Where does Denver Broncos’ roster place among the AFC?
It is no secret that the Denver Broncos have an uber-talented roster, but where in the AFC does the team’s roster rank heading into 2022?
There is no denying the overall talent of the Denver Broncos roster. Even during the 2016-2021 seasons when Denver never found an answer at quarterback, their roster was still strong overall.
Now that Russell Wilson is in the mix, the team has received a ton of national media attention, and rightfully so.
Denver’s roster has now been put in the spotlight as one of the league’s strongest.
Obviously, having an elite quarterback helps, but the rest of the roster is rock solid, perhaps even elite in a few positions.
With them being in the AFC, the Denver Broncos will have a hard time standing out and not getting sucked into the middle with a bunch of good but not great teams.
Teams like the Bills and Bengals may stick out the most as the top teams in the conference, and I think Denver has the firepower to hang with them.
Since the AFC is indeed so crowded, it’s fair to wonder where Denver’s roster ranks in this loaded conference.
I think the easiest way to do this is to identify which teams have weaker rosters than Denver.
A few obvious teams that stick out as having inferior rosters to Denver include the New York Jets, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Indianapolis Colts.
All of these teams seem to have either quarterback uncertainty, a young quarterback who hasn’t developed, or an aging veteran.
Besides that, the only team that could be even considered to have as strong of a roster as Denver is the Colts, but the difference between Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan is noticeable, and Denver also has a much deeper group of offensive weapons and more high-end talent on defense.
So, there are at least five teams in the AFC that Denver has a stronger roster than.
Moving towards the middle now, these teams can arguably have a better roster than Denver, depending on who you talk to. These clubs, which include the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Cleveland Browns all have decent rosters and could be viewed as a toss-up with Denver’s.
I would immediately give an edge to the Broncos with the Dolphins, Raiders’, and Titans’ rosters. Denver has a considerable advantage over these teams and their quarterback positions.
The Dolphins’ offensive line is still a bit of a question, and their defense is solid but I think filled with a bunch of average players. I like Denver’s defense has a higher ceiling.
The Raiders added a ton of talent this offseason, but their offensive line outside from left tackle is a giant mystery, and their defense could use another body along the defensive line and another defensive back.
The Titans’ wide receivers are less than inspiring. Their offensive line is solid but not great, and their edge rushers are not existent.
As for the Browns, it remains to be seen what happens with Deshaun Watson, but I think Denver has an advantage at the quarterback position. They also have better wide receivers and a stronger defensive line as well.
I think at most every position, Denver edges out these teams just barely.
So, there are nine teams that the Denver Broncos’ roster should have an advantage over.
The last few teams in the AFC all have very good or great rosters, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals.
I think, when you look at the big picture in the AFC, there are six teams that are a clear tier above the rest on paper.
I would honestly give Denver the edge over the Chiefs roster. The Chiefs had a great draft, but don’t exactly have many playmakers on defense. Chris Jones is still a force, but no other player really sticks out that much.
The Chiefs’ defense still needs a ton of work, in my opinion, and I think Denver’s group of wide receivers and running backs are clearly stronger than Kansas City’s.
For the Chargers, Bills, Ravens, and Bengals, I could argue all day about which roster is the best.
I like Wilson just fine in this group, even if it includes young stud quarterbacks who are all under 27 years old.
While Denver may have the edge in one or two position groups over one or two teams, they also may not have as strong of a position group as the other teams just listed.
Denver has better running backs than the Chargers, Bills, and even Ravens, but all three teams may have better tight ends and offensive lines than Denver, for example.
I’d have no issue saying Denver has a top-five roster in the AFC, which may not sound too impressive, considering there are 16 other teams in the NFC.
I recently wrote a piece talking about the excellent core of players that Denver had before George Paton took over as GM.
It’s not like Russell Wilson was the only thing missing. Denver also has a ton of Pro Bowl-level talent at several positions that have helped them assemble into a very strong, young core contributing to the entire roster.
I think the Buffalo Bills are a clear top roster in the AFC, but the 2-5 rankings can surely vary, depending on who you talk to.
What should help us in Broncos Country rest at night is that the team’s roster is great. It’s got virtually no holes and has every opportunity to make a deep playoff run in 2022. The Denver Broncos will go far in 2022.