Broncos Buried in ESPN's 'Future' NFL Power Rankings
The Denver Broncos are one of the winningest franchises in the NFL. With an all-time winning percentage of 52.3, eight Super Bowl appearances, and three World Championships, the franchise has earned the accolades required to be considered historic.
However, the NFL is a production-based business. What have the Broncos done lately to garner respect?
In its 'future' NFL power rankings, ESPN peered into a crystal ball for an outlook on the Broncos' next three years, and didn't like what it saw. Ranking Denver at No. 19 in these rankings, ESPN gave the Broncos a 77.9 overall score, behind the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 2) and the Los Angeles Chargers (13th).
Per the network, ESPN created a complex algorithm derived from five categories to render an overall score. Here are the results for the Broncos:
- Overall Roster (Minus QB): 80.3 | Ranking: 16th
- Quarterback: 75.3 | Ranking: 21st
- Coaching: 90.0 | Ranking: 6th
- Draft: 64.7 | Ranking: 31st
- Front Office: 73.3 | Ranking: 26th
ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes that Sean Payton's arrival and the Broncos' defensive talent offer reasons for hope.
It absolutely cannot get any worse for Russell Wilson than it was in his first season in Denver. And while that might not sound like the most super-duper optimistic way to look at things, the arrival of coach Sean Payton should lead to things being better organized around Wilson and the offense. The roster has a lot of good players on defense, at wide receiver and in other spots that point to a potentially quick turnaround if Wilson has one in him.
Conversely, Louis Riddick voiced concerns:
The Denver front office has to do better. I give the organization credit for quickly recognizing that Nathaniel Hackett wasn’t the answer last year, but the fact is that it was ill-advised from the beginning. Compounding that hire was the trade for Wilson and what it cost in terms of draft capital relative to his performance. And lastly, other than Pat Surtain II, the Broncos have not acquired enough impact players through the draft to close the talent gap with Kansas City.
The Takeaway
It's another list, and it's based on subjective metrics created by one, albeit giant, publication.
There are several things that the Broncos have not done in recent years:
- Denver hasn't made the playoffs since hoisting the Super Bowl 50 Lombardi Trophy.
- The Broncos have not had a winning season since 2016.
Denver hopes to end this sub-par streak with a new experienced coaching staff and a revamped roster. Even with the latest changes, some in the national media still believe the Broncos' future is bleak at best. That's fine.
But if the Broncos execute well this year, this team can continue to play meaningful football in January and possibly February. Although all units have much to prove this year, it's imperative that the Payton/Russell Wilson connection works so that these doubters can be silenced.
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