The Athletic Explains its 'Reservations' About Broncos QB Bo Nix

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton did a fantastic job squeezing every drop of talent out of his young roster as the team blew past the 5.5 wins the oddsmakers set to a 10-7 record. Bo Nix shocked the league as a rookie, leading the Broncos to their first playoff berth since 2015 with mediocre weapons outside of Courtland Sutton and a nonexistent run game.

Payton knows how to maximize the talent of his roster, and with the draft only a week away, one has to wonder just how good Denver’s roster is. The Athletic's Austin Mock utilized a model that considers several metrics to assign value to players based on their impact on a game.

After compiling all the values of each roster, the Broncos ranked 11th in the NFL, and Mock believes they’ll be a sleeper in the AFC if they can add some more juice to their skill positions.

“Skill talent. That’s what the Broncos need to add in the draft. The Broncos have a top-five offensive line and one of the better defenses in the league, so there’s no need to invest a ton of resources there," Mock wrote. "I still have reservations about quarterback Bo Nix, but coach Sean Payton remains a great play caller, and playing behind that offensive line makes life much easier for Nix. If the Broncos can find playmakers at wide receiver and running back in the draft, Denver could be a sleeper in the AFC this year.”

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The Broncos' offensive line and defense did the heavy lifting relative to their ranking, but that’s no surprise. The Broncos’ defense was lights out for the majority of the season, led by cornerback Patrick Surtain II, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, and defensive lineman Zach Allen.

The free-agent additions of linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga make the aforementioned trio exponentially more dynamic and vicious and will likely make the Broncos a top-3 to 5 unit in 2025.

Denver’s offensive line was one of the best in the league in 2024, only surrendering 24 sacks, third-fewest in the NFL, and were no slouches in the run game, but lacked the horses in the running back stable to take advantage of their superb blocking. With how stacked the running back class is this year, Denver could come away with at least two guys to add some pop on the ground.

Wide receiver is a definite need due to Sutton turning 30 this year, Marvin Mims Jr. still being closer to a gadget player than a consistent target, and the uncertainty of Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele growing into No. 1 or 2 wideouts. Who they have now shouldn’t scare the Broncos from looking in that direction.

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