PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS

NO. 6

DENVER BRONCOS

Though most folks presume that the AFC West will see the Chargers in first place and the Broncos in second, we see it the other way around -- and we've never been accused of being Broncos fans.

On offense, the Broncos could be dynamic to the point of dominant.  We like quarterback Jay Cutler, and we believe he'll be much better in his second NFL season.  Tailback Travis Henry, who was a great performer in Tennessee last year, will help to unlock the passing game by forcing a safety toward the line of scrimmage.  Receiver Javon Walker will build on his solid debut in Denver, and the arrival of Daniel Graham at tight end will be a solid complement to Stephen Alexander and second-year pro Tony Scheffler.

The defense is better than advertised, but still needs help on the line.  Simeon Rice could make a difference, if/when he signs with the team.  Still, any defense that has cornerback Champ Bailey and safety John Lynch is good enough to win consistently, and the Broncos will indeed win -- more than consistently.

If the Broncos can get things clicking on defense, we think that they could topple the likes of the Colts and the Pats in the postseason, especially if the Broncos can secure home-field advantage.

Key departures:  RB Tatum Bell, DE/LB Patrick Chukwurah, QB Jake Plummer, DT Michael Myers.

Key arrivals:  CB Dre' Bly, RB Travis Henry, TE Daniel Graham, DT Sam Adams, WR Brandon Stokley.

Draft pick most likely to make an impact:  DE Jarvis Moss.

Coach's current job security:  Lifetime.