AFC West: Will the Las Vegas Raiders be the team to beat?

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 12: Alex Okafor #97 of the Kansas City Chiefs sacks Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 12: Alex Okafor #97 of the Kansas City Chiefs sacks Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders during the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 09: Defensive end Joey Bosa #97 of the Los Angeles Chargers speaks to quarterback Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of a game at Allegiant Stadium. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)

The AFC West will arguably be the toughest division in football next season. So, who’s the team to beat? Is it the Las Vegas Raiders?

The Raiders made headlines this offseason with the bevy of moves that they made. However, history is not on their side. The Kansas City Chiefs have either finished first or second in the division every year since 2013 when Andy Reid took the reins.

That level of dominance can’t simply be set aside for a team that’s trending upward after making the playoffs last season, their first trip since 2016.

For the Chiefs, repeating in the AFC West is going to be tough this season, as they lost some key players on the roster, and the rest of the division improved in a big way. The Denver Broncos brought in Russell Wilson to cure their problems at quarterback, and the Los Angeles Chargers continued to stack their defense.

Here, we look at the Las Vegas Raiders, and whether or not they could be the team to beat in a very tough division this upcoming season.

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