Top Players in the AFC Might Really Surprise You
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The AFC West has become the toughest division in the NFL. In 2022, all four AFC West teams — the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos — have Super Bowl aspirations.
Looking a little closer at their rosters shows, it's understandable why. Each team has an elite quarterback, and each team has stars on both sides of the ball, with their free-agent signings grabbing headlines.
These are the best players in the AFC West heading into the 2022 season.
25. Melvin Gordon III, Denver Broncos
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Position: Running back
College: Wisconsin
NFL career: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2015-19), Denver Broncos (2020-present)
Bottom line: Few players in recent memory have seen their games dissected more than Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon III, who spent his first five NFL seasons with another AFC West team, making two Pro Bowls with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers.
For all of the criticism of Gordon's game, he's been incredibly productive, rushing for over 900 yards each of the last two seasons with Denver. He is also one of the best pass-catching running backs in recent memory.
The Broncos will have a pretty amazing 1-2 punch in the backfield with Gordon and second-year running back Javonte Williams in 2022.
24. Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Linebacker
College: Buffalo
NFL career: Oakland Raiders (2014-17), Chicago Bears (2018-21), Los Angeles Chargers (2022-present)
Bottom line: Linebacker Khalil Mack is no stranger to the AFC West. He spent the first four seasons of his career with the Oakland Raiders.
Many think that Mack, one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history, is past his prime. We think there's still a few good seasons left in the first player to be named NFL All-Pro at two different positions.
Traded to the Los Angeles Chargers after playing just seven games for the Chicago Bears in 2021, Mack finally finds himself on a legitimate contender. In eight NFL seasons, he's 0-3 in postseason games.
23. Frank Clark, Kansas City Chiefs
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Position: Defensive end
College: Michigan
NFL career: Seattle Seahawks (2015-18), Kansas City Chiefs (2019-present)
Bottom line: Frank Clark needs to step it up for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022. His sack total has declined considerably over the last three years.
In 2019, he was dominant with eight sacks and helped lead the franchise to a Super Bowl win. In 2021, he had just 4.5 sacks, although he still had two forced fumbles.
22. Justin Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
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Position: Safety
College: Stanford
NFL career: Houston Texans (2018-21), Kansas City Chiefs (2022-present)
Bottom line: Justin Reid could be a crucial part of the Kansas City Chiefs getting back to the Super Bowl. They signed him to a three-year, $31.5 million contract after the 2021 season.
Reid has been a tackling machine since breaking into the NFL. He's averaged almost 80 tackles per season over his first four seasons, along with 23 pass deflections and 7 interceptions.
21. Corey Linsley, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Center
College: Ohio State
NFL career: Green Bay Packers (2014-20), Los Angeles Chargers (2021-present)
Bottom line: Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer once described center Corey Linsley as "the apex of the team's offense." It's a description that's been fitting for Linsley throughout eight seasons in the NFL.
Linsley established himself as one of the NFL's best centers during his first seven seasons hiking the ball to future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers and got paid as such, including a three-year, $25.5 million contract in 2017.
Following his first NFL All-Pro selection in 2020 with Green Bay, Linsley became the highest-paid center in the league by signing a five-year, $62.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers and responded by making his second All-Pro team in 2021.
20. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Wide receiver
College: Clemson
NFL career: Los Angeles Chargers (2017-present)
Bottom line: Don't be surprised if Mike Williams continues to move up the ranks of the NFL's best wide receivers. He had a career year in 2021 with 76 receptions for 1,146 yards and 9 touchdowns.
It was Williams' second 1,000-yard receiving season of his career, and the Chargers rewarded him, signing the former Clemson star to a three-year, $60 million contract extension.
19. Chandler Jones, Las Vegas Raiders
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Position: Defensive end
College: Syracuse
NFL career: New England Patriots (2012-15), Arizona Cardinals (2016-21), Las Vegas Raiders (2022-present)
Bottom line: Chandler Jones has spent the last decade crafting what could be a Hall of Fame career. He's had over 10 sacks in seven of his first 10 seasons in the NFL and is just 15 sacks from breaking into the top 20 sack leaders in NFL career history.
Jones signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2022, creating one of the NFL's most formidable pass-rush combinations alongside fellow defensive end and NFL All-Pro Maxx Crosby.
18. Randy Gregory, Denver Broncos
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Position: Defensive end
College: Nebraska
NFL career: Dallas Cowboys (2015-21), Denver Broncos (2022-present)
Bottom line: If you ever wanted to understand the value of elite pass rushers in the NFL, look no further than Randy Gregory.
A second-round draft pick of the Cowboys in 2015, Gregory was suspended for 54 games from 2016 to 2020 because of failed drug tests, including missing the entire 2017 and 2019 seasons for multiple violations. Through the start of the 2021 season, Gregory had only one career start.
But guess what? In 2021, Gregory started 11 games for the Dallas Cowboys and had six sacks and three forced fumbles. The reward? The Denver Broncos signed him to a five-year, $70 million contract, and he's now expected to be one of the NFL's elite pass rushers.
17. Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs
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Position: Offensive tackle
College: Oklahoma
NFL career: Baltimore Ravens (2018-20), Kansas City Chiefs (2021-present)
Bottom line: The knock on 6-foot-8, 345-pound Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has always been that's he's not quite living up to his potential, although we think that making the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons shows he's just coming into his prime.
The son of the late Orlando Brown, himself a former NFL offensive tackle, Brown was brought in to help provide some protection up front for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The nonexclusive franchise tag was placed on Brown for the 2022 season. If he plays with the franchise tag, Brown will make $16.6 million. So expect him to ball out with a long-term, big-money contract on the line.
16. Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders
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Position: Wide receiver
College: Clemson
NFL career: Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2019-present)
Bottom line: Hunter Renfrow made the game-winning catch in the 2017 College Football Playoffs championship game and won another national title at Clemson in 2019 before the Raiders spent a fifth-round draft pick on the former walk-on.
Renfrow has steadily become one of the most reliable targets for quarterback Derek Carr through his first three seasons in the NFL and had a breakout season with 103 receptions for 1,038 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns in 2021.
15. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
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Position: Running back
College: North Carolina
NFL career: Denver Broncos (2021-present)
Bottom line: Few rookies in the NFL grabbed our attention like Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams did in 2021.
Williams made the NFL All-Rookie Team with 203 carries for 903 rushing yards and 43 receptions for 319 receiving yards, while backing up Melvin Gordon III on the Broncos.
Williams played in all 17 games in 2021 but made just one start, although we don't expect him to take a backseat to Gordon again in 2022. If you're looking for a fantasy football steal, this might be your guy.
14. J.C. Jackson, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Cornerback
Colleges: Florida/Maryland
NFL career: New England Patriots (2018-21), Los Angeles Chargers (2022-present)
Bottom line: J.C. Jackson's rise to being one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL is truly something to behold. After going undrafted out of Maryland in 2018, he became a role player right away for the New England Patriots and even helped them win a Super Bowl as a rookie.
Jackson came into his own the last two seasons in New England. He had a career-high 9 interceptions in 2020, then followed that up with 8 interceptions in 2021 along with leading the NFL with 23 pass deflections and making his first NFL All-Pro team.
In March 2022, Jackson cashed in big with the Los Angeles Chargers to the tune of a five-year, $82.5 million contract.
13. Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Offensive tackle
College: Northwestern
NFL career: Los Angeles Chargers (2021-present)
Bottom line: This might seem kind of high on the list for second-year Los Angeles Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, but we feel like it's appropriate after the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft made both a Pro Bowl and the NFL All-Pro team in his first season.
The value of Slater, the son of former NBA forward Reggie Slater, will be measured over the next decade as he has the most important job on the Chargers' roster — protecting the blind side of quarterback Justin Herbert.
12. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
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Position: Defensive tackle
College: Mississippi State
NFL career: Kansas City Chiefs (2016-present)
Bottom line: Only Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been better on the interior defensive line than Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones over the last five years.
Jones has anchored the middle of Kansas City's defense through four consecutive AFC championship games and a Super Bowl victory. He set the NFL record with a sack in 11 consecutive games in 2018 and had nine sacks in 2021.
11. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Wide receiver
College: Cal
NFL career: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2013-present)
Bottom line: Keenan Allen seems to be getting better with age. He's had over 1,000 receiving yards in four of the last five seasons and came just eight yards short of 1,000 yards in the pandemic-hit 2020 season. He's also been selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls.
Allen, the 2017 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, has cashed in big during his time with the Chargers. He signed a four-year, $80 million contract before the 2020 season.
Few NFL quarterbacks have as good of a receiving duo as Justin Herbert now has with Allen and Mike Williams, who also had over 1,000 receiving yards in 2021.
10. Justin Simmons, Denver Broncos
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Position: Safety
College: Boston College
NFL career: Denver Broncos (2016-present)
Bottom line: Justin Simmons has come into his own the last three seasons. He made his first All-Pro team in 2019, made his first Pro Bowl in 2020 and made another All-Pro team in 2021.
We can't underestimate Simmons' value to the Broncos. He's started every game for the team since the 2018 season, a streak that now sits at 65 consecutive games, and has 14 interceptions and 36 pass deflections over the last three seasons.
The Broncos put the franchise tag on Simmons in 2020 at approximately $11.1 million and were set to do it again in 2021 before he signed a four-year, $61 million contract extension.
9. Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
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Position: Defensive end
College: Eastern Michigan
NFL career: Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2019-present)
Bottom line: Maxx Crosby has been one of the NFL's dominant defensive ends since he was selected in the fourth round out of Eastern Michigan in 2019. It just wasn't until the 2021 season that people began to stand up and take notice.
Crosby racked up a career-high 56 tackles to go with eight sacks and a whopping seven pass deflections in 2021 on the way to making his first NFL All-Pro team, first Pro Bowl and receiving a four-year, $95 million contract extension.
Crosby now has 25 sacks through his first three seasons. The combination of Crosby and recent addition Chandler Jones at the other defensive end spot could make facing the Raiders a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks in 2022.
8. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
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Position: Quarterback
College: Fresno State
NFL career: Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2014-present)
Bottom line: Despite playing through turmoil, including multiple team and coaching scandals and a move from Oakland to Las Vegas, quarterback Derek Carr has continued to perform and be a leader for the Raiders.
You can almost credit Carr solely for keeping his team's head above water since that disastrous 4-12 season in 2018. The Raiders also made a huge splash in the offseason by getting arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL with Davante Adams, who Carr threw to during their college days at Fresno State.
7. Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Safety
College: Florida State
NFL career: Los Angeles Chargers (2018-present)
Bottom line: We can't blame people for writing off Derwin James at some point. After he was an NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2018, he played just five games over the next two seasons, including missing all of 2020 due to a torn meniscus and the pandemic.
James bounced back in 2021, making his second NFL All-Pro team and his second Pro Bowl in his second full season. He was simply great last year, with 118 tackles, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.
If he stays healthy, the Chargers will continue to shine.
6. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
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Position: Tight end
College: Cincinnati
NFL career: Kansas City Chiefs (2013-present)
Bottom line: Travis Kelce is already one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Still in the prime of his career, he's already a Super Bowl champion, six-time NFL All-Pro selection and seven-time Pro Bowler who was also named to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team.
The pairing of Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been nothing short of historical. He holds the NFL record for tight ends with six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and the NFL record with most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season with 1,416.
5. Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Linebacker/defensive end
College: Ohio State
NFL career: San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2016-present)
Bottom line: Joey Bosa has been one of the NFL's elite pass rushers since he came into the league in 2016. The former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year has made four Pro Bowls, including each of the last three seasons.
Bosa has 58 sacks over the first six seasons of his career, putting him in some elite company. If he maintains that sack output for another six seasons, he has a shot at getting into the top 20 sack leaders in NFL history.
One thing that's been missing for Bosa is team success, but with the addition of some elite talent in the offseason, including cornerback J.C. Jackson and linebacker Khalil Mack, the Chargers might be able to reach the next level.
4. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
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Position: Quarterback
College: North Carolina State/Wisconsin
NFL career: Seattle Seahawks (2012-21), Denver Broncos (2022-present)
Bottom line: Sometimes, a player and a team just need to go their separate ways. That was the case with the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson, who helped lead the team to a Super Bowl championship and was an eight-time Pro Bowler over the first decade of his career.
The team that hopes Wilson still has a few elite seasons left in the tank is the Denver Broncos, who already have a really good nucleus of offensive talent in place. It will be up to Wilson to bring it out of them.
How much were the Broncos willing to bet on Wilson being the right guy for their system? They traded five draft picks and three players for the 5-foot-11 quarterback.
3. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
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Position: Wide receiver
College: Fresno State
NFL career: Green Bay Packers (2014-21), Las Vegas Raiders (2022-present)
Bottom line: The single biggest move of the NFL offseason was probably the Green Bay Packers trading wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a first-round draft pick and second-round draft pick. Adams also received a five-year, $141.25 million contract.
What this does is not only give the Raiders the best wide receiver in the NFL, but also reteams Adams with Derek Carr, his college quarterback at Fresno State.
Las Vegas is getting Adams in the prime of his career. He's made five consecutive Pro Bowls and back-to-back NFL All-Pro teams.
2. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
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Position: Quarterback
College: Oregon
NFL career: 3 seasons (2020-present)
Bottom line: We think Justin Herbert might be the best young quarterback in the NFL, and it's a shame that the cheaper-than-cheap Los Angeles Chargers can't surround him with better coaches who understand how he should be used.
Our only hope is that if the Chargers can't get it together and figure out how to burnish their investment with Herbert by making him a better team, they cash out and let him go somewhere that will appreciate his talents. The Chargers really are the worst and have lucked into having Herbert on their roster. Let's hope they don't blow it for him.
Herbert, despite all the things working against him, finished second in the NFL in passing in 2021.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
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Position: Quarterback
College: Texas Tech
NFL career: Kansas City Chiefs (2017-present)
Bottom line: Patrick Mahomes is a once-in-a-generation quarterback. He will continue to dog the franchises who passed him over in the 2017 NFL draft and let him drop to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 10 overall — none more than the Chicago Bears, who picked Mitch Trubisky at No. 2 overall.
Through Mahomes' first five seasons in the NFL, he already has earned NFL Most Valuable Player honors, won a Super Bowl, made four Pro Bowls and two NFL All-Pro teams.
He also made it back to another Super Bowl, where he led an injury-riddled team to coming close to winning the championship back-to-back.
In July 2020, following the Chiefs' Super Bowl win, Mahomes signed a 10-year contract worth up to a reported $503 million — the second-largest contract in professional sports history.