A year ago, the Denver Broncos believed they had properly set up the franchise for a turnaround following the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as head coach and trading for signal-caller Russell Wilson. The coach-QB tandem lasted less than one season with the team firing Hackett with multiple games remaining on the schedule.
Coming out of the wreckage, the Broncos lured Super Bowl-winning headman Sean Payton to town. He’ll attempt to fix Wilson’s issues in 2023 or search for a replacement quarterback next offseason.
Let’s take a look at the projected offensive depth chart for the Broncos following the 2023 NFL Draft.
Broncos depth chart 2023
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Kicker
Biggest offensive NFL Draft additions
2.63 — Marvin Mims Jr., WR, Oklahoma
7.257 — Alex Forsyth, OL, Oregon
Player most impacted by NFL Draft for fantasy football
In a certain sense, the draft most impacted Wilson in that the Broncos had limited picks with which to help him. Marvin Mims should provide some help in the receiving corps, but the shaky offensive line gained only seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth. Certainly, other starting quarterbacks will work with less in 2023, but Wilson probably needs more help at this point in his career.
Instead, Wilson will have to hope working with Payton invigorates his career and keeps him from taking unnecessary punishment from NFL defenses. Payton worked wonders with late-career Drew Brees in New Orleans, but few quarterbacks in NFL history possess the future Hall of Famer’s super-computer football brain.
