It is tough to think of a team that disappointed as spectacularly on preseason expectations as the Broncos in 2022. After trading for Russell Wilson this team was widely considered to be a leading Super Bowl contender and a new powerhouse of the AFC. In reality they lost a franchise record 12 games as both Russell Wilson and head coach Nathaniel Hackett fell far short of expectation. Hackett was eventually fired after their Week 16 loss to the Rams.
Roster changes
Things didn’t go to plan for the Broncos in 2022 and they’ve looked to remedy that with some substantial investment this offseason. They signed Mike McGlinchey to a mammoth five-year $87.5 million to play right tackle, with Ben Powers joining on a four-year $52 million deal to slot in at guard. They also made some big additions on the other side of the ball, bringing in Zach Allen and Frank Clark along their defensive line.
There were some notable departures though. Dre’Mont Jones, who led the team in pressures in 2022, has moved on to Seattle. They also allowed two of their starting interior offensive linemen depart, with Dalton Risner and Graham Glasgow vacating almost 1,900 combined snaps.
Coaching situation
It has been a season of upheaval for the Broncos as far as their coaching staff is concerned. Nathaniel Hackett was relieved of his duties after what can only be described as a disastrous debut season. He has been replaced by former Saints head coach Sean Payton, who cost the Broncos a 2023 first round pick and a 2024 second round pick.
There is change at both coordinator spots too. Payton hired Joe Lombardi as the Broncos’ new offensive coordinator. Lombardi most recently spent time as the play caller for the Chargers, but prior to that he spent over a decade on Payton’s staff in New Orleans. The new defensive coordinator will be former Cardinals coordinator Vance Joseph, returning to the team where he was head coach from 2017-18.
2023 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 2.63 | Marvin Mims – WR, Oklahoma |
| 3.67 | Drew Sanders – LB, Arkansas |
| 3.83 | Riley Moss – CB, Iowa |
| 6.183 | JL Skinner – S, Boise State |
| 7.257 | Alex Forsyth – IOL, Oregon |
The Broncos made just five selections but did a good job of making them count. Marvin Mims at the end of the second round was very good business. He is a legitimate deep threat who should be an immediate impact player in Denver. They then managed to add some youth to their defense with a handful of intriguing selections, most noticeably former five-star recruit Drew Sanders, who is already an excellent blitzer and could become a high end starter.
Offense
2022 was obviously a very disappointing season for the Broncos, but looking ahead to 2023 there are reasons for hope. For starters, there is the fact that Sean Payton will bring a shift in offensive identity. You can expect a much more run-heavy approach with a variety of zone and gap scheme runs. With the new acquisitions along the offensive line and a thundering runner like Javonte Williams in the backfield, that is certainly promising.
This approach should also help to get the best out of Russell Wilson, particularly in terms of how they mesh their run game and play action. Wilson has been one of the better play action throwers in recent years, with 45 touchdowns to just nine interceptions over the last five seasons. With a talented receiving corps of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, and Greg Dulcich it is easy to see this unit taking a leap in 2023.
The one concern will be whether the offensive line can hold up consistently in pass protection. The addition of Powers and McGlinchey should help the running game, but both had up and down seasons in pass protection in 2022. Lloyd Cushenberry, who is currently penciled in to start at center, has also struggled noticeably since entering the league in 2020. We’ve never really seen a Sean Payton offense without a good offensive line, so if that doesn’t work out it could be a real problem.
Defense
2023 marks the start of a new era for this defense, with Ejiro Evero departing and Vance Joseph taking his place as defensive coordinator. Despite the fact it is a new face there are some similarities in scheme, and that should help the players. The Broncos ranked fourth in blitz rate in 2022, whilst Joseph’s Cardinals were second. Both play a lot of Cover 3 and Cover 6, and they were virtually identical in zone coverage rate (Broncos at 54.5%, Cardinals at 54.4%).
This is also a defense that boasts some real stars in the secondary. Patrick Surtain II is perhaps the best cornerback in football, with the versatility to play any technique or coverage to an incredibly high level. They also have an excellent safety in Justin Simmons, who has allowed a passer rating of just 79.2 throughout his career. Third-year safety Caden Sterns also showed promise in limited opportunities last season and could be in line for a bigger role in 2023.
The worry is going to be whether they are able to consistently generate pressure with their front four. Their leading returner in pressures is Baron Browning, whose 38 pressures ranked just 64th. The team will no doubt be hoping that Randy Gregory can be their guy, but he has never managed to play more than 500 snaps in a season so that seems unlikely. They are otherwise expecting a leap in production from a young talent (Browning or Bonitto) or veterans like Frank Clark to up their game. Neither feel like great bets.
Prediction
The Broncos were a train wreck in 2022. With Sean Payton at the helm it feels like things will certainly improve this season, although they still feel like a team that is a step or two behind the contenders in the AFC. A wildcard berth seems like a fair expectation for them in 2023.
