The AFC West is starting to become one of the most physical divisions in football. They have 3 great head coaches in Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, and Andy Reid. They also have a brand new coach with Klint Kubiak taking over the Raiders job. There are a lot of similarities to how these teams are built. They all bulked up this offseason to run the ball and play great defense. Last year, 3 of the top 10 scoring defenses were in this division. The Chiefs had a down year but are looking to bounce back this year. The Broncos were potentially a healthy quarterback away from a Super Bowl appearance. The Chargers have some new blood in the building that will impact their offense. The Raiders went on a shopping spree and bolstered their defense while setting their offense up for the future. This should be a very competitive division, and it is going to be tough to win. Let’s see who comes out on top.
Division Winner Odds
Kansas City Chiefs – 10.5
- Head Coach – Andy Reid
- OC – Eric Bieniemy
- DC – Steve Spagnuolo
- 2025 Record – 6-11
- Strength of Schedule – 12th Easiest
The Chiefs appeared to be a normal football team in 2025. After years of running the AFC West, winning Super Bowls, and establishing a dynasty, they finally had a down year. All season, the NFL world waited for the Chiefs to turn the magic on, and it just never materialized. The offense struggled to put up the type of numbers that we all expected from an Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes led offense. They were scoring 21.3 points per game, which was 21st in the league. The poor performance was due mainly to injuries to key weapons like Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. That forced the passing offense to suffer. Meanwhile, the run game was missing an explosive back, so Mahomes took it upon himself to run the ball more and eventually tore his ACL which put his 2026 season in jeopardy.
They have seemingly turned the page on last season and made the necessary changes to have success in 2026. They allowed OC Matt Nagy to walk and join the Giants as their OC. They brought a familiar face in Eric Bieniemy back as their OC . Bieniemy was the OC for the Chiefs from 2018-2022 when the Chiefs were at the height of their offensive prowess. The front office also made an aggressive overhaul on the roster to address areas of need. 2026 should be a bounce back year for the Chiefs.
Offense
Patrick Mahomes has been one of the best quarterbacks since entering the league in 2017. Last year was by far his worst season as a pro. He played in 14 games before tearing his ACL. In those games, he threw for 3587 yards, 22 TDs, and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 422 yards and 5 TDs. The big storyline around Mahomes is less about whether or not he will be able to return to form this year, but when that will be. He is projecting to start Week 1 but ACL recovery is a tough injury to come back from and play the way that he does. As an insurance policy, the Chiefs brought in Justin Fields to back him up. Fields has been bouncing around the league the past few years but has played his best ball in a backup role for the Steelers. He provides an athleticism that the Chiefs might want to employ even when Mahomes is healthy. Either way, the Chiefs quarterback will continue to be the subject of public interest once the season begins.
As mentioned above, the Chiefs were missing a real run threat coming out of the backfield. They had Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco as their duo of backs last year. Hunt led the team with 611 yards. Neither back is still on the roster. They went out and signed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker to be their lead back. This is arguably the Chiefs’ most important addition in the offseason. Walker provides this offense a run threat that they have not had in many years. Last year, Walker had 1027 yds and 5 TDs. He also had 282 receiving yards. They also brought in Emari Demarcado in for depth.
The starting receivers are projected to be Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy. Both receivers have had issues staying on the field. Rice has had some off the field issues that led to suspensions while also battling through injuries. Worthy has some injury history that will sideline him at some point during the season. If available, this tandem should provide some solid targets for Mahomes to work with. Rice appeared in 8 games last year where he totaled 53 receptions for 571 yards and 5 TDs. Worthy appeared in 4 games and had 42 receptions for 532 yards and 1 TD. Worthy is a speedy receiver that gets used in a lot of gadget plays as well. The receiver listed as WR3 currently is Tyquan Thorton. Thorton had 19 receptions for 438 yards and 3 TDs. He was re-signed by the team in the offseason. The Chiefs are also hopeful that rookie Cyrus Allen and 2nd year player Jalen Royals can turn into real receiving threats.
The leading receiver from last year was tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce had 76 receptions for 851 yards and 5 TDs. Despite being 36, he is still the most proven receiving weapon on the team and will continue to be Mahomes’ safety blanket. However, father time is undefeated and it is hard to imagine that Kelce continues to have a high level of production for much longer. He will be complemented by Noah Gray who has been with Kansas City for 5 years.
The offensive line was another area of the Chiefs that needed some improvement. Being able to protect the best quarterback in football would tend to give you a leg up on your competition. Starting at left tackle will be Josh Simmons. They have a new starter at right tackle after letting Jawaan Taylor walk. Jaylon Morre is project to get the start this year but is battling with Kahlol Benson. At the guard positions will be Kingsley Saumataia at left guard and Trey Smith at right guard. At center will be Creed Humphrey.
Defense
The defense was not the issue for the 2025 Chiefs. DC Steve Spagnuolo had his unit humming and they allowed the 6th least amount of points in the league last year. He had some serious turnover on this side of the ball and will need to coach up some young guys that will need to contribute immediately.
It all starts up front with defensive tackle Chris Jones as the centerpiece for this defense. Jones had 29 total tackles, 7 sacks, and 12 TFLs last year. He remains one of the best DT’s in the game but is not getting any younger. He will continue to be a dominant force as he enters his 11th season. Next to him will be Khyiris Tonga. Tonga is entering his 6th year in the league and joining his 5th team. He had 24 total tackles for the Patriots in 2025. The Chiefs also drafted Peter Woods out of Clemson with the 29th overall pick in this years draft. They are hopeful that he develops into an important part of this rotation quickly.
The established edge rusher for this defense is George Karlaftis. Karlaftis had 48 total tackles and 6 sacks in 2025. He will need to stay healthy and raise his production a bit this year in order to generate a more consistent pass rush for this defense. The other end position is up for grabs but currently has Felix Anudike-Uzomah listed as the starter. He had 27 total tackles and 2.5 sacks last year for the Chiefs. He will be competing with Ashton Gillotte and R Mason Thomas for playing time.
The middle linebacker is key to Spag’s defense. Luckily, he has his guy Nick Bolton out there. Last year, Bolton had 154 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 6 PBUs. Bolton is the defensive leader and should continue to produce at a high level for this team. At will linebacker will be Drue Tranquill. He had 103 total tackles, 2 sacks, and 10 TFLs last year. He provides a great complement to Bolton in the center of this defense. The strong side linebacker will be Cole Christiansen.
The projected starters a cornerback will be Mansoor Delane and L’Jarius Sneed. Delane was the 9th overall pick in this years draft out of LSU. He was viewed as the best corner in the draft and will be thrust right into the action for this defense. The Chiefs also brought back Sneed who previously played for them from 2020-2023. He spent the last 2 seasons in Tennessee where he was injured. The Chiefs are hoping that this homecoming proves to be mutually beneficial as they need some veterans in this secondary. The 3rd corner listed is Nohl Williams, who is a 2nd year player for the Chiefs. He had 5 starts and 44 tackles last year. The nickel corner is projected to be Kader Kohou who spent the last 4 seasons with Miami.
The projected starters at the safety position are Chamarri Cooper and Alohi Gilman. Conner had 117 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 interception for the Chiefs last year. Gilman was brought in from Baltimore to replace the loss of Bryan Cook, who left for the Bengals. Gilman is entering his 7th year in the league. He was traded to Baltimore from the Chargers last year. Between the two stops, he had 90 total tackles.
Summary
There was a lot of change for the Chiefs this offseason as they try to recover from one of their worst seasons in recent history. They added a key weapon in the run game with the addition of Ken Walker and got healthier at the receiver position. They also had a ton of turnover on the defensive side, which might prove challenging for DC Spagnuolo. While I believe that they will be much better than last year, the health of Mahomes, the age of their leaders, the youth of their new defenders, and the strength of their division does scare me. I believe that they will be in the mix and could once again make a deep playoff push but 11 wins is a huge jump for a team that just won 6 last year. I will be taking the under this year for the Chiefs.
Bet -Under 10.5(-140)
Las Vegas Raiders – 5.5
- Head Coach – Klint Kubiak
- OC – Andrew Janocko
- DC – Rob Leonard
- 2025 Record – 3-14
- Strength of Schedule – 13th Easiest
2025 was an unmitigated disaster for the Raiders. It proved to be a one-and-done deal for head coach Pete Carroll as the team. The Raiders fielded the league’s worst offense, averaging 14.2 points per game. Their defense was not much better. They allowed 25.4 points per game, which was ranked 25th in the league. As a result, the Raiders went 3-14, finishing last in the NFL, and earned the 1st overall draft pick. They cleaned house at the end of the year and hired Klint Kubiak from the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.
Kubiak was the OC for one of the league’s best offenses, so it makes sense that he was brought in to turn around the league’s worst offense. He hired Andrew Janocko as his OC and Rob Leonard as his DC. Janocko was most recently the quarterbacks coach for the Seahawks. Leonard has been a defensive coach in the NFL since 2013. He has been the defensive line coach for the Raiders since 2023. The new coaching staff will have a ton of new players to work with. The front office was incredibly aggressive in the offseason when it came to acquiring players on both sides of the ball. They also retained Maxx Crosby after a bizarre couple of days where they traded him to Baltimore and they rejected the trade. This roster should be much more talented this year and the Raiders should be on the right track now.
Offense
The quarterback position for the Raiders will garner a lot of attention this year. Geno Smith was traded to the Jets in the offseason after just 1 year. They brought in Kirk Cousins to be the veteran in the room. They also drafted Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana with the 1st overall pick in this year’s draft. Cousins is projected to be the starter week 1, which makes sense. Cousins has been a starter for 3 teams over his 14-year career. He had a rough stop in Atlanta where he was delegated to a backup role last year. He did see the field however and threw for 1721 yds, 10 TDs, and 5 interceptions in 10 games. He will provide a steady hand for this offense out of the gates as Mendoza learns behind him. Whenever it is his time, Mendoza will step in and be the future for this franchise. There is also a chance that he wins the job outright and the future begins week 1 for the Raiders.
Last year’s first round pick for the Raiders should have an impact this year. Ashton Jeanty was brought in to be a key piece of the future, and he had a rough go his rookie year. He managed 975 yards and 5 TDs but had a low yards per carry. He was averaging 3.7 yards per carry. This was mainly due to an ineffective offensive line. The Raiders were also playing from behind often, which calls for more passing than running the ball. With some upgrades to the line, Jeanty should have some better run lanes this year.
The receivers will be a huge question mark for this team moving forward. They have Tre Tucker listed as their WR1. Tucker had 57 receptions for 696 yards and 5 TDs in 2025. While he has been showing improvement in each year of his career, his numbers have not been consistent with what a top receiver would be. He will need to have a big year to help his quarterbacks. The Raiders also brought in Jalen Nailor from the Vikings in the offseason. Nailor gets a chance to play a bigger role after being the 3rd receiver in Minnesota behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He had 29 receptions for 444 yards and 4 TDs last year. A larger role should pump those numbers up. The 3rd receiver is currently listed as Malik Benson. Benson was a 6th round pick in this year’s draft. They also have Dont’e Thornton Jr. This is a thin group and could prove to be a consistent weakness throughout the year.
The receiving threat that will make up for the lack of a clear cut WR1 will be Brock Bowers. The 3rd year tight end has already proven to be one of the top offensive weapons in the NFL. He had 1194 yards in his rookie year. Last year, he had 860 yards and 7 TDs in just 12 games. He has the ability to make ridiculous catches and is going to be the engine that makes the pass game go. Behind him is Michael Mayer who is an athletic tight end in his own rite. This tandem provides the Raiders with a very solid 2 tight end option.
The offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL in 2025. One of the reasons was that there were missing their starting left tackle, Kolton Milelr, for a majority of the year. He is an important piece of this line that returns this year. At right tackle will be DJ Glaze. At guards will be Spencer Burford at left guard and Jackson Powers-Johnson at right guard. The big addition this offseason was center Tyler Linderbaum, who became the league’s highest paid center when he joined the Raiders. He will be the anchor of this offense moving forward. This improved line should help this offense as long as they remain healthy.
Defense
The defenses will have a new play caller with the promotion of Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator. He had plenty of time to get to know the defensive front as the defensive line coach for the past few years. His starting nose tackle is projected to be Adam Butler. He had 50 tackles and 1 sack in 2025. At the end positions will be Thomas Booker IV and Jonah Laulu. Booker had 44 tackles and 1 forced fumble last year. Laulu had 51 tackles and 4 sacks last year. This is a solid group that might be understated. They will need someone from this group to step up this year.
The projected starting edge rushers are Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye. Crosby is one of the most dominant defensive players in the game. Crosby has had several years of dominance and last ear, he had 73 total tackles, 10 sacks, 29 QB hits, and 1 interception. The Raiders keep him after a botched trade attempt with the Ravens and they should be ecstatic to have him, especially considering the other talent that was added to this defense. That includes his new teammate Kwity Paye. Paye was brought in from the Colts and adds some more talent to this defensive line that they have been missing. Paye is a 5 year veteran who has shown the ability to get after the quarterback but has struggled with consistency. Being paired with Crosby and the other linemen should provide some more opportunities for him.
The interior linebackers will be completely different this year. They went shopping in free agency and brought in Nakobe Dean from the Eagles and Quay Walker from the Packers. Dean had 55 tackles, 4 sacks, and 7 TFLs last year for Philadelphia. He did miss some time, only appearing in 10 games, but has shown in previous years to be highly productive. In 2024, he had 128 tackles. Quay Walker brings size and athleticism to the middle of this defense and is expected to have a large impact as an every down player. Last year, he had 128 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
The starting corners are projected to be Eric Stokes, Darien Porter and Taron Johnson. Stokes has grown into a reliable corner over the years and he was re-signed by the Raiders this offseason. He had 53 tackles, 5 passes defended, and 3 TFLs in 2025. Porter is a 2nd year player who the Raiders are hoping will develop into a great player. He had 42 tackles and 3 pass defenses last year. The big transaction in this room was the trade for nickel Taron Johnson. Johnson comes over from Buffalo and brings with him 6 years of experience and 6 career interceptions. He rounds out a very interesting group that is expected to continue to produce and develop.
The projected starters at the safety position will be Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao. Chinn is entering his 2nd year with the Raiders. He had 114 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 TFLs in 2025. Pola-Mao had 92 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 4 TFLs last year. This tandem has proven to be physical and will clean up the tackles that get into the second level of defense.
Summary
The Raiders had a major overhaul in their organization this offseason. They cleaned house and brought in a new coaching staff. They have a bridge quarterback and the quarterback of the future in place. They completely retooled their defense. The offensive line should be better if it remains healthy. While they are most likely not ready to compete for a playoff spot or for the division title, they should see improvement from last year when they only won 3 games. They have the 13th easiest schedule in the league, so it should test them but there should also be some winnable games there. I would take over 5.5 for them.
Bet – Over 5.5 (-146)
Denver Broncos – 9.5
- Head Coach – Sean Payton
- OC – Davis Webb
- DC – Vance Joseph
- 2025 Record – 14-3
- Strength of Schedule – 11th Easiest
The Broncos had a great run in 2025. They went 14-3, won their division, and made it to the AFC Championship game. If Bo Nix had not gotten hurt on the last play of the divisional game and was available for the AFC Championship, they might have made it to the Super Bowl. Instead, they had to play Jarrett Stidham and lost to the Patriots 10-7.
As they look ahead to 2026, they added a few pieces but did not have many areas that required improvement. They were efficient enough on offense to win 14 games. They were scoring 23.6 points per game, which was 14th in the league. The true strength of this team was their defense, who allowed the 3rd least points in the league. One major change this year will be the offensive play caller. Sean Payton has relinquished his duties to Davis Webb, who is seemingly being groomed to be the next great offensive mind in the coaching world.
Offense
Bo Nix suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss the AFC Championship Game. It was a bad ending for what was a pretty solid 2nd year in the league. He had 3931 yards, 25 TDs, and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 356 yards and 5 TDs. He was completing 63.4% of his passes which, in addition to cutting down on turnovers, is an area in which he needs to improve to take his game to the next level. If he can get more efficient and take better care of the ball, this offense will start to take off and move into a Top 10 offensive unit.
Denver is bringing back their running back duo from last year. JK Dobbins will be the starter and RJ Harvey will fill in the gaps. Dobbins is a tough and explosive runner but health has been a major concern for him throughout the years. Last year, he only appeared in 10 games. In fact, he has not played a full season so far in his 5-year career. It’s a shame because when healthy, he is as good as any back in the NFL. Last year, he had 772 yards and 4 TDs. He should be back to full health but needs to stay available to provide a boost to this run game. Harvey filled in last year for Dobbins when he went down. He had 540 yards and 7 TDs. He also added 356 yards and 5 TDs in the pass game. Should they both remain healthy, Denver will have a solid 1-2 punch out of the backfield.
The receiver room got an upgrade this offseason. The big move made by Denver was a trade with Miami that sent away a 1st, 3rd, and 4th round draft pick and brought back Jaylen Waddle and a 4th round pick. Waddle is one of the more exciting player in the league. He has blazing speed and reliable hands. He can essentially run any route and will give this offense a deep threat that they have been missing since Payton took over the team. Last year in Miami, Waddle had 64 receptions for 910 yards and 6 TDs. I
Waddle joins a room that is already headlined by veteran receiver Courtland Sutton. Sutton is the more established receiver in this league and has been with Denver since 2018. He has had back-to-back 1000-yard seasons and has clearly become a favorite target for Bo Nix. He should get a boost in production with the addition of Waddle, as defenses will have to pick their poison when covering these receivers. The other receivers to note on this team is Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims. All 3 were on the team last year and made significant contributions. Franklin was the 2nd leading receiver with 709 yards. Bryant added 378 yards. Mims is a gadget player that Payton likes to use in various ways, making it difficult for defenses to match up with him.
Evan Engram was the team’s 3rd leading receiver last year. He is back as the projected starting tight end this year. Engram is a 9-year veteran who may not be producing like he once was but still has plenty left in the tank to make an impact. Last year, he had 50 receptions for 461 yards and 1 TD. He gives Nix a great option underneath the coverage and over the middle of the field.
The offensive line will have the same 5 starters that they had last season. At left tackle will be Garett Bolles. At right tackle will be Mike McGlinchey. The guards will have Ben Powers at left guard and Quinn Meinerz at right guard. Luke Wattenberg will be the center. This group provides Bo nix and this offense a certain amount of continuity and consistency that can only help things improve in 2026.
Defense
Denver’s defense was one of the best units in the league all season. They have talent at every level which makes it very difficult to move the ball on them. It begins up front with the defensive line. DJ Jones will be the nose tackle. He had 39 total tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 TFLs in 2025. The ends will be played by Malcolm roach and Zach Allen. roach had 41 tackles, 4 sacks, and 4 TFLs in 2025. Zach Allen is the star of the line. He earned 1st Team All-Pro honors last year. He had 38 tackles, 7 sacks, and 47 QB hits. This line provides a very tough first line of defense.
The edge rushers for Denver are Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Bonitto had 14 sacks, 46 tackles, 14 TFLs, and 2 forced fumbles in 2025. His efforts earned him a Pro Bowl appearance and finished 4th in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Cooper had 8 sacks, 50 tackles, and 8 TFLs last year. This tandem has shown the ability to get to the quarterback and disrupt an offense. Pairing these guys with the 3 down linemen almost seems unfair for their opponents.
The interior linebackers will be Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. Singleton is a tackling machine and will continue to own the middle of the field from this position. He had 135 total tackles, 3 TFLs, and 1 sack in 2025. Justin Strnad will be taking the place of Dre Greenlaw who signed with the 49ers in the offseason. He had 58 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 1 interception last year. Replacing Greenlaw will not be easy by he has the opportunity to step up and make a name for himself this year.
The secondary is probably one of the best in the NFL. It is headlined by Pat Surtain II. Surtain is widely considered to be the best corner in the game. Last year, he had 47 tackles, 1 interception, and 12 passes defended. He earned 2nd team All-Pro for his efforts. It was a bit of a “down” year after he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. He has been consistently great in his young career so far and we should expect that to continue in 2026. Playing across from him will be Riley Moss. Moss had 80 tackles, 1 interception, and 19 passes defended in 2025. While offenses tend to avoid Surtain, they have to pick on Moss. He has stepped up to the challenge and has proven to be a very good CB2. At nickel, they will have JaQuan McMillian who had 2 interceptions and 47 tackles last year. This trio provides DC Vance Joseph a deep secondary that is incredibly reliable and talented.
The secondary will also get its starters back at the safety position. Talanoa Hufanga had a great year in 2025 where he recorded 106 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 TFLs, and earned 2nd Team All-Pro honors. He will once again be paired with Brandon Jones who had 78 tackles and 1 interception last year. This duo cements the back end of an incredibly talented defense.
Summary
The Broncos are set up for more success after a very successful 2025. They took a big swing by trading for Jaylen Waddle on offense and then retained most of their roster on both sides of the ball. Bo Nix should be fully healthy after suffering a devastating ankle injury in the AFC Championship Game. This defense should once again be one of the best units in the league. I believe that the books and wider media landscape are being somewhat disrespectful of this team. Not only am I picking them to win more than 9.5 games, I think they will also win the division, and they are one of my early Super Bowl picks as well.
Bet – Over 9.5 (-115)
Los Angeles Chargers – 9.5
- Head Coach – Jim Harbaugh
- OC – Mike McDaniel
- DC – Chris O’Leary
- 2025 Record – 11-6
- Strength of Schedule – 20th Easiest
The chargers are coming off of an 11-6 season that ended early in the playoffs. Coach Jim Harbaugh has turned this team around in a very short time and turned this team into a winner. They just need to take the next step and have a deep playoff run. This team was built on running the ball and defense. The defense was allowing 20 points per game which was ranked 9th in the league. The offense was scoring 21.6 points per game which was 20th in the league. It is a tough way to win games, but they managed to get 11 wins. In the offseason, Harbaugh made a change that will bring significant philosophical change on offense. He hired Mike McDaniel as the OC. McDaniel was most recently the head coach for the Miami Dolphins, where he ran one of the most exciting offenses in the league for a couple of years. Pairing him with Justin Herbert and the other talent on this offense could prove to be a great move as everyone in the NFL is expecting Herbert to take this team to another level.
Offense
Justin Herbert is already entering his 7th year in the NFL. He is consistently talked about as being one of the more talented QBs in the league but has yet to prove it in big moments. He had a solid year in 2025 where he threw form 3727 yards, 26 TDs, and 13 interceptions. He also ran for 498 yards and 2 TDs. His efforts got him voted to the Pro Bowl last year. Having a new OC that specializes in marrying the run game to the pass game and focuses on getting receivers wide open should indicate a big year from Herbert. If he takes control of this offense, I would not be surprised to see him leading QB stats across the league.
Somone else who will benefit from the McDaniel system will be running back Omarion Hampton. He started to show flashes of the back he could be in 2025 but struggled with injuries. He appeared in 9 games where he ran for 545 yards and 4 TDs. Now that he is fully healthy, the Chargers have high hopes for the 2024 1st round draft pick. Splitting some snaps with him will be Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal. Mitchell was a free agent signing from Baltimore. He brings an explosive speed element to the run game that they have been missing. Vidal had a breakout year in 2025 when he got his chance. He had 643 yards and 3 TDs last year. It should also be noted that the Chargers brought in fullback Alec Ingold who worked with McDaniel in Miami.
The pass game is going to go through receivers Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. McConkey was the leading receiver for the Chargers in 2025. He had 66 receptions for 789 yards and 6 TDs. He should see an uptick in his usage in this new offensive scheme and further cement his status as a WR1. Johnston had a great year in 2025. He had 51 receptions for 735 yards and 8 TDs. This duo provides Herbert with a pair of explosive weapons on the outside to target. They also have Tre’ Harris who is speedy and can contribute in his own ways. He had 324 yards and 1 Td last year.
The tight end position will be an interesting group to watch this year. The current projected starter is Oronde Gadsen. He had 49 receptions for 664 yards and 3 TDs last year. Now, he is entering his 2nd year and could continue to grow his role in the offense. They also brought in David Njoku to compete for the starting role. Njoku brings a career total of 4062 yards and 34 TDs to this team. He is an athletic tight end that has potential to thrive in an offense that is friendly to its tight ends. They also brought in Charlie Kolar from the Ravens to round out this room.
The offensive line was ravished by injuries last year. Left tackle Rashawn Slater was lost for the season in training camp. Then they lost right tackle Joe Alt during the season, after he moved to take Slaters spot. They should both be healthy this year, which gives the Chargers an elite duo of tackles. The guards will be Kayode Awosika at left guard and Cole Strange at right guard. Stange played for McDaniel last year in Miami so he brings some familiarity to the line. At center, they were supposed to have Tyler Biadasz but he suffered an ACL injury on 8/19. So, he will most likely miss the season. It is a huge blow to the middle of the line, especially considering that Biadasz was a big acquisition in the offseason. In his spot, rookie Jake Slaughter is projected to get a shot to start.
Defense
The defense for the Chargers was a top 10 defense in 2025. They remain a 3-4 defense and maintained most of their talent while adding some depth to key positions. One of those additions was nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. Tomlinson is entering his 10th year in the league. He has had 142 career starts and was most recently a member of the Cardinals. Playing next to him at the end positions will be Teair Tart and Jamaree Caldwell. Tart had 32 tackles and 4 TFLs last year. Caldwell is entering his 2nd year in the league. He had 31 total tackles and 1 sack in his rookie year. This group provides a solid foundation up front.
The edge rushers will be Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu. Mack is entering his 13th year in the league. He is still producing at a high level for a 36 year old pass rusher. He had 32 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 12 games last year. If he can stay healthy, he will continue to add to his already impressive resume. Tuipultu is a young player who has shown signs of being great early on in his career. He had his best year in 2025 where he had 49 tackles and 13 sacks last year. They will also have Bud Dupree and Akheem Mesidor as pieces that they can rotate in. This will be a very solid group of rushers to pair with the 3 linemen.
The interior linebackers will be Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman. Henley had a good 2025 year where he had 103 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He played 91.4% of the defensive snaps last year. He is going to be an important player to this defense moving forward. He is paired with Denzel Perryman who is entering his 13th year in the league. He only had 10 starts in 2025 but he had 47 tackles.
The projected starting corners will be Cam Hart, Tarheeb Still and Donte Jackson. Cam Hart had 48 total tackles and 1 interception in 2025. Donte Jackson will play on the other side of the field. He had 4 interceptions in 15 starts in 2025. Still is the nickel and had 53 tackles and 7 PBUs in 2025. This is a solid secondary that will need to focus on getting some more takeaways this year.
The star of the defense will be found at the safety position. Derwin James has been one of the best defensive players in the league for years now. Last year, he had 94 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 sacks, and 6 TFLs. He is a swiss army knife that can play all over the field and be the best player wherever they put him. Paired with him is Elijah Molden. Molden had 52 tackles and 1 interception in 2025. He rounds out a solid secondary.
Summary
The Chargers had a good 2025 season. They are looking to have a great 2026 season. They need to get over the hump in the playoffs and they made the necessary changes to do so. They have changed their offensive play caller by bringing in Mike McDaniel, who should bring some extra energy and creativity to the offense. Their offensive line is healthier than last year, despite the injury to their center. The defense is going to continue to be a dominant force. It seems like a lot of people are kind of forgetting about the Chargers but they are poised to make some noise in the AFC West. They have a schedule that is on the tougher side but I believe that this coaching staff will be able to weather the storm. I will be taking the over for the Chargers.
Bet – Over 9.5 (-140)
*Odds taken from DraftKings
*Strength of Schedule from Sharp Analysis
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