The Denver Broncos have been the NFL’s most disappointing team in 2022. Currently at 3-10, the season is over as far as the playoffs are concerned but the team needs to look for any positives it can find.
The Broncos will soon enter another turbulent offseason that will include significant questions regarding the future of head coach Nathaniel Hackett as well as the futures of several players on the roster.
If he is still around, George Paton will have his work cut out for him to turn the Broncos in the opposite direction.
The Broncos have experienced an incredible amount of injuries this season. Many starters will be out of the lineup for part or all of this season, including Russell Wilson, who will miss Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Broncos need several players on the team to finish this season strong and on a good note to take something into next season. In some cases, their performance, or lack thereof, could directly lead to a decision on their future with the team.
Broncos who need to finish 2022 strong: Randy Gregory, Linebacker
Randy Gregory was the team’s big free-agent signing this offseason but a knee injury has forced him to miss the last nine games. Though there is a chance he could return to the field as soon as this Sunday, he has been a disappointment to this point.
The Broncos will hope he isn’t a disappointment going forward as he signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the team, choosing the Broncos over staying with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Broncos traded Bradley Chubb ahead of this year’s deadline so the team will need to find the next primary pass rusher going forward. Gregory will be the first option to fill that role if he can live up to it.
He had two sacks this season before being injured in Week 4. The hope will be that he is fully recovered from the injury and can finish the season with a few more. One multi-sack game before this season is over would be highly encouraging.
Broncos who need to finish 2022 strong: Nik Bonitto, Linebacker
The team’s second-round pick has been pretty quiet during his rookie season, so the Broncos need to see something encouraging from Nik Bonitto moving forward.
Because they had traded their first and second-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks in the Wilson deal, Bonitto was the Broncos’ first draft pick this past spring. So far this year, he has just five tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Though he does have an extra year of experience, Jonathon Cooper, a seventh-round pick last year, has been much more effective when he is on the field.
Bonitto needs to make the most of each snap over the course of these next four games. It is likely that he will be heavily relied upon in 2023 and the Broncos need to know that they have a player who is worthy of being the No. 64 overall selection of the draft.
He doesn’t necessarily need to fill up the stat sheet, but he needs to get his name called during the games by putting pressure and being in on plays. I often forget he’s even on the team.
Broncos who need to finish 2022 strong: Brandon McManus, Kicker
Brandon McManus is not necessarily in danger of losing his job as the team’s kicker, but it could certainly be a thought being discussed in the front office.
McManus has not had his best season statistically.
He has already missed seven field goals this season, which is more than he has missed in any season since 2017. While nearly all of those misses have come from 50 yards out or more, he has been shaky on many of his successful kicks as well. He’s also missed two extra points.
While McManus is still one of the league’s better kickers and has a leg that is as strong as just about anyone in the league, he needs to finish this season by being a lot more accurate. He just doesn’t seem to be nearly as automatic as he used to be and that could raise questions.
If McManus has multiple misses over the course of these next four games, the team should bring in a kicker to push him next summer, at the very least.
Broncos who need to finish 2022 strong: Jerry Jeudy, Wide Receiver
Jerry Jeudy is coming off his best game as a professional, catching three touchdown passes in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s about time.
Fans have been waiting for Jeudy to have a day like that and the hope will be that it is the start of him coming into his own and showing himself to be the first-round pick the team chose in 2020, as his career has been quite lackluster thus far.
The Broncos can’t put too much pressure on the young receiver but he does need to step up in the absence of Courtland Sutton and Kendall Hinton, who will both miss Sunday’s game. Tim Patrick and K.J. Hamler are both already done for the year.
If Jeudy can finish this season strong, he could and probably should be viewed as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver entering the 2023 season.
On the year, he has 42 catches for 587 yards and six touchdowns. Those six scores are already a career-high for a season. He needs 11 catches and 270 yards to surpass his totals in 2020.
He should be able to do that and if he can, the Broncos should view Jeudy, who was mentioned by nearly every outlet ahead of the league’s trade deadline, as an important piece of the future.
But if he falters and has drops, on-field outbursts and a lack of productivity, those trade talks could heat back up.