The Denver Broncos have a few players on their roster who are under some pressure to perform in the upcoming season. Will they boom or bust? Perhaps one of the worst things a player and us fans can experience is a player not panning out. Maybe they end up being labeled a draft bust, or maybe they wildly underperform a contract they recently signed.
Whatever the case may be, the Broncos have a few players on their roster that may either break out or end up fading away and off the team. I would never actively root for one of my favorite team’s players to fail, but unfortunately, each team in the NFL, no, in professional sports, has players that end up as massive liabilities for their respective clubs.
So, which players on the Denver Broncos are going to either boom or bust in 2022?
3 Denver Broncos who will either breakout or underperform in 2022
3. Albert Okwuegbunam, TE
The first player who I think can boom or bust in 2022 is Albert Okwuegbunam, the team’s projected TE1. Albert O was launched into the “player breakout” category as soon as the team included Noah Fant in the trade for Russell Wilson.
Wilson has been able to distribute the ball to his playmakers throughout his career, so if Okwuegbunam gets open, Russ will find him. With that said, Albert O has been rather quiet this season, which makes me a bit nervous, as the team drafted Greg Dulcich in the third round.
Dulcich is a bit like Albert O–they’re both a bit of a project at the position, but they have exceptional athleticism and fit the mold for a modern-day tight end in the NFL. I would have thought we’d have heard Albert O’s name more this offseason, but him playing late into the Denver Broncos’ second preseason game makes me think that he hasn’t separated himself enough yet.
With that said, Albert O has all the tools to have a breakout season. He can outrun defensive backs, which is insane and has shown an exceptional ability to make people miss in the open field. In many aspects, he’s a very big X receiver, which would be awesome to see on the field on 2022.
3 Denver Broncos who will either breakout or underperform in 2022
2. Randy Gregory, DE
I think another obvious candidate for this list is Randy Gregory, who signed a $70 million contract with the Denver Broncos this offseason. It’s a big gamble on Gregory, who has missed two full seasons because of off-field issues and has never played a full season.
He’s also never notched more than six sacks in a season but was paid like a premier pass rusher. Gregory is a good player and will play with a much-improved front seven for the Denver Broncos. However, given his history, I see a scenario where Gregory doesn’t live up to his big contract, and will quickly be labeled as a bust by the Denver fanbase.
I hope the complete opposite happens, though. Randy Gregory is a freakishly athletic specimen who has insane bend, speed, and length. He’s shown a great ability to get to the quarterback in a multitude of ways, and there’s a reason why he was a second-round pick back in 2015. Playing alongside Bradley Chubb, DJ Jones, and Dre’Mont Jones, Gregory has the opportunity to rack up a ton of juicy stats in 2022.
However, his off-field and injury concerns will still be on the minds of Broncos Country.
3 Denver Broncos who will either breakout or underperform in 2022
1. Calvin Anderson, RT
I think the last player on the Broncos who could either breakout or underperform in 2022 is Calvin Anderson, who is currently penciled in as the team’s starting right tackle. An undrafted player, Anderson has worked his way well onto the Broncos’ rosters.
He’s started a few games in the NFL and has looked OK in those performances. He is, like Gregory, a super athletic player. Anderson has the length, size, and athleticism to be an NFL right tackle, but it remains to be seen if he can put it all together. He wasn’t able to secure the starting right tackle spot in 2021, which instead went to Bobby Massie.
Now that Anderson has essentially had the offseason to himself, as Billy Turner and Tom Compton have hardly been seen, this might be his absolute last and best chance to show the staff that he’s legit.
He’s still young and could solve a long-term need for the Denver Broncos. The young coaching staff would also love to benefit from this as well, as it’ll give them one less thing to worry about as they progress through their careers in Denver. Anderson was an undrafted player and hasn’t been able to crack through just yet, so that’s why I think he’s a candidate to breakout or underperform in 2022.