1. Denver Broncos

Hopefully head coach Sean Payton has learned to not foolishly go for it on 4th down when you should just take the points with a reliable kicker on your roster.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

They hit the proverbial wall last season and fell back down to Earth. Now will they rise back to their perch atop the AFC or will they remain outside of their contender status?

3. Los Angeles Chargers

The talent level is there on both sides for this team, but the expectations are that they should make deep playoff runs every season. That has to change this year otherwise the fanbase will groan even louder about this current era’s lack of success.

4. Las Vegas Raiders

It seems that the front office has finally learned a hard lesson about building a competent roster. Get the quarterback and head coach combination settled and then you can put the rest of the pieces in place afterwards.

Head Coach: Sean Payton

Key Position: Offense

This was a top ten offense last season, although being 10th in total offense. QB Bo Nix took a gigantic step in the right direction and the thought is that Denver would have had better results in the AFC Championship game if he had played in it. He’ll have another target to throw to in Jaylen Waddle who is a dynamic playmaker that can help an offense move consistently. Having Waddle should afford more one on one matchups for WR Courtland Sutton and WR Troy Franklin who both have a good rapport with Nix. If RB J.K. Dobbins can remain healthy he is a potential 1,000 yard rusher. RB RJ Harvey had a solid rookie season and is a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield. Denver boasts one of the league’s best offensive lines which helps in the expectation that they will take another leap among the best offenses in the league.

Key Acquisitions: WR Jaylen Waddle (Miami Dolphins)

Key Rookies: DT Tyler Onyedim

Head Coach: Andy Reid

Key Position: Everything

Who would have thought that it would come to this with the amount of success that they have achieved? There has been a lot of turnover in the roster, especially on defense. The secondary was gutted and while bringing in Alohi Gilman and L’Jarius Sneed for a veteran presence, first round pick Mansoor Delane has to live up to his potential immediately. Fellow first round pick Peter Woods should be able to fit in playing next to DL Chris Jones on the line. With the defense going through a youth movement, the offense has questions with QB Patrick Mahomes returning from a knee injury. TE Travis Kelce returns, but it should be expected that he won’t be leading this team in receiving anymore. That means it is time for WR Rashee Rice and WR Xavier Worthy to take the reins as the primary pass catchers. Signing Kenneth Walker will help both the rushing and passing attacks with his awareness and deceptive speed out of the backfield.

Key Acquisitions: DB Alohi Gilman (Baltimore Ravens), CB L’Jarius Sneed (Tennessee Titans), DT Khyiris Tonga (New England Patriots), RB Kenneth Walker (Seattle Seahawks)

Key Rookies: CB Mansoor Delane, DT Peter Woods, DE R Mason Thomas

Head Coach: Jim Harbaugh

Key Position: Quarterback

The time is now for Justin Herbert to live up to the hype. The interior of the offensive line has been completely revamped and if both tackles remain healthy that will be a start. However, even with the injury angle Herbert has managed to still get to the playoffs which has yet to translate into any success. RB Omarion Hampton showed flashes, but had an injury that cost him most of his rookie year. RB Kimani Vidal filled in admirably last year and newly acquired RB Keaton Mitchell could be an ace in the hole with his agility and burst. WR Ladd McConkey is Herbert’s favorite target and that chemistry needs to be found again. TE Oronde Gadsden II quickly became a reliable target midseason and that could help in a full season going forward.

Key Acquisitions: OL Kayode Awosika (Detroit Lions), FB Alec Ingold (Miami Dolphins), TE Charlie Kolar (Baltimore Ravens), RB Keaton Mitchell (Baltimore Ravens), TE David Njoku (Cleveland Browns), OL Cole Strange (Miami Dolphins), DT Dalvin Tomlinson (Arizona Cardinals), OL Tyler Biadasz (Washington Commanders)

Key Rookies: DE/LB Akheem Mesidor, OL Jake Slaughter

Head Coach: Klint Kubiak (Offensive Coordinator – Seahawks)

Key Position: Offense

They were really bad on the offensive side last year. It showed right from the jump and they have taken the necessary steps to rectify this. New head coach Klint Kubiak had a stable offensive line in Seattle. Signing Tyler Linderbaum was a big first step that should stabilize the line. Bringing in Kirk Cousins was a smart move and having him as the stopgap before giving the offense over to rookie Fernando Mendoza is the right call. Too many teams want to rush a quarterback nowadays, but giving him time to learn works out more often than not. Jalen Nailor showed flashes in Minnesota that he could take on more in an offense, but he isn’t this team’s top receiving threat. That belongs to TE Brock Bowers who should have another stellar season with Cousins throwing him the football now. RB Ashton Jeanty deserves a mulligan for his rookie season. He nearly ran for 1,000 yards and that in and of itself is a miracle considering how bad this offense was.

Key Acquisitions: OL Spencer Burford (San Francisco 49ers), QB Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons), LB Nakobe Dean (Philadelphia Eagles), CB Taron Johnson (Buffalo Bills), OL Tyler Linderbaum (Baltimore Ravens), WR Jalen Nailor (Minnesota Vikings), DE Kwity Paye (Indianapolis Colts), LB Quay Walker (Green Bay Packers)

Key Rookies: QB Fernando Mendoza, DB Treydan Stukes, DE Keyron Crawford, RB Mike Washington Jr.