Broncos May Be In Strongest Division In NFL
Broncos May Be In Strongest Division In NFL originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
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.
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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.
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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.
Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller (40) rushes towards Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) and misses tackling him during the second half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Broncos were still able to make the playoffs in quarterback Bo Nix's first season. Now the Broncos have only gotten better, and they are going to pose a big threat to the Chiefs next season.
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The Broncos are set to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL next season, they have Bo Nix with a year of experience, and they are still led by offensive guru Sean Payton. They went into the offseason needing some weapons and some playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, and that is exactly what they did.
Offensively, the Broncos drafted RJ Harvey to be the team's new starting running back, drafted Pat Bryant, and signed Trent Sherfield Sr. to give Nix some receiving help. They also brought in Evan Engram to give Nix and Payton the tight end production that they were missing last season.
Defensively, the Broncos spent their first-round pick on bringing in Jahdae Barron, they signed Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, they re-signed DJ Jones, and they drafted Sai'vion Jones. These new additions, paired with playmakers they already have like Pat Surtain, Zach Allen, and Brandon Jones, are going to make an already good Broncos defense great.
The Broncos went 3-3 in their division last season, splitting with the Chiefs and beating the Raiders twice. This season, they need to continue to give the Chiefs problems, dominate the Raiders, and they need to bounce back from getting swept by the Chargers last season. This is easier said than done, but with the young talent and the direction the Broncos seem to be moving, they should be predicted to be at least the second-best team in their division.
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The Broncos made a lot of additions this season to the roster and the staff that will help them with their progression. The surprising play of Nix has accelerated their rebuild and put them in a position where they could be contenders this season. To do that, they are going to have to try to win the division, and if they can win the most competitive division in the NFL, they should have the utmost confidence come playoff time.
Related: Broncos Staff Hire Named Most Underrated Move of Offseason
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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