. Chargers
Starters: C Corey Linsley, LG Matt Feiler, RG Oday Aboushi
This unit takes the second spot largely on the strength of Linsley. With Rodney Hudson no longer in the division, Linsley is easily the best center and probably the best lineman period.
To his left, he has veteran free-agent addition Matt Feiler, who has been a full-time starter the past three years in Pittsburgh — first at right tackle, then left guard. To his right is the weak link Oday Aboushi who is a veteran journeyman who is on his sixth team in eight NFL seasons.
3. Broncos
Starters: C Lloyd Cushenberry, LG Dalton Risner, RG Graham Glasgow
The one interior line in the division that returns all three starters. Cushenberry was the team’s first-round pick last year, and he struggled as a rookie. You figure he should improve in his second season.
Risner and Glasgow are both serviceable starters. Risner was a second-round pick in 2019. Glasgow in particular has been one of the league’s better interior offensive linemen for the past five years and even stepped in and started every game at center for the Lions a few years back.
4. Raiders
Starters: C Andre James, LG Richie Incognito, RG Denzelle Good
It’s weird seeing the Raiders interior line last in the division. They were usually top in the division. Trading away Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson put an end to that.
Replacing Hudson is former undrafted free agent Andre James. Jon Gruden loves the former college tackle, but he has a lot to prove to the rest of us. Replacing Jackson is Denzelle Good, who has done quite well in fill-in duties the past couple of seasons.
Returning at left guard is veteran Incognito. Quite veteran, in fact. He’s 38 years old and coming off a second consecutive season cut short by injury. Last season he played just one game and he hasn’t played a full season since 2017.
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