{"id":67712,"date":"2019-06-29T23:17:37","date_gmt":"2019-06-30T03:17:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=67712"},"modified":"2021-05-30T13:12:19","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T17:12:19","slug":"afc-west-all-division-team-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/06\/29\/afc-west-all-division-team-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"2019 AFC West All-Division Team: The Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the next week, the Last Word on Sports NFL department will be selecting the best players in each division by position. Here we will be discussing the AFC West All-Division Team, which has no shortage of talent. This division gave us the AFC\u2019s two best records of the season from the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> and Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> (12-4 each). Let\u2019s look at who makes the cut from all four teams at the defensive positions and special teams for the AFC West All-Division Team. For this division, we\u2019ll be doing a 3-4 defense.<\/p>\n

Offenses: AFC East<\/a> – AFC West<\/a> – AFC North<\/a> – AFC South<\/a> – NFC South<\/a> – NFL<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/em>Defenses:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>AFC East<\/a> – AFC West<\/a> – AFC North<\/a> – AFC South<\/a> – NFC South<\/a>\u00a0– NFL<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

2019 AFC West All-Division Team: The Defense & Special Teams<\/h2>\n

The Defense<\/h2>\n

Defensive End: Joey Bosa (Chargers)<\/h3>\n

Joey Bosa<\/a><\/strong> is coming off a season that was shortened by injury, but he\u2019s still one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the entire NFL. Even when he\u2019s not getting sacks (which he still gets plenty of), he\u2019s getting lots of pressure on the opposing quarterbacks. Of course, the pass rush duo of Bosa and Melvin Ingram<\/a><\/strong> in general is a nightmare for other offenses, but Bosa is the more important of the two \u2013 as we saw when Ingram seemed to briefly decline a little when Bosa was injured.<\/p>\n

Defensive Tackle: Chris Jones (Chiefs)<\/h3>\n

After a massive breakout season, Chris Jones<\/a><\/strong> has established himself as a top tier defensive lineman. He put up 15.5 sacks in 2018 (good for third-most sacks in the league), plus a pick-six. For his efforts, he earned a Pro Bowl berth and Second Team All-Pro honors. He’s had an overall excellent season that makes him more than earn his spot on this list.<\/p>\n

Defensive End: Frank Clark (Chiefs)<\/h3>\n

The Chiefs just traded for Frank Clark<\/a><\/strong> this off-season, and he should be a strong addition to their defensive line. In four years with the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>, he put 35 sacks and forced nine fumbles. He set a career high with 13 sacks in 2018. He may not be one of the first names to come to mind among great pass rushers, but that doesn\u2019t mean he should be overlooked either given the sacks that he can get.<\/p>\n

Outside Linebacker: Von Miller (Denver Broncos<\/a>)<\/h3>\n

Von Miller<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s one of the more obvious choices on this list. He\u2019s been a mainstay of the Broncos defense ever since he was drafted, and he\u2019s been one of the better linebackers in the league. He showed no signs of slowing down in 2018 when he put up 14.5 sacks, which was his second best ever. Only one season has he not put up double-digit sacks, so we should expect more of the same.<\/p>\n

Middle Linebacker: Darron Lee (Chiefs)<\/h3>\n

Darron Lee<\/a><\/strong> was another off-season pickup for the Chiefs. Interestingly, his sack total disappeared in 2018, but his pass defense quality went up as he suddenly picked up three interceptions after not having a single one before. So now he\u2019s showing promise as a strong all-around linebacker. We\u2019ll see if he can keep it up with the Chiefs.<\/p>\n

Middle Linebacker: Todd Davis (Broncos)<\/h3>\n

Todd Davis<\/a><\/strong> stepped it up this year a bit for the Broncos. He recorded a career-high 114 combined tackles, and then he also had a career-high seven passes defended and his first career interception. What\u2019s good for him is that he doesn\u2019t even have to do all the work in the backfield because of the outside linebacker corps.<\/p>\n

Outside Linebacker: Bradley Chubb (Broncos)<\/h3>\n

Must be quite nice for the Broncos to have as many good linebackers as they do. Bradley Chubb<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s only played one year in the league, but he already piled up 12 sacks in just that one year alone. If he keeps this up, he\u2019ll more than live up to being a fifth overall pick and give the Broncos an insanely deadly linebacker duo. Of course, the fact that a rookie\u2019s on this list might also point to that there aren\u2019t a ton of great outside linebackers elsewhere in the division.<\/p>\n

Cornerback: Chris Harris Jr (Broncos)<\/h3>\n

The Broncos had a little scare this off-season with Chris Harris<\/a> Jr<\/strong> when he wanted a new deal or to be traded. However, the two sides worked it out and ultimately the former was settled upon. Harris has been a consistently great cornerback for the Broncos and is certainly one of the better pass defenders in the division.<\/p>\n

Free Safety: Lamarcus Joyner (Oakland Raiders<\/a>)<\/h3>\n

The Raiders managed to get a nice pickup<\/a> from the Los Angeles Rams<\/a> this off-season in Lamarcus Joyner<\/a><\/strong>. He may not have been a key part of the Rams defense, but he\u2019s still got four interceptions over the last two years and put up a career-high 78 tackles in 2018. This might make him already the best player in the Raiders secondary\u2026 which isn\u2019t saying a whole lot, but he still looks to be the best pure free safety in this division.<\/p>\n

Strong Safety: Derwin James (Chargers)<\/h3>\n

Derwin James<\/a><\/strong> had a ridiculous rookie season for the Chargers. 105 tackles, three and a half sacks, three interceptions and 13 pass deflections. A First-Team All-Pro nod. And he\u2019s got a full career of him still, so he may only get better from here. And even better, he can play all over the field; he\u2019s not really just a safety, he\u2019s a defensive everyman. Basically, he\u2019s one of the biggest shoe-ins on this list.<\/p>\n

Cornerback: Bryce Callahan (Broncos)<\/h3>\n

The Broncos picked up a new cornerback this off-season to go opposite Harris in Bryce Callahan<\/a><\/strong>. This should be quite a good pickup for them. Callahan, who\u2019s played with the Chicago Bears<\/a> the last four years, finished seventh overall at cornerback<\/a> with Pro Football Focus. He\u2019s gotten four interceptions the last two years and even gotten a few sacks during that time. If it wasn\u2019t clear so far in this post, the Broncos aren\u2019t really going to have many problems on defense.<\/p>\n

AFC West All-Division Team: Special Teams<\/h2>\n

Kicker: Harrison Butker (Chiefs)<\/h3>\n

Harrison Butker<\/a><\/strong> wasn\u2019t quite as superb in 2018 as his rookie year, but he\u2019s still the most consistent kicker in this division right now. And it\u2019s a good thing he\u2019s generally accurate with his extra points since he\u2019s going to be a kicking a lot of them with Mahomes around.<\/p>\n

Punter: Dustin Colquitt (Chiefs)<\/h3>\n

Dustin Colquitt<\/a><\/strong> is the only punter in the division that\u2019s been around more than two years; as compared to him being around since 2005. In that time he\u2019s made two Pro Bowls. Considering the lack of experience or accomplishments of everyone else in the division, he\u2019s the easy choice here.<\/p>\n

Kick\/Punt Returner: Dwayne Harris (Raiders)<\/h3>\n

Dwayne Harris<\/a> <\/strong>benefited pretty well from a move to the Raiders, having his best season of kick\/punt returns since 2015 with 996 total return yards, and his first return touchdown since that year as well. He also had a 99-yard punt return \u2013 the second longest in NFL history. He might be irrelevant as a receiver, but his returning abilities aren\u2019t anything to sneeze at.<\/p>\n

Offenses: AFC East<\/a> – AFC West<\/a> – AFC North<\/a> – AFC South<\/a> – NFC South<\/a> – NFL<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/em>Defenses:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>AFC East<\/a> – AFC West<\/a> – AFC North<\/a> – AFC South<\/a> – NFC South<\/a>\u00a0– NFL<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>