ESPN's Bill Williamson Ranks AFCW's Top 40 Players
 

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post...n-the-afc-west


1. Philip Rivers, San Diego: He is an elite player at the most important position on the field.

2. Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland: There’s a reason he’ll be the top prize in free agency.

3. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City: One of the NFL’s most dynamic young players.

4. Antonio Gates, San Diego: He should end up in Canton.

5. Tamba Hali, Kansas City: One of the NFL’s best defensive players.

6. Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City: He is a game-changing talent.

7. Richard Seymour, Oakland: Respected veteran changed Oakland’s defense.

8. Vincent Jackson, San Diego: Expect a strong rebound in 2011.

9. Ryan Clady, Denver: One of the game's premier left tackles.

10. Champ Bailey, Denver: Even at 33, he is special.

11. Eric Berry, Kansas City: He should be the game’s best safety soon.

12. Nick Hardwick, San Diego: An anchor to a strong offensive line.

13. Darren McFadden, Oakland: He is developing into a star.

ROFL => 14. Matt Cassel, Kansas City: Cassel has to continue to make strides.

15. Zach Miller, Oakland: He can make Oakland’s offense special.

16. Derrick Johnson, Kansas City: He is a serious playmaker.

17. Quentin Jammer, San Diego: Solid veteran is an anchor to a good defense.

18. Kris Dielman, San Diego: A steady hand on the Chargers’ line.

19. D.J. Williams, Denver: He is a tackling machine.

20. Marcus McNeill, San Diego: He’s an upper-echelon left tackle.

21. Shaun Phillips, San Diego: He is one of the division’s best pass-rushers.

22. Brandon Flowers, Kansas City: One of the game’s best young cornerbacks.

23. Eric Weddle, San Diego: A hard-nosed playmaker at safety.

24. Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City: He came on strong in 2010.

25. Tommy Kelly, Oakland: Massive defensive tackle had a big season in 2010.

26. Elvis Dumervil, Denver: If Dumervil bounces back from sitting out in 2010, he should be ranked higher next year.

27. Rolando McClain, Oakland: McClain has a chance to be one of the division’s better linebackers.

28. Brandon Lloyd, Denver: Lloyd came out of nowhere for a special 2010.

29. Shane Lechler, Oakland: The game’s best kicking specialist.

30. Ryan Lilja, Kansas City: A gritty, tough veteran guard.

31. Malcom Floyd, San Diego: He can make the spectacular catch look easy.

32. Brian Waters, Kansas City: A great veteran presence on a good line.

33. Jason Campbell, Oakland: Oakland will be depending on Campbell a lot this season.

34. Kamerion Wimbley, Oakland: He can get sacks in bunches.

35. Tony Moeaki, Kansas City: Second-year tight end is a player to watch.

36. Lamarr Houston, Oakland: He has a chance to be special.

37. Antonio Garay, San Diego: He had a strong 2010 season at 31.

38. Ryan Mathews, San Diego: He showed flashes as a rookie.

39. Michael Bush, Oakland: He and McFadden form a nice tandem.

40. Thomas Jones, Kansas City: He can still help the Chiefs at 33.

KC 12
SD 12
Oak 11
Den 5

Flowers is the most polished, most consistent, and effective veteran on this team.

Period...

No Tim Tebow?

There WILL be HELL to pay...

Kyle Orton should have been on that list over Jason Campbell.

Exactly... but for some reason, many Chiefs fans think Hali, Berry and even Carr are better right now.

Could be those 15 sacks :shrug:

Didn't Dan Williams do that as well?...

Welcome to Chiefsplanet.

No, Dan had 10 sacks 1 year. Tamba has averaged over 8 per year since being in the league and amost 12 per year since the move to the 3-4.

I think Flowers is rated lower that he should be, but the fact remains that he was outperformed by the Chiefs ahead of him on the list last year, even if it was the result of injuries. Assuming he's healthy for all of 2011, he'll end up in the top 5-10 if the same list is made in 12 months.

Flowers' consistency is unquestioned.

He's also as solid a tackler at corner as any in the league right now, and what he lacks in pure speed he makes up for with great natural instinct.

He is, however, more limited physically than the three players mentioned, and DJ still has untapped natural talent.

Those guys have higher ceilings, and should they put it all together, can be game changing playmakers.

Hali has touched that to some extent, but he is still learning and improving after his transition to OLB in this defense, and DJ finally started to show.

Carr has made strides in his two seasons, and Berry's upside is through the roof.

There must be more to Eric Weddle than meets the eye.

Other than the guards and Thomas Jones, our guys are all young, too. That's really nice.

Thomas Jones was one of the NFL's very worst running backs last season. But he's better than Brandon Carr, who is a legit top-20 cornerback in the NFL?