With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, Around The NFL will project starting lineups with tasty position battle nuggets for all 32 teams. The AFC West is below.
Denver Broncos
Broncos Projected Starters
Offense
QB: Mark Sanchez
RB: C.J. Anderson
WR1: Demaryius Thomas
WR2: Emmanuel Sanders
WR3: Jordan Norwood
TE: Jeff Heuerman
LT: Russell Okung
LG: Ty Sambrailo
C: Matt Paradis
RG: Max Garcia
RT: Donald Stephenson
Defense
DE: Derek Wolfe
DT: Sylvester Williams
DE: Vance Walker
OLB: Von Miller
ILB: Brandon Marshall
ILB: Todd Davis
OLB: DeMarcus Ware
CB1: Aqib Talib
CB2: Chris Harris
S: Darian Stewart
S: T.J. Ward
» I'm in the camp that believes Paxton Lynch won't start right away as a rookie. But John Elway's recent comments mean it wouldn't be a surprise if Lynch starts sometime around Week 7, when the Broncos have 10 days to prepare for a Monday Night game against Houston that will inevitably be dubbed the Hunt for Red Brocktober.
» Third receiver is a total mystery. Give Jordan Norwood the slight edge over Bennie Fowler and Cody Latimer because Norwood had the most snaps of the three in the playoffs last year, including the Super Bowl.
» Combine the receiver question with an open tight end competition, and Mark Sanchez only has two proven outlets in the passing game. Consider second-year player Jeff Heuerman as a small favorite in a competition with Virgil Green and Garrett Graham, although Heuerman is a wild card after missing his rookie year with a torn ACL.
»C.J. Anderson should start, but will he be a bell cow or split snaps with fourth-round pick Devontae Booker? Ronnie Hillman figures to be the forgotten man.
» It's weird that the only returning offensive line starter from the Super Bowl is 2014 sixth-round pick, center Matt Paradis.
» The Broncos have a few big position battles on defense too. Todd Davis, an unproven 2014 undrafted player that started his career in New Orleans, leads a shaky group trying to replace Danny Trevathan. This could be a big problem for a defense that relies plenty on its inside linebacker.
»Vance Walker, second-round pick Adam Gotsis and Texans import Jared Crick will battle to replace Malik Jackson.
»That's the bad news. The good news is the depth of pass rushers and cornerbacks tops anyone in football. Shane Ray, Shaq Barrett and Bradley Roby all not listed above.
Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs Projected Starters
Offense
QB: Alex Smith
RB: Jamaal Charles
WR1: Jeremy Maclin
WR2: Albert Wilson
WR3: Chris Conley
TE: Travis Kelce
LT: Eric Fisher
LG: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
C: Mitch Morse
RG: Jah Reid
Defense
DE: Jaye Howard
DT: Dontari Powe
DT: Allen Bailey
OLB: Tamba Hali
ILB: Derrick Johnson
ILB: Josh Mauga
OLB: Dee Ford
CB1: Marcus Peters
CB2: Phillip Gaines
S: Eric Berry
S: Ron Parker
» The receiver shortage doesn't bother me that much. Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce should be 1,000-yard receivers. The backfield is deeper than any team in football with Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware. Plus, Albert Wilson and Chris Conley are both ascending players that can play a role.
» The Chiefs upgraded at right tackle with Mitchell Schwartz. But Kansas City lost two quality starting guards and have a four-way battle for two spots. Fourth-round pick Parker Ehringer could win a spot.
» Second-round pick Chris Jones adds to an underrated defensive line that the Chiefs did well to mostly keep intact with Allen Bailey and Jaye Howard signing long-term deals.
» With Justin Houston's status for the entire season in doubt, pressure is on underwhelming 2014 first-round pick Dee Ford to become a difference maker. Frank Zombo should get plenty of snaps.
» Kansas City's exceptionally deep secondary took a hit this offseason with Sean Smith, Tyvon Branch and Husain Abdullah moving on. Phillip Gaines should be a starter, while three rookie cornerbacks led by KeiVarae Russell will battle for snaps. Top-to-bottom, the Chiefs have a rock solid roster without a ton of flash.
Oakland Raiders
Raiders Projected Starters
Offense
QB: Derek Carr
RB: Latavius Murray
WR1: Amari Cooper
WR2: Michael Crabtree
WR3: Seth Roberts
TE: Clive Walford
LT: Donald Penn
LG: Gabe Jackson
C: Rodney Hudson
RG: Kelechi Osemele
RT: Austin Howard
Defense
DE: Khalil Mack
DT: Justin Ellis
DT: Dan Williams
DE: Mario Edwards
OLB: Bruce Irvin
MLB: Ben Heeney
OLB: Malcolm Smith
CB1: Sean Smith
CB2: David Amerson
S: Karl Joseph
S: Reggie Nelson
» It's crazy how settled this Raiders team is, especially on offense. They return nearly all their starters and they are young. It's an exciting blend of continuity and upside that should have Raider Nation dreaming big.
» Right tackle could be the only spot truly up for grabs on offense, where Menelik Watson takes on Austin Howard. The addition of Kelechi Osemele adds to one of the best offensive lines in football.
» We love Clive Walford's chances of making the leap this season if his offseason ATV accident isn't too serious.
» The Raiders mix up their defensive fronts, playing plenty of 3-4 defense and 5-2 defense. Bruce Irvin will only add to that flexibility.
»Ben Heeney, a fifth-round pick last year, is the biggest unknown among the front seven starters. He impressed in spot starts late last year. Malcolm Smith has the flexibility to play inside and Heeny won't necessarily be on the field every down.
» The re-made secondary looks a ton better on paper. The Raiders need Karl Joseph to make the quick impact that D.J. Hayden never did.
» Oakland's starting 22 rivals any team in the league outside of the truly elite teams. If there is any criticism of this roster by Reggie McKenzie, we would call it top heavy. There are fewer experienced or promising backups than elsewhere, making health even more important for the Raiders than most.
San Diego Chargers
Chargers Projected Starters
Offense
QB: Philip Rivers
RB: Melvin Gordon
WR1: Keenan Allen
WR2: Stevie Johnson
WR3: Travis Benjamin
TE: Antonio Gates
LT: King Dunlap
LG: Orlando Franklin
C: Matt Slauson
RG: DJ Fluker
RT: Joe Barksdale
Defense
DE: Corey Liuget
DT: Brandon Mebane
DE: Joey Bosa
OLB: Melvin Ingram
ILB: Denzel Perryman
OLB: Jeremiah Attaochu
CB1: Brandon Flowers
CB2: Jason Verrett
CB3: Casey Hayward
S: Jahleel Addae
S: Dwight Lowery
»Melvin Gordon's microfracture surgery is a concern. But the Chargers don't need to panic and add a veteran like Arian Foster. Branden Oliver and Danny Woodhead could handle things just fine and Gordon should be ready for the season. The backfield won't be the deciding factor in the Chargers bouncing back or not.
» It wasn't that shocking to see the Chargers mostly ignore the offensive line in the draft. This is actually a solid-looking group if they can stay healthy. But the injuries last season were catastrophic beyond all understanding. Still, it's rare to see so much continuity on offense for a team coming off a 4-12 season.
»Brandon Mebane's contention that this roster is more talented than the Seahawks is hogwash. With that said, this is not a typical "rebuilding" team. All four teams in the AFC West have legitimate reason to believe they can make the playoffs, including the Chargers. There aren't a lot of huge holes on the defense.
» Safety is the biggest concern for the Chargers in the post-Eric Weddle era, although Jahleel Addae has shown enough to believe in him.
» A rebound by Corey Liuget combined with a big rookie season by Joey Bosa would improve the Chargers' shaky pass rush greatly. They also need Melvin Ingram to maintain his gains from the second half of last season.
»Denzel Perryman was a revelation late last season at inside linebacker. We didn't list Manti Te'o as a starter because he figures to be taken off the field more this season in sub-packages. The addition of Casey Hayward gives the Chargers another nice cornerback trio.