Ranking Broncos' Position Groups Heading into 2020 Season

The Denver Broncos have made a lot of moves to strengthen the roster since the 2019 season ended. The team was quite successful in bolstering multiple position groups but came up short in a few other spots.

Today, I'm ranking these position groups from their strongest unit to their weakest. Both offensive and defensive lines are going to be grouped together instead of looking at them as individual positions since they are a unit.

But keep in mind, these rankings are not based on expectations or potential but rather, proven production at the NFL level. Based on potential, these position-group rankings would look quite different.

1. Running Back

This is easily the strongest position. Melvin Gordon is a great receiving back and a very good runner that can really add a major weapon to the offense.

Denver also has Phillip Lindsay who is coming off of back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The Broncos might have an issue with their third RB as Royce Freeman hasn’t lived up to his draft pedigree, but Lindsay and Gordon can really carry the unit and provide a great complement to spell each other.

2. Tight End

Health willing, this is the Broncos' best position because there was already so much talent at tight end and Denver just added to it in free agency and the draft. Noah Fant should take a big step forward, and rookie fourth-rounder Albert Okwuegbunam adds a very interesting weapon to the unit.

Denver also added a TE who's a better blocker than anyone else in the room free-agent mercenary Nick Vannett. The Broncos made improvements to the TE room in a big way.

3. Defensive Line

The D-line last year was one of the stronger units for the Broncos, and this year it looks even better despite losing Derek Wolfe and Adam Gotsis in free agency. Mike Purcell has proven to be a very solid nose tackle, while Jurrell Casey and McTelvin Agim are respective upgrades over Wolfe and Gotsis.

Dre’Mont Jones got the experience he needed to blossom late last season and Shelby Harris is back in the saddle. Denver improved here and it will be interesting to see how that translates on the field.

4. Special Teams

Not much to say here. Denver stayed the same at kicker and made a big improvement at punter. Long snapper? Well, that remains to be seen, but this is a strong group for Denver.

5. Offensive Line

The Broncos' O-line ranked 12th in the NFL last year per Pro Football Focus and that was accomplished while dealing with multiple injuries including one to their big-money right tackle. Denver put together a solid unit despite having to get reps from Jake Rodgers, Patrick Morris, and Austin Schlottmann in multiple games due to injuries.

Their relative success came despite fielding a right tackle in Elijah Wilkinson who was one of the worst tackles in the NFL last year. Garett Bolles has his issues, but he was one of the better pieces in the unit as they finished ranked 12th.

Not only that, Denver upgraded the O-line by adding Graham Glasgow via free agency, as well as Lloyd Cushenberry and Netane Muti via the draft. If Ja’Wuan James can get back and stay on the field, this unit is strong on paper.

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6. Safety

This was a position that was actually hard for me to place as I debated going higher and lower with it. Denver is very thin at safety, lacking depth behind Justin Simmons and Kreem Jackson, but these two formed one of the top-three safety duos in the NFL last year.

Denver is lacking that third safety, but these two really carry the unit. Keep an eye on undrafted rookies Essang Bassey and Douglas Coleman III as candidates to compete with Trey Marshall for the third job.

7. Edge Rusher

This is actually quite simple. Von Miller is getting up there in age, and Bradley Chubb is coming back from a major injury. The Broncos' depth is lackluster, and while Jeremiah Attaochu was solid down the stretch last year, the team lacked consistency from its depth.

The only reason the edge rushers are not ranked lower is because we have seen how dangerous Miller and Chubb can be when they're on the field together.

8. Wide Receiver

This might get a lot of flack because of everything Denver did to bolster its receiving corps, however, there are no guaranteed answers right now. Jerry Jeudy was a great first-round pick, and KJ Hamler can be, but Courtland Sutton is the only proven piece today.

Obviously, that could change in a hurry when the season rolls around, but until we get answers and see Hamler and Jeudy on the field, it is hard to rank the WRs higher. This is how strong the positions are sitting here in the offseason.

Until the Broncos get out on the grass, there's no way of knowing for sure how strong the unit is. DaeSean Hamilton and Tim Patrick don’t bolster this unit much, and Denver made that clear by drafting three WRs.

9. Quarterback

This is not an indictment on Drew Lock. Jeff Driskel is a solid backup option and Brett Rypien will compete for it. Meanwhile, the starter, Lock, is loaded with potential, but he has a lot of growing to do to prove he is the guy.

Quarterback is the most valuable position in football and not having an answer here could really drag the team down. Hopefully, Lock steps up and improves his play to be that long-term answer for Denver.

10. Linebacker

Alexander Johnson had a strong season and Todd Davis was solid for the most part, but they both have their issues in coverage. Denver didn’t do much to help out the group except for drafting an athletic rookie coming off a bicep injury in Justin Strnad.

The Broncos have a lot of players with similar molds and lack the versatility needed in the unit. Johnson and Davis are solid LBs but they're limited with what you can do with them.

11. Cornerback

Denver acquired A.J. Bouye via a trade and drafted Michael Ojemudia in the third round. The Broncos made some additions to help the position, but there are still so many questions with the unit, it remains the weakest group on the roster.

Will Bryce Callahan play? Can Issac Yiadom step up? What can you expect from De'Vante Bausby and Davontae Harris? There are just so many questions with the group, and while Ojemudia and Bouye are nice additions, the rookie third-rounder has to prove himself while Bouye has to rebound from a lackluster 2019 campaign in Jacksonville.

Bottom Line

Some of these rankings would be very different if expectations were included. To measure their verifiable strength, we have to go strictly off of what we've seen in the NFL.

Denver is very young at a few of these positions and just added more youth, like in the wide receiver room. By the time the 2020 season is in the books, I expect the Broncos' WR position to have proven itself to be one of, if not the, strongest unit on the roster.

But again, these rankings are not based on expectations but rather, proven production at the NFL level. If we were ranking based on potential, it would look completely different.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.

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