The Denver Broncos have had one of the most active off-seasons in the NFL. They pulled off a massive trade for quarterback Russell Wilson while making several big defensive signings in free agency. Because of these moves, the NFL community is riding high on the Broncos. Some even say that Denver is a Super Bowl contender. Unfortunately for Broncos fans, the reality is that Denver isn't even the best team in their division, much less the NFL. The Broncos hype train will almost certainly be derailed in the 2022 season, largely because the bar has been set so high for Denver.
Here are two reasons the Broncos won't be able to fulfill the Super Bowl expectations set for them.
1. Strength of Schedule
This shouldn't come as a surprise. The Broncos play in the AFC West, which has turned into the toughest division in all of football. That means Denver has to face the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Las Vegas Raiders for a total of six games. It's not unthinkable that the Broncos could be swept by the Chiefs and Chargers, and the Raiders are no easy out. Beside their divisional contests, the Broncos have a fairly difficult schedule. They face the Tennessee Titans, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Los Angeles Rams on the road. All three of those teams will likely be fighting for the top of their respective divisions. Denver will also host the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and the Indianapolis Colts. Overall, twelve of the Broncos' seventeen games will come against potential playoff teams.
Another downside of playing in the AFC West is the fact that the divisional title will be nearly impossible to win. It's extremely unlikely that the Broncos end up as the first-place team in their division, which means that they would be a wild card team in any potential playoff run. Going through the postseason on the road is not an easy path, with or without Russell Wilson.
2. Lack of Depth
Despite all of their offseason additions, the Broncos are still dealing with a lack of depth at key positions. Denver's often-injured wide receiver room doesn't have a single proven backup in it. That becomes a huge factor given the injury history at the position. Jerry Jeudy only played ten games last year, and KJ Hamler has been dealing with injuries his whole career. Weak depth at a key position like wide receiver has doomed teams more than once. But Wilson appears to at least be trying to build some chemistry with the group.
Denver's secondary is also shockingly thin, especially at cornerback. Behind Patrick Surtain and Ronald Darby, there isn't much to work with. It doesn't help that good corners are incredibly difficult to find, making this a hard position to address. The safety position is in a similar situation. Justin Simmons is elite, but the Broncos are set to start Caden Sterns next to him. If one of those two guys get injured, the Broncos will be in deep trouble in the secondary.
In all fairness, the offseason isn't over. There's plenty of time for the front office to add depth at positions of need, but there's just a lot of positions of need. Denver will go into the season with better depth than they have now, but it still won't be enough.
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