Where do the Broncos rank in AFC West before the season?

Where do the Broncos fall in the AFC West heading into 2022?

3. Kansas City Chiefs

In terms of roster talent, the Chiefs are third in the division.  I get it, they still have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.  I get that they’ve won the division for 29 years in a row and have been to the AFC Championship game for the last four years at home.

However, the Chiefs had a below-average offseason.  They lost Tyreek Hill in a trade, replaced Tyrann Mathieu with a safety who isn’t as good, and didn’t do enough to prop up their defense, in my opinion.  Their secondary has some concerns, and I’m not sure where they plan on generating a pass rush outside of Chris Jones and Frank Clark, who has been inconsistent in Kansas City.

Their offensive line is really nice, but they don’t have much to talk about at running back.  Clyde Edwards-Helaire hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft slot, and Ronald Jones hasn’t done much for them in the offseason, either.

I think the Chiefs take a clear step back in 2022 and aren’t dominating teams like they used to.  I think their defense is a problem as a whole, and I’m personally not worried about having to cover Juju Smith-Schuster, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling if I’m on the defensive side in the AFC West.

It’s OK to think that the Chiefs won’t be as good as they’ve been in the past.  I think some people are afraid to say it, but the Broncos, Chargers, and Raiders all have the roster firepower to compete with and consistently beat Kansas City.