The Denver Broncos have a number of players on both sides of the ball poised to break out in a big way in 2022. We rank the top five.
The Denver Broncos could have a wide variety of players breaking out on the roster in 2022 now that Russell Wilson is the quarterback.
If Wilson makes the team better — as we anticipate he will — there are plenty of young players that stand to benefit greatly from the team’s overall success.
With such a young roster the last couple of years, we’ve seen players emerge and play key roles but we could see some true breakthroughs in 2022.
In order to be a true breakout player candidate, I don’t love picking rookies. You also can’t already have had a “breakout” type of season.
Players like Javonte Williams and Pat Surtain II played huge roles as rookies last season and already had their version of a “breakout” but they were also high draft picks, so they were expected to do that.
Regardless of strict criteria for what players fit into the true “breakout” category, I think Denver Broncos fans will agree that this particular list of players is ready to burst onto the scene in 2022 in a big way.
Denver Broncos breakout player no. 1: Calvin Anderson, RT
Could this finally be the year?
Like, the year?
Could the Denver Broncos actually have a long-term solution at the right tackle position?
It’s possible that we could see Calvin Anderson become that guy.
After years of development under Mike Munchak and Chris Kuper, Calvin Anderson could finally be getting his best opportunity as a long-term starter option under new offensive line coach Butch Barry.
The Broncos’ front office and scouting department have clearly believed in Anderson for a while now, and he’s done well in the majority of the opportunities he’s been given in spot starts at either tackle position.
After narrowly losing the starting job to Bobby Massie last year, Anderson will be in competition yet again in 2022 and could finally establish and entrench himself as a long-term option.
Denver Broncos breakout player no. 2: Jonas Griffith, LB
The Denver Broncos need a breakout player at the linebacker position in 2022, in a big way.
Josey Jewell is back with the team on a two-year deal after tearing his pectoral in 2021 and missing most of the season.
Besides Jewell, the Denver Broncos lack big names or experience at the inside linebacker position.
Last year, as injuries mounted and the Broncos found every possible way to add linebackers to the roster or practice squad, trade acquisition Jonas Griffith finally got his opportunity and took advantage in a big way.
Griffith was outstanding in the final four games of the season (his four starts), racking up:
- 42 total tackles
- 2 QB hits
- 4 tackles for loss
He proved his worth in coverage, and showed that he can be a dynamic playmaker at the position and certainly one with an intriguing blend of size and athleticism.
At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Griffith moves around like a big defensive back and the Denver Broncos had initially just hoped that he could provide them with a weapon on special teams.
As it turns out, he could now project as the fellow starter next to Josey Jewell at off-ball linebacker, which makes him a clear breakout player candidate for the Denver Broncos in 2022.
Denver Broncos breakout player no. 3: Baron Browning, EDGE
If nothing else, I’m hoping to simply speak this one into existence.
The unicorn of unicorns on the Denver Broncos’ roster is Baron Browning, a true defensive weapon who has made a seemingly full-time switch to the edge this offseason.
A good percentage of Broncos Country is understandably confused by the position switch considering you want your best 11 guys on the field at any given time, and I think Browning has a chance to be 1/11 when all is said and done without question.
Browning’s elite athleticism has proven to be effective off the edge in the past.
We saw it at Ohio State. We saw it at the Senior Bowl.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see much of it last season. We saw more of Caden Sterns rushing the passer in 2021 than we did Baron Browning, which is criminal.
That will change in a drastic way during the 2022 season, provided Browning can stay healthy.
We saw him last season get some reps covering CeeDee Lamb in the slot as well as Ja’Marr Chase in the slot when the Broncos took on the Bengals.
We saw him cover a ton of ground and show off his range.
We saw him as a QB spy.
Browning is too talented to be kept on the sideline on a full-time basis. He needs to be on the field more often than not.
Hopefully, the Broncos’ defensive staff was taking notes on how the Dallas Cowboys used Micah Parsons last year, and they plan on deploying Browning in a similar way.
Denver Broncos breakout player no. 4: Albert Okwuegbunam, TE
Albert Okwuegbunam was actually on this list for me in 2021, but looking back, I’m having a hard time remembering exactly why.
Last year, Okwuegbunam’s road to playing time was impeded by Noah Fant, who wound up leading the team in receptions in 2021.
Still, Okwuegbunam showed more as a second-year pro than he did in his rookie season, getting more opportunities in the passing game which led to 33 receptions for 330 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Both of which were quite exciting, I might add.
https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/1470180087215669248
This guy has a lot going for him.
His top competition this season is rookie Greg Dulcich. As we know as of OTAs, the Dulcich hype train is borderline running off the rails.
Still, Okwegbunam is a physical freak. A 6-foot-5, 265-pound monster at the position who runs a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash and has the type of body control you typically only see from smaller receivers.
He has a massive catch radius, he can make plays in space, and he has great field awareness to make plays at the sideline or in the back of the end zone.
We’ve only begun scratching the surface of how good Okwuegbunam can be, and I think we’ll see him take huge strides forward with Russell Wilson as the quarterback.
Denver Broncos breakout player no. 5: Jerry Jeudy, WR
After his rookie season was sort of up-and-down due to dropped passes, I think everyone was in agreement that year two would be the breakout year for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.
Unfortunately, a variety of not-so-fun factors prevented that from happening.
Jeudy suffered an injury in the first game of the season that landed him on temporary injured reserve. Upon his return to the lineup, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur sent Jeudy in motion behind the line of scrimmage more than he sent him running routes, it seemed.
Jeudy became the decoy for the offense, which makes no sense in hindsight because he’s one of the team’s most creative in the open field with the ball in his hands and he’s also the guy who gets open the easiest at the wide receiver position for the Broncos.
Denver’s misuse of Jerry Jeudy last year is something everyone in Broncos Country was embarrassed by, and for good reason.
Now, Jeudy has an elite quarterback slinging him passes and an offensive staff that should unquestionably do a better job at getting him opportunities and touches.
Year three has now become the year for Jerry Jeudy.
Not only should he be expected to break out, but I think there’s a chance Jeudy could wind up leading the Denver Broncos in every receiving category.
Of course, he’ll have plenty of competition there from Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick, but Jeudy’s combination of speed, quickness, vision in the open field, and ability to win at all levels of the field is unmatched on this roster.
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