Through the 2024 season, the Denver Broncos snapped an eight-year playoff drought, however it’s truthful to wonder if they’re going to proceed progressing this upcoming season.
With that in thoughts, listed below are three burning questions for the Broncos heading into the 2025 season:
How can QB Bo Nix make a second-year leap?
Nix — the twelfth general decide of the 2024 NFL Draft — shattered expectations throughout his rookie season. In 17 begins, he accomplished 66.3% of his passes for 3,775 yards and 29 landing passes, ending third in Offensive Rookie of the 12 months voting behind Las Vegas Raiders tight finish Brock Bowers and Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels.
Nonetheless, the 25-year-old should proceed fine-tuning his sport to change into an elite QB. Enhancing his accuracy on intermediate throws might assist him try this.
Professional Soccer Focus defines intermediate throws as makes an attempt that journey 10-19 yards via the air from the road of scrimmage. Per PFF, Nix completed 51.8% of his intermediate throws final season, thirty fourth amongst 43 eligible QBs (min. 30 makes an attempt).
In a narrative printed February 27, Nix’s private coach, David Morris, informed The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider they’re prioritizing bettering his “rotational energy” this offseason, which ought to assist him throw with extra energy and accuracy.
Buffalo Payments QB Josh Allen has targeted on his rotational energy all through his profession. It is good for Nix to take a cue from the 2024 MVP.
Will signing tight finish Evan Engram repay?
In free company, the Broncos signed two-time Professional Bowler Engram to a two-year, $23M contract.
When wholesome, he is a useful weapon for a passing assault. In 17 video games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023, Engram completed with 114 receptions for 963 yards and 4 TD catches. Final season, the 30-year-old performed in simply 9 video games due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Engram might change into the “joker” head coach Sean Payton wants if he avoids one other vital harm. The “joker” is a flexible TE or RB who creates mismatches within the passing sport within the coach’s offense.
“The imaginative and prescient [Payton] has for that’s that ‘joker’ position. I really like the narrative of the superhero, the supervillains, I really like superhero stuff … I really like creating that narrative for myself to place slightly little bit of wholesome stress on me too,” Engram told DNVR Sports’ Bennie Fowler on April 10. “That is one thing I’ll totally embrace.”
Did their elite protection get even higher?
The Broncos ranked third within the league in factors allowed (18.3) final season, however they nonetheless targeted on bolstering the unit in free company and the 2025 NFL Draft.
In March, the Broncos signed linebacker Dre Greenlaw (three years, $31.5M) and security Talanoa Hufanga (three years, $39M), who helped the San Francisco 49ers make Tremendous Bowl LVIII throughout the 2023 season.
With decide No. 20, Denver chosen Texas Longhorns defensive again Jahdae Barron, the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner as the most effective DB in faculty soccer. He and Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II — 2024 Defensive Participant of the 12 months — might kind a formidable duo.
Investing within the protection as a substitute of the offense — which ranked nineteenth within the league in yards per sport (324.6) in 2024 — appears counterintuitive. In a predraft news conference, nonetheless, Payton defined the way it might put the Broncos able to win their first playoff sport since Tremendous Bowl 50.
“While you assist your protection, you assist your quarterback as nicely,” Payton mentioned. “Let’s not bypass the crystal for a blender if we want a blender.”
