[Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 NFL Preview Magazine. Order your copy today online or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]
The Broncos’ 14th different starting quarterback since Peyton Manning delivered 10 wins, ending an eight-year playoff drought. Drafting Bo Nix changed everything for the Broncos. The ground has stopped shifting under the franchise’s feet. Ownership, general manager George Paton, head coach Sean Payton and Nix are in place and aligned. The Broncos are relevant again.
Now comes the hard part: showing it was not a fluke. Denver took an interesting posture this offseason, beefing up an already strong defense as a way to usurp the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. With the salary cap burden from departed Russell Wilson’s contract whittled down to $32 million, the Broncos signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga and tight end Evan Engram, moves designed to win in the middle of the field, a glaring weakness for this team since winning Super Bowl 50.
More NFL team previews
AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Jets | Patriots
AFC North:Bengals | Browns | Ravens | Steelers
AFC South:Colts | Jaguars | Texans | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chargers | Chiefs | Raiders
NFC East:Commanders | Cowboys | Eagles | Giants
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South: Buccaneers | Falcons | Panthers | Saints
NFC West: 49ers | Cardinals | Rams | Seahawks
Nix has changed the mood; now, can he execute the next step of this upward move? He needed more weapons, meaning the onus is on Payton’s scheme to turn this team into a contender capable of hosting and winning a playoff game.
Offense
It only took one person to Bo-lieve. When Payton conducted Nix’s private workout before the 2024 draft, his mind was made up. This was the quarterback capable of returning the Broncos to the postseason. After a clunky first month, Nix exceeded expectations, posting 29 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
And now Payton knows what he has in him. Nix is a leader, a player he can trust to protect the ball, to make every throw and to use his legs as a weapon in the run game. Nix ranked fifth in dropbacks, so added pressure and new wrinkles in the offense should not affect him.
Courtland Sutton
Courtland Sutton
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The addition of Engram will make his job easier. A Joker player — Payton’s lingo for a hybrid capable of creating mismatches in space — Engram will be counted on to provide yards after contact and explosive plays.
Last season, Nix only trusted Courtland Sutton to make contested catches and win on third down. As defenses focus on taking away Sutton, Nix must spread the ball around, which could mean more targets for Marvin Mims Jr., who emerged as a deep threat and gadget option over the season’s final month, to keep defenses honest. Second-year pro Devaughn Vele is in line for a bigger role as a possession receiver.
The passing game will only receive a bump if the running game becomes more reliable. Javonte Williams’ 513 yards were the fewest ever for a leading rusher in Payton’s 17 seasons as a head coach. The Broncos believe they addressed the issue by drafting RJ Harvey, a bowling ball from UCF. But it is fair to question if they did enough given the thin résumés in the running back room. Audric Estime remains an X-factor, capable of sharing duties if he shows that his fumbling issues are behind him. He is needed to grind out the tough yards this team could not get last season, while creating additional play-action opportunities for Nix.
Spearheaded by All-Pro left guard Quinn Meinerz, Denver returns all five starters along its offensive line. The group consistently won in run blocking, but it needs a running back to take advantage with better vision and the ability to make at least one defender miss. Without better work on the ground, it will be difficult for Nix to improve on last season because Payton will ask him to do too much.
Defense
The Broncos defense ascended from the dregs of the NFL in September 2023 to one of the league’s best units by the end of last season. Equipped with more weapons, coordinator Vance Joseph will be able to go full throttle, adding more blitzes from corners and safeties while blending in more confusing coverages.
Greenlaw gives Denver its first sideline-to-sideline linebacker since Danny Trevathan in 2015. When the Broncos were overmatched, they lost in the triangle in the middle of the field. Ferocious-hitting safety Hufanga will pair with Brandon Jones to create better range and more gator arms from receivers. With the return of inside linebacker Alex Singleton from ACL surgery, the defense returns all of its best players.
Pat Surtain II
Pat Surtain II
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The group is fundamentally sound, and everything changed when it began stopping the run. Defensive end John Franklin-Myers and tackle Malcolm Roach make it challenging to double nose tackle D.J. Jones and end Zach Allen, who emerged as a game-wrecker because of his ability to create inside pressure.
There is no Von Miller, but the Broncos feature the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Pat Surtain II and second-team All-Pro edge rusher Nik Bonitto, whose remarkable jump in his third season helped Denver deliver a league-best 63 sacks.
Surtain puts a Do Not Disturb sign on the opponent’s best receiver. And he will get more chances to make plays with the addition of dynamic first-round pick Jahdae Barron, whose versatility will create favorable matchups. This is the best secondary since the No Fly Zone of Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart anchored the Super Bowl 50 team. Barron is expected to compete with — if not beat out — slot corner Ja’Quan McMillian in the only position battle. Riley Moss has the spot opposite Surtain secured if he shows that he is fully recovered from last year’s knee issue. If McMillian is used exclusively in the dime, it will reveal why this defense is poised to cash in on its best performance in a decade.
Specialists
Sean Payton fired special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, replacing him with longtime New Orleans Saints assistant Darren Rizzi. Mims earned All-Pro honors in 2024, leading the league with 15.7 yards per punt return, and he remained a factor, though limited, on kickoffs. Placekicker Wil Lutz ranks among the league’s best. He converted 31-of-34 field-goal attempts last season, including five of at least 50 yards. But the Broncos will break in a new punter, with rookie Jeremy Crawshaw replacing the inconsistent Riley Dixon. There is no excuse for Denver not ranking near the top of the punting statistics with half its games at altitude.
Final Analysis
In his third season, Payton is not interested in waiting. Why chip to the green when you can break out the driver? Payton believes the Broncos are ready to contend for a division title, ending the Chiefs’ nine-year stranglehold on the AFC West. What you hear now is that the Broncos snuck up on teams, that Nix has reached his ceiling, that they benefited from a soft schedule, waxing the NFC South. Well, here’s why 10 wins is the new floor: Nix will improve, his running a catalytic force in the ground game, and the defense is the team’s best in a decade. The Broncos are no longer irrelevant but instead are poised to win their first playoff game since smashing the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 5
More NFL team previews
AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Jets | Patriots
AFC North:Bengals | Browns | Ravens | Steelers
AFC South:Colts | Jaguars | Texans | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chargers | Chiefs | Raiders
NFC East:Commanders | Cowboys | Eagles | Giants
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South: Buccaneers | Falcons | Panthers | Saints
NFC West: 49ers | Cardinals | Rams | Seahawks