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The Denver Broncos are going to look a lot different in 2022, with new head coach Nathaniel Hackett set to try to lead the team back to the playoffs. In order to do so, Hackett will need to address some areas of the roster that need to be buffed up. After a 3-0 start in 2021, the Broncos backpedaled significantly throughout the rest of the season, culminating in a disappointing 7-10 record.
The Broncos boast a talented offense, though they lack a star quarterback to get the most out of the skill-position players. Their defense is solid too, with talented young assets like Patrick Surtain II patrolling the secondary, but there are definitely areas to improve on that side of the ball as well.
If the Broncos hope to reach the playoffs, they'll need to address their weaknesses, and fast. They play in one of football's most competitive divisions, and the Chiefs and Chargers don't look to be getting any worse, while the Raiders showed they're a playoff-caliber team last year, too.
With that in mind, here are three moves the Denver Broncos must make during the 2022 NFL offseason.
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3 moves Broncos must make in 2022 NFL offseason
3. Draft an EDGE rusher to compliment Bradley Chubb
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Despite a down year plagued by injury in 2021, Bradley Chubb remains one of the Broncos' key defenders of the future. Getting some help on the opposite EDGE would be a great move for the Broncos with their top 10 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Talented players such as Travon Walker, Jermaine Johnson II, or potentially even Kayvon Thibodeaux could be available for the Broncos with pick No. 9, and it would be wise for them to go out and grab one of the aforementioned three. In Chubb's absence last season, the Broncos lacked elite pass-rushing, and any one of those young studs could step in and immediately supply the Broncos with just that.
2. Draft or sign a defensive tackle
In addition to their need to get after the quarterback a bit better, the Broncos could stand to improve their run defense. They weren't poor against the run by any means, but were pretty much dead average in terms of opponents' rushing yards per game, surrendering 111.3 per contest. Adding a premier defensive tackle could help bring this unit up to a Top-1o group, and there could be some suitable targets in the draft or via free agency. The Broncos could go after a veteran such as Larry Ogunjobi, Linval Joseph, or Austin Johnson, whereas they could also use their first-round pick on someone like Devonte Wyatt.
1. Trade for or sign a star quarterback
This one is the obvious fix for the Broncos. As was evidenced last year, neither Teddy Bridgewater nor Drew Lock was capable of leading this team to the playoffs, and it's time for the team to find someone who can. The rumors have run rampant regarding a potential trade for Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson, but another target the Broncos could explore for the 2022 season would be Jimmy Garoppolo, who is expected to be dealt by the 49ers. This quarterback draft class doesn't figure to be extremely promising, so perhaps going with an experienced arm would be the best route for the Broncos, who are looking to get the most out of young stud receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. Any one of the aforementioned quarterbacks would be a significant improvement over Luck or Bridgewater, and Hackett's links to Rodgers only stand to fuel the rumors of a potential reunion in Denver. Adding a quarterback of that caliber to a team like Denver's would make them Super Bowl contenders overnight.
