Russell Wilson could reach Super Bowl LVII in his first season as a Bronco

By: Jake Rajala

The Denver Broncos transitioned from a mediocre AFC team to a Russell Wilson-led Super Bowl favorite this off-season. Wilson is out of the wretched Seahawks island and he’s hungry for his second Super Bowl ring in Denver. With that said, I’m going to simply outline three reasons why the Denver Broncos could reach Super Bowl LVII.

The Broncos depth on offense

It’s obvious that Courtland Sutton and second-year RB Javonte Williams are expected to be superb contributors in 2022. Although, it should also be noted that the Broncos also carry tremendous depth at RB and WR. Melvin Gordon is an excellent 1B at RB, while Tim Patrick is a sleeper WR3 option. Patrick has 730+ yards without Wilson in each of the past two seasons without a quality QB. I expect him to be one of the breakout AFC WRs this season.

Strength of schedule

The Broncos might play in the wild AFC West, but they actually carry the 15th most difficult schedule next season. Meanwhile, the reigning Super Bowl Champions (LA Rams) have the most challenging schedule in 2022. The Broncos should feel ecstatic about facing a modest slate of opponents and even the Tyreek Hill-less Chiefs twice in the regular season. The Broncos also have the easiest strength of schedule among all AFC West squads.

Improved pass rush

Denver and Von Miller didn’t reunite this off-season, but the Broncos still have excellent horses at their edge-rushing spots moving forward. Bradley Chubb will return healthy (missed 10 games in 2021) and they expect a lot of production from the new speed rusher Randy Gregory, as well. The Broncos flexed the eighth-best pass defense last, but they could make more magic with their shiny, insanely athletic pass-rushing duo.