AFC West arms race firmly in the spotlight as skill groups dominate division's most improved position groups from 2025 NFL offseason
The AFC West, much like the NFC North, was a gauntlet in 2024. The teams in the West have acted accordingly this offseason, with major changes and heavy investments littered across the landscape as these teams try to climb the mountain and seize home playoff games next winter. For the Kansas City Chiefs, this offseason was […]
The AFC West, much like the NFC North, was a gauntlet in 2024. The teams in the West have acted accordingly this offseason, with major changes and heavy investments littered across the landscape as these teams try to climb the mountain and seize home playoff games next winter.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, this offseason was a little bit more business as usual, although they did make changes amid their ongoing pivots to tinker with the roster. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers got a taste of the postseason action last year and both are looking for more competitive showings this time around. The Las Vegas Raiders? Well, they simply have a long way to go and, thanks to Pete Carroll's NFL journey, not a long time to get there.
What units were bolstered the most in the AFC West this offseason? Here's my top-five picks.
Top Five Most Improved Position Groups In The AFC West This Offseason
5. The Chargers' offensive depth
By the end of last year, the Chargers' skill group was looking a little lean. Ladd McConkey has quickly established himself as a stud. Quentin Johnston showed signs of life. But in their playoff loss to Houston, the depth players collecting the most snaps on offense were DJ Chark (27 snaps), fullback Scott Matlock (18), running back Hassan Haskins (14) and tight end Stone Smartt (12).
Fast forward to today. The Chargers have rookies Tre Harris (second-round) and KeAndre Lambert-Smith (fifth-round) plus free agent Mike Williams in the wide receiver room with Johnston and McConkey. Tyler Conklin joins the tight end ranks along with fifth-round rookie Oronde Gadsden II. The top of the running back room has been remade as well, with first-round pick Omarion Hampton and veteran Najee Harris anchoring the unit. It should give the Chargers more options and personnel flexibility to play fluid game scripts this season.
4. The Chiefs' skill group
Kansas City's improvement here has just as much to do with availability as it does anything else. Marquise "Hollywood" Brown played 45 snaps in the regular season. Rashee Rice played 155. Of the top six wide receivers on Kansas City's projected depth chart, only two played more than 160 snaps of offense last season.
– Xavier Worthy: 757
– JuJu Smith-Schuster: 424
– Rashee Rice: 155
– Skyy Moore: 82
– Hollywood Brown: 45
– Jalen Royals: 0 (rookie)
At running back, Isiah Pacheco logged just 218 snaps and missed 10 games. Kansas City gets him back healthy and added Elijah Mitchell (free agency) and Brashard Smith (seventh-round draft choice) to the mix.
3. The Broncos skill group
The Denver Broncos' target distribution in 2024, in a word, incredible. Courtland Sutton commanded 135 targets. The next highest player? Running back Javonte Williams (not a typo!) with 70. Marvin Mims was the only other receiver on the team who logged more than 475 receiving yards and he was fifth on the team in targets behind Sutton, Williams, Devaughn Vele (55 targets), and Troy Franklin (53 targets).
Needless to say, this group needed to be better this season. The top two running backs are players who should be much more effective in the passing game between veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie second-round draft choice RJ Harvey. Tight end Evan Engram is a far cry from his prime but should be exponentially better than the tight ends Denver threw the ball to last year. Lucas Krull led all Denver tight end targets with 23 and averaged eight yards per reception.
And the addition of physical receivers like Pat Bryant (third-round draft choice) and Trent Sherfield Sr. (free agency) give more ambiguity to Denver's run/pass intentions.
2. The Broncos interior back-seven
Denver's defense owned metrics across the board last season. They were third in scoring defense, seventh in yards allowed, seventh in turnovers, second in net yards per attempt allowed, second in yards per rush allowed, first in points allowed per drive, third in red zone scoring, and had nine more sacks (63) than any other team.
So take that foundation and then consider the team swapped Dre Greenlaw in for Cody Barton and Talanoa Hufanga in for P.J. Locke via free agency. Barton and Locke were the team's two highest snap-takers on defense last season. As a cherry on top, Denver drafted defensive back Jahdae Barron in the first-round of this year's NFL Draft! He projects as the nickel defender in Denver and relegates Ja'Quan McMillian into a depth role. McMillian had the sixth-most snaps of any defender on the team last season.
Only Barton is gone, having left for Tennessee in free agency. There's plenty of risk involved with this move, given the durability issues for both Hufanga and Greenlaw. But if the Broncos can keep this group on the field together through the end of the season, they're going to have a chance to be a really special group.
1. The Raiders' offensive backfield
Okay. So, with all due respect…
Gardner Minshew, Aiden O'Connell, and Desmond Ridder played quarterback for the Raiders last season. Alexander Mattison led the team in rushing with 420 yards on 132 carries (3.2 yards per attempt), which somehow wasn't as bad as Zamir White's 2.8 yards per attempt on 65 carries in 2024.
You're replacing that with a quality starter at quarterback in Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty? Yeah, that'll do. Jeanty had 600 more yards after contact last season at Boise State (1,970) than than the Raiders rushed for as a team overall in 2024 (1,357).
Pete Carroll’s return to coaching with the Raiders tops AFC West’s boldest bets of 2025 offseason as rivals try to unseat the Chiefs
The AFC West looms as one of the most challenging divisions in football. This is a fact despite the Kansas City Chiefs winning the division every year since 2016. The West is home to a present-day dynasty, but both the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos are nipping at the Chiefs' heels. What's more? Another […]
