The Denver Broncos appear to be trending up after the hire of Sean Payton. Who are some early breakout candidates for the team in 2023?
Denver has some intriguing players on their roster that could truly break out in 2023. George Paton seems to have done a solid job in his first two drafts which have helped Denver form a nice young core. There's also the elephant in the room with Russell Wilson and his down 2022 season, which I don't think many saw coming.
The team made national headlines the last two offseasons when they traded the entire state of Colorado for Russell Wilson and the city of Denver for Sean Payton. Now that the coach and QB seem to be in place, which the team hasn't been able to say for a while, perhaps the Broncos will actually field a competitive team in 2023.
Part of that competitive team will have to be helped along by a few players that I think can breakout in 2023.
Denver Broncos early breakout candidates for 2023
1. Baron Browning, EDGE
Baron Browning is entering his age-24 season in 2023 and was moved to the edge last year. That seems to be the most ideal spot for him, even though he was effective as an inside backer during his rookie season.
Browning played in 14 games in 2022. In those games, he had an interception, two passes defended, 5.0 sacks, 24 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 12 QB hits.
Mind you, this was his first time playing edge in the NFL, and he was able to put up some very solid numbers. To me, 2023 is going to be a massive breakout season for the Ohio State product. He's got incredible bend and quickness of the edge.
Also, if Randy Gregory can stay on the field and the team retains Dre'Mont Jones, Browning might be able to get some advantageous matchups to take advantage of.
Denver Broncos early breakout candidates for 2023
2. Greg Dulcich, TE
Greg Dulcich was a third round pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2022 NFL Draft. He missed the first chunk of the season with a hamstring injury but did play in 10 games for the team and did become quite the target for Russell Wilson.
In 2022, he was targeted 55 times, caught 33 passes for 411 yards and two touchdowns. This was all in just 10 games.
So, if Dulcich had played a full season, this would have been his full stat-line:
56 receptions, 699 yards, three touchdowns.
Not too shabby for a rookie, eh?
Well, I think year two can be a lot different and in a good way. Something that interests me is the return of Tim Patrick. Dulcich is athletic enough to somewhat function as WR/TE hybrid. With Patrick's recovery and return not being currently known, what if Dulcich is able to slide into the role that Tim Patrick has had with the Denver Broncos?
Dulcich could easily end up being the second option in the passing game for Russell Wilson, and Sean Payton has been able to get notable production out of tight ends during his career. He doesn't offer much as a blocker, but many receiving tight ends don't block very well.
Denver Broncos early breakout candidates for 2023
3. Russell Wilson, QB
This is the most obvious breakout candidate in 2023, right? Russell Wilson's 2022 season was the worst of his career by a long shot.
He was clearly never comfortable playing in Nathaniel Hackett's offense but did seem to find some footing with Justin Outten calling plays for the final two games of the season, giving steam to the idea that Hackett was the primary issue.
He also suffered behind a terrible offensive line, and even though Wilson's style of play does make him vulnerable to take more sacks, the Broncos' unit was poorly coached and does lack talent.
Aside from Quinn Meinerz, I think every other position along the offensive line can be replaced. George Paton has said the team plans on being aggressive in free agency, and the OL is the biggest issue.
2 + 2 = 4, gang.
The Broncos will invest heavily in their offensive line this offseason and will likely bring in another pass catcher or two. Sean Payton's offensive mind will also greatly help, so I think we'll see Russell Wilson return to form in 2023.