Looking at the AFC West, there are plenty of highly-talented players that shape the rosters of the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders.
Ranking the roster talent of each team in the offseason is no easy task. It is pretty obvious when determining the order of quarterbacks and edge rushers within the division. However, one position group that is difficult to determine the pecking order is wide receivers.
Below we’ll take a stab at arranging the AFC West wide receiver corps from best to worst:
1
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles may not possess a superstar wideout like other teams do in this division, but they’ve got one of the deeper rooms.
Keenan Allen has been one of the most consistent receivers in the league for a decade now. The 31-year-old receiver has accumulated 9,287 yards through the air in his career and has been the top option in the passing game for quite some time now. Injuries have hindered him in the past, especially last season, as nagging injuries caused him to miss seven games. However, when he is on the field, he is as dependable as any wideout in the league. In 10 games last season, Allen caught 66 passes for 752 yards and four touchdowns. His production while on the field is not a concern. You can say for his counterpart across the formation.
Mike Williams is one of the best contested-catch receivers in the NFL. He makes a living at high-pointing the ball and making plays down the field. Injuries are something that has plagued the 28-year-old wide receiver throughout his career. In 2022, Williams missed a total of four games due to a high-ankle sprain and missed the playoff game against the Jaguars after suffering a back injury against Denver in week 18.
Having Quentin Johnston as your WR3 heading into the season is not too shabby. The first-round selection also stands at 6-foot-4, giving the Chargers a true deep target that can also operate in the intermediate parts of the field. The former TCU wideout caught 78 passes for 1,077 yards, and 12 touchdowns last season in his final collegiate campaign. Johnston possesses WR1 potential and entering the 2023 season as the third option in the passing game may allow him to burst on the scene against worse cornerbacks.
Allen and Williams will most likely miss at least a couple of games this upcoming season, and Johnston could be the main benefactor. Joshua Palmer and Jalen Guyton round out the Chargers’ receivers. Both have played substantial snaps in the last two seasons, and those are great options as a team’s WR4 and WR5.
An interesting fact about the Chargers receivers — all of them are 6-foot-1 or taller, giving opposing defenses plenty of issues, especially in the red zone.
2
Las Vegas Raiders
When you have arguably the best receiver in the league, then you should be at the top of the list in this discussion.
Davante Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, despite downgrading from Aaron Rodgers to Derek Carr. The 30-year-old receiver has posted back-to-back 1,500-yard campaigns and accumulated 1,374 yards in 2020. Adams is a top-tier wide receiver in the NFL, and he is easily in the top-three discussion.
Hunter Renfrow and Jakobi Meyers are solid secondary options behind Adams on the depth chart. Meyers was one of the most under-the-radar signings of the offseason. The Raiders signed Meyers to a three-year, $33 million contract this offseason.
The 26-year-old wideout possesses a very high floor in terms of production, but he is not going to be a player that explodes for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns. In his four-year experience, Meyers has yet to reach 1,000 receiving yards. He will be productive for the Raiders, but not sure if he is one of those top number-two options in the league. Renfrow has been great out of the slot, but he’s coming off of a down year.
You can make a convincing argument that Las Vegas has the best receiving corps in the AFC West with Adams as the top player at the position in the division. However, as a group, I am not sure they are truly the best group all together. Very close, but I have to give a slight edge to the Chargers because of proven talent that also possesses a higher ceiling.
3
Denver Broncos
Denver’s WR group is underrated as a whole heading into 2023, and they have the potential to end up being the second-best group by the end of the season.
Courtland Sutton’s stock has fallen, but he was a 1,000-yard receiver back in 2019 before suffering a torn ACL in 2020. Since then, Sutton has failed to compile 1,000 yards in a given season, and he is most likely a WR2 at this point for the Broncos. Although he may not be the top option anymore, Sutton is an above-average second option in a passing attack.
Jerry Jeudy is entering a potential breakout season in 2023, and we saw in the final stretch of last season. The 24-year-old wideout saw his production explode in the final five weeks of last season. In that span, Jeudy caught 33 passes for 458 yards and three touchdowns. He was 28 yards short of reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.
Sean Payton should be able to unlock another level of Jeudy that we have not seen yet in his young career. Jeudy’s route-running ability is elite and getting open has not been the problem, but his quarterback and troubles with drops have notably stunted his production. Jeudy should end up as the WR1 for the Broncos this season, and his touchdowns can easily double under Payton’s tutelage.
Tim Patrick is returning from a torn ACL, which could hinder his ability to contribute early on as the WR3. K.J. Hamler’s career has been injury-riddled up to this point as well.
One name to remember is Marvin Mims. The Oklahoma product is an incoming rookie WR that was highly productive in college. Mims could end up being the WR3 in Denver’s offense this season, and could easily end up being the WR2 in 2024 and beyond.
With Payton calling the shots, Russell Wilson should be much improved. It could lead to better production from these receivers and the offense as a whole.
4
Kansas City Chiefs
One way to describe Kansas City’s WR room is unproven quantity. There are players like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who we already know what he is in the NFL.
Other than Valdes-Scantling, the rest of the group is young, unproven pieces that have yet to show consistent production. Some of that has to do with lack of experience, while some of it has to do with injuries.
Kadarius Toney is the latter. In his first two seasons, the 24-year-old wideout has appeared in only 19 games. In spurts, he has shown why he was a first-round pick, demonstrating star potential. However, that has been few and far between. The expectation from the front office and coaching staff is that Toney plays himself into the WR1 role.
Skyy Moore is another player that can become a very solid player for the Chiefs, but he did not see much of that in his rookie season. Compiling 250 yards in 16 games played is not promising, but this offseason has been a different story. Moore has gained a connection with QB Patrick Mahomes throughout offseason workouts and mandatory minicamp.
Kansas City has been searching for a consistent slot receiver for a while now, and Moore could be exactly that for the Chiefs. His ability to create separation paired with his strong hands should lead to high production in the intermediate parts of the field.
Rashee Rice is a promising rookie that has an opportunity to step in and contribute early on this season. His stature and athleticism give the Chiefs a physical option on the outside.
Richie James could quietly become one of the more underrated pieces the Chiefs added this offseason. One measure had him as the league’s most reliable receiver in 2022.
Players like Justin Watson and Justyn Ross are great depth pieces, but you probably won’t see them taking on large snap counts in this offense. I view both of these players as field stretchers, being utilized on a handful of plays in certain situations.
Overall, depth is not much of a concern for the Chiefs, but the lack of possessing that true go-to option is what has the club at the bottom of this ranking. If we could include Travis Kelce, which you rightfully could given that his production is receiver-like, they’d immediately jump to the top. Kansas City’s receivers could once again find themselves as a top unit in the NFL by the fact of having the league’s best quarterback throwing them the ball.
