3. Denver Broncos, 11-6
Adding Russell Wilson is such a massive deal for the Denver Broncos. Denver already has legitimate blue-chippers on the defensive side of the ball as well as a receiving corps that is excited for a true quarterback to throw them passes.
Denver's roster reminds me of the Chargers' roster from last season. The Broncos have a great quarterback and have big-name players around him but the depth around those big-name players leaves more to be desired. There is a world in which things don't go Denver's way and they are disappointing.
However, even if Wilson is on the slight downward trend that I project him to be on, they still have the easiest schedule in the AFC West and the best natural home-field advantage in the entire sport. In combing through Denver's schedule, we landed at an 11-6 record.
Yes, this means that we are projecting three teams from the AFC West to win 11 or more games. While that might see far-fetched, it is certainly possible if they trade with each other and beat up on the Raiders for the most part. The AFC West teams are going to be favored in almost every out-of-division matchup this season.
It is going to be a tight race at the end of the season with the division still up in the air as we head into Week 18. So who is going to come out on top and who is going to end up in second place?