If you enjoy dynamic NFL offenses, it’s a great time to be a fan of an AFC West franchise. The Kansas City Chiefs just rode one of the most exciting, talent-filled offenses to a Super Bowl championship and after the events of the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s apparent that their divisional rivals took notice.
After all, with Patrick Mahomes (arguably the game’s best quarterback) surrounded by a supporting cast that includes Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman, and Super Bowl hero Damien Williams, it’s pretty clear that in order to compete with such a juggernaut, any opposing squad is going to need to score points in bunches just to keep up. Their competitors have realized this, and are gearing up to try to topple their rivals.
The AFC West Could Become the NFL’s Most Exciting Division
The AFC West Will Be High-Scoring and Electric
Kansas City will open the season as the presumptive favorite to win the AFC West for a stunning fifth consecutive season, but whether that happens or not, it’s obvious that this division could easily contend for the highest-scoring in all of football. Every single team in the West devoted significant resources towards improving its offense during the off-season and it all started at the top.
The Chiefs incredible array of talent has already been highlighted, but with the selection of running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round, the offense became even more dynamic. Edwards-Helaier is an adept pass-catcher who head coach Andy Reid reportedly believes is better than Brian Westbrook, Edwards-Helaire will immediately share snaps with Williams and could very well emerge as the lead back in short order.
With his versatility added to the game’s best passing offense, he could be a difference-making talent for an already explosive attack. The franchise also shored up the offensive line in the third round, selecting tackle Lucas Niang to improve Mahomes’ protection. There’s no question this offense will dominate again in 2020. But what of their opponents?
A Return to Recent Greatness?
Let’s talk about the Denver Broncos for a moment. This is a franchise that finally appeared to find a successor to Peyton Manning after years of trying, in the form of 2019 second-rounder Drew Lock. Lock only made five starts in his rookie season, but showed flashes of potential greatness and went 4-1 in the process. It was enough that the organization decided it was all in on him as the quarterback of the future.
The team also entered the off-season with stud wideout Courtland Sutton entering his third year, potential breakout tight end Noah Fant ready to build off a solid rookie campaign, and criminally underrated running back Phillip Lindsay coming off two straight 1,000-yard seasons to start his career.
Adding to the expanse of talent was the team’s acquisition of former Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon in free agency. That signing not only bolstered a position of strength but took away a standout player from a divisional rival.
Heading into the draft, finding a complementary receiver to Sutton was deemed a priority, and it’s safe to say that John Elway agreed. First, the team enjoyed some great fortune when Jerry Jeudy, considered by some to be the best receiver in the draft, fell into the franchise’s lap at the 15th overall selection.
Elway didn’t hesitate to scoop him up and he and Sutton appeared set to become a dynamic duo for years to come. But it didn’t stop there. Elway doubled down in the second round, adding Penn State speedster K.J. Hamler to the mix, guaranteeing that this offense will boast a top-notch three-wide set in 2020.
The Hall of Famer kept adding to the equation as the draft moved along, selecting center Lloyd Cushenberry (third round), tight end Albert Okwuegbunam (fourth round), guard Netane Muti (sixth round), and wideout Tyrie Cleveland (seventh round) in the process. In all, the Broncos spent six of ten draft picks on offense and look significantly better in that phase of the game than they did just a week ago.
A Franchise On the Move
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders clearly had a similar strategy. Heading into the first off-season in a new city, there seemed to be some uncertainty as to whether the team wanted to move on from quarterback Derek Carr. Ultimately the franchise decided not to go in that direction, adding former Tennessee Titans signal caller Marcus Mariota as a high-priced backup and insurance policy. Meanwhile, Josh Jacobs remained entrenched as the lead back on the heels of a remarkable rookie season, while Darren Waller returned as the starting tight end after his incredible breakout last year.
The Raiders signed veteran tight end Jason Witten in free agency and also added wideout Nelson Agholor to a group that already included Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow, and Zay Jones. In spite of these moves, it was clear that Jon Gruden, Mike Mayock and company were going to look to improve the offense in the draft, and that’s exactly what they sought to do.
For starters, the Raiders bypassed the aforementioned Jeudy at pick number twelve and selected his former Alabama teammate Henry Ruggs III in that slot. While many considered Jeudy to be the more polished prospect, Ruggs tantalises with 4.27 speed and has the potential to emerge as a Tyreek Hill-caliber wideout. After seeing what Hill can do up close and personal twice a year, that upside proved to be too much for the Raiders to ignore.
The franchise then went on to select two additional receivers with back-to-back selections in the third round, scooping up Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden Jr. with the 80th pick and and South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards with the 81st.
Bowden was notably announced as a running back, and will likely split snaps between the two positions, making an impact in a variety of ways. Meanwhile, Edwards has a ton of upside and likely would have been selected higher had a foot injury not held him out of the NFL combine. The Raiders also scooped up Clemson guard John Simpson in the fourth round as icing on the cake.
A New Beginning
The Chargers offense was filled with question marks heading into draft day. While terrific players like Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Hunter Henry remained in the mix, the team moved on from longtime star passer Philip Rivers in the off-season, while the aforementioned Gordon signed with the rival Broncos. While head coach Anthony Lynn had expressed a great deal of confidence in backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the Chargers were widely expected to aggressively target a signal in the draft.
And that’s precisely what they did. The franchise selected former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert sixth overall with the hope that he could become a franchise quarterback in short order. Although he battled some inconsistency at the college level, he has the size, arm strength, and athleticism that talent evaluators salivate over. While he may sit and learn behind Taylor for a while, it’s likely he will be pressed into starting duty sooner than later.
The Chargers also spent three of their remaining five selections on the offensive side of the ball, scooping up running back Joshua Kelley (fourth round), and wide receivers Joe Reed (fifth round) and K.J. Hill (seventh round) on day three. While only one pick was spent on offense over the first two days of the draft, any time a franchise adds a potential franchise passer, it’s a potentially game-changing acquisition.
Offense = Championships?
The old adage of “defense wins championships” is clearly not the mantra of AFC West franchises in 2020. This division was already the home of some of the most electric playmakers in football, and that statement is even truer in the aftermath of the NFL draft. With Kansas City atop the league, it’s clear that their closest competitors are hoping to emulate their success, and the coming seasons will illustrate if this gambit pays off.
Virtually every move these teams have made during the off-season has been made with an eye to putting points on the scoreboard. The division already featured a collection of talent that could easily form a Pro Bowl roster at the skill positions, and several potential stars have been added to the mix over the course of the last week. It seems clear that the AFC West is entering new territory and a golden age of excitement could be on the horizon.
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