With the draft over and the offseason moving into a lull, we’ll continue to assess the state of NFL rosters league-wide and look at every team’s most glaring need. We’re finally finishing off the series today with a glance at the AFC West, starting with the Denver Broncos.
Denver Broncos: Secondary
The real weak spot on the Broncos roster could be somewhere else…but Denver is stuck with that problem for at least another season. After that, well who knows? But for now, because we can’t look at the quarterback position as a need, we’ll head in a different direction.
Which is hard. Because the Broncos roster really is excellent from top to bottom. They’ve improved the offensive line, they have playmakers, a solid front seven, and one of the best cornerbacks in the league in Pat Surtain. Justin Simmons has been one of top safeties since he stepped foot in the NFL in 2016. It’s a little picky to say the Broncos could use some more help across the secondary, but Kareem Jackson is now 35. Caden Sterns looks set to have a bigger role this season and will likely take over from Jackson soon, and Damarri Mathis could be a solid No. 2 corner. But there are a lot of “coulds” there.
Solidifying the secondary isn’t so much of a necessity if you’re confident in the Broncos ability to develop defensive players. The more the merrier, though.
Kansas City Chiefs: Wide Receiver
This past season might lend credence to the idea that the Chiefs don’t need to upgrade their receiver room. They traded away Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins prior to the 2022 season and walked into the campaign with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, and Skyy Moore as their receiver room – and of course, Travis Kelce. Some expected the Chiefs to take a step back, but instead, they went on to win the Super Bowl. They also traded for Kadarius Toney midway through the season.
Looking at the depth chart, you’d assume that’s where the Chiefs could likely improve again. Smith-Schuster left to join the Patriots in free agency, and Hardman joined the Jets. That leaves the Chiefs a little short, though they did draft Rashee Rice in the 2nd round. If he can make an impact early on, this might not feel as necessary, but we’ll see.
The Chiefs have been linked to DeAndre Hopkins in recent weeks – and if acquired, he’d absolutely jump to the top of the depth chart. But as much as it looks like the Chiefs need him on paper, we’ve seen how their offense plays out on the field.
Las Vegas Raiders: Offensive Line
Can you name the last time the offensive line wasn’t an issue for the Raiders? Well, you can guarantee that they were still the Oakland Raiders and it was probably 2016 where they finished 12-6, right? Since then, it’s been a sore spot in terms of the team’s roster construction. Kolton Miller has turned into a solid pick at left tackle, but the likes of Alex Leatherwood and Brandon Parker just haven’t made an impact. Heck, Leatherwood only survived one season in Vegas.
For the first time in a while, the offensive line is protecting a new quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo. Like most quarterbacks, he needs a solid offensive line to be able to do his thing – he’s not a quarterback known for being able to handle pressure in the pocket. Unfortunately for him, there could be a lot of that this season.
Miller and Andre James are capable enough – though James did allow the 6th most pressures among all centres in 2022, per PFF. Dylan Parham, a 3rd round pick in 2022, has the chance – but like James, he was also guilty of giving up a ton of pressure last season. The second-most among all guards in the NFL with 55. It could be a long season for the Raiders.
Los Angeles Chargers: Safety
Now, this could be heavily dependent on your opinion of Trey Pipkins. The right tackle spot has been a sore point for the Chargers in recent seasons, with everyone from Storm Norton, to Pipkins, to Foster Sarell getting a crack at the position. For now, the Chargers have landed on Pipkins as the would-be starter. Given the options, that’s fair. That leaves us looking elsewhere.
The slot is definitely under consideration. Ja’Sir Taylor dabbled at the position in 2022 and is pencilled in as the starter right now. There should be questions over what his role looks like as a full-time starter and whether or not he can do it. But, we’ll swerve and go to the safety position and, no, we’re not talking about Derwin James. He remains one of the best safeties in the NFL. But Nasir Adderley retired this offseason, and that’s likely pushed Alohi Gilman into a starting role. He’s struggled as a former 6th round pick. Say less.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.