Las Vegas Raiders: Predicting the All-AFC West defense in 2021
Defensive Line
Von Miller, Edge, Denver Broncos
Von Miller is one of the best pass rushers to ever step foot on a football field, as he has racked up over 100 career sacks and has hit the opposing quarterback more than double that amount. His combination of speed and power off the edge makes for an impossible task for almost any offensive tackle to deal with one-on-one.
While Miller is coming off both a major injury and Covid-19 scare, he has earned this spot until he proves otherwise.
Chris Jones, Defensive Tackle, Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Jones is a menace in the interior of the defensive line, and he is pretty clearly the best interior defender that the AFC West has to offer. Jones is strong against the pass and the run, tallying 28 QB hits and 7.5 sacks last year in fifteen games.
Despite his numbers taking a bit of a hit, which is likely due to the putrid Kansas City secondary, Jones has continued to wreak havoc in the middle of the Chiefs defense.
Shelby Harris, Defensive Tackle, Denver Broncos
Shelby Harris is quietly turning into one of the most consistent interior linemen in the NFL. Harris has had more than seven tackles for loss in each full season that he has played since leaving the Raiders for the division rival Broncos.
Harris has also developed a knack for getting pass deflections in the middle of the line, causing 15 in the last two seasons. Denver rewarding Harris with a $27M contract this offseason was well deserved.
Joey Bosa, Edge, Los Angeles Chargers
Rather than just the AFC West, Joey Bosa may be the best pass rusher in all of football. Since being drafted by the Chargers out of Ohio State, Bosa has 47.5 sacks in just five seasons, only playing more than twelve games in two of those seasons.
He has made a living out of getting to the opposing quarterback thus far in his career and only has room to grow. Bosa is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.