After flopping so galactically hard last year, the Denver Broncos are one of the NFL's biggest mysteries heading into the 2023 season. Nobody knows if Russell Wilson will rebound from his galling 2022 campaign—or even if he still has the capacity to rebound; it remains to be seen how new coach Sean Payton will adopt his signature offensive scheme to suit Wilson's various quirks and deficiencies. While the uncertainty around Russell Wilson dominates drivetime radio A-Blocks, the fringes of the depth chart are similarly unknowable. Since the Broncos shipped out nearly all of their valuable draft picks over the last two years to acquire Wilson and then Payton, their roster lacks any true blue chip rookies. Still, it's practically guaranteed that some of the Broncos' rookies will supplant their veteran superiors. Here's why KJ Hamler and Josey Jewell could be in danger of losing their starting spots.
KJ Hamler
Drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Hamler fills a simple, necessary role on the Broncos roster: he's long been their only receiver who can run very, very fast. Even if Hamler's all-around skillset is less well-rounded than that of Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy, he has been the sole threat on the Broncos' roster to take the top off a defense. His route tree doesn't have many branches, in large part because it doesn't have to; if he runs in a straight line for long enough, he'll eventually get open. But through three seasons, this vision has never really materialized—Hamler has struggled to stay healthy, suiting up in just 23 of 50 possible games. And even when he's played, he hasn't played especially well: he's caught just 42 passes for 620 yards.
As such, the Broncos traded up to snag former Oklahoma star receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the second round, indicating that he could be among the team's most impactful rookies this year. Mims, like Hamler, can fly—he ran the 40 yard dash at the Combine in 4.38 seconds, the fourth fastest time of any receiver in this year's draft class. But unlike Hamler, Mims has some more nuance and subtlety to his game. Rather than merely feast on a diet of go routes and deep crossers, Mims has shown the ability to to flow in and out of cuts and create separation on a variety of routes.There's still time for the 23 year-old Hamler to turn it around, but the Broncos no longer seem to be counting on it.
Josey Jewell
There are lots of cliches about white football players being sneaky athletic, cerebral, hard-hat lunchpail kind of guys; Josey Jewell embodies all of them. Since getting drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Jewell has cemented himself as one of the mainstays of the Broncos' defense. In his two years as a starter (2020 and 2022; he missed nearly all of 2021 with injuries), Jewell has proven to be a tackling machine. Last season, he had the most productive year of his career, posting 134 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. Most impressively, he hardly ever came off the field and played 95 percent of available snaps.
Despite his gaudy stats, Jewell still seems like his days in Orange and Blue are numbered. Tellingly, the Broncos selected Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, giving them a cheaper, younger, more athletic option than Jewell. If Jewell is purely an off-ball middle linebacker, Sanders' greatest strength is his versatility. Coming out of high school. Sanders committed to Alabama, where he played for two seasons as an edge rusher. Upon transferring to Arkansas, though, Sanders converted to be an inside linebacker and quickly became one of the best middle linebackers in the country. During his one year with the Hogs, Sanders notched 109 tackles and 9.5 sacks and was named a finalist for the Butkus Award.
Accordingly, Sanders gives the Broncos' defense a new dimension than it would have with Jewell in the center. Ever since trading Von Miller midway through the 2021 season, the Broncos have been unable to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Last season, the Broncos blitzed at the NFL's fourth-highest rate (32.9 percent of passing plays), yet somehow generated pressure on just 18.5 percent of dropbacks, the eighth worst mark in the league. To be sure, Sanders alone won't rectify that (probably), but his ability to rush the passer from varied and non-traditional positions should allow the Broncos' edge rushers to enjoy fewer double teams on the outside.
To wit, even beyond any on-field reason, Jewell's spot on the roster is endangered by the Broncos' financial situation. Although Jewell just signed a two year, $11 million extension with the team last offseason, he's set to be a free agent after the 2023 season. Even if Jewell holds off Sanders and the rest of the Broncos' rookies to remain the starter, it's clear that he won't be for much longer.
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