Which non-starting players on the Denver Broncos roster are the most important to the team heading into the 2022 NFL season?
Over the course of the next month, we’re going to be taking in-depth looks at the Denver Broncos roster from about every angle possible.
Which players on this extremely talented roster are the most important, but aren’t in the starting lineup?
Now that’s an interesting discussion.
You don’t have to be a starter in the NFL to be crucial to your team’s success.
With OTAs in the books, let’s take a look at which players on the Denver Broncos roster right now are most important to the team’s success that won’t be in the starting lineup when the 2022 season kicks off.
Denver Broncos impactful non-starter no. 3: Melvin Gordon, RB
Is it jumping the gun a bit to say that Melvin Gordon won’t be the Denver Broncos’ starting running back in 2022?
Maybe.
Gordon is back on a one-year deal and every sign right now seems to point to Javonte Williams being the “starter” at running back, although that doesn’t exactly matter as much in today’s NFL.
Like a great 6th man in the NBA, whoever is the RB2 on the Denver Broncos’ depth chart isn’t going to be playing much of a backup role, at least in the traditional sense.
Gordon started all 16 games he played for the Denver Broncos last season and didn’t show any signs that he’s slowing down or that he’s feeling the effects of so many touches and carries dating back to his days as the Wisconsin Badgers bell-cow back.
In fact, Gordon looked fresh last season. He looked more explosive than we’ve seen him in some time.
The Broncos have one of the best running back duos in the entire NFL with Gordon and Javonte Williams and that is a huge threat to opposing teams to have to deal with, especially now that Russell Wilson is the QB of the team.
As far as “non-starters” go, it doesn’t get much more important than Melvin Gordon, who has 20 touchdowns over the last two seasons and has been one of the Broncos’ most consistent sources of offensive production.