How it’s going for the 2022 Denver Broncos

I covered how the Denver Broncos' offseason went and everything that went down to get us to this point. Now, I’ll cover the expectations for the Denver Broncos and how the additions this offseason will impact the team.

Obviously, the expectations are high for the Broncos, especially after they made the historic trade for quarterback Russell Wilson. Head coach Nathaniel Hackett and his offense should really help the Broncos' offense, while first-time defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero already has the defense looking good.

So, the Broncos should be good this year, but let us go over how all the new additions will impact the team, preview how I think the season will go, and give you a record prediction.

How the Broncos' key additions will perform in 2022

The Broncos made a number of key additions to the roster and how they perform will greatly impact how the Broncos do this upcoming season. I’ll go over the notable additions and how I see them doing this season. Spoiler alert, you caught me in a positive mood.

QB Russell Wilson:
Wilson is about as driven as they come and wants to be the best. He’s coming off a bad season to his standards, wanted out of Seattle, and is starting fresh with a new team. So, I see Wilson going on a revenge tour this year, quieting haters (especially come Week 1), and will be receiving his first MVP votes this year as well. The weapons are there, he’s in a good offensive system, and will have a run game and defense to back him up. It’s going to be a fun season for Wilson, who may have the best statistical season of his career.

NT D.J. Jones:
Jones was the first big signing of the offseason by GM George Paton and I think he will live up to the expectations. The Broncos' run defense wasn’t great last year but with Jones now in the middle, he’ll help their run defense be one of the best in the league. I am hopeful that he will provide an impact in the pass rush department as well.

EDGE Randy Gregory:
Gregory flipped from signing with the Cowboys to the Broncos and will help improve Evero’s pass rush. Once he gets healthy, I see him being a big-time contributor to the Broncos' defense and getting over 10 sacks for the defense.

EDGE Nik Bonitto:
The rookie edge rusher will have a hard time getting a bunch of snaps his rookie year but will be used as a situational pass rusher in some situations. I see him totaling near five-ish sacks his rookie year playing in a limited role.

TE Greg Dulcich:
The explosive rookie tight end is still nursing a hamstring injury but once he gets healthy, I see him becoming a key contributor in the red zone. He’ll get close to 300-400 yards with four or so touchdowns. He’s just too athletic not to see some targets.

HC Nathaniel Hackett:
The first-time head coach is already off to a good start and I believe that will continue throughout the season. There will be some minor growing pains here and there, but overall, I see the energetic new-age coach having success this year. Also, his offensive scheme will bring out the best in Wilson.

Season Preview

The Broncos start out Week 1 traveling to Seattle to take on the Seattle Seahawks, Russell Wilson’s old team on Monday Night Football. There’s a chance Wilson will be squaring off against former Broncos QB Drew Lock, as well. Wilson will begin his revenge tour in style against his old team and blowout the Seahawks in their stadium on Week 1.

I have the Broncos starting out 2-0 before hosting Trey Lance and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The Broncos' defense will humble Lance in this game as they head to a 3-0 record. Then, they’ll travel to Las Vegas to take on the most overrated team in football right now — and also humble the Raiders.

The first real road bump will come on Thursday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts. The Broncos, no matter the quarterback, always seem to struggle against this team and I could see it happening again here.

They’ll bounce back and beat the Los Angeles Chargers the following week and then head into the easiest part of their schedule and a game against the Baltimore Ravens with a 10-1 record. The Ravens are always tough on the road but the Broncos' pass rush will be too much for Lamar Jackson and they move to an 11-1 record.

This is where things get tough. I have the Broncos splitting the series against the Kansas City Chiefs, beating the Arizona Cardinals, not ruining Christmas, and beating the LA Rams and losing the Josh Johnson-started finale against the Chargers. They’ll head into the playoffs as the number one seed in the AFC.

DraftKings Sportsbook win projection: 10

My record prediction: 14-3