Denver Broncos 2020 Season Preview
The Denver Broncos have something precious and elusive going for them heading into 2020 — momentum. With quarterback Drew Lock helping lead the team to a 4-1 finish as a rookie last season, the Broncos have all the markings of a squad that has finally "bounced off the bottom" to quote GM John Elway.
All things are possible for a team that has found its quarterback of the future. The Broncos wandered the QB desert for four-and-a-half long years following Super Bowl 50 and seem to have emerged battle tested.
Recognizing what he saw on the field to close out the season, Elway focused almost all of the Broncos' offseason resources on building the nest around Lock. From hiring Pat Shurmur to serve as Lock's offensive coordinator and Mike Shula to be his position coach, to investing salary cap dollars and draft picks in the personnel pieces that can help the young QB take the next step, Elway set the young signal-caller, and thus the Broncos, up for short- and long-term success.
Combined with head coach Vic Fangio entering Year 2 with a full season of on-the-job training under his belt, the Broncos are poised to surprise some people in 2020 and really contend again for the AFC West.
Offense
With a new offensive philosophy to implement, the Broncos have been working to microwave the install of Shurmur's system. Without an Offseason Training Program, the Broncos had to rely on virtual Zoom meetings and classroom-style environments to learn the new offense.
And with 10 training camp practices now under their belt, things are coming together for the Broncos. However, considering the unique challenges of this year due to the pandemic, fans would be wise to heed Peyton Manning's advice and mitigate expectations early on this season.
The crucial distinction is that the Broncos have the talent and coaching acumen on the offensive side to win some ball games while they smooth out the rougher edges of the scheme. Thanks to the savvy drafting of Elway, this offense is absolutely teeming with talent.
Lock is the centerpiece for obvious reasons and working with two experienced offensive coaches, he'll have every coaching resource available to him. But from a weapons standpoint, Lock is loaded for bear on this hunt.
Courtland Sutton is coming off a Pro Bowl campaign in which he hauled in 72 receptions for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns, producing at a high level despite having to catch passes and gel with three different quarterbacks. Opposite him, the Broncos seem to be intent on starting Tim Patrick to open the season.
But Jerry Jeudy, the Broncos' first-round pick, will be the de facto No. 2 receiver in this offense. The former Alabama standout has been one of the stars of camp, earning rave reviews for his route-running and some serious compliments from the veterans on the team.
At tight end, the Broncos hope to see 2019 first-rounder Noah Fant take the next step in his development, perhaps even following Sutton's trajectory when it comes to a quantum leap forward in Year 2. Next to Fant, the Broncos brought in Nick Vannett via free agency to serve as that lunchpail tight end who can catch and block and provide some veteran savvy.
Don't sleep on Albert Okwuegbunam, though, whom the Broncos drafted in the fourth round. Albert O. is a former college teammate of Lock's and has the rare distinction of running a faster 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine than Fant (4.49s). The rookie tight end has received some first-team reps and figures to be used this year in red-zone packages.
At running back, the Broncos now boast a Pro Bowl duo. The incumbent is Phillip Lindsay, who's highly motivated coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing campaigns to open his career, while Melvin Gordon — a 2015 first-round pick of the Chargers' — arrives as the high-priced free-agent acquisition. This tandem is poised to serve as a phenomenal failsafe for Lock and potent one-two punch for the Broncos.
The offensive line is the big question mark for Denver. With Ja'Wuan James opting out of the 2020 season, the Broncos' initial plan is to give Elijah Wilkinson another opportunity to start at right tackle. The team hedged by signing Demar Dotson, an 11-year veteran, as training camp opened in earnest.
Unfortunately, Wilkinson has been a turnstile at camp, which could make the coaches' decision at right tackle all the easier. Dotson started at right tackle the last eight years in Tampa Bay and while he's an above-average player at best, he's at least experienced and competent.
Meanwhile, Garett Bolles enters his contract year at left tackle as the undisputed starter. The volatile tackle is hoping to finally have the type of season for the Broncos that will justify his first-round pedigree but fans aren't holding their breath.
The interior is the Broncos' strength upfront with Dalton Risner returning as the left guard and the prized free-agent acquisition Graham Glasgow locking down right guard. The center position, however, remains up in the air.
The expectation is that third-round pick Lloyd Cushenberry III will eventually win the job, but the Broncos are making the former LSU star battle for it with incumbents Austin Schlottmann and Pat Morris. With two spots on the starting five still undecided, it's hard to project exactly what quality the Broncos will field upfront this year.
Defense
As exciting as the Broncos' young offense is, it's the defense that is in the best position to hit the ground running in 2020. Traditionally, Year 2 of Fangio's scheme has seen his defenses click and rise collectively to another level. The Broncos are banking on that happening.
A few personnel tweaks the team made during the offseason could help them get there. The Broncos opted to let cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. depart in free agency after acquiring A.J. Bouye via trade from Jacksonville. Bouye wasn't the only gem acquired on the trading block.
Inexplicably, the Broncos managed to fleece the Titans of five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey for the measly price of a seventh-round pick. Already, Casey's impact in camp has been palpable. Both he and Bouye are ideal fits for Fangio's scheme.
The other exciting aspect of the Broncos' defense this year is the return of two Pro Bowl-caliber players who missed most of, if not all of, last year. Bradley Chubb returns to rush the quarterback opposite of Von Miller, while the Broncos also get cornerback Bryce Callahan back who missed all of last season with a nagging foot injury.
Combined with one of the best safety tandems in the NFL in Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson and the Broncos' secondary could be a force to be reckoned with. De'Vante Bausby is the leader in the clubhouse to lock down the No. 3 cornerback role.
Alexander Johnson returns at inside linebacker hoping to build on what was an extremely impressive first year as a starter. His parter, Todd Davis, succumbed early in training camp to a calf injury but is expected back in time for the season-opener on September 14.
The linebackers are a question mark, at least depth-wise, with fifth-round rookie Justin Strnad being lost for the season with a wrist injury. But the Broncos will hope to make up for it with the impressive depth the team has cultivated on the defensive line with names like Dre'Mont Jones, DeMarcus Walker, Christian Covington, and rookie third-rounder McTelvin Agim rotating in and out of games.
Record Prediction: 10-6
The Broncos are team who might not quite be there in terms of knocking the Kansas City Chiefs off their perch as division champs, but double-digit wins and a Wildcard berth in the playoffs are very much on the table for this team who'll play the 12th-toughest strength of schedule.
Expected Offensive Depth Chart
QB: Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel
WR1: Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, DaeSean Hamilton
WR2: Jerry Jeudy, KJ Hamler, Diontae Spencer
TE: Noah Fant, Nick Vannett, Albert Okwuegbunam, Jake Butt
RB: Phillip Lindsay, Melvin Gordon, Royce Freeman, Andrew Beck (FB)
LT: Garett Bolles, Calvin Anderson
LG: Dalton Risner, Netane Muti
C: Lloyd Cushenberry, Patrick Morris
RG: Graham Glasgow, Austin Schlottmann
RT: Demar Dotson, Elijah Wilkinson
Expected Defensive Depth Chart
LOLB: Von Miller, Jeremiah Attaochu
LDE: Jurrell Casey, Dre'Mont Jones
NT: Mike Purcell, McTelvin Agim, Christian Covington
RDE: Shelby Harris, DeMarcus Walker
ROLB: Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed
ILB: Todd Davis, Josey Jewell
ILB: Alexander Johnson, Justin Hollins, Joe Jones
CB1: A.J. Bouye, De'Vante Bausby, Davontae Harris
CB2: Bryce Callahan, Isaac Yiadom, Michael Ojemudia
FS: Justin Simmons, Alijah Holder
SS: Kareem Jackson, Trey Marshall
Special Teams
K: Brandon McManus
P: Sam Martin
LS: Wes Farnsworth
PR/KR: Diontae Spencer
How are the other teams of the AFC West shaping up? Check out the Sports Illustrated preview hub for all 32 NFL teams.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHudde.
