The AFC West is primed to be one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL, it may also be one of the more explosive.
Looking at the offensive star power throughout the division, there will be some high scoring shootouts between the squads in the division. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are still the team to beat but watch out for the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos who are two teams looking to compete for the AFC West crown with more balanced attacks.
But don’t think the division will be a three-team race. The Las Vegas Raiders also have explosive players on offense and if they put it all together, the division matchups will be very entertaining. It could come down to Year 2 players taking that next step and shining even brighter in 2025.
Which 2024 NFL Draft picks for each team is poised to be a difference maker and game changer in their second NFL season?
One Year 2 difference maker for each AFC West team:
Denver Broncos – Troy Franklin
Troy Franklin is another key target is primed to emerge for Bo Nix in 2025 and it’s a player who has a ton of chemistry with the second-year quarterback. While the two go back to their days at Oregon, Franklin didn’t get much of a chance to shine with the Broncos in his rookie season. The 2024 NFL Draft fourth round pick hauled in 28 receptions for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Expect that production to go up a notch in Year 2.
While the Broncos have Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. as their two top receivers, if Franklin can emerge as a solid WR3, the Sean Payton’s offense will be hard to stop given Franklin’s deep threat ability and that chemistry he already has with Nix.
Kansas City Chiefs – Xavier Worthy
Another wide receiver who will shine in Year 2 is Xavier Worthy. The Chiefs’ 2024 first-round pick had his moments during his rookie season with 59 receptions on 98 targets for 638 yards and 6 touchdowns. His longest reception was 54 yards in his rookie campaign and expect more deep plays in his second season.
With Patrick Mahomes at the helm, the Chiefs’ offense is always going to be an offense that can score points, especially with Travis Kelce still being Kelce. But the AFC West defending champions need to get more explosive at the wide receiver position. Worthy is the prime candidate to make that happen. Will he put up a 1,000-yard season? We saw what Tyreek Hill did in K.C. Worthy has similar talent!
Las Vegas Raiders – Brock Bowers
What much more can Brock Bowers do to shine in Year 2? After a historic rookie season, Bowers has landed No. 24 on the NFL top 100 players of 2025 list after hauling in 112 receptions for 1,194 yards and 5 touchdowns in his rookie season. That was enough to earn him a Pro Bowl nod as well as first-team All-Pro honors. If it wasn’t for the season Jayden Daniels had, Bowers would’ve taken home the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award. How can he be shine even brighter in 2025?
After such a successful first season, the challenge for any young player is doing it again. Bowers will prove to be the top tight end in the NFL catching the ball from a proven veteran QB like Geno Smith. One area he will improve is his touchdown production. Even if he has fewer receiving yards, if he becomes a scoring machine, the Raiders will have their say in the AFC West.
Los Angeles Chargers – Joe Alt
Joe Alt was solid as a rookie with the Chargers in Year 1. Due to the Rashawn Slater season-ending injury, he will move to left tackle where he dominated in college. With the Chargers looking to have a more balanced offensive attack led by Justin Herbert, the offensive line will need to be solid. The loss of Slater hurts but having an option like Alt, who was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, is not that much of a downgrade.
Given Alt’s talent and another year of experience don’t be surprised if he excels as the team’s starting left tackle setting up an interesting decision for the Chargers once Slater returns in 2026.