Just like we did for the offense, we have ranked each position on the defenses in the AFC West and tallied up the scores to see where they rank in the division. Let’s see what we came up with.
1. Broncos
Last season the Broncos finished on a high note, going 4-1 down the stretch, including beating the Raiders in the season finale. The funny thing was the difference between their season-opening loss to the Raiders.
The offense scored 16 points in both games. The difference was in the first game, they gave up 24 points and in the finale, they gave up only 15. Drew Lock stepping in at quarterback was also part of the reason for their turnaround, but the play of the defense deserves a lot of credit too.
The Broncos have the division’s top defensive interior, top linebacking corps, and top safety duo. And their edge-rushing pair of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb are no slouches either.
The most impressive position at which they lead the way is probably safety considering how strong the position is overall in the division. The pair of Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons could be the best in the league. Simmons, in particular, led the NFL, allowing an opposing passer rating of just 32.1 when targeted.
2. Chargers
For a while, the Chargers were pegged as a favorite in the division seemingly every year. They always seen to have the talent, but then get plagued by injuries. Add that Philip Rivers last season looked like he was washed up and the Chargers stumbled once again.
Well, Rivers is gone and they still have plenty of talent to work with. And since we can’t judge teams by whether they might get wiped out by injuries, the Chargers are once again an impressive looking group on defense.
The two defensive positions the Broncos don’t lead the way, the Chargers do. They have the top pass-rushing duo and cornerback unit. Both positions are equally impressive. The edge-rushing pair of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram is among the best in the league and their cornerbacks are by far the superior group in this division.
Their safety tandem of Derwin James and Rayshawn Jenkins take a backseat to the Broncos, but would probably be the best in most divisions. Where they take a big hit is their interior defensive line, which is the worst in the division. This defense can clearly hold its own, they just need some help from the offense.
3. Raiders
There wasn’t a single position at which the Raiders held the top spot. Their highest rank was having the second-best linebacking corps, but that’s also the weakest overall position in the division. The addition of Cory Littleton surges a position that was among their weakest to a level of potential respectability.
Despite some upgrades like Maliek Collins on the interior defensive line and the additions of Carl Nassib, Damarious Randall, and Prince Amukamara, they’re still not quite able to place among the top two in any of the other defensive positions.
The one position they bring up the rear is safety because of how loaded the other three teams in the division are at the position. There are high expectations for Johnathan Abram, but he has yet to play even one full healthy regular-season game.
4. Chiefs
We know how dominant the Chiefs offense is. Their defense, on the other hand, is not. They, like the Raiders, aren’t the best at any position. But along with that, they have the worst edge-rushing duo, linebacking corps, and cornerback group.
Cornerback is a troublesome spot for the Chiefs. They lost Kendall Fuller in free agency and are facing a potentially lengthy suspension for Bashaud Breeland with little to nothing in terms of depth. They could give up a lot of points. But as we know, they can pour on a lot of points as well and put opposing teams in desperation mode, which always helps make the defense look better than it is.
Their top position is on the interior defensive line, where the best individual interior defender in the division makes his hay, and even his status is currently uncertain. Chris Jones was slapped with the franchise tag, of which he has not yet signed, and this week said flatly that he won’t play this season without a long term deal. The Chiefs have two weeks to get something done or it could get ugly.
To be fair to their safety position, as mentioned before, it’s an extremely strong position in the division and when you have Tyrann Mathieu out there, you are pretty good there.
See AFC West ranking for OFFENSE
