The Denver Broncos ended the 2022 campaign on a disastrous note, finishing last in the AFC West with a 5-12 record despite going all-in during the offseason with a seismic trade for quarterback Russell Wilson. In the aftermath, the Broncos fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett before the end of the season and subsequently hired veteran coach Sean Payton to instill some winning traits in an organization that has Super Bowl aspirations heading into 2023.
Here’s a look at the depth chart for the 2023 Denver Broncos ahead of your fantasy football drafts.
Broncos depth chart 2023
Russell Wilson returns as the starter under center, while the newly-signed Jarrett Stidham serves as his backup. A talented receiving corps is led by Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Tim Patrick, with an emerging threat in Greg Dulcich at tight end. Samaje Perine is the new face in the backfield that was added through free agency, and he’ll play meaningful snaps as Javonte Williams continues to progress from his ACL surgery.
Despite the returning talent on offense, it was clear from last season that an uninspired offense the team back from its true potential. The Broncos finished dead last in scoring (16.9 ppg) and tied for 30th with an average of 6.6 penalties per game, highlighting how a lack of discipline proved to be an Achilles heel of the team. The hope is that Payton can help steer this offense back on track.
Denver’s defense performed much stronger compared to their counterparts on offense and is once again led by Patrick Surtain II and Justin Simmons in the secondary, while Frank Clark provides some physicality on the edge. The Broncos ranked 14th in defensive scoring (21.1 ppg allowed) and they finished seventh in opponent yards allowed (320.0 per game).
From a fantasy perspective, the hope is that they’ll be able to generate more turnovers and subsequently take advantage of scoring opportunities when those windows are open. In 2022, the Broncos D/ST ranked 28th in fantasy scoring among standard league formats, averaging 6.0 fantasy points per game.