Denver Broncos pass rush has talent to be lethal in 2022
Teams who vie for championships or long playoff runs are a testament to how deep they’re at each position and for the Denver Broncos pass rush is no question.
As the season will progress the Broncos are going to be one of the football teams that will be must-watch in 2022. After signing Randy Gregory to a long, cost-efficient deal he will be opposite of Bradley Chubb. Looking back after Monday night’s game versus the Seattle Seahawks, the Denver Broncos might actually have a great duo in Chubb and Gregory. Even looking at the depth chart more the Broncos appear to be set for not just this year but life after Chubb if the team lets him walk.
Denver Broncos have tremendous talent off the edge in 2022
In the 2021 and 2022 NFL Draft, the Broncos selected Baron Browning and Nik Bonitto. Browning was originally brought in to be a versatile inside linebacker with the potential to play edge or outside linebacker. Fast forward to this year, under a new staff Browning vocally mentioned making the switch to pass rush/outside linebacker. Bonitto was selected in the second round and he is another raw player with the possibility of being a pure pass rusher.
In some ways, Bonitto is the opposite of Hassan Reddick very early in his career. Reddick started out playing inside and outside linebacker before making the transition to edge rusher. Bonitto can come in right away and be that pass rusher from day one.
The other players on the depth chart cannot certainly be forgotten as well. Jonathon Cooper was one of those players who emerge quickly with the loss of Von Miller in the trade to the Los Angeles Rams. Cooper has hair on fire mentality where he plays with a ridiculous motor almost all the time. That can sometimes lead to undisciplined penalties like one versus Seattle.
The taunting call might have been a little suspect with a quick trigger, but as a player you can’t put your team in disadvantageous situations like that. However, there’s still something there with Cooper that begs the question why he was a seventh round draft pick. He seemed a little more polished as a prospect in 2021 and a leader of the Buckeyes defense who wore the rare number 0 for Ohio State.
There was a stat from week one of the regular season that placed Randy Gregory and Bradley Chubb in the top six of win percentage for a pass rusher. Against the Seahawks, Chubb tallied two sacks late and Gregory forced multiple pressures in limited action while also forcing a fumble. Both Chubb and Gregory made the most of their opportunities in week one. Also not far behind after week one is Baron Browing. Browning placed in the top 10 of players with a high pass rush win percentage.
One player not listed, but imagine we will see frequently there is Bonitto. Bonitto was one of the most successful pass rush win rate players in college football and in preseason continued to top that list.
Rookie defenders with the highest pass rush grades this Preseason:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 30, 2022
1️⃣ Nik Bonitto: 87.6
2️⃣ Myjai Sanders: 87.4 pic.twitter.com/uCCrPlhgIM
While the Broncos lost the game in week one, it was not because of their run defense and pass rush. Particularly in the second half. For the Denver Broncos to be one of those Super Bowl contending teams they will need contributions from up and down their depth chart to help win them games. Especially in a jam-packed AFC West, the Broncos have to rise above the adversity and press on.
With a new staff and new mentality from top to bottom, it’s time for the Broncos to pin their ears back and put pressure on their opponents like there’s no tomorrow.