After the NFL Draft, ESPN’s Mike Clay formulated win-loss projections for every team in the league. Clay’s prediction has the Denver Broncos going 9-7 and earning a Wild Card spot in the AFC.
To be exact, Clay predicts 8.7 wins and 7.3 losses for the Broncos with a plus-20 points differential. Here’s a look at his prediction for the AFC West:
| Kansas City Chiefs | 11-5 |
| Denver Broncos | 9-7 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 8-8 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 6-10 |
In Clay’s prediction, Denver is the No. 6 seed in the conference with a Wild Card matchup against the Indianapolis Colts (10-6). Here’s a look at Clay’s projection for final standings in the AFC:
| Kansas City Chiefs | 11-5 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 11-5 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 10-6 |
| Buffalo Bills | 9-7 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-6 |
| Denver Broncos | 9-7 |
| Cleveland Browns | 9-7 |
The NFL will be adding one more playoff team per conference this season, so the Broncos wouldn’t be the bottom seed as the No. 6 team in the AFC. AFC teams barely missing the playoffs in Clay’s prediction include the New England Patriots (8-8), Tennessee Titans (8-8), Houston Texans (8-8) and Chargers (8-8).
