Predicting major stat leaders for the Denver Broncos in the 2023 season

Predicting major stat leaders for the Denver Broncos in the 2023 season - Defense

Tackles - Alex Singleton

Alex Singleton was fifth in the NFL in tackles last year with 163. He was all over the field and re-signed on a three-year extension. I don't think he was even supposed to land a starting role in the defense, but he did, and he made the best of it.

I do wonder a bit if the adjustment going from an Ejiro Evero defense to a Vance Joseph defense will impact his ability, so maybe Josey Jewell ends up leading the team in tackles instead, but I'll stick with Singleton.

Interceptions - Caden Sterns

I think Caden Sterns starts next to Justin Simmons in the secondary and breaks out in year three. Sterns has four career interceptions, two in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. He's played very well in limited action and can be deployed all over the defense. Justin Simmons is another obvious choice to lead the team in picks, but with him turning 30 years old this year, perhaps a slight decline is on the horizon.

Sacks - Randy Gregory, Frank Clark, Zach Allen

The one thing that I am willing to take to the bank in regard to the pass rush this year is that I don't think we'll see any of the Broncos' pass rushers hit the double-digit sack mark. What I see in this room is a bunch of solid to slightly above-average players. The Broncos don't have a sack master on defense like some other teams, so I think I could most definitely see a scenario where a few players are tied for the team lead in sacks, but it's a number around 7-ish.

All of Randy Gregory, Frank Clark, and Zach Allen have the ability to be double-digit sack players, but I don't see them hitting that mark in this defense. Having a pass rush by committee might end up benefitting the team late in the season. If Randy Gregory is needing to miss a few games, hopefully others like Clark, Allen, and Browning can hold the fort down. I like the pass rush being deep because I don't think one injury is going to derail the unit, so that's the reasoning for this prediction.

Passes Defended - Patrick Surtain II

The one thing that might make this prediction wrong is that Patrick Surtain II may not have the ball thrown his way a lot, but I think he'll still manage to lead the team in passes defended. He's the best cornerback in football and excels at literally everything a CB is supposed to do. The Broncos are likely going to extend him next offseason and make him the richest cornerback in NFL history, which is much deserved.