After years of greatness from veterans like Peyton Manning, Alex Smith, and Philip Rivers, the AFC West has been hit by the youth movement, but by no means is that a bad thing - far from it actually. This division could evolve into arguably one of the best in terms of quarterback play as early as this season, especially if newbies such as Drew Lock and Justin Herbert can come out swinging. So without further ado, here are my AFC West quarterback power rankings for 2020:
4) Drew Lock, Denver Broncos
Before Broncos fans burn me at the stake, allow me to explain. In the five games he started, Drew Lock showed out - throwing for a total of 1,020 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions (and to put a cherry on top, he won four of those five starts). Granted, he wasn't facing the best competition (Kansas City and Houston were the only exceptions), but I believe he showed enough in those last few games to warrant the excitement and high expectations that are being set by Broncos fans heading into the 2020 season. In a nutshell, I think Lock can and will move up in these power rankings, maybe even as high as the number two spot, but until I see more he's number four (how'd you like my rhyming skills there?).
3) Tyrod Taylor, Los Angeles Chargers
Unless the Chargers coaching staff decides to start newly drafted quarterback Justin Herbert right out of the gate, veteran Tyrod Taylor will be trotting out onto the field with the first-team offense. For the casual football fans out there that may not know if Tyrod Taylor is any good, allow me to summarize: he's diet Russell Wilson. Once he takes the snap, Tyrod will juke defenders out of their socks, take off for 15 yards, and occasionally fire an absolute cannon of a ball downfield...but his play style leaves much to be desired. Yes, he has a knack for running and not turning the ball over, but at the cost of rarely challenging the defense with his arm. In other words, he's a game manager, but the good news is that's all the Chargers need him to be while Justin Herbert sits and develops. With weapons like Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Hunter Henry surrounding him, Tyrod Taylor will play solid football, but not at a level that warrants him being ranked any higher than three on this list.
2) Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Despite numerous offensive coordinator changes and suspect offensive line play (52 sacks allowed in 2018) number four has shown that he can be a very capable starter in the NFL. While the Raiders haven't won many games since their 12-4 finish back in 2016, Derek Carr hasn't actually been all that bad. In fact, just this past season Carr completed a career-high 70.4 percent of his passes for 4,054 passing yards (also a career-best), 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. I won't lie to you, his touchdown totals have been rather low for the majority of his career, but I'd chalk that up to what I said before, which is that Carr hasn't really had the opportunity to play with a complete roster... although 2020 could be the year he does. With Josh Jacobs and Jalen Richard in the backfield (as well as jack-of-all-trades draftee Lynn Bowden Jr.) and pass-catchers Henry Ruggs III, Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller, Derek Carr could be looking at an explosive season in 2020, which is why at the end of the day I have him here at number two.
1) Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
I'm going to be honest, I don't think I need to really explain why he's the best quarterback in the AFC West, let alone in the entire NFL. But in case you've been on Mars the last two years, here's a quick rundown of Frog Mahomes: In just 31 games, he's thrown for 9,412 yards and 76 touchdowns, with just 18 total interceptions. He's a Super Bowl champion at age 24, and he plays like a create-a-player on Madden. Simply put, he's a young Aaron Rodgers on steroids, which is why without question he is numero uno on my list.
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