We all know that Russell Wilson is the most important X-factor for the team in 2023, but who are some other players that are critical to the team's success? There are some players on both sides of the ball, not named Russell Wilson, that need to play well in 2023 and are hugely critical to the team's success.
Even though the NFL is QB-centric, there are still many other factors that need to line up for a team to be good and to make a deep run into the playoffs. Sean Payton and the Broncos' coaching staff will hopefully get this team in a good spot for 2023, but at the end of the day, the players need to execute.
Let's look at players not named Russell Wilson that are critical to the team's success in 2023.
Players not named Russell Wilson critical to Broncos' success in 2023
1. Ben Powers, Mike McGlinchey, and whoever starts at center
I think we just about know what we can get from Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz. Both are solid linemen who should be long-term fixtures along the OL. The team did add left guard Ben Powers and right tackle Mike McGlinchey in 2023.
There's also some uncertainty about who starts at center, but Lloyd Cushenberry looks to be the favorite to win that job. Those three positions are very critical to Denver's success in 2023, as Russell Wilson took 55 sacks in 2022, which was tied for the most in the NFL.
If the Broncos' OL is shaky again, 2023 will be a long and painful year on offense.
Players not named Russell Wilson critical to Broncos' success in 2023
2. Damarri Mathis, CB
Right now, Damarri Mathis is slated to be the starter opposite Patrick Surtain II. The team also took Riley Moss in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the Broncos are high on Mathis, a 2022 draft pick out of Pitt. We all know how good Surtain is; he's likely the best CB in the NFL and he likely won't see the ball thrown his way a ton.
That means the other side of the secondary is going to get a ton of work, and that likely falls on second-year player Damarri Mathis, who had an up-and-down rookie season. He did look the part towards the end of his rookie campaign, but can he build on that in year two? If he can, and if we can settle in as an average starter in year two, that'll be a huge boost for the defense that no longer has Ronald Darby.
If Mathis doesn't take that step forward, Denver may get gauged in the passing game and may have to rely on other players like Moss to hold it down, which could turn into a big mess. This will be a huge test for Mathis.
Players not named Russell Wilson critical to Broncos' success in 2023
3. Brandon McManus, K
I am surprised Denver did not make more of an effort to upgrade their kicker situation, but as of now, Brandon McManus, who is the lone holdover from the Super Bowl 50 team, is slated to once again be the placekicker for the Denver Broncos.
To be blunt, he was abysmal in 2022, making less than 80% of his kicks. I think he's extremely critical to Denver's success in 2023 because I believe the Broncos will be in many more close games with tougher opponents, and it may end up coming down to McManus being able to make kicks to tie the game or take the lead.
We have seen him do this on many occasions throughout the years, but his 2022 season really makes me uneasy. He has had a couple of above-average seasons where he's made more than 82-83% of his kicks, and I think we'll need to see that in 2023. I would hate for the team to have played a good enough game to win only to have the kicker whiff a field goal that would have closed it out.
Players not named Russell Wilson critical to Broncos' success in 2023
4. Randy Gregory and Baron Browning
The Denver Broncos had a subpar pass-rushing unit in 2022 and did nothing with their EDGE rushers to improve on that besides cutting Jake Martin, who figured to be a solid depth piece for the team. Randy Gregory and Baron Browning have a huge responsibility on their plates in 2023.
Gregory played in just six games due to injury, and Browning is still very new to the position. If there are inconsistencies with this unit in 2023 and the Broncos again struggle to get to the QB, that'll put more strain on the backend of the defense which now does have quite a few young guys in it.
This duo also does have a high ceiling, in my opinion. Both Gregory and Browning are insane athletic specimens who can use a combination of power and finesse to get to the QB. Browning has a bend that is eerily similar to that of Von Miller's, and Gregory has always been a very good pass rusher, but has never been able to stay on the field consistently.
I hope Denver does add to this position between now and the beginning of the 2023 season. Yannick Ngakoue, a 28-year-old who has never had less than 8.0 sacks in a season, is a free agent, has a connection with George Paton, and would be a hilariously logical addition to the room.