The Denver Broncos are set to kick off their regular season on September 12th against the Seattle Seahawks with a bunch of hype heading into the season.
That hype train was created by the offseason hiring of Nathaniel Hacket and the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson. This is the first time since the 2015 season that the Denver Broncos head into the season with confidence in their coach and quarterback duo after years of conservative calling and lackluster QB play. An offense to match the energy that the defense has brought has been a utopia that fans can finally see come true this year.
Hackett and Wilson join the Denver Broncos with a solid core already. Weapons Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and the two-headed monster at running back with Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon call for some high expectations.
The only core that could take a hit is the defensive play with the departure of Vic Fangio, whose defensive mastermind cannot be questioned. Still, the experience that newly appointed defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero possesses speaks volumes and should keep the defense afloat.
Despite some great additions, Denver did have some tough subtractions through trades and injuries that have created some questions. Snagging Wilson was perfect. However, losing tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris creates sizable holes on the roster. To make matters worse wide receiver Tim Patrick will be sidelined all season after sustaining a torn ACL.
A season that could go either way in one of the toughest divisions in football has the Denver Broncos in a spot of the unknown. Therefore it is only fitting that we spark up the top 5 bold predictions this season.
Denver Broncos bold predictions for the 2022 NFL season
Jerry Jeudy eclipses over 1k receiving yards this season?
A prediction that many expected to happen either year one or two has not come to fruition. Instead, heading into his third season with the Denver Broncos, Jeudy has not eclipsed over 900 yards in a season and only has three touchdowns in the two seasons. Jeudy has started 19 games out of 26 played, with six games missed in two years. The Alabama stand outplayed 75% of Denvers’ snaps in 2020 and just 65% last season. So time on the field is not why. Instead, many can pinpoint the struggles at the quarterback position since Jeudy was drafted 15th overall in 2020.
Jeudy has played with five different quarterbacks, including wide receiver Kendall Hinton who played emergency QB after a covid exposure hit that core. Jeudy has not been the problem, often creating highlight route tapes that show the young receiver’s ability to get open. This is why adding a veteran like Wilson will be impactful, helping Jeudy get over the 1k hurdle.
In year one, Jeudy finished with 52 receptions on 113 targets for 856 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers would dip dramatically in year two, snagging 38 passes on 56 targets for 467 yards and zero touchdowns.
This should be Jeudy’s coming out party, pending an entirely healthy season. An offensive-minded head coach with a quarterback whose talents are not questionable should result in those highlighted routes ending up with explosive plays.
Jeudy stats prediction…. 83 receptions, 1300 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns.