AFC West Preview
Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson and Terez Paylor preview the AFC West. Subscribe to the Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Video Transcript
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TEREZ PAYLOR: And we're going to kick off our team needs/biggest stories divisional preview leading up to the NFL draft with the AFC West and the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, I look at this division. And it's pretty obvious to me that what these teams were not Kansas City are doing, like, they're trying to not only build up their offense to go toe to toe to Kansas City with Kansas City. They're building up their defenses as well.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right.
TEREZ PAYLOR: The Chiefs are trying to bring back the band, right? The key for these other teams in the division is to like, find a way to match Kansas City. They're trying to do it. And I think when you look at what the Broncos, the Raiders, and the Chargers have done, like they're trying to do it real quick, Charles. Look at the Broncos trying to upgrade the offense by signing Melvin Gordon and Graham Glasgow, tried to upgrade the defense.
I mean, they lost-- Chris Harris was a good player. But Jurrell Casey still got something on left. And AJ Bouye's a good player, right? Vegas-- they signed Carl Nassib, Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski. They're really trying to prove a defense that needed it, right? And then the Chargers.
We know they need to improve their cornerback. But they signed Chris Harris and Linval Joseph. And they got Bryan Bulaga and Trai Turner on the offensive line. I think all these teams have gotten better in this division. And I think they know they have to, because winning this division is going to be hard.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right. Look I-- it's to me, this all comes down to-- and you and I discussed this over the course of last season on the podcast, which is, you are in a decade-long chase of Patrick Mahomes. That's just how it is. He-- this is how good the guy is. Unless he runs into injury, you can't predict his injury future, all these different things.
And so I think that defines for me when I look at Kansas City, what I would invest in is offensive line depth. Like, I think there is nothing more important to me. I think of-- I think of the Colts when they had Peyton Manning. I think of, you know, the Patriots. I think of all these teams that have these great iconic quarterbacks.
I would never, ever, ever go a draft without taking an offensive lineman who I felt like had the opportunity to eventually start. Once you get past Kansas City, it's simple. It's easy as pie to me-- pressure, period. That's where I would start. Every single draft speed, yes, speed and pressure.
TEREZ PAYLOR: Second-level speed and pressure.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Yes, so I think, you know, Vegas, they are the bottom third in sacks. Denver had issues rushing to pass. And I know Bradley Chubb got hurt-- all these other things that had-- you know, played issues there.
The Chargers should have been better at pressuring the quarterback than they were. I think every single one of those teams, I've go pass rush, secondary, every single draft until you feel like you have the cornerstones defensively to start to play with Kansas City.
TEREZ PAYLOR: Well, here's one position you didn't mention on defense. How about a true one high eraser and safety-- somebody that can shut down the alleys and allow you to bring an extra body into the box. You're looking for like, match-up weapons and match-up erasers.
And I think those are the guys that these teams in this division, especially are going to have to prioritize in the draft, because let's face it. The really good ones in their prime, they're not going anywhere. Their teams almost always pay them. So I get your point. And I think it's going to be fascinating to watch how all these teams approach the draft.
CHARLES ROBINSON: All three of those teams too, you better be settled on a quarterback because you're never going to beat them without a quarterback. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever are you going to beat this dude in a meaningful game with a subpar quarterback. So if Drew Lock is-- we'll see. We're figuring it out--
TEREZ PAYLOR: Even average, right? Even average isn't getting the job done.
CHARLES ROBINSON: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no-- got to be better than average-- at least, least better than average.
TEREZ PAYLOR: At least, above average.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Right, Drew Lock will figure that out.
TEREZ PAYLOR: Maybe.
CHARLES ROBINSON: The Chargers-- we're going to have-- hey, Tyrod Taylor always talks a good off-season game. I think they're in the market for another quarterback this off-season probably in the draft. And then Vegas-- Derek Carr or Marcus Mariota, you figure it out. Like, I mean, we'll see. But I don't-- those don't look like guys you can beat. Pat Mahomes to me.
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