The AFC West is among the best divisions in football. Let's rank the projected starting offensive lines for each team. Having a solid offensive line is the foundation for a functional offense in the NFL, and there is no way around that. Teams left in the playoffs each season sport a competent or even high-end offensive line.
So it should come as no surprise that teams like the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Buffalo Bills were commonly atop the NFL and seen as Super Bowl favorites during the 2024 season. The OL being the foundation of the offense is not going to change.
But with the shortage of competent OL play across the NFL, it's becoming harder for teams to find starters. Let's power rank the offensive lines in the AFC West.
Projected starting offensive lines taken from depth charts provided by ESPN
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking offensive lines in the stacked AFC West
4. Las Vegas Raiders - Kolton Miller / Alex Cappa / Jackson Powers-Johnson / Dylan Parham / DJ Glaze
I actually struggled to put the Las Vegas Raiders offensive line this low, but it's not a very good unit. Alex Cappa, Dylan Parham, and DJ Glaze all have questions that need answered in 2024, but left tackle Kolton Miller and center Jackson Powers-Johnson are solid.
Geno Smith is the team's new QB, and he was playing behind a shaky offensive line with the Seattle Seahawks, so he could be in for a similar thing with the Raiders. New head coach Pete Carroll is surely going to want to play sound defense and run the ball, so perhaps the team makes a major OL move in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Vegas is no. 4 in our AFC West offensive line rankings.
3. Kansas City Chiefs - Jaylon Moore / Mike Caliendo / Creed Humphrey / Trey Smith / Jawaan Taylor
The Kansas City Chiefs do not have a great offensive line, and I would struggle to say this unit is anything more than average right now. All-Pro guard Joe Thuney is on the Chicago Bears, and a whopping three positions along the OL are question marks. All of Jaylon Moore, Mike Caliendo, and Jawaan Taylor have issues with their game or are moslty unproven.
I would be shocked if GM Brett Veach did not have at least one new starter in this unit when Week 1 kicks off. The left guard spot currently manned by Caliendo could see a rookie enter the mix or even a late-free agency signing. Patrick Mahomes was running for his life in the 2024 NFL Season and might be doing the same in 2025.
2. Los Angeles Chargers - Rashawn Slater / Zion Johnson / Bradley Bozeman / Mekhi Becton / Joe Alt
The Los Angeles Chargers have a top tackle duo in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, and did bring in a competent guard in free agency with the Mekhi Becton signing. Their left guard and center situations are a bit murky, but with Becton in the mix, he could help Bradley Bozeman out a bit, so this could end up being an OL with four quality starters when it's all said and done.
LA has a good OL, but it's only no. 2 in our AFC West offensive line rankings.
1. Denver Broncos - Garett Bolles / Ben Powers / Luke Wattenberg / Quinn Meinerz / Mike McGlinchey
I am not sure this is controversial at all - the Denver Broncos have the best offensive line in the NFL. The unit was excellent in 2024 in both pass and run blocking and really doesn't have a noticeable weakness. Center Luke Wattenberg does struggle a bit with run blocking himself, but he kind of makes up for that with being a stellar pass blocker.
Overall, Denver can absolutely trot this unit out in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season if they wanted to, and it would be a top-3 unit. The main issue with the offensive line and why it may not be seen quite as good as it truly is lies with the lack of production from the RB room. Denver finding a true RB1 for the backfield is going to truly showcase how brutalizing and well-rounded the OL is.