The Denver Broncos are an interesting team and a potential contender in the AFC for the foreseeable future. However, this was not a complete roster a year ago. There were obvious holes despite a dominant defense and a double-digit win season. With Sean Payton building this team season by season in his image, they are getting closer and closer to being a serious Super Bowl contender. Let’s start with a recap of last season!
Denver Broncos’ 2024-2025 Season Recap
After a 9-8 record the year prior, the Denver Broncos and Sean Payton looked to bring in their QB of the future, Bo Nix. This was a match made in heaven. Nix had a serious argument to be the Rookie of the Year last season. Denver finished with a record of 10-7 and made the playoffs as the 7th seed. They would get destroyed by the Buffalo Bills 31-7 in the Wild Card round. Despite getting rolled in the playoffs, it was a successful season to find out where they stand in the NFL hierarchy.
Offseason Acquisitions
This was a very busy team in free agency. They signed two of the highest-potential defensive players in the open market, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga, and one of the biggest mismatches in the league, tight end Evan Engram. Last year, Denver’s defense was top eight in points allowed per game (3rd), rushing yards allowed per game (3rd), offensive touchdowns allowed (2nd), sacks (1st), and takeaways (7th). If the defense can show any resemblance to how dominant they were last year, this team will be a contender in the AFC.
Let’s look at their draft class. The Broncos selected talented CB Jahdae Barron out of Texas. That pick is the definition of doubling down on your strengths. Along with reigning DPOY, Patrick Surtain II, Denver has two lockdown corners that will drive opposing offenses to adjust their strategies. In the second round, Denver would take a very talented running back out of UCF, RJ Harvey. Harvey led the nation last year with 6.8 yards per carry and 22 touchdowns. These are the additions that could potentially take a 10-win team to a 12-13 win team.
Offseason Losses
It’s interesting. In relation to all the talent the Denver Broncos brought in, they didn’t lose that much. They lost RB Javonte Williams, LB Cody Barton, punter Riley Dixon, and CB Tremon Smith: all talented players, but nothing to write home about. The depth of the linebacking core will be thin, but Vance Joseph has shown the potential to be one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, turning this unit around from where they were two seasons ago with essentially the same roster.
Opinions of Broncos’ Offseason
To keep it sweet and simple, I love everything that Denver has done this offseason. The only concern is the health of their two defensive stars, Greenlaw & Hufanga. Greenlaw is in the second year post-Achilles injury, and Hufanga is coming off a torn ACL. If they can return to 75 to 80 percent of who they were, this could easily be the best defense in the NFL next season. We have also seen young QBs take leaps, going from year one to year two. Assuming Nix can maintain his play, this should be an exciting team moving forward.
Final Thoughts
The Broncos stamped their name in contention to contend with the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs. One of the biggest reasons the Detroit Lions have turned the future of their franchise around is the accumulation of talent on the field. That is what Denver has done on the defensive side of the ball. When you put enough talent on the field, good things happen.
As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts on the Denver Broncos’ flawless offseason! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! We hope you’re enjoying your day, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.
