The Broncos open up their 2023 campaign at home against the Raiders on the night of the 10th, and will try to knock off the Raiders for the first time since 2019. If the Broncos are able to do so, it'll be because several key members of the roster stepped up in their first game of the year. Three Broncos in particular need to step up, and in a big way. Here are three Broncos who need to get started on the right foot in 2023.
1) Javonte Williams
Javonte Williams will obviously be given a good deal of leniency to recover from his blown out knee, especially with Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin on the 53-man roster. However, a strong performance from Williams in Week 1 will go a long way to quiet the concerns of his recently surgically repaired knee. Williams is set to take the field against the Raiders for the first time since he tore his knee up in the first week of October in 2022, against these same Raiders who the team faced on that Sunday afternoon.
A good first week will do Williams quite a bit of good long-term. First, mentally, you can only imagine the weight that will be off Williams' shoulders after Week 1 if he puts up a strong performance off the bat. The mental side of the game is one that is often overlooked by fans due to it mostly being out of sight and out of mind. However, starting strong will work wonders for Williams, and help alleviate any mental roadblocks and set Williams on the fast track to a strong campaign.
2) Courtland Sutton
Sutton, once upon a time, was the number one wide receiver for the Denver Broncos. Sutton then blew out his knee, and was supplanted by Jerry Jeudy as WR1. Sutton was effective in 2022, but did not play to the level he had before his injury in early 2020. Sutton put up 829 receiving yards with two scores, mainly playing as Denver's second wide receiver. Sutton's 2023 role felt up in the air considering Tim Patrick and KJ Hamler's returns, and the addition of Marvin Mims Jr. However, re-injuries to Patrick and Hamler have reinforced Sutton's role, and have possibly made his role even larger in 2023.
Beyond in the field play, Sutton is entering the back end of a large contract with Denver, which always poses the chance for being released in the NFL. Sutton's dead-cap and cap-savings effectively would save the team around $10 million after 2023, making it possible for the Broncos captain to be released as soon as this spring. If Sutton wishes to remain with the Broncos, he should aim to show Broncos brass that his worth is greater than $10 million in cap relief. The first step to that? A big Week 1 against the Raiders.
3) Damarri Mathis
Damarri Mathis: CB2. The Broncos are entering the 2023 season with a ton of pressure on second-year man Damarri Mathis from Pitt. Mathis played well in 2022, and has earned the right to start for the Broncos in 2023. However, with the injury to corner K'Waun Williams, Mathis enters the regular season with a larger spotlight on him than initially anticipated. Mathis had one horrific game to his name in 2022, which was also his first NFL start. Beyond that game, Mathis played at a strong level and more than earned the right to be a starter in 2023.
However, as the Broncos have mounting injuries at corner so far in 2023, and Mathis needs to play strong most every week. Another key for Mathis in 2023 will be quieting critics as quickly as possible. As the 2022 Broncos showed at times, when the noise gets loud around the team, the noise can drown out the team play.
The Broncos' secondary will be part of the concerns heading into 2023, especially due to the injuries, and there will be a newfound pressure on Damarri Mathis to improve his play from last year. If he struggles or regresses, where the Broncos turn is unclear with the aforementioned injuries. A struggling Mathis could lead to some substantial issues at Mile High.