5 Bold Broncos Predictions That'll Come True in 2023

To think it's just a few days before the Denver Broncos kick off the 2023 season against the Las Vegas Raiders. There's been plenty to like about the preseason, and there's reason for optimism under new head coach Sean Payton.

Last season, I made several bold predictions, but unfortunately, Nathaniel Hackett had other designs. He was a head coach who was way in over his head, plus the Broncos suffered from a host of injuries to the squad and multiple players struggling to put things together.

But that won't stop me from rolling out a new set of bold Broncos predictions for 2023. The hope is that the Broncos will have better coaching, will not have such bad luck with injuries again, and will see multiple players settle down and get back to consistently good play.

Let's dive into my five bold predictions for the 2023 Broncos season.

1. Russell Wilson Will Throw 30 TD Passes

Wilson has thrown 30 or more touchdown passes in five of his 11 NFL seasons. The last time he threw at least that many was in 2020, when he threw a career-best 40 TD passes.

That number dropped in 2021 to 25, though Wilson missed three games. Then, in 2022, he threw a career-low 16 TD passes. That was one of many reasons some wondered if Wilson was in decline.

I'll be bullish on Wilson with this prediction — that he will surpass 30 TD passes again. Expecting him to hit the 40 he threw in 2020 would be expecting too much, but there is room for optimism that Wilson will reach 30, thanks to Payton running an offense that plays more to his strengths.

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2. Javonte Williams Will Rush for 1,000 Yards.

Normally, a 1,000-yard rushing season wouldn't be a bold prediction. But when you consider what happened to Williams last season, it would be.

Williams suffered a torn ACL and LCL in Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season. It was expected it would take a lot of time for him to recover, but he was a full participant for most of training camp and saw action in the second preseason game.

The reports are that Williams will be eased into action, but he should see enough touches to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark. And after such a significant injury in 2022, that mark would be significant — one that would put him in the conversation for Comeback Player of the Year.

3. Jerry Jeudy Catches 80-Plus Passes, Leading Team

It seems each year, we've been betting on Jeudy hitting his stride and living up to that first-round draft pick status. However, for one reason or another, things haven't fallen into place.

But take note of the fact that after the Broncos fired Hackett, Jeudy had 12 receptions in the final two games, leading all receivers over that span. We also saw Wilson targeting Jeudy a fair amount in the first preseason game.

A hamstring injury in training camp did set Jeudy back a bit, but he isn't expected to miss too much time. If he can stay healthy, 80 receptions for the season — a mark I predicted for him in 2022 — isn't out of the question.

4. Broncos Defense Posts 40 Sacks

The last time Vance Joseph was with the Broncos — the 2018 season — they had 44 sacks as a team. Most of those sacks came from Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, the only season the two played together every game, whereas in other seasons when one was healthy, the other was injured.

The Broncos don't have a game-changer like Miller, nor do they have a consistent threat to reach double-digit sacks like Chubb. But they do have multiple players who can get to the quarterback and create pressure.

For the Broncos to reach 40 sacks, they would need eight players to average five sacks. Let's say one player has eight, another has seven, and a third has six. That would give you 21 sacks, meaning you need seven more to average three sacks.

Even if the Broncos don't have a bonafide game-changer among their pass rushers, they do have players capable of coming together to produce a good sack total.

5. Damarri Mathis Leads Broncos in Interceptions

Last season, Justin Simmons finished with six interceptions to lead the Broncos, even as he missed four games because of injuries. He's gained a reputation as a ball hawk.

This season, though, let's predict somebody else will lead the team in picks. And given that opposing quarterbacks may be leery about targeting Patrick Surtain II, that could open things up for second-year cornerback Damarri Mathis.

Last year, Mathis had a typical season for a rookie who was a late-round draft pick — he struggled quite a bit but showed plenty of potential. I'm betting this is the season he takes the next step and becomes a quality No. 2 cornerback, which should give him the chance to lead the defense in interceptions.

If Mathis does take the next step, the Broncos could have their best cornerback duo since the days of Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, Jr. Nothing would excite Broncos fans more than to see a resurgence of the No Fly Zone.

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