How Rivals Reloaded After Chargers Starters Swept the AFC West

The Los Angeles Chargers went 5-1 in the AFC West last season. The lone intra-division loss in 2025 for Los Angeles was in Week 18 when they sat their starters against the Broncos in preparation and to get extra rest for the playoffs.

The Chargers' starting unit swept the AFC West, starting with the Kansas City Chiefs in a standalone primetime game in Brazil to launch the season. The Denver Broncos ended up winning the division however and the Chargers settled for a wildcard seed.

The AFC West has been and will continue to be one of the most contested divisions in all of football. The Chargers selected Akhem Mesidor in the first round of the 2026 draft. Mesidor will join the hunt for AFC West quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix and potentially Kirk Cousins or number one overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Let's take a look at how the Chargers' division rivals retooled through the draft and why the AFC West will remain a heavily contested division going forward.

Denver Broncos

Draft class: Round 3 (No. 66): Tyler Onyedim, DT, Iowa State; Round 4 (No. 108): Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington; Round 4 (No. 111): Kage Casey, OT, Boise State; Round 5 (No. 152): Justin Joly, TE, NC State; Round 7 (No. 246): Miles Scott, SAF, Washington State; Round 7 (No. 256): Dallen Bentley, TE, Southern Utah; Round 7 (No. 257): Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo.

The Denver Broncos did not have a first-round pick in this draft after trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and trading back and out of the second round. Their first pick came in the third round when they selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim. Onyedim will fit with the Broncos' pass rush as he is a much better upfield penetrator.

The Broncos loaded up on quality depth in this draft class after already having a deep roster heading into 2026. The rookies the Chargers should expect to see the most of include running back Jonah Coleman and tight end Justin Joly who both can see the field due to their versatility and fit with Sean Payton's offense.

Las Vegas Raiders

Draft Class: Round 1 (No. 1): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Cal; Round 2 (No. 38): Treydan Stukes, SAF, Arizona; Round 3 (No. 67): Keyron Crawford, DE, Auburn; Round 3 (No. 91): Trey Zuhn III, G, Texas A&M; Round 4 (No. 101): Jermod McCoy, CB, West Virginia; Round 4 (No. 122): Mike Washington Jr., RB, Buffalo; Round 5 (No. 150): Dalton Johnson, SAF, Arizona; Round 5 (No. 175): Hezekiah Masses, CB, FIU; Round 6 (No. 195): Malik Benson, WR, Florida State; Round 7 (No. 229): Brandon Cleveland, DT, NC State.

The 2025 Las Vegas will look dramatically different. On paper, the Raiders have made the right moves with bringing in Super Bowl champion offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their new head coach. Armed with the first overall pick, the Raiders picked national champion winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and additionally signed veteran Kirk Cousins to presumably start the season as the starter and provide a bridge for Mendoza to eventually take over.

Las Vegas set up its secondary with a much younger group of defensive backs, drafting two cornerbacks and two safeties. The highest upside player of that group is clearly Jermod McCoy whom they drafted in the fourth round. He was my number one-ranked cornerback in this class and would have been a top ten selection had his health not been a question mark.

The Raiders did not add much flash in this draft class but they added good football players that will help them elevate the floor of the team.

Kansas City Chiefs

Draft Class: Round 1 (No. 6): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU; Round 1 (No. 29): Peter Woods, DT, Clemson; Round 2 (No. 40): R Mason Thomas, Edge, Oklahoma; Round 4 (No. 109): Jadon Canady, DB, Oregon; Round 5 (No. 161): Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska; Round 5 (No. 176): Cyrus Allen, WR, Cincinnati; Round 7 (No. 249): Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU.

The Chiefs appeared hell-bent on retooling their defense in this draft. They traded up to snag the first corner off the board in LSU's Mansoor Delane. Additionally they drafted high upside defensive tackle Peter Woods with their second first round pick and added Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas eleven picks later. None of these top defenders in a vacuum should be overly terrifying, however, in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's system, they should all fit and fill important roles.

The Chiefs, of course, could not complete their draft without adding a traits heavy downfield receiving threat by adding wide receiver Cyrus Allen in the fifth round. The Chiefs will field a younger defense with three top 40 selections going to the defensive side of the ball.

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