Ranking the AFC West: Off-Ball Linebackers
The AFC West has always been one of the most competitive divisions on a year-to-year basis since the AFL-NFL merger, and 2020 figures to continue the tradition.
Home of the reigning Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs, a pair of teams dripping with potential in the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders, and a team with one of the most well-rounded defensive units in the Los Angeles Chargers, the AFC West might push a pair of teams into the playoffs this year.
The Chiefs are the easy front runner for the AFC West crown seeing as they've won the division for five consecutive years and are returning 19-of-22 starters from a championship roster.
But the Broncos and Raiders have tried to mimic the blueprint the Chiefs laid out in 2019, bringing in a ton of explosive play-makers to try to keep up with one of the most dynamic offenses the league has ever seen. The Chargers still have a ways to go in order to light up the scoreboard, but the upgrades they've made to an already stellar defense could keep them competitive in these heated rivalries.
Every year, we at Mile High Huddle dive deep to break down the Broncos' division rivals. This time around, we're going to rank each team by position group in order to determine who has the best roster in the division.
This year we're going to rank each team by position group in order to determine who has the best roster in the division. These rankings will include not only the projected starters for each AFC West team, but also the depth of the unit as a whole.
Versatility at the linebacker position is huge for defensive success. Players that can sort through the trash and fill gaps in the running game as well as hit their landmarks in zone coverage and turn and run in man coverage have a ton of value in today's NFL.
There aren't a lot of players that efficiently can play on all three downs at the LB position. The AFC West has a couple of those players. Where do they sit in our rankings?
4: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs' off-ball linebackers sit at the bottom of our rankings because they are the worst run-defending group of the division. Having the lowest average run-defense grade (46.5) and the lowest average run-stop percentage (4.5) of the entire division, according to Pro Football Focus, doesn't outweigh their success in coverage, which is closer to average than good.
This could all change depending on the development of Willie Gay, Jr. and Dorian O'Daniel.
Gay, the Chiefs' second-round pick this past April, has been seeing a lot of time with the first-string defense in training camp. A fierce hitter with coverage ability, Gay could be a full-time starter sooner rather than later, stealing a role from Anthony Hitchens.
Hitchens, a seven-year veteran that spent the first half of his career in Dallas, signed with the Chiefs after a career year in 2017. Hitchens has always been a major question mark against the run, and had a tackling efficiency of 7.6 attempted tackles per miss, the fourth-worst mark of any AFC West linebacker from last season.
In coverage, Hitchens is a below-average defender that does better in man than zone. He allowed the third-highest yards per coverage snap (1.26), third-highest completion percentage (86.3) and third-highest passer rating when targeted (113.5). With Gay's athleticism, ferocity, and high upside as a coverage defender, Hitchens see his role reduced.
Damien Wilson should be the other starter for the Chiefs, splitting duties with Ben Niemann. Wilson struggled in coverage last season and allowed the highest passer rating when targeted of any linebacker in the division last year.
As a consolation, Wilson was the best linebacker against the run on the Chiefs roster last season. He posted a 6.3 run-stop percentage and a highly respectable 14.2 tackling efficiency rating.
Niemann is a quality rotational linebacker that is a core special teams player. Niemann really struggles as a run defender, posting a 42.9 run-defense grade and a 2.2 run-stop percentage, the lowest mark in the division.
With Gay and O'Daniel, the upside in coverage could boost this unit a lot should they both develop. O'Daniel is a 'tweener' that played safety and linebacker at Clemson, and saw the majority of his time as a rookie on special teams. His high-end athleticism and experience at safety could turn him into a quality rotational piece in passing situations this year.
3: Denver Broncos
The recent release of Todd Davis makes it a little difficult to place the Broncos ahead of the Chiefs here, but the Broncos still have a couple of really good run defenders and a player that has a chance to develop into an All-Pro at the position at the top of the depth chart.
Alexander Johnson had an amazing season in 2019, despite not making his first start until Week 5. Johnson grabbed hold of the starting spot in Week 5 after Josey Jewell suffered an injury, and he would not relinquish it, becoming a monster as a run-stuffer and blitzer in the A-gap. He was also the highest-graded run defender of any linebacker with at least 500 snaps last season per PFF.
Though not tasked with coverage responsibilities on a frequent basis, Johnson held his own in coverage. Posting a 76.3 PFF coverage grade and a respectable 84.3 passer rating when targeted, Johnson has the tools to become a three-down defender should he continue to develop.
This is where things get tricky because the Broncos depth at linebacker is not good in coverage.
The aforementioned Jewell should see time as the starter opposite of Johnson, but will be relegated to work as a run defender. Jewell lacks the necessary athleticism to be a quality coverage defender and his 46.0 coverage grade from his limited time last season shows exactly that.
Where Jewell is at his best is as a highly intelligent scraper in the running game and on special teams, where he can pick his way through the trash and make plays as a quality tackler.
The Broncos made a pair of roster moves late in camp trying to bolster their depth.
The first was former first-round pick Mark Barron to the fold to offer some sort of semblance as a coverage linebacker against tight ends. The problem is that he wasn't exactly very good in that aspect last year and hasn't been his entire career.
His 1.52 yards per coverage snap in 2019 is the worst of any AFC West linebacker, and he also wasn't efficient in stopping completions, allowing a reception every 6.4 snaps in coverage. At least he can hit really hard.
The second was the last-second trade acquisition of ex-Bengal Austin Calitro.
A young former undrafted player from Villanova touted for his ability to compete in coverage, Calitro saw some extended action in Jacksonville last season and started four games. While the tape wasn't good and he appeared late to his assignments at times, the Broncos saw something in Calitro.
KUSA's Mike Klis reported after the trade that the Broncos put in a couple of waiver claims on Calitro in 2019, missing out because of their priority in the waiver wire.
Joe Jones rounds out the Broncos' depth, and he has the athleticism necessary to be a quality coverage piece. Athleticism doesn't always equal coverage ability though. If nothing else, Jones is a quality special teams piece.
2: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have a quality group of linebackers this year, spearheaded by a first-round rookie and a trio of quality depth pieces.
We start with Kenneth Murray, a sideline-to-sideline athlete that does a great job as a run defender. His angles of pursuit and lack of awareness are troubling for his prospects as a coverage linebacker, but should he develop he does have the tools to succeed in that aspect.
Opposite of Murray figures to be second-year pro Drue Tranquill. A versatile coverage linebacker that had some struggles as a rookie but also has the tools necessary to develop into a quality player for the Chargers defense, Tranquill has all but cemented a starting role for 2020.
Veteran thumper Denzel Perryman lost his starting role to Murray, but should still be on the field a lot on early downs. A figurative freight train as a tackler, Perryman is a high-quality run defender.
Perryman's 11.4 run-stop percentage was the highest of any AFC West linebacker in 2019. Where he fails is his ability to stay on the field due to injuries. Perryman has suffered nine total injuries in his NFL career and has missed 24 total games since being drafted in 2015.
A serviceable coverage defender, Perryman could have a large role should he be able to stay healthy.
Kyzir White saw a lot of time as a rotational defender and on the special teams unit last season. White played in 372 defensive snaps last season and posted solid grades across the board but especially as a tackler. White only missed two total tackles last year and his 22.0 tackling efficiency is the second-highest in the West.
Their final depth piece is Nick Vigil, a former Bengal that signed with the team in free agency. Vigil is a quality coverage linebacker with starting experience and could see heavy time as a rotational piece for the Chargers defense. Vigil only allowed .67 yards per coverage snap and an 86.5 passer rating when targeted in coverage in 2019.
1: Las Vegas Raiders
Outside of the Bengals, no other team invested more into their linebacker room than the Raiders. By adding two big-time free agents, one via trade and another in the draft, the Raiders have a very solid set of interior defenders for this season, especially against the pass.
First and foremost is the high-dollar acquisition of Cory Littleton. An extremely high-quality player in man coverage, Littleton was brought in primarily to defend against the plethora of tight ends that the rest of the West has to deploy.
Littleton might be the most well-rounded linebacker in the division. Period. 'Great' in coverage doesn't even scratch the surface of his impact. One aspect of his game that nobody seems to realize is that Littleton is an incredible tackler in every facet.
With 125 total tackles and only one miss, Littleton had the highest tackling efficiency (by far) of any linebacker with at least 500 total snaps last season at 126. The next closest defender? Carolina's Luke Kuechly at 23.3. That is not a typo.
Secondly is former Bear Nick Kwiatkoski, another effective coverage linebacker with starting experience. A capable player in the running game as well, Kwiatkoski posted a highly respectable 7.4 run-stop percentage and a 66.9 run-defense grade.
With a high-level .77 yards per coverage snap and a 73.5 passer rating when targeted, Kwiatkoski does very well in coverage despite not being the most athletic specimen.
About a week ago, the Raiders made a trade to acquire an extremely athletic player in Raekwon McMillan. Several pundits thought that his athleticism would translate to high-quality coverage ability, but that hasn't come to pass.
Where McMillan has had success is as a knifing run defender. His 10.4 run-stop percentage from 2019 is the second-highest in the AFC West.
Versatile rookie Tanner Muse and fourth-year pro Nicholas Morrow round out the team's depth and special teams depth pieces.
Muse is a quality athlete that has coverage ability but lacks strength at the point of attack in the running game. A former safety hybrid defender for the Clemson Tigers, Muse is probably a special teams player at this point. He could carve out a niche in sub-packages.
Morrow is going to be primarily forced into a special teams role as well. He saw some time defensively last season with marginal success, but with the depth ahead of him he won't have a major role in 2020.
Don't miss the previous installments of Mile High Huddle's AFC West positional rankings: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Offensive Line | Edge Rushers | Defensive Line
Follow Lance on Twitter @SandersonMHH and @MileHighHuddle.
