RADIO
John breaks down the biggest positional needs for each AFC West team -- the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers comprise the AFC West. They were overall one of the best divisions in football in 2024, sending three teams to the postseason and one to the Super Bowl.
Unsurprisingly, those three squads (everyone but the Raiders) had excellent quarterback situations, with each currently sporting their long-term answer at the position. With the recent trade by the Raiders for former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, none of these four teams have serious needs at the quarterback position.
This division is thus set up to be one of the most competitive in the NFL next season, but that doesn't mean each team doesn't have needs that they must address. No team is in great shape at every position group, so let's break down the biggest positional holes for each team in the AFC West ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
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Denver Broncos
Running Back
The trio of RBs Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime combined for one of the ugliest and most putrid team rushing attacks that anyone who watched the Broncos had the unfortunate displeasure of watching.
All three failed to carve out consistent roles, forcing Denver head coach Sean Payton to tinker endlessly with the distribution of work. None of the three rewarded Payton for his efforts.
Javonte Williams last 4 games
CLE: 4 for 1 yard
LV: 8 for -2 yards
ATL: 9 for 59 yards
KC: 1 for 1 yardI am hopeful we see more Audric Estime after the bye because you need a run game to have success in December and beyond.
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) December 9, 2024
Those who play fantasy football should smash pick whoever the Broncos pick in the 2025 NFL Draft because many fantasy managers have an idea that Payton wants to run a committee and won't give consistently good volume to any RB on the team. But what would you do if you had such a poor running back room?
I imagine Denver's management will see a good running back as a priority to draft, especially in a draft class that's so stacked at the position. After seeing Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry improve their offenses massively in 2024, I would agree with that assessment.
I stand by my take that Williams is terrible. It's aged well.
Tight End
The Greg Dulcich experiment didn't work out, much to the chagrin of the endless line of fantasy football analysts who swore up and down that he would break out any day now. And the team's answer at the position for now is veteran Evan Engram, so drafting someone like Michigan tight end Colston Loveland in the 2025 NFL Draft would probably be a great idea.
Colston Loveland to the Broncos or Chargers sign me tf up…
Complete skillset, prototypical size, nuanced route runner, and gifted athlete.
Going to be an excellent value with where the consensus has him in rookie drafts.pic.twitter.com/aHL5fN0Iix
— Snoog's Fantasy HQ (@FFSnoog) February 22, 2025
The team could kill two birds with one stone with a player like Loveland, addressing one of its biggest needs and adding a genuine threat to the pass-catching corps.
Wide Receiver
A lot of teams are hurting for more good wideouts, and the Broncos are no exception. While Courtland Sutton had a solid season as the team's WR1, there were no consistently good options behind him. Perhaps WR Marvin Mims Jr. develops into a good WR2, but if that doesn't happen (and even if it does), another good wide receiver would elevate this team.
Marvin Mims with the appropriate amount of steps AFTER crossing the end zone before dropping the ball backwards. We are growing as a society pic.twitter.com/X5CkZ6km0K
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) December 3, 2024
Mims has been a breakout candidate for a while, though. I'll believe it when I see it. This isn't the biggest need for Denver, but it seriously lacks depth at the position, and an injury to Sutton would leave the offense sputtering.
Kansas City Chiefs
Offensive Tackle
By far the biggest need for the Chiefs is at the tackle position. Rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia was horrible in 2024, eventually getting benched for Wanya Morris, who was replaced by the late-season signing of D.J. Humphries. The Philadelphia Eagles ended the Chiefs' reign of terror (praise be) in the Super Bowl and exposed just how bad the exteriors of their offensive line was.
Eagles sack Mahomes on back to back plays!
📺: #SBLIX on FOX
📱: Tubi + NFL app pic.twitter.com/Uun9bviMwL— NFL (@NFL) February 10, 2025
Of course, the AFC's efforts to stop Kansas City were pathetic, as they always are, especially from teams like the Buffalo Bills, who routinely lay down and allow themselves to get walked all over by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and corps. But Philly knew what it was doing.
The NFL is a copycat league, so other teams will certainly use the Eagles' game plan as a blueprint to stop the Chiefs offense. How successful they are remains to be seen, but if K.C. doesn't get an upgrade soon, it could be in trouble because right tackle Jawaan Taylor also is bad. If the referees start flagging him for constantly lining up in illegal formations and false starts, it could get even worse.
Tight End
Travis Kelce is declining rapidly, and he has very little juice left in him. He's athletically nearly completely washed, but he's still at least able to find holes in zone defenses to exploit. That makes him at least usable, but other areas of his game are just not good.
Many NFL fans are calling for Travis Kelce to retire after his "awful" performance in this year's Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/CQdWMj4BG0
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 12, 2025
Kansas City would be well served by finding a replacement. Kelce was the engine behind the offense when he was at his best, and his decline has perfectly coincided with the K.C. offense falling off.
Las Vegas Raiders
Running Back
I'm not saying Raiders running back Sincere McCormick was worse than the aforementioned Williams (Javonte) from the Broncos was. What I am saying is that the Raiders run game was never inspiring to viewers or fear-inducing to opposing defenses in 2024. Instead, it was one of the worst units in the league.
Zamir White this season:
• 4 Games played
• 152 Rushing Yards
• 3 Yards per carry
• 0 TouchdownsHORRIBLE 🙌😈🤩 pic.twitter.com/cNmS3JShWH
— NFL Hater Watch (@NFLhaterwatch) October 2, 2024
I staunchly stand by my Zamir White is bad take that I published before the 2024 season. Williams and White were my two clearest RB bust candidates for the year, but a four-game stretch White had in 2023 convinced people otherwise. It's clear now that he won't be the starter in 2025, as he doesn't have a severe injury to blame for his lack of production.
The Raiders, having traded for quarterback Geno Smith, are a great landing spot for a premier back in the 2025 NFL Draft. I wouldn't be surprised if they used their first-round pick on Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and immediately made him a workhorse. His game and athletic profile fit the "Raider Way." Though that way has been more about losing recently, it's the idea that counts.
Wide Receiver
WR Jakobi Meyers had another nice season, and while I don't intend to take anything away from him for his very good play in the NFL, he's best suited as one of the NFL's better WR2s. The presence of tight end Brock Bowers makes WR less of an urgent need, but Meyers is 28 years old, and there is virtually no depth behind him right now.
LA VELOCIDAD DE Tre Tucker PONE LOS PRIMEROS 7 DE LOS RAIDERS pic.twitter.com/b83tGGVFKP
— Raiders México (@LVRaidersMex) September 29, 2024
Wide receiver Tre Tucker is, at best, a WR3/WR4 and a gadget player without a ton of upside. Another good WR to play alongside Meyers and serve as a holdover, a decent WR2, an immediate upgrade over Meyers, or at least the eventual successor to Meyers as the WR1 could be a big benefit to the offense.
Los Angeles Chargers
Wide Receiver
By far the biggest need for the Chargers in 2025 is another competent wide receiver to play alongside Ladd McConkey. McConkey isn't a dominant X player, and he doesn't have the size to win jump balls and contested catch opportunities consistently. That's not a knock to his game, as he's a fantastic wideout, but if L.A. could get someone like the player it wanted WR Quentin Johnston to be, it would benefit massively.
Great 3rd down coverage from Kamari Lassiter. Doesn't get threatened vertically at all and is able to stay right in Quentin Johnston's hip on the crosser. pic.twitter.com/87cpNZz0FA
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 15, 2025
Johnston finds it difficult to separate, plays with strength much smaller than his size, doesn't often win jump balls and contested catches, and has hands made of stone covered in Vaseline, so to say. He had a few games with good fantasy outputs, but these were largely fluky or against very bad competition.
Tight End
In the same vein, the lack of tight-end talent was an issue for Los Angeles last season. TE Will Dissly had a few games where he kind of did things, but he wasn't good or consistent. A great pass-catching tight end, as hard as they are to find, could at least make up for the lack of a good WR2.
6’5, 250lbs TE’s are not usually able to create man separation like this…
Colston Loveland can. pic.twitter.com/tjzPgxRs9h
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) January 5, 2025
Someone like Michigan tight end Colston Loveland would be a great pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft if the Chargers can manage it. A TE who doubles as a WR2 or even WR1B would be huge for L.A. quarterback Justin Herbert.
Edge-Rusher
The Chargers had a good roster, and while second-year linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu had a solid year with 8.5 sacks and defensive end Khalil Mack continues to play serviceably, the team released DE Joey Bosa and could use reinforcements at the position.
Overall, their defense was good, though, and ranked ninth in sack rate. Cutting Bosa was a cost-saving measure, and his play had declined in recent years.
Tuli Tuipulotu had 9 pressures yesterday by the way. pic.twitter.com/IQoDcOtZRJ
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) September 25, 2023
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