The Denver Broncos have won two in a row to get themselves just barely back in the thick of things. Which players on the roster have exceeded expectations thus far in 2023? The Broncos are definitely a flawed team and do have some clear roster holes. I trust that Sean Payton will be able to get this roster trending in the right direction as soon as next offseason.
With that being said, the Denver Broncos do have several players who have outperformed the expectations that the fanbase and media seemed to have had for them. In fact, I'd argue some of these players have played their way into a contract extension as well, which is nice. Denver isn't projected to have a ton of cap in 2024, but their having players deserving of extensions is a good thing.
Let's look at five players who have exceeded expectations in 2023.
5 players who have exceeded expectations for the Denver Broncos in 2023
1. Will Lutz, K
From 2018-2022, Will Lutz's field goal percentage declined, and it was a horrid 74.2% in 2022. When the Denver Broncos cut Brandon McManus, a lot of people had no clue where the team would turn for their new kicker. Well, the team seemed to be somewhat sold on Brett Maher, but he didn't last into the regular season.
Sean Payton orchestrated a trade with the New Orleans Saints and acquired his old kicker in Lutz. Well, through eight games, Lutz has done pretty well. He's made 13/15 field goals and his 86.7% percentage is the highest it's been since 2019.
Lutz has also made 2/3 field goal attempts from 50+ yards, and it does feel like the Broncos finally have some stability at this position.
2. Lloyd Cushenberry, C
Lloyd Cushenberry played in 40 games across his first three NFL seasons and didn't look anything like a starting-caliber center. Well, in 2023, not only has Cushenberry been enjoying the best season of his career, but he's actually been one of the best centers in football. According to ESPN, Cushenberry ranks 17th among all interior offensive linemen in pass block win rate.
Cush is also in the middle of an offensive line that ranks 9th and 2nd in pass block and run block win rate, respectively. What we have here is an above-average offensive line from the Denver Broncos. The team has trotted out two above-average starters this year, and you could argue that Cushenberry has been the best of the five.
The hard part comes this offseason. The former third-round pick is set to hit the open market, and the Broncos also have a very talented right guard in Quinn Meinerz who will be eligible for an extension. Denver also has a ton of money invested into Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, and Mike McGlinchey, so I am curious to see how Sean Payton approaches this.
The team drafted Alex Forsyth, a center, in the 2023 NFL Draft, so maybe those were light preparations for Cushenberry leaving. Either way, he's been great this year.
3. Nik Bonitto, EDGE
Nik Bonitto is still someone who needs to develop, but he's really taken a big step in year two. His college pass-rush coach was hired onto the staff, so that probably had something to do with Bonitto being much more present in the pass rush. Through eight games, Bonitto has 5.5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 13 QB hits.
Over a 17-game season, that'd put him on pace for 12 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and 28 QB hits. Those are almost-elite numbers for the young pass rusher. At this point, I don't think Bonitto has yet established himself as a consistent building block for the Broncos, but he's definitely doing himself some favors this year.
Bonitto is a pretty exceptional athlete and is very quick, so he's been able to essentially speed-rush his way into his numbers this year. With the recent return of Baron Browning, Bonitto should be able to continue to put up solid numbers. And he's really exceeded expectations this year after being virtually non-existent in 2022 during his rookie season.
4. Russell Wilson, QB
Many thought (wrongly) that Russell Wilson was all washed up after watching him last year. Well, they're wrong. Sure, Wilson is not great and may never return to his pre-Denver greatness, but he's been pretty efficient this year and has put up some solid numbers.
He's thrown for 16 touchdowns on just four interceptions. His 16 touchdowns rank 4th in the NFL and his 101.7 passer rating ranks 5th in the league. He also has the 3rd-most 40-yard passing plays and just hasn't been a total liability out there. The Denver Broncos offense ranks 16th in the NFL in points per game, so the unit is significantly better than it was last year.
Wilson had 16 touchdown passes all of 2022, but has 16 through his first eight games and is on pace to throw for 34 this year. With each week that Wilson doesn't totally stink it up, he makes the argument even stronger to return to the Denver Broncos as the starter in 2024. And if Denver can keep this winning streak up, the Broncos will be out of range for a top QB prospect in 2024.
Wilson will definitely have a tough test in Week 10 when the Denver Broncos return from their bye week and face the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football.
5. Ja'Quan McMillian, CB
Did the Denver Broncos find their next great slot cornerback? Ja'Quan McMillian was undrafted in 2022 and played in just one game for the Broncos that season, amassing seven total tackles. Well, McMillian has gotten a lot more run this year with K'Waun Williams being out and the team cutting Essang Bassey in-season.
He's played in seven games this year and has amassed two passes defensed, one interception (which game against Patrick Mahomes, by the way), and 23 total tackles. And if you are one to look at PFF grades, McMillian has an 82.1 grade, which ranks 6th among 114th qualified CBs. He has truly been very good when on the field, and he's still just 23 years old.
The Denver Broncos' secondary was definitely a concern earlier in the season with K'Waun Williams not being out there and Damarri Mathis getting burnt. Well, the team did bench Mathis in favor of Fabian Moreau and McMillian has clawed his way into the lineup. The Broncos do seem to have something with the young player, and he's definitely exceeded expectations this year.