Denver Broncos SB Odds & Analysis After Draft

Denver Broncos SB Odds & Analysis After Draft

Written by on April 30, 2020

After playing musical chairs with their quarterback position ever since legendary quarterback Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season, the Denver Broncos will enter the 2020 NFL regular season with a player they believe can be their long-term answer to a problem that has plagued them for nearly a half-decade.

Denver Broncos SB Odds & Analysis After Draft

Whether or not young quarterback Drew Lock is the answer still remains to be seen, but the Broncos will enter 2020 campaign with what looks like a solid shot to post their first winning record since 2016. With that thought in mind and the 2020 regular season getting closer by the day, let’s find out what could lie in store for Lock an the rest of the Broncos this coming season.

  • Super Bowl Odds: +5000
  • AFC Championship Odds: +2400

Offense

Denver went 7-9 last season while recording a solid 9-7 ATS mark along the way. Unfortunately, the Broncos were a mess on offense as they finished the 2019 campaign ranked a dismal 28th in total offense, an identical 28th in passing, 20th in rushing and 28th in scoring by putting up just 17.6 points per contest. To address their needs on the offensive side of the ball, Denver signed veteran running back Melvin Gordon, guard Graham Glasgow and tight end Nick Vannett in free agency. The Broncos added to their offensive haul by drafting Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy with the 15th overall pick in the draft while adding Penn State wideout K.J. Hamler in the second round. Denver also selected LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry III in the third round, Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam in the fourth round, Fresno State guard Netane Muti in the sixth round and Florida wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland in the seventh round.

Defense

While the Denver Broncos were completely awful on offense in 2019, they were pretty solid on defense in finishing 2019 ranked 12th overall, 11th against the pass, 16th against the run and 10th in points allowed (19.8 ppg). Denver re-signed do-it-all safety Justin Simmons and veteran defensive lineman Christian Covington in free agency. The Broncos also selected Iowa cornerback Michael Ojemudia in the third round, Arkansas defensive tackle McTelvin Agim in the third round, Wake Forest linebacker Justin Strnad in the fifth round and North Dakota State linebacker Derrek Tuszka in the seventh round.

2020 Outlook

I love Denver’s additions on offense and I suspect that both, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler could start right away at wide receiver. Tight end Nick Vannett is a reliable target in the middle of the field and Melvin Gordon should be going all-out to prove he’s still an elite running back.

While I no worries about Denver’s perennially stout defense, the bottom line for the Broncos is that their success in 2020 mostly hinges on the development of now, second-year signal-caller Drew Lock. The former Missouri quarterback got five starts late last season and led the Broncos to a 4-1 mark over that stretch while completing 64.1 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.

If Lock turns out to be the real deal, then Denver will be well on their way to snapping their three-year streak of losing records and four-year absence from the playoffs. If Lock turns out to be just another average quarterback that can’t handle the NFL game, the Broncos will be looking for another franchise quarterback in what has been a seemingly endless search. Right now, I like the Broncos to improve just a bit to 8-8 and possibly 9-7, again, depending mostly on the performance of Drew Lock.