Tag: ranking AFC West

Ranking the AFC West by offensive tackle duos

Who has the best offensive tackle duo in the AFC West? Here’s now they stack up.

Protection. It can mean a lot in today’s game where quarterbacks are increasingly asked to stand in the pocket and scan the field while the receivers routes develop.

Some quarterbacks can get away with less than ideal protection if they are elusive. But even the best are at their best when they don’t have to improvise or deliver the ball before their preferred target breaks open.

And, remember, tackles must be able to run block as well. That means leading their man outside on an inside run, sealing the edge for and outside run, or getting to the second level on pitches and screens.

Let’s take a look at who is best set up for success at the tackle spots.

Ranking the AFC West edge rush duos

AFC West’s top pass rush duo possibly tops in the league.

While overall, the AFC West is a very competitive division this year, it is especially true when looking at the pass rush. Namely at the top with the Raiders and Chargers boasting of possibly the league’s top pass rush duos.

1. Raiders – Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones

It’s no small thing that the Raiders top the division at this position considering how strong the position is overall. How do the Raiders rule the roost? Well, his name is Maxx Crosby. He was already considered among the league’s top pass rushers and he is just entering his prime.

Crosy isn’t alone, however. He has Chandler Jones who even at the age of 32 has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s had double digit sacks in each of his last seven full seasons and is coming off his fourth Pro Bowl season. The duo may just be the top in the league, not just the division.

2. Chargers – Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack

Any other division in the NFL and Bosa and Mack would be the best. They are so closely matched with the Raiders, it’s almost pointless to rank them. In that regard, being second behind the Raiders isn’t too bad. Bosa is one of the most feared edge rushers in the league and still very much in his prime. While Mack at 31 may be entering the downslope of his Hall of Fame career, but is still among the best in the league as well.

3. Broncos – Randy Gregory, Bradley Chubb

After a Pro Bowl season in 2020, Chubb had a rough 2021 campaign. He appeared in just seven games and had no sacks. While Gregory comes over from the Cowboys, coming off his best season with six sacks and 17 QB hits.

4. Chiefs – Frank Clark, George Karlaftis

Clark was named to this third Pro Bowl last season despite just 4.5 sacks. Clark has seen his numbers come down each season since joining the Chiefs in 2019. With pass rush a major need, the Chiefs used a first round pick on George Karlaftis.

Ranking the AFC West offensive tackle duos

Ranking the AFC West offensive tackle duos

Offenses rely heavily on the pass protectors in order to be able to execute their plays. If the edge rushers get into the backfield, it doesn’t matter how open the receivers get, the quarterback isn’t getting the ball to them.

The common theme in the AFC West seems to be quality left tackles, with less talent at the right tackle spot. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, after all.

1. Denver Broncos

Starters: LT Garrett Bolles, RT Billy Turner

After some troubles early in his career, Bolles has become one of the best tackles in football. He was second-team All-Pro a season ago and was still among the highest-rated tackles this season. Meanwhile, Billy Turner has quietly played pretty well at right tackle, giving up just three sacks last season.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Starters: LT Orlando Brown Jr, RT Lucas Niang

Brown headed to his third straight Pro Bowl last season, his first with the Chiefs since they acquired him in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens. He gave up just four sacks last season. On the other side, Niang has taken ahold of the right tackle job and performed pretty well over nine starts last season. The 2020 third-round pick gave up just two sacks from the right side.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Starters: LT Rashawn Slater, RT Trey Pipkins

As a rookie first-round pick, Slater headed to the Pro Bowl. That says all you need to know about his talent level. There is some uncertainty on the other side, but Pipkins looked fairly good in two late-season starts — giving up no sacks — that if they decide to go with him, they could feel confident in doing so.

4. Las Vegas Raiders

Starters: LT Kolton Miller, RT Alex Leatherwood

Miller can hang with the best in the division at left tackle. There’s no question about that. But there are serious questions about the other side. Leatherwood has been lining up there throughout the offseason after playing himself out of a job four games into last season. It’s no certainty he continues to be the first-team right tackle, but the fact that he’s been lining up there so far says there aren’t any great options there.

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Ranking the AFC West tight ends

Ranking the AFC West Tight Ends heading into the 2022 NFL season

It’s not exactly fair to rank the AFC West as a simple 1-4 at tight end. Mainly because there are two of the top tight ends in the entire NFL sharing the division and a sizable gap after that. But that’s just the reality of things.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Starter: Travis Kelce

Kelce has been the best tight end in football over the past six seasons now and has shown no signs of slowing down. It’s been seven years since he even had less than 1000 yards in a season. And a season ago, he was a unanimous All-Pro with over 1400 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

Starter: Darren Waller

In most divisions in football, Waller would stand atop the tight end rankings. But sharing a division with Kelce unfortunately keeps him in the backseat. Not that the Raiders are complaining at all. Waller is one of the top weapons at any position in the league.

A year ago, Waller set a new single-season franchise record with 107 catches. He is a mismatch for any linebacker and gives safeties all they can handle. This opens things up for everyone else even when he doesn’t get the ball.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Starter: Gerald Everett

On the plus side, Everett has seen his numbers improve each of his five seasons in the NFL. On the negative side, he that has brought him to a career-high 478 yards. At 27 years old, he should be still in his prime, so he could very well put up very good numbers for the Chargers. I would have said a change of scenery, but he came over from the Rams so he’ll be calling the same stadium home.

4. Denver Broncos

Starter: Albert Okwuegbunam

A fourth-round pick a couple of years ago, he will have a shot to be the full-time starter this season after six starts in 2021. The team also added Greg Dulcich who they selected in the third round of this year’s draft to compete for reps.

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Ranking the AFC West wide receiver trios

Do the Raiders have the best wide receiver corps in the AFC West?

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There have been some big-time comings and going in the AFC West at the wide receiver position, thus shaking things up. How does it land when all is said and done? Let’s take a look.

1. Las Vegas Raiders

Trio: Davante Adams, Demarcus Robinson/Keelan Cole, Hunter Renfrow

Having arguably the league’s best receiver puts the Raiders’ receiving corps on the map. Having one of the league’s best slot receivers as well puts them among the league’s best.

Adams is coming off a season in which he put up 1553 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns, earning his second consecutive All-Pro nod. While Renfrow had 103 catches last season, landing him second among wide receivers in Raiders franchise history. The two of them are also widely considered among the best route runners in the league.

Who will occupy the other starting outside receiver spot is a bit of a question mark. Cole and Robinson would appear to be the frontrunners for that job. Both are middle-of-the-road receivers who have started games in their career. Cole has had more success, usually finishing around 500 yards per season.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

Trio: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jaylen Guyton

Like the Raiders, the Chargers have two outstanding starters and a marginal third receiver. Year-after-year Allen is among the league’s top receivers. Thus why he has been to five straight Pro Bowls. He has been the image of consistency and dependability over that time.

Williams is far less consistent, but he is a dominant presence at the X receiver spot, with abilities like few others. He’s coming off a career year, catching 76 passes for 1146 yards and nine touchdowns.

Guyton has been a decent third receiver, hovering around 500 yards each of the past two seasons with six combined touchdowns.

3. Denver Broncos

Trio: Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick/Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler

Potential is what this group has. And a lot of it. Sutton established himself as a Pro Bowl player a couple of years ago. Patrick has emerged the past couple of seasons, surpassing 700 yards and five touchdowns in each season.

Jeudy and Hamler are both high picks. Hamler missed most of last season with an injury and Jeudy saw his numbers take a tumble. Hamler’s return should help the offense a great deal, while Jeudy will have to start showing the kind of dominant receiving abilities that made him the 15th overall pick in the draft a couple of years ago.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

Trio: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Mecole Hardman

It’s weird seeing the Chiefs at the bottom here. That’s kind of what happens when you lose a player the caliber of Tyreek Hill. He’s kinda hard to replace.

I personally think the Chiefs did a nice job of retooling the position. Smith-Schuster is a few years removed from his huge season in which he caught 111 passes for 1426 yards, but perhaps a change of scenery could bring some of that back. Valdez-Scantling is a season removed from averaging nearly 21 yards per catch. And Harman is a very good slot receiver with speed for days.

There are just too many uncertainties in this group at the moment. It would be a stretch to think Smith-Schuster can get back to putting up the kind of numbers he did for that one breakout season.

Valdez-Scantling enjoyed having Aaron Rodgers throwing to him, so it’s not like moving to Mahomes is some huge upgrade in that department. Overall, they figure to be decent, but not a great strength.

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Ranking the AFC West running back duos

How do the running back duos stack up in the AFC West?

We know the AFC West is stacked from top to bottom at quarterback. But what about those fellas who accompany them in the backfield? How much help will each offense get on the ground and occasionally on a screen or dump-off? Let’s take a look.

1. Denver Broncos

Duo: Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams

Imagine having two running backs both nearly go over 1000 yards rushing in a season. Well, it doesn’t take any imagination because that’s exactly what Gordon and Williams did last season. Gordon had 918 yards rushing while Williams put up 903 while averaging 4.5 and 4.4 yards per attempt respectively.

Each surpassed 1100 yards from scrimmage and they combined for 17 touchdowns. That’s some serious production from your running backs.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

Duo: Josh Jacobs, Kenyan Drake

Drake and Josh could be productive together if utilized properly. Jacobs has established himself as a hard runner who is tough to bring down. That earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2020. That same season Drake was in Arizona where he ran for 955 yards with 10 touchdowns.

But together, they didn’t perform nearly as well. Jacobs because he was banged up much of the season and Drake because he just wasn’t used enough as a runner. He was targeted 40 times out of the backfield while seeing just 63 runs. That ratio should be closer to two-to-one.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

Duo: Austin Ekeler, Isaiah Spiller

Ekeler is one of the league’s better backs. If this ranking were about single backs, he would probably take the top spot. He is a true dual-threat back who can hurt you just as much through the air as on the ground. Thus why he had over 1500 yards from scrimmage in each of his last two full seasons.

Spiller is a rookie fourth-round pick. If he can play well immediately, the Chargers will have something here. But that uncertainty has them landing here for now.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

Duo: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Ronald Jones

CEH was a bit of a surprise as a first-round pick in 2020 and he hasn’t done much to prove he was worthy of that draft position since then. While he averages a decent 4.4 yards per carry, he has missed ten games in two seasons. His averages went down across the board last season as well.

Jones is a former second-round pick who saw his snaps cut in half in Tampa last season while his resulting stats were even worse. The Chiefs are hoping they can get the guy who averaged 5.1 yards per carry in 2020 as opposed to the guy who averaged 4.2 yards per carry in 2019 and 2021.

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Ranking AFC West quarterbacks

Ranking the AFC West quarterbacks heading into the 2022 season

We’ve heard all about the new wild AFC West which is packed with talented teams, all of whom could make a push for the playoffs if things go well. In that spirit, we begin our series ranking the AFC West, position by position. And we start at the most important position of all — quarterback.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Starter: Patrick Mahomes

Arguably the best QB in the NFL and has been for several years now. Mahomes won an MVP in his first season as a starter, hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in his second season as a starter, led the Chiefs on a second consecutive Super Bowl trip in his third season as a starter, and led them to the AFC Championship game in this fourth season as the starter.

Mahomes is the complete package as a quarterback, making breathtaking, seemingly impossible throws on one play, and then taking off and showing his speed and athleticism on the next. He has averaged nearly 40 touchdowns per season over his four years as a starter, which is just insane.

2. Los Angeles Chargers

Starter: Justin Herbert

Herbert is not far behind Mahomes in terms of overall talent. Herbert has a cannon for an arm and can scoot on the ground too. Herbert also averages close to 40 touchdowns per season. over his two seasons in the NFL.

Last season was year two for Herbert and he threw for over 5000 yards (5014). Only Tom Brady had more (5316). In just two seasons on the job, Herbert has played himself into easily one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks.

3. Denver Broncos

Starter: Russell Wilson

Wilson has been in the NFL for ten years. Nine of those years, he was named to the Pro Bowl, including each of the past five seasons. Wilson is a likely Hall of Famer when his playing days are done, but at 33 he figures to still have some years left before that. He has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowls, winning the first (2013) and putting them in position to win back-to-back if not for a terrible play call.

Last year was the first time in Wilson’s career he didn’t have a winning record (6-8). In the past five seasons, he’s averaged 35 touchdowns per season while throwing an average of just over eight interceptions.

4. Las Vegas Raiders

Starter: Derek Carr

Carr finding himself at the bottom of this list is more a product of just how stacked with talent the rest of the AFC West is. The eight-year pro had the best pass yardage numbers of his career in 2021, throwing for over 4800 yards (4804). But his 23 touchdowns in 17 games were fewer than Wilson had (25) in 14 starts and that was the worst season of Wilson’s career in terms of touchdown passes.

While the other three QB’s in the division average between 35 and 40 touchdowns per season, Carr has only even had over 30 once. That was six years ago when he had a career-high 32 touchdowns. Carr is a decent NFL starter, but he is still looking up at the other three quarterbacks in this division.

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