During August, as football season rolls upon us, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be breaking down every division in the league by position. This is the 2018 breakdown of the AFC West at the offensive positions. This will include “the best” of each unit, with “the rest” following in descending order.<\/p>\n
The Best:<\/strong> Los Angeles Chargers\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The Rest:<\/strong> Oakland Raiders<\/a>, Denver Broncos<\/a>, Kansas City Chiefs<\/a><\/p>\n After two excellent seasons, Derek\u00a0Carr<\/strong>\u00a0had the opportunity to make his case for being the best quarterback in the West in 2017. However, after a lackluster campaign from\u00a0Carr, Philip Rivers<\/a><\/strong> remains the undisputed top dog in that division after another strong year from him. Rivers should have another strong year with a wide receiver corps that looks to\u00a0possibly have\u00a0surprising depth.\u00a0Carr\u00a0may very well bounce back in 2018. But for now, he sits still as the\u00a0second-best\u00a0quarterback in the division.<\/p>\n After those two, the conversation gets a bit more interesting. The Broncos and Chiefs both have brand new starters this year, both of which could go either way. The Broncos brought in Case Keenum<\/a><\/strong>, who is coming off an excellent year with the Minnesota Vikings<\/a>. Whether he will repeat the success remains to be seen. One would be forgiven for being nervous as to whether his 2017 season was a one-time wonder, especially given how the Vikings have been able to succeed with\u00a0almost anyone\u00a0at quarterback the last few years. Still, Keenum has some good upside. And\u00a0if\u00a0he implodes, Chad Kelly<\/strong><\/a> has been lighting it up this preseason.<\/p>\n As for the Chiefs, they are now going with second-year signal caller\u00a0Patrick Mahomes<\/a><\/strong>. Mahomes\u00a0definitely has\u00a0a lot of upside. It helps that he has a rocket arm, which is ideal for throwing to Tyreek Hill<\/a><\/strong>. However, the fact is we just don\u2019t have much to judge him on yet. He\u2019s only played one full game so far. Keenum at least has one good season to his name. Mahomes is still a bit of an unproven commodity, which leaves him last in his division for now.<\/p>\n The Best:<\/strong> Kansas City Chiefs<\/p>\n The Rest:<\/strong> Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos<\/p>\n It\u2019s debatable whether Melvin Gordon<\/a><\/strong> or Kareem Hunt<\/a><\/strong> is the best running back in the division. What\u2019s less debatable, however, is that the Chiefs have the most depth at the position. Hunt had a big season in his rookie year, and while some regression may feel inevitable, he\u2019s still probably going to be pretty good. Meanwhile, Spencer Ware<\/a><\/strong> is returning from a season-ending injury last year. People may have already forgotten that he was a quality starter back in 2016. His return may make him one of the better backup running backs in the entire league. They also have\u00a0Damien Williams<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Kerwynn Williams<\/a><\/strong> to work with.<\/p>\n As for the Chargers, they have a pretty solid starter in Gordon. The problem is they hardly have any proven talent beyond that.\u00a0Austin\u00a0Ekeler<\/strong>\u00a0seems\u00a0somewhat promising, although he may be more of a receiving back than anything. Beyond that, the most intriguing player is Justin Jackson<\/a><\/strong>… and he\u2019s a rookie, and thus unproven.<\/p>\n Now the Raiders\u00a0arguably also\u00a0have more depth than the Chargers. The problem is, they don\u2019t have anyone as good as Gordon or Hunt which leaves them at third on this list. Marshawn Lynch<\/a><\/strong> isn\u2019t doing bad for his age of 32… but the fact is he\u2019s still 32 and can\u2019t have that much left in the tank. Then there\u2019s free agent signing Doug Martin<\/a><\/strong>, who may be one of the most inconsistent backs alive. He\u2019s had two 1,400-yard seasons… but also has averaged 2.9 yards a carry\u00a0both of the last\u00a0two years. He\u2019s also 29 and in the later part of his career too. They also have Jalen Richard<\/a><\/strong> as a decent backup.\u00a0Ultimately, the\u00a0problem is that while the group has depth and upside, hardly any of the backs stand out at this point compared to some of their peers.<\/p>\n As for the Broncos… the most promising running back on their roster right now may\u00a0actually be rookie Royce Freeman<\/strong><\/a>. There\u2019s very little depth beyond that. Devontae Booker<\/a><\/strong> has never really stood out and everyone else is a rookie or still-unproven second-year. Freeman has shown promise\u00a0early on in the\u00a0preseason, but the fact\u00a0that\u00a0he\u2019s a rookie and there\u2019s really no one else behind him besides Booker leaves the Broncos firmly at the bottom at this position.<\/p>\n The Best:<\/strong> Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n The Rest:<\/strong> Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs<\/p>\n This was a tough pick to make. All four teams really have quite a bit of upside, but also the potential to fail (which could be said about all four teams in general, really).\u00a0 So,\u00a0the\u00a0decision came down to which team had the best receiver overall. And that is Keenan Allen<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0of the Chargers\u00a0without question. After being injured most of the time for a couple years, Allen showed just how much he can terrorize defensive backs when he\u2019s healthy a full season. He put up the third most receiving yards in the league with 1,393.<\/p>\n Now, as for the rest of the Chargers lineup: like really every other team in the division, there\u2019s a bit of uncertainty. Tyrell Williams<\/a><\/strong> had 1,000 yards in 2016 but then regressed in 2017 and needs to prove he\u2019s just not a speed option. Mike Williams<\/a><\/strong> needs to break out in his second year; and if the preseason is any indication, he might well be on his way to doing that. But he also needs to stay healthy after missing most of his rookie season. Travis Benjamin<\/a><\/strong> rounds out the depth as strictly a speed option. Both receivers named Williams could easily go\u00a0off but\u00a0could also struggle.<\/p>\n The Raiders\u00a0arguably have\u00a0the most uncertainty of all, even if they do have quite a bit of upside. Amari Cooper<\/a> <\/strong>is coming off a weird season with a lot of drops, but also one superb 200-yard game. The potential to go either way is clear there. They also brought in Jordy Nelson<\/a><\/strong> and\u00a0Martavis\u00a0Bryant<\/strong> this off-season. Some\u00a0believe\u00a0Nelson may be washed up after a poor season last year; however, he played like his normal self until Aaron Rodgers<\/a><\/strong> got hurt. He could easily return to his old self with\u00a0Carr\u00a0throwing him the ball now. But given his age (33), he could still end up becoming an afterthought. Meanwhile, Bryant\u00a0just\u00a0has to\u00a0stay out of trouble. Three receivers… all of whom could have good seasons, but also all of whom could implode.<\/p>\n The Broncos do have two more reliable options in Emmanuel Sanders<\/a><\/strong> and Demaryius Thomas<\/a><\/strong>. However, due in part to poor quarterback play last year, neither of them reached 1,000 yards. Whether they will return to their old selves this year remains to be seen. But up until 2017, they had been one of the best receiver duos in the league. Regardless, the Broncos don\u2019t have much beyond those two, with the most promising third option being the rookie Courtland Sutton<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n The Chiefs have been easily at the bottom of this list for the last few years. They have slightly more upside this year, but still have a lack of depth at the same time. Their top receiver is Hill, who is more the second coming of Devin Hester<\/a><\/strong> than a traditional receiver. Still, he\u2019s pretty good and should present a problem for defensive backs due to his speed alone. They also brought in Sammy Watkins<\/a><\/strong> this year, who has upside but struggled last year\u00a0and also\u00a0needs to stay healthy. They don\u2019t have much beyond that; Chris Conley<\/a><\/strong> would be the third option.\u00a0Essentially, the\u00a0success of the corps as a whole depends on Watkins. That’s a prospect that could work but still feels rather iffy right now.<\/p>\n The Best:<\/strong> Kansas City Chiefs<\/p>\n The Rest:<\/strong> Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos<\/p>\n Travis Kelce<\/a><\/strong> helps the Chiefs have the best tight end lineup in the division by default as he\u2019s one of the best tight ends in the league in general. They don\u2019t have a lot of depth beyond that, but they don\u2019t really need to unless Kelce gets hurt. Demetrius Harris<\/a><\/strong> has been the second tight end out there, and he was serviceable last year.<\/p>\n After the Chiefs, the discussion gets more interesting. With regards to the Chargers, there\u2019s no doubt that they would be the\u00a0second-best\u00a0tight end group… if Hunter Henry<\/a><\/strong> wasn\u2019t out for the season with an ACL injury. The Chargers never made any moves to replace him and appear to\u00a0actually be\u00a0going with Virgil Green<\/a><\/strong> as the top tight end, who does not inspire confidence despite being a good blocker. Also, none of the remaining tight ends on the roster have caught a pass in the NFL before.<\/p>\n With that in mind, the Raiders get to have the\u00a0second-best\u00a0tight end lineup this year. Jared Cook<\/a><\/strong> is a name that some scoff at, but he\u00a0actually had\u00a0a decent season in 2017 with 688 yards. Again, there is not much depth beyond that. Lee Smith<\/a><\/strong> and Derek Carrier<\/a><\/strong> are the backups. But Cook did well enough last year despite a disappointing Raiders season that he gets his team the nod in the wake of Henry\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n The Broncos, on the other hand, don\u2019t really have anyone proven \u2013 not even on injured reserve like the Chargers. Jeff Heuerman<\/a><\/strong> has the most experience on the roster, and he only has 283 yards in his two-season career. Jake Butt<\/strong><\/a> may get a chance in what is effectively his rookie year, but one gets the feeling that the Broncos won\u2019t be targeting the tight ends much this year.<\/p>\n The Best:<\/strong> Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n The Rest:<\/strong> Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos<\/p>\n The Chargers pushed themselves into the top spot here with the\u00a0somewhat underrated\u00a0signing of three-time Pro Bowler\u00a0Mike Pouncey<\/a><\/strong>, who might finally give the team some needed stability at the position. They also have left tackle Russell\u00a0Okung<\/strong>, who is coming off a Pro Bowl season as well. And former second-round pick Forrest Lamp<\/strong><\/a> is set to have what is effectively his rookie season as well, and the organization feels good about him. They still have some questions at right tackle, but\u00a0this still feels like one of the better offensive lines Rivers has had in years.<\/p>\n The Raiders are in a similar position regarding have good starters at most positions save for right tackle. Donald Penn<\/a><\/strong> is a good left tackle, and they also have two strong guards in Kelechi\u00a0Osemele<\/strong>\u00a0and Gabe Jackson<\/a><\/strong>. They also have Rodney Hudson<\/a><\/strong> at center. Out of those starters, all of them (save for Jackson) are coming off Pro Bowl seasons.<\/p>\n The Chiefs have the opposite problem: they have a dependable right tackle in Mitchell Schwartz<\/a><\/strong>, but not a lot of standouts elsewhere. Eric Fisher<\/a><\/strong> has done a little better lately, but he still hasn\u2019t lived up to his number one pick status. While the tackles may be set, the unit is still definitely below\u00a0the level of the Chargers and Raiders overall.<\/p>\n A lot of people like to blame strictly the quarterback position for the Broncos\u2019 bad season in 2017. However, the offensive line was equally (if not more) to blame. And they still haven\u2019t made any big moves to fix it. They did bring in a couple new faces, namely Jared<\/strong>\u00a0Veldheer<\/strong>. However,\u00a0this still\u00a0looks\u00a0to be the weakest o-line group in the division.<\/p>\n Be sure to check out LWOPF’s breakdown of the top units in the AFC West on defense and special teams<\/a>.<\/p>\nRunning Back<\/h2>\n
Wide Receiver<\/h2>\n
Tight End<\/h2>\n
Offensive Line<\/h2>\n