Tom Telesco, general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders, has ten years of AFC West experience. He is assembling a team that ought to be able to contend in that division.

The National Football League’s hardest division is where the Las Vegas Raiders play. They have to play against one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history twice a year since they are in the same division as Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

In addition, quarterback Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers are a constant rival of the Raiders. Twice a year, the Raiders take on the Denver Broncos, who have also proven they can compete with the Raiders regardless of how good or bad they play.

With seven playoff slots available each conference, the Chiefs have controlled the division for almost a decade, but even if they keep up their current dominance, there is still potential for another AFC West club to advance. Because of this, the divisional race is interesting to follow outside of the Chiefs.

The Raiders’ division rivals are always eager to bolster their rosters and coaching staff in order to compete with one another—and in some cases, much more so than other clubs in the league. Telesco’s knowledge with the division played a key in his hiring.

The Chiefs gave Chris Jones such a large salary because they knew the Raiders would probably pick it up if they didn’t pay him. The Chiefs were undoubtedly correct in their supposition, especially in light of the contract that the Raiders awarded Christian Wilkins, a defensive lineman.

The Chargers’ and Chiefs’ defenses contributed to the Raiders’ need to improve their offensive line. Because of the Chiefs’ abundance of receiving options, the Raiders may still be willing to contract another cornerback despite having already selected two. The AFC West’s teams always face off against one another, whether it’s during free agency, the NFL Draft, or game days.

Telesco was the only general manager available who recognized that the AFC West is an arms race. The seasoned general manager started repairing the team’s roster in a way that only a former adversary could, having spent twelve years in the division before to joining the Raiders.

The Raiders are fortunate to have Telesco as their general manager. He has been present in the AFC West for all eight of the Chiefs’ division titles and is eager to turn things around for both the Raiders and himself in the division.

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