The Broncos were ahead of schedule with their success last year. The offense picked up steam as the year went on as their youngsters developed quickly. They protected their rookie QB, Bo Nix with the team ranking 2nd in the NFL in sacks allowed per pass attempt.
Denver also flourished when they got close, ranking 7th in the red zone and 5th in goal-to-go percent which helped them finish in the top 10 on the year in points per game. A year older and with some needed additions, the arrow is pointing up in the mile-high city.
QB: Bo Nix
Nix started slow but increasingly improved throughout his rookie season. In his first 7 games he only completed 61% of his passes for 178 yards per game with 5 TDs / 5 INTs. They relied heavily on his legs during that span with him rushing for 255 yards and 3 additional TDs.
He was exemplary over his final 10 games of the regular season. His completion percentage jumped to 70% as he averaged 253 yards per game through the air for 24 TDs / 7 INTs. Nix threw for 3+ TD passes in 3 of his last 4 games of the regular season.
RB: J.K. Dobbins
Dobbins came out the gate dynamic last season with 130+ rushing yards and a TD in each of his first 2 games. The fast start boosted his yards per carry on the year to 4.6 but after those first 2 games it was a different story.
Over his last 11 games he averaged 15 carries for 58 yards (3.8 ypc). To be fair, no other running back on the roster averaged more than 3.6 ypc on the season. In his receiving role he had 32 receptions for 153 yards (4.8 ypr) and no TDs.
RB: R.J. Harvey
Harvey has impressive college stats with 1,400+ rushing yards and 16+ rushing TDs in each of his last 2 seasons. He succeeds when he’s able to get outside of the tackles or able to freeze a defender with a shake or lateral step.
RB: Audric Estime
Estime only had 76 carries as a rookie which he took for 310 yards (4.1 ypc) and 2 TDs. In each of the last 3 games of the regular season he recorded 9+ carries, after only doing so once prior. He recorded a rushing TD in 2 of those 3 games, his only TDs.
RB: Jaleel McLaughlin
McLaughlin was 2nd on the team last year in carries (113) and yards (496), while leading the top trio of RBs with 4.4 ypc but only recorded 1 rushing TD. He also caught 24 passes for 76 yards (3.2 ypr) and 2 TDs. They increased his role over his last 4 games in which he averaged 12 carries for 53 yards (4.5 ypc).
WR: Courtland Sutton
Nix’s ascension ran parallel to Sutton’s massive bump in play. Over the 1st 7 games of 2024, Sutton only put up 21 / 277 / 2 on an abysmal 45% catch rate. That jumped over the last 10 games to 60 / 804 / 6 with a 68% catch rate.
WR: Marvin Mims Jr.
Mims Jr. saw an astronomical jump in performance which came not only from Nix’s improvement but also with Josh Reynolds and Lil’Jordan Humphery’s exit from the lineup and/or decline in reps.
After starting the first 10 games with 11 / 69 / 0 with a 58% catch rate, he finished the last 7 games with 28 / 434 / 6 with a catch rate of 85%. He recorded 4 of his 6 TDs in the last 2 games of the regular season.
WR: Devaughn Vele
The 2024 7th-rounder, Vele, upstaged his fellow classmate, 4th-rounder Troy Franklin, straight out the gate with an 8 target game in which he caught all 8 passes for 39 yards. A cracked rib kept him out of the next 4 games.
Upon his return, he caught 4 passes for 78 yards. He’d finish the season with 2 of his 3 TD receptions coming over the last 3 games of the regular season. He totaled for his rookie year 41 / 475 / 3 in 13 games of action.
WR: Pat Bryant
Big-body possession receiver that is smart at flattening out of his cut and breaking back to the ball to protect the QB’s throws and to create space. He’ll be a contributor in the offense but will be behind the top trio.
WR: Troy Franklin
Provides the big-play, speed threat to the offense. Has the speed to win deep or either take a tunnel screen and underneath routes for big gash plays if the blocking opens a lane. As a rookie he only had a 53% catch rate and one game with more than 31 receiving yards and 2 catches.
TE: Evan Engram
A quality receiving tight end can be a young QB’s best friend. It’s the reason the Jaguars added Engram to the roster for Trevor Lawrence’s second season. Lawrence targeted Engram 241 times over the first 2 seasons with Engram.
Meanwhile, in Denver last year the leaders among tight ends were Lucas Krull in receptions (19), Adam Trautman in yards (188) and Nate Adkins in TDs (3). There was a void that will be filled with Engram.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: Bo Nix
Despite not having a top-tier receiving tight end and a running back group that consisted of the lead back averaging 3.7 ypc and the top 2 receiving RBs being led by a guy with 0 receiving TDs on 70 targets and the other averaging 3.2 ypr, Nix thrived as a rookie.
Now, he has a safety blanket in Engram that will see over 100+ targets. Nix still doesn’t have a true #1 back, which will lead to him being depended on to keep the chains moving and getting into the endzone. Expect 4,000+ passing yards with 40 total TDs with his arms and legs combined.
BUST: R.J. Harvey
Dobbins had played in 9 of a possible 51 games going into last season. Then he suffered another injury. It’s unlikely he plays the majority of the year. The expectations will be for the 3rd-round rookie Harvey to become “the guy”. Those expectations will fall far short.
His style isn’t tailored to the NFL game. He’s not an in-between the tackles runner as he likes to stand upright and assess instead of making reads on the run and routinely bounces for the edges. He lacks the decisiveness and explosion to take advantage of evaporating holes, despite his 4.4 speed. They’ll rotate all of their top 4 RBs.
SLEEPER: Evan Engram
Nix will feed Sutton and Engram each 125+ targets. Engram hasn’t recorded more than 4 receiving TDs in a season since his rookie year back in 2017. That’ll change in 2025 as he sets a career-high in TDs along with 90+ receptions and 800+ receiving yards.
BOLD PREDICTION: Audric Estime
Dobbins can’t be relied on, McLaughlin had 1 rushing TD and averaged 3.2 ypr as a receiving option and Harvey’s not the back to take the goal line carries or predominantly rush between the tackles.
Estime will cut out a role as the goal line back. As a rookie when he was given extra carries over the last 3 weeks, he recorded 2 rushing TDs. Williams led the team with 139 carries and mustered only 4 rushing TDs. Estime will double Williams’ total from a year ago and finish the season with 8 TDs.
