AFC West roster power rankings after the preseason: Chargers shock the world
By Jason Reed
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The 2023 preseason is officially in the books and this weekend will be the last weekend without NFL football for the next six months. There is a lot of hype coming into the 2023 season but there is not as much hype around the LA Chargers and the rest of the AFC West.
The AFC West was lauded as the best division ever last season but after two of the teams were incredibly disappointing the same expectations are not had in 2023. If anything, the AFC West has fallen behind both the AFC North and AFC East this season.
That is relatively good news for the Chargers as that seems to indicate that the competition won't be as tough in 2023. But that is not totally the case, as there is still a lot of talent in the division.
Ranking the AFC West rosters after the preseason:
4. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders come into the 2023 season with the least amount of talent on the roster in the division. That does not mean that the Raiders will finish last, as there are other factors (such as coaching and schedule) that play into the record. But it is still going to be an uphill battle for the silver and black.
The Raiders have the worst starting quarterback in the division and have a defense that is really hard to get excited about. Maxx Crosby is one of the best pass rushers in the entire league and he will end up doing a lot of the heavy lifting. The talent around him isn't great as teams should be able to throw on the Raiders.
There is a world in which the Raiders can lean on Josh Jacobs to keep the team in close games to try and steal some wins. But with the lack of talent, there aren't many different ways the Raiders can win in 2023.