AFC West linebacker rankings: Thomas Davis, Vontaze Burfict join division
By Grant Tuttle
3. The Denver Broncos
Todd Davis, Josey Jewell, Joseph Jones, Alexander Johnson, Corey Nelson
The Broncos have some questions at linebacker. While they may not have the worst group in the AFC West, they have a similar problem to the Chiefs. While Todd Davis is a solid player, there are a lot of guys with potential that need to “prove it.”
After the Broncos decided to bench now free agent Brandon Marshall last season, Josey Jewell showed serious signs of being a very talented linebacker. That being said, it is unclear whether his success from last season will be sustainable.
In a new defense run by Vic Fangio, all signs point to the team being even better than last year on the defensive side of the ball. Jewell’s season may be the difference between being good or great on defense.
Projections:
Todd Davis: 135 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 0 sacks, 1 interception
Josey Jewell: 88.5 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 0 interceptions
Joseph Jones: 34 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 0 sacks, 0 interceptions
Alexander Johnson: 26.5 tackles, 0 tackles for a loss, 0 sacks, 0 interceptions
Corey Nelson: 20.5 tackles, 0 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks, 0 interceptions