The AFC West is gearing up to be one of the most competitive divisions in football. The LA Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Kansas City Chiefs all have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, while the Las Vegas Raiders have a young core and first-time head coach looking to prove the world wrong.
To get an idea of just how close the AFC West is bound to be, we took a look at seven key areas and ranked each team in the division from best to worst. At the end, we compiled the numbers (four points given to first, three points to second, two points to third, and one point to fourth) to concretely rank the AFC West ahead of Week 1.
Here's how the Chargers compare.
- Ranking the AFC West quarterbacks
- Ranking the AFC West running back rooms
- Ranking the AFC West pass-catchers
- Ranking the AFC West offensive lines
- Ranking the AFC West front sevens
- Ranking the AFC West secondaries
- Ranking the AFC West schedules
- Where the Chargers rank in the AFC West:
Ranking the AFC West quarterbacks
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Kansas City Chiefs |
2. | LA Chargers |
3. | Denver Broncos |
4. | Las Vegas Raiders |
In almost any other year, it wouldn't be polarizing to rank Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs ahead of Justin Herbert and the Chargers. But 2026 is different. Mahomes is returning rather quickly from a torn ACL he suffered last season and it's unclear what version of himself he will be.
Anything short of the normal Mahomes and Herbert will surpass him as the best quarterback in the AFC West. The other two quarterback rooms don't have much of a shot, as Bo Nix is a fine, but not elite, quarterback and the Raiders are years away from being in the conversation.
From top to bottom, though, the AFC West challenges the NFC West and NFC North for the best quarterbacks in the NFL. If Fernando Mendoza plays his rookie season and is legit, the AFC West won't have a single bad quarterback.
Ranking the AFC West running back rooms
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Las Vegas Raiders |
2. | LA Chargers |
3. | Kansas City Chiefs |
4. | Denver Broncos |
Before anyone gets mad at these rankings, it's important to note that this list genuinely can be ordered in any way and I wouldn't have an issue with it. The running back rooms for these four teams are closer than any other position group on the roster, and a lot of the ranking depends on guesswork.
We favored youth over experience when projecting the 2026 season. Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton were both selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and showed legitimate signs of being elite in their rookie seasons. If they are who we think they are, they will cement their places atop the AFC West.
Kansas City struggled to run the ball last season but added Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to the fold. As well-known as Walker is, and as great as he was in the Super Bowl, he wasn't always the most consistent for the Seattle Seahawks. Walker had a nine-game stretch last season where he averaged 49.9 yards per game on 4.0 yards per carry.
Denver has the most interchangeable 1-2 punch at running back with J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey, but they are also the only team without a legitimate RB1. Even with their perceived depth, the Broncos still averaged the same yards per carry (4.4) as the Chargers last season.
Ranking the AFC West pass-catchers
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Denver Broncos |
2. | LA Chargers |
3. | Kansas City Chiefs |
4. | Las Vegas Raiders |
The LA Chargers' entire wide receiver room consists of players on rookie deals, which brings a natural variance to their success in 2026. That being said, Ladd McConkey is already a proven entity, Quentin Johnston has mostly quelled his drop concerns, Tre' Harris is an exciting second-year second-round pick, and the tight-end room is legitimately three deep with talent.
Los Angeles could very well end up with the best pass-catchers in the division, especially with Mike McDaniel calling the offense. Right now, we give the edge to the Broncos, who have the best 1-2 punch in the division with Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle.
Travis Kelce is no longer enough to carry the Chiefs, who have a disappointing wide receiver room led by polarizing wideout Rashee Rice. The Raiders have the best singular pass-catcher in this division with Brock Bowers, but there are legitimate injury concerns and the wide receiver room alongside him is woeful.
Ranking the AFC West offensive lines
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Denver Broncos |
2. | Kansas City Chiefs |
3. | LA Chargers |
4. | Las Vegas Raiders |
The Broncos have a case for the best offensive line in the entire league, so it should come at no surprise that they rank first in the division. And even with potential faults on the Chiefs' offensive line, it's hard to rank the Chargers any higher than third on this list.
The Chargers have the best tackle duo in the division but that's without factoring in any lingering concerns over how Rashawn Slater will play after missing all of 2025. On top of that, there should be concerns over an interior offensive line that, quite frankly, is not as good as it should be given the resources the Chargers had in the offseason.
Los Angeles is one tackle injury away from legitimately having the worst offensive line in the division. If there's an injury and the interior plays to its floor, well, we will be looking at another bottom-feeding NFL offensive line.
Ranking the AFC West front sevens
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Denver Broncos |
2. | LA Chargers |
3. | Kansas City Chiefs |
4. | Las Vegas Raiders |
Again, the Broncos have a case for having one of the best front sevens in the entire sport, not just in the AFC West. Denver has dominated the trenches and that's why the Broncos are a real threat to win the AFC West for the second year in a row. It's not because of their quarterback.
The Chargers absolutely deserve the second spot as the Bolts have one of the most slept-on front sevens in the entire league. Tuli Tuipulotu is the most underrated edge rusher in the league, Akheem Mesidor isn't getting the attention he deserves as an instant contributor, and Khalil Mack is still very impactful this late in his NFL career.
A nice blend of run-stuffing options and pass-rush options on the interior gives the Chargers a comfortable second place ahead of a solid Chiefs front seven. The Raiders are the only team in the division that truly has a below-average front seven, which will be made worse if the team eventually trades Maxx Crosby.
Ranking the AFC West secondaries
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Denver Broncos |
2. | LA Chargers |
3. | Kansas City Chiefs |
4. | Las Vegas Raiders |
For the third time now: the Broncos have a case for the best secondary in the NFL, not just the AFC West. Denver has the single-best corner in the division in Patrick Surtain and has plently of complementary talent alongside him. With such a strong secondary and front seven, the Broncos have a real case for the best defense in the NFL.
The Chargers have a mid-tier secondary that will be tested in 2026 without Jesse Minter calling the plays. Chargers fans have every reason to be optimistic about his replacement, Chris O'Leary, but there are no guarantees that he can put the secondary in the same position to succeed as Minter. After all, outside of Derwin James, the Chargers don't have any real star power in the secondary.
Kansas City and Las Vegas have two of the worst secondaries in the league. The Chiefs lost their two best corners and replaced one with Mansoor Delane, a first-round prospect who is talented but may have been a reach. The Raiders added supplemental pieces in the offseason that don't move the needle much.
Perhaps this is a bit harsh, but I'd go as far as to say the Chiefs and Raiders will both find themselves in the bottom quarter of the league.
Ranking the AFC West schedules
Rank | Team |
|---|---|
1. | Las Vegas Raiders |
2. | Kansas City Chiefs |
3. | Denver Broncos |
4. | LA Chargers |
The Chargers really drew the short end of the stick when it comes to the schedule. The entire AFC West plays itself, the NFC West and the AFC East. That is already a tough draw considering five of eight teams in the two external divisions can legitimately contend for a Super Bowl.
The extra games are where the Chargers were hurt the most. As last year's second-place finisher, the Chargers get the second-place Houston Texans, the second-place Baltimore Ravens, and the second-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Denver lucked out as the first-place finishers in those divisions from last year arguably aren't the best teams this year. The Broncos get the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers. Only one of those teams projects to be a playoff team.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, get the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, and Atlanta Falcons. The AFC South and AFC North differences are a wash with Denver but the Chiefs get the honor of playing one of the worst teams in the league with Atlanta.
Then you have the Raiders and their last-place schedule, which gives them the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. New Orleans could be frisky, but the Titans and Browns will not be.
Where the Chargers rank in the AFC West:
Team | Points |
|---|---|
Denver Broncos | 21 |
Kansas City Chiefs | 18 |
LA Chargers | 18 |
Las Vegas Raiders | 13 |
This is pretty illustrative of how the AFC West is shaping up ahead of the 2026 season. The Denver Broncos have the most well-rounded team, but they also have a much worse quarterback than the Chiefs and Chargers. Given that difference, the AFC West is likely closer than this final tally even indicates.
Funny enough, the Chargers are the only team in the division that didn't rank first in any category. Los Angeles checks in with a lot of second-place finishes, but there isn't a part of the roster you can definitively point to as better than the rest of the division.
Does this cement the Chargers into another second-place finish in the division? Will strength of schedule be the key difference? Time will tell, but one thing is for certain: it's going to be competitive.
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