The Denver Broncos are a team that has been headed in the wrong direction for the better part of a decade now. The team has been through multiple head coaches and multiple starting quarterbacks looking for an answer.
This season, the hope is that Sean Payton can be the one that finally gets it going in the right direction, but he's going to need his quarterback, Russell Wilson, to be a lot better than he was last year.
But all good teams have a few pleasant surprises as well and with roster turnover the way it is in today's NFL, some relative unknowns are going to need to step up and help a team's overall success as well.
Who are some players who could step up for the Broncos this season and come from out of nowhere to be a key piece of the team's hopeful turnaround and overall success?
Eyioma Uwazurike, Defensive lineman
The Broncos chose Eyioma Uwazurike in the fourth round of last year's draft and when I followed up with my draft grades, he was my favorite pick in the team's class. It seemed like the Broncos got incredible value with that pick.
But he had a quiet rookie season, playing on just 14 percent of the team's defensive snaps. He suited up for just eight games and finished the season with 17 total tackles.
Sounds a lot like McTelvin Agim, doesn't it?
The Broncos will have to hope that he is much better than Agim, a former third-round pick, ended up being, and he'll have the chance.
The Broncos are still somewhat thin on the defensive line, even after signing Zach Allen in free agency. Dre'Mont Jones and DeShawn Williams signed with new teams, leaving a lot of question marks with that unit, Uwazurike being one of them.
Uwazurike could end up in the starting lineup along with Allen and D.J. Jones, that's not too much to expect. The only other names on the roster at the moment are Jonathan Harris, Mike Purcell, Matt Henningsen, Elijah Garcia and Jordan Jackson.
Uwazurike needs to have a much bigger role in 2023.
Isaiah Prince, Offensive Tackle
This is a guy some may not even know is on the roster, but the Broncos signed Isaiah Prince to a futures deal in February.
Prince was a sixth-round draft pick out of Ohio State by the Miami Dolphins in 2019 but has spent the past four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has made six starts in his career and has been a bit of a disappointment after being a solid player in college.
But some guys just need the right opportunity.
The Broncos did sign Mike McGlinchey in free agency this offseason but the right tackle spot has been an issue for the team for years. Though the hope will be that McGlinchey can hold that spot down for the next several years, there is nothing but space and opportunity behind him.
The door could be wide open for a guy like the 6-foot-7 Prince, who is still just 25 years old, to step up and become the team's primary swing tackle.
Tremon Smith, Cornerback
Tremon Smith is a cornerback, but that's not the position where he is most likely to help the Broncos. He can be a huge playmaker with the ball in his hands, which is why he will get every opportunity to be the team's primary kick returner.
That role was held by fifth-round pick Montrell Washington last season and the Broncos went out and added Smith in free agency. Smith is a more experienced kick return specialist with a 24.7 yard career average on his returns.
It will be interesting to see how the team plays this situation out as Washington is a promising prospect (quite similar to how Isaiah McKenzie once was) but if he is not able to become a contributor as a wide receiver, then Smith could easily steal his roster spot.
Smith was a sixth-round pick in 2019 and the Broncos will already be his fifth NFL team. But each team he has played on has had him as their kick returner. He has two returns for over 90 yards in his career and one of those was brought back for a touchdown.
Brandon Johnson and Jalen Virgil, Wide receivers
The Broncos had two undrafted rookies last season that looked good enough in training camp to get an extended look in the regular season, Brandon Johnson and Jalen Virgil.
The Broncos still have their top three wide receivers in Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick. They have also signed former New Orleans Saints Marquez Callaway and Lil'Jordan Humphrey.
But K.J. Hamler has dealt with injury after injury during his career and the only other wide receivers currently on the roster are Washington and Kendall Hinton. There will definitely be a place for a guy deeper on the depth chart to step up and make some noise and both Johnson and Virgil fit the bill.
Though both of them were given few opportunities in the passing game last season (8 combined receptions) they each found the end zone once. Both Johnson and Virgil have good size and speed to make plays at the NFL level and both players are solid prospects moving forward.
They will be two guys to keep an eye on in training camp this summer.
Tyler Badie, Running back
Until there is more depth added at running back with a veteran signing such as Latavius Murray being brought back or a guy selected in the draft, the Broncos are pretty much a two-running back team right now with Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine.
With questions about how soon Williams will be on the field and recovered from the torn ACL he suffered last season, the Broncos could have some major openings for players running the ball this season.
Perine is a veteran and would slot in as the next man up but Tyler Badie is an interesting young player who the team saw enough in last season to go and swipe him off the practice squad of the Baltimore Ravens.
Badie rushed for over 1,600 yards and averaged six yards per carry in his senior season at Missouri. He also proved to be a force in the passing game, catching 54 passes that season.
Last year in his only game with the Broncos, he touched the ball twice and scored on a 24-yard touchdown reception on one of those two touches.
Because of his ability as a receiver, he could become an ideal third-down back for the team and a perfect complement to what the combination of Williams and Perine brings.
The Broncos have Damarea Crockett, Tony Jones and Tyreik McAllister on the roster and they could definitely add a player late in the draft at running back, but Badie is a sure darkhorse player to keep tabs on who could work his way up to No. 3 on the depth chart this coming season.