Broncos will rely on young weapons to compete

The Denver Broncos are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. If they do, it’ll be on the backs of their defense and a group of young offensive weapons.

Denver remains one of the better defensive teams in the league. With former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio taking over as head coach, the Broncos are teeming with potential. Factor in the menacing pass rush of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, along with a secondary that features Chris Harris Jr. and Bryce Callahan, and the pieces are largely in place.

Offensively, there’s hope for the first time in years. While we aren’t sure how long it will take wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders for his Achilles tendon to completely heal, there’s his young counterpart, Courtland Sutton. In his rookie campaign, Sutton caught 42 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns. With a year under his belt, he should only improve. In the backfield, Phillip Lindsay became the first undrafted rookie free agent to ever make the Pro Bowl, rushing for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns on 5.4 yards per carry.

In the draft, general manager John Elway spent his first-round pick on tight end Noah Fant. Fant was a star at the University of Iowa, and should immediately get the lion’s share of the snaps as a rookie.

To state the obvious, Denver desperately needs these players to step up and contribute from the jump.

Why? The Broncos can’t rely on their quarterback to make them better, something that has been true of recent Denver teams. Joe Flacco was brought in via trade form the Baltimore Ravens, and while he has a Super Bowl ring, his best days are long in the rearview mirror. The offensive line is improved with the addition of Ja’Wuan James, but it still has all sorts of issues including Garret Bolles at left tackle. Nobody has been more of a penalty machine than Bolles at that position since he came into the league two years ago.

After falling short of postseason play for the third straight year, tensions are running high in Denver. The Broncos aren’t likely to overtake the Kansas City Chiefs or Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West, but it’s not insane to believe they could compete for a wild card spot come December.

If that’s going to happen, though, it will be because a trio of youngsters found a way to consistently make plays.