LA Chargers: Ranking the linebacker rooms in the AFC West

1. Denver Broncos

Alexander Johnson, Josey Jewell, Baron Browning, Justin Strnad, Josh Watson, Peter Kalambayi

If Kenneth Murray really does blossom into a Pro Bowler this season and we see close to the best versions of White and Tranquill then you could make the case for the LA Chargers over the Denver Broncos on this list.

However, as it currently stands, it is hard to not rank Denver first even if they do not have a big-name, Pro Bowl linebacker. In fact, none of the teams yet have that big-name Pro Bowl linebacker, making it easier to rank Denver first.

The thing here with Denver is consistency and depth. The Broncos have two really good linebackers in Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell who may not be household names but are both above-average linebackers that make the defense better.

As a 3-4 defense the Broncos are only going to have two linebackers in the middle of the field and Denver does not have a weakness in either linebacker. They are both good at stopping the run as well as in pass-coverage. They are beacons of consistency.

The depth in Denver is pretty solid as well. Although he has not yet played in the league and is still dealing with injury, Baron Browning is a really talented linebacker that I liked a lot coming out of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Broncos took him in the third round and if he can get healthy he can be a surprising difference-maker for them.

The same can be said for Justin Strnad. While I did not like him as much as Browning coming out of college, he has potential and did not get to show that potential because of injury last season.

The ceiling for the LA Chargers, and the Las Vegas Raiders, for that matter, is higher than Denver. However, Denver's floor is much higher and the chances that it fails in Denver are simply far lower than in LA and Vegas, even if we feel great about LA's linebackers.