The Denver Broncos have a better roster than the Kansas City Chiefs

After the 2023 offseason, it's become clear that the Denver Broncos have a stronger overall roster than their rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champions won their second title in four years in 2022, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, but of course, it wasn't without some insane breaks during their playoff run and the SB itself.

If Patrick Mahomes was simply a great QB instead of an all-time QB, the Chiefs aren't winning nearly as much as they have been. Mahomes ending up being as good as he is might be the single biggest stroke of luck in the history of professional sports. His greatness has allowed the Chiefs to operate with a few holes on their roster year in and year out.

Patrick Mahomes and their offense is so good that other positions on the roster don't have to be prioritized as much, and as of now, the Broncos' roster, from top to bottom, is stronger than the Chiefs. Let's break that down a bit.

The Denver Broncos have a better roster than the Kansas City Chiefs

Offensively, the Broncos have a few clear advantages. Kansas City obviously has a big advantage at QB and tight end, but Travis Kelce does turn 34 years old this year, so his age should begin to be a concern. The promising duo of Greg Dulcich and Adam Trautman for the Broncos is a much better bet for the long term than Kelce.

At some point, the Chiefs will have to do something with their TE room, and there's about a 0% chance that they end up finding someone else who'd be as good as Kelce. Mahomes is the best QB in the NFL and there really isn't much more to say there. At his best, Russell Wilson is a top-five signal caller and could definitely go toe to toe with Mahomes, but he's got to prove that he isn't washed up and still has something left in the tank.

As for the rest of the positions along the offense, I can argue Denver has an advantage. I think between the two teams' wide receiver rooms, Denver has a clear advantage. The top three wide receivers for the Chiefs are projected to be Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Kadarius Toney. That's definitely one of the weaker cores in the NFL, but the brain power and skill of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes will elevate this unit.

If their top three WRs were on a different team, there'd be a bigger conversation about how weak this trio is. As for the Broncos, their top three WRs are projected to be Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick. They also have Marvin Mims Jr and Marquez Callaway as backups. This might be one of the deepest rooms in the NFL, and the Broncos' trio not only is more skilled than the Chiefs', but is one of the very best in the NFL.

The offensive lines honestly might be a wash. The Broncos have the edge at tackle, as Garett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey are better than Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor. Smith had the worst year of his career in 2022 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, allowing six sacks and committing 12 penalties, according to PFF, and Jawaan Taylor has been average at best, but the kicker with him is that he has not missed a start in four years, so he's valued mainly because of that.

As for the interior, The Chiefs have a slight edge, as their iOL of Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey, and Trey Smith is a bit better than the Broncos' trio of Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, and Quinn Meinerz. I do think Meinerz is a better right guard than Smith, but the Powers and Thuney feel about even and it's pretty obvious that Humphrey is much better than Cushenberry.

As for the running backs, I think Javonte Williams is the most skilled and has the highest ceiling of the RBs between the two teams. The Chiefs appear to have a deeper room with Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but if Williams can get back on the field for week one and become the bell-cow RB he was drafted to be, the Broncos' RB room might be in trouble.

On offense, Denver has an advantage at tackle and wide receiver, and the Chiefs have the advantage at tight end, the interior offensive line, and QB. I think the RB room is a wash, honestly.