With the Position Breakdown series in full swing, the next division under the microscope is the AFC West. Here’s a defensive position-by-position breakdown of the AFC West, with “the best” at each position followed by “the rest” in descending order.
Be sure to check out our AFC West offensive breakdown by clicking here.
AFC West Breakdown By Position: the Defense
Defensive Line
The Best: DEN The Rest: KC, OAK, SD
The Denver Broncos were one of the best teams in the league throughout 2014 when it came to stopping the run. They have two solid defensive ends in Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson, although Wolfe will miss the first four games due to a PED suspension. Both are talented young ends, it may just be a matter of keeping Wolfe, who racked up plenty of frequent flyer points at the hospital in 2014, healthy. At nose tackle, they lost Terrance Knighton but 2013 first-round pick Sylvester Williams has stepped up in his place. If there are no durability issues this year, the Broncos will be strong up front.
The Chiefs are a close second here, and have a solid defensive line that is currently riddled with players returning from injury. Dontari Poe, one of the best nose tackles out there, is recovering from back surgery and will probably return in late September. Mike DeVito missed nearly all of 2014 with a torn Achilles. The team says he looks good, but at 31, and coming off a serious injury like that, who knows what he will look like. Allen Bailey looks poised to make an impact this year at the other end spot. In terms of reserves, Mike Catapano is out, but the rest of the defensive backups look alright, the Chiefs have decent depth, but will be looking for starters to stay healthy.
With Justin Ellis and Dan Williams at the center of the defensive line, the Raiders defense should have more run stopping power than they did in 2014. While Justin Tuck is getting up there in years, now 32, he’s still a good bet to get pressure and help out the run game. Other than that however, the Raiders have more bodies to put on the defensive line, but nobody particularly impressive in reserve.
The Chargers unfortunately do not have a starting defensive lineman worth mentioning other than Corey Liuget. The team signed him to a five year extension that will keep him in San Diego until 2021.
Linebacker
The Best: DEN The Rest: KC, OAK, SD
DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller are a solid pair of outside backers for the Broncos, and looking to the inside, Brandon Marshall is more than reliable and Danny Trevathan also looks ready to bounce back after missing some time in the last couple of years due to injury. This is a solid group, and it was a very close decision between them and the Chiefs. The Chiefs lost because they have a concern with regard to inside linebackers.
Justin Houston and Tamba Hali (despite his age) are still among the elite duos of outside linebackers in the league. Three-time Pro Bowl selection Derrick Johnson brings plenty of experience back to the field on the inside, but missed 2014 with a torn Achilles. We will have to see how much he has left in the tank. Josh Mauga, widely seen as a weakest link, could be replaced by Dee Ford or D.J. Alexander, but that still wouldn’t do much at the left inside backer position.
Looking to the Raiders, Khalil Mack had a good rookie year, but the team will need more from him in 2015. Curtis Lofton is a workhorse middle linebacker who has racked up over 100 tackles in each season since his rookie year, and the Raiders picked him up in March. In terms of weak side however, the Raiders may have some concerns. Sio Moore is still recovering from surgery, and former Seattle Seahawk Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith (who many have argued is little more than a decent backup) is looking to take that spot.
The Chargers would be higher in this list because there is some talent, but injuries and consistency have been issues. Most of their starters did not play a full season last year, but they are by no means a terrible group. Manti T’eo has the tools to be a good linebacker, but has suffered durability issues for his first two years as a professional. Melvin Ingram is decent, and can pass rush quite well, but has suffered from injuries in both of his last two seasons. The rest of the squad, including Jeremiah Attaochu and Donald Butler, will make a great impact if they play a full 16 games. If not, we may get to see some of Denzel Perryman, the former Miami Hurricane drafted in the second round.
Cornerback
The Best: DEN The Rest: SD, KC, OAK
Chris Harris and Aqib Talib combine to make one of the best cornerback duos in the league right now. Both made the Pro Bowl last year and both have been named second team All-Pros in the last two years. Brandon Flowers of the Chargers is one of those corners who has flirted with the word “elite” throughout his career, and his counterpart Jason Verrett showed great promise in his rookie campaign, and has all the skills to be a great cornerback but only played six games in 2014.
The Chiefs have Sean Smith, who is a phenomenal pass covering corner and was an All-Pro according to Pro Football Focus. First-round pick Marcus Peters looks like he will start across from Smith in 2015.
Over to the Raiders, neither of D.J. Hayden’s first two years in the NFL have been particularly impressive for the team. Furthermore, between T.J. Carrie and Keith McGill, both 2014 draft picks, it’s hard to say whether they have a pair of starting corners heading into this year.
Safety
The Best: KC The Rest: DEN, SD, OAK
This is a decent division in terms of safeties. I have placed Kansas City as my pick for “best” here with the expectation that Eric Berry will play the majority of the season. He was the best safety in the league for a while, but after his diagnosis with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, he missed most of 2014. Ron Parker is a capable strong safety and a thought to be entertained is shifting Husain Abdullah to strong safety with Berry back in the lineup.
Denver’s cornerbacks are more impressive than their safety duo, but T.J. Ward knows the position well and will remain a debatable top five in the league, while Darian Stewart looks to be the primary option at free safety. He’s not great, but for a starting safety who won’t blow your season, they paid a good price ($4.25 million over two years).
For the Chargers, Jahleel Addae and Eric Weddle combine to make what is ultimately a decent duo. Weddle is fantastic, and has been among the league’s best since 2011, while Addae is alright. He and Jimmy Wilson are in competition for the starting strong safety job, and while neither is a superstar, neither will single-handedly destroy a season.
Nate Allen is not the worst free safety in the league. With that said he isn’t the best and the Raiders are widely considered to have overpaid for him. He will be receiving $23 million over four years. Considering he was a weak point for Philadelphia’s defense last year, it’s a risky move (risky=stupid?). Charles Woodson will start at strong safety, and while nobody was impressed by his performance last year, he was 37 and made 112 tackles. It’s a decent number, but also shows how weak the Raiders defense was overall. He’s one of the most knowledgeable safeties in the league, but don’t expect much from him this year.
Be sure to check out our AFC West offensive breakdown by clicking here.
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