It is no secret that with all the expectations put on Denver, last season was one of the bigger disasters in NFL history. After trading for Russell Wilson and making Nathaniel Hackett their head coach, the Broncos seemed poised for a return to the Playoffs. Unfortunately, the team failed to meet expectations in a historical fashion due to injuries, players underperforming, and the coach being in over his head.
With Sean Payton coming in to coach the team and the culture of the team seemingly changing, some players are primed for a breakout season this season. Some of them will depend on whether Wilson can get back to his Seattle days, but it is reasonable to expect players to get a bump in production by just having him as the coach. Read below for the three break out candidates for the Denver Broncos.
Three Break Out Candidates for the Denver Broncos:
Cornerback Damarri Mathis:
Broncos CB Damarri Mathis (27) – Matt York/AP Photo
I am going to start with the lone defensive player on my list because he is the one least directly impacted by the hiring of Sean Payton. However, he is directly impacted by the hiring of Vance Joeseph as the team’s new defensive coordinator. While the last time Joeseph was in Denver, it ended ugly, there should be optimism with him coming back as the DC, and the numbers prove it, especially for the DBs.
One thing that Joeseph has been consistently good in is DVOA or Defense-adjusted Value Over Average where he has been top 12 in four of the last six years. Most notably for the DBs, he had the ninth-best in 2020 and fifth-best in 2021 in DVOA against the past. He also has a history of working well with young CBs, most recently Byron Murphy in Arizona. That and the way Mathis ended last season should make Broncos fans excited.
After a shaky way to get going, giving up 94 yards on a 100% completion percentage against the Colts and then giving up six catches for 58 yards and four penalties against the Chargers, he settled in very nicely. After those back-to-back games, he never gave up more than five catches or 75 yards.
He also gave up only one Touchdown in 11 starts last season which for a rookie is pretty impressive. Drafted to mainly be a developmental piece last season behind Surtain II, Darby, and Williams, Mathis got more snaps in meaningful games than expected. He managed to exceed expectations, and with his first offseason and full season as a starter opposite Surtain II expect Mathis to take a big jump next season.
TE Greg Dulcich:
Broncos TE Greg Dulcich (80) – Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
Greg is a name that is being thrown out there as a player to watch this season for Denver. Sean Payton being the coach is a big reason for that, but it is not the only reason to be excited. However, it is worth noting that Payton has talked glowingly about the different ways the team can use Dulcich this upcoming season.
The third-round pick in 2022 had a rough time staying healthy last season, but when he was on the field it was clear he can play. He finished last season with 33 catches for 411 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games. In an offense that had very few positives, to put up those numbers is impressive.
It was clear that Wilson enjoyed throwing to him when he was on the field. In the ten games he played, Wilson targeted him at least fives time in six of those games. If he can stay healthy, expect him to collect targets at a high rate under Payton. It would not be surprising if he finished second or third on the team in targets.
A great example of how impactful Payton can be on Dulcich is what Jimmy Graham did in New Orleans. Now, no one is saying Dulcich will produce like Graham, but it is a good example of how he can be used considering they are pretty similar players. Both are very athletic and are more receiving TEs and not much of a blocker. The one thing that makes Greg different is his speed and size. He is significantly smaller than Jimmy, but Dulcich has more speed and is probably a more polished route runner out of college than Graham was.
Not very many people immediately think of how Payton coaches TEs as part of his greatness, but in four of his five years in New Orleans, Jimmy had more than 80 catches and 800 yards while going for 1,000+ and 10+ TDs in two of those years. Considering how often he was targeted when healthy, do not be surprised if Greg takes a big leap next season.
Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy (10) – Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Arguably the most obvious choice, but it is clear that Jerry may take the biggest jump this upcoming season for Denver. The hype around Jerry coming into this season has a similar feel to both the players I mentioned previously. He ended last season on a really high note and now has one of the best offensive minds in NFL history coaching him now.
Despite an ugly season offensively for Denver last season, Jerry got off to a hot start to the season with four catches, 102 yards, and one TD against Seattle to open the season. After that, it was really inconsistent for him in terms of production. That was largely because of the poor play by Wilson and poor play calling by Hackett, but it was looking like a third possible bust season for the former first-round pick.
That all changed in Week 14 against the Chiefs. He had arguably his best game as a pro, with eight catches for 73 yards and three TDs. With that game, he had 34 catches for 472 yards and three TDs in the last five weeks of the season. He also finished last season with career highs in Receptions, Yards, and TDs, finally looking like the first-round talent the Broncos were hoping he would become.
Similar to Greg, there is also a great example of Payton’s past that shows what Jerry can expect to play like this season. Michael Thomas was on another level with Payton calling the plays (and when he is healthy). Thomas had four straight seasons of over 1,000 yards and 90 or more catches. The last season he was healthy, he went for 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine TDs.
No one is saying Jerry will have that type of season, but he plays in a similar way as Thomas. Both are very precise and technically sound route runners and know how to get open with the best of them. Seeing how Payton used Thomas in the past, do not be surprised if Jeudy goes for career highs in every category again.
One thing is certain about the players I picked for breakout seasons for Denver this season; if Jerry and Greg have the seasons I am anticipating, it also more than likely means Russell Wilson has a bounce-back season.
