The AFC West has been such an interesting division to watch over the last five years. It went from being a division that was supposed to include four playoff teams after the Broncos added Russell Wilson in a blockbuster trade to a complete mess outside of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now, over the last two years, the tables have turned, and the Chiefs are playing catch-up to both the Chargers and Broncos, who have made the playoffs each of the past two seasons. And for the first time in a decade, the Chiefs weren't the AFC West champs last year. The Broncos took over the division, and the Chargers were not far behind them, at least for most of the year.
Now, the Chiefs are in a bit of a rebuild mode, along with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers reloaded in a number of ways this offseason, while the Broncos brought an unprecedented number of players back. After all that transpired this offseason through the 2026 NFL Draft, how do these teams stack up against each other?
Chiefs still firmly behind Broncos and Chargers in AFC West post-Draft NFL Power Rankings
4. Las Vegas Raiders (overall ranking: 30th)
It's yet another new era for the Las Vegas Raiders, although for a number of reasons, this one feels much more promising. The Raiders have hired Klint Kubiak as their new head coach, and he's done such a great job at his most recent stops as an offensive play-caller, specifically with Sam Darnold and the Seahawks last season.
That offense was balanced and absolutely humming all the way to a dominating Super Bowl victory. And even though Kubiak isn't taking the rest of the Seahawks with him, you have to feel like the addition of Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza at the quarterback position raises the floor of this team now and into the future.
We'll see how the rest of the Raiders' overhaul goes, but they upgraded in the trenches on both sides of the ball this offseason. The blockbuster trade sending Maxx Crosby to the Ravens that got rescinded might have changed this team's 2026 projection entirely.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (overall ranking: 19th)
The Chiefs saw the ball bounce their way a ton in the 2024 season, and that simply didn't happen in 2025. While the Chiefs might have lost a number of close games in 2025, it's clear that this roster was on a downward trajectory, and you know the organization agrees with that assessment because they let a ton of players go this offseason.
The Chiefs are basically completely revamped on the defensive side of the ball. A couple of foundation pieces remain, but there will be a ton of new faces for this team in 2026, starting with the team's pair of 1st-round picks: Mansoor Delane and Peter Woods.
Delane is replacing Trent McDuffie, who was traded to the Rams early in the offseason. The Chiefs spent their first four selections in the draft on the defensive side of the ball.
Patrick Mahomes is making his way back from injury. The skill players got a boost from Kenneth Walker, but there are still major question marks there, on top of questions with the offensive line. The Chiefs can do it if Mahomes can get on the field sooner rather than later, but they will have to do more with less this season, and draft picks will need to start hitting.
2. Los Angeles Chargers (overall ranking: 11th)
The Chargers' offseason has been a mixed bag, to say the very least.
Bringing in Mike McDaniel to be the offensive coordinator could do absolute wonders for Justin Herbert, because we know McDaniel is an absolute genius when it comes to run scheme and opening up the passing game based on that. He could be the guy to unlock Herbert's full potential, which we see for stretches but not when it matters the most.
As great as the addition of Mike McDaniel was for the Chargers' offense, the loss of Jesse Minter on the defensive side could absolutely be more impactful than anyone realizes. Minter has been one of the best defensive play-callers in the NFL the past two years, so Chris O'Leary will have some big shoes to fill on that side of the ball.
The personnel doesn't look all that different on that side of the ball, so the Chargers' overall trajectory will depend on how well O'Leary can scheme and whether or not McDaniel can work his magic.
1. Denver Broncos (overall ranking: 2nd)
The Broncos hosted the AFC Championship Game this past season, and did so without their starting quarterback Bo Nix. If Nix had played in that game, it's safe to say the Broncos likely would have won. After their awesome duel with the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round, the Broncos had to try to make it work with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, but they couldn't do it.
Now, the team has brought back 71 players who were on their roster/practice squad in some capacity last season. They added Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins. They used their top pick to fortify the defensive line (Texas A&M DL Tyler Onyedim) and addressed depth concerns at running back and tight end on Day 3.
The Broncos might not end up winning 14 regular season games again, which is hard to do for anyone, but they might be a much better and more well-rounded team. They're ready to compete for a Lombardi.
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