The position-by-position case for optimism for the Broncos in 2018

Okay, last year was bad.

The coaches were bad, the players were bad, the record was bad, it was all bad.

Oddly enough, though, that very fact may be a reason for optimism for the Denver Broncos in 2018.

The reason? On paper, the Broncos are not bad. All the way across the board, they have talent, yet almost all of that talent underachieved last season. You could chalk that up to a new coaching staff not putting them in the best position to succeed. You could chalk that up to a new scheme—in some cases. You could chalk it up to poor quarterback play killing team morale. Or you could chalk it up to a snowball effect that ravaged the roster as their losing streak grew and grew.

For me, it’s a mix of all of those factors, with a heavy helping of the last two.

Many position groups took multiple steps back last year, and with those two main negative factors presumably now in check, could be primed to take a step forward in 2018.

Let’s take a look at all of the groups that the Broncos are in a position to improve at:

Punter

This one is simple, as it’s a direct personnel improvement.

Riley Dixon was 22nd in net punting last season and new Broncos punter Marquette King was 3rd.

A second-team All-Pro in 2016, King should present an instant improvement for Denver at the position.

Kicker

After becoming the most accurate kicker in Broncos history with back to back 85 percent seasons, Brandon McManus was caught in a funk for most of 2017. On a new contract, McManus missed eight kicks on the year, for a 75 percent conversion rate on field goals.

Based on his strong past. It’s fair to expect the Broncos kicker to take a step forward in 2018.

Safety

In 2017, Darian Stewart did not look like the player Broncos fans fell in love with in 2015 and 2016. At 29, though, it’s fair to wonder if his best playing days are behind him.

Because of that, this position could potentially show up on the concern list, but the addition of Su’a Cravens along with the likely development of young players Justin Simmons and Will Parks could push this group onto the positive side of things.

Outside Linebacker

The injury to Shane Ray last season helped allow teams to put far more attention on Von Miller, which contributed to the pass rush underachieving in 2017. Although Ray’s health is still a massive question mark, the addition of No. 5-overall pick Bradley Chubb puts this group in a position to take a huge leap.

If Chubb can come on strong as a rookie, he could either take the focus off of Miller or take advantage of that extra focus placed on the league’s best pass rusher.

With Shaq Barrett also in the fold as the solid player he is, anything Ray is able to provide while healthy will be icing on the cake.

Inside Linebacker

Although not much has changed for the starting two here in Brandon Marshall and Todd Davis, the addition of Josey Jewell as a depth piece and Cravens as a third-down backer should give this group a chance to be better than last year.

Defensive Line

The biggest question mark here surrounds Derek Wolfe’s ability to stay healthy. A staple on the line for years now, though, Wolfe says he feels great.

But optimism for this line goes beyond Wolfe, and potentially the biggest reason for that excitement is former second-round pick, DeMarcus Walker.

After being jerked around positionally last year, Walker is now solidified in his position as a defensive end, and he’s bulked up to his most comfortable playing weight at 280 pound. If Walker can bring interior pass rush to go along with Shelby Harris, who developed nicely under Bill Kollar last season, this group could be in for a very strong year.

Offensive Line

While most probably wanted to see the Broncos make bigger changes here, the addition of Jared Veldheer to replace Menelik Watson as the starting right tackle could pay big dividends if Veldheer is healthy.

Additionally, former first-round pick Garrett Bolles should be primed for improvement in year two.

Don’t expect this group to be world-beaters, but they should be better than last year.

Tight End

A healthy Jake Butt is the potential game-changer here, as he projects to be the receiving threat the Broncos have been missing at the position for years.

Troy Fumagalli could also be an interesting addition to the group once he gets healthy (sports hernia).

Wide Receiver

Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were arguably the Broncos’ biggest underachievers in 2017, in regards to their talent and salary compared to their production. While both players are now on the wrong side of 30, it’s fair to put some of the blame for the disappointing season on poor quarterback play.

With Case Keenum now handling the reigns, both players can expect to see a significant bump.

On top of that, both rookies, Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton, appear to be significant improvements over the Broncos third and fourth receivers last season.

Wide receivers may be the group most in a position to make a big leap forward.

Quarterback

By far the most important category.

Last year, the trio of Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch proved to be a three-headed turnover monster, throwing 22 interceptions to go along with just 19 touchdowns. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Case Keenum tossed 22 touchdowns to just seven interceptions in 14 games.

The Broncos don’t need Case Keenum to be a top-five quarterback in the league—like he was last year—to take a massive step forward at this position, they simply need him to be average and not give the ball away.

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You’ll notice that both cornerback and running back did not show up on this list as those are the two—and really the only—positions I see as prone to taking a step in the wrong direction. Cornerback is obvious with the loss of Aqib Talib, and the current stable of running backs are all extremely unproven.

In the end, it’s not likely that every single one of the positions listed above will take the step forward that they seemed primed for, injuries will happen, and some players may not take the developmental steps they are expected to. But the point of breaking it down this way was to show just how much room for improvement there really is and how the Broncos have put those groups in a position to succeed.

With quarterback being the one that they absolutely need, if the Broncos can simply improve in five of the 10 areas listed above, they’ll be back to competing in the AFC West.