2022 Broncos' Season, Pre-Season Week 1

 


Pre-Season Week 1: Denver Broncos 17, Dallas Cowboys 7
Pre-Season Record: 1-0 (1-0 Home)
Key Play: With the Broncos leading 7-0 and 5:24 left in the First Half, Josh Johnson connected with Kendall Hinton on a 24-yard touchdown pass to give the team a 14-0 lead. The Broncos never looked back, winning the opener 17-7.

Recap: Pre-season is always an unknown. The result doesn't matter so much as what you see. In the case of this opening game, what we saw is encouraging. The Nathaniel Hackett era began with most of the starters on the bench, but the team still looked solid. Josh Johnson looked strong as the potential backup quarterback, while the receiving corps looks promising. Baron Browning was also a star at linebacker. I'm excited to see the rest of the pre-season and dreading the first wave of cuts this week. Below is my projection for the Final 53.

QB (2):
* Russell Wilson
* Josh Johnson

About: I like Brett Rypien, but I think the Broncos will stick with two QBs and Johnson has made a great case for being the backup for Wilson.

RB (3):
* Javonte Williams
* Melvin Gordon
* Mike Boone

About: Williams and Gordon are locks and will be the primary ball carriers. Boone probably makes the roster as the third back. He looked terrible on Saturday, as did the running game in general, so I hope that improves.

WR (7):
* Courtland Sutton
* Jerry Jeudy
* K.J. Hamler
* Brandon Johnson
* Kendall Hinton
* Seth Williams
* Montrell Washington

About: Sutton, Jeudy and Hamler are locks. They didn't play Saturday. But what we saw was encouraging. Johnson, Hinton and Williams all made great plays. Washington is an electric return man. I think the Broncos keep seven here, and that's a change for me from previous predictions.

TE (4):
* Albert Okwuegbunam
* Greg Dulcich
* Eric Tomlinson
* Andrew Beck

About: Tight end is another loaded group. Albert O. and Dulcich seem to be the receivers, Tomlinson the block and Beck the versatile option. I still think they go with four, and it's all four of these players.

Offensive Line (9):
* Garrett Bolles
* Calvin Anderson
* Billy Turner
* Cam Flemming
* Dalton Risner
* Netane Muti
* Quinn Meinerz
* Graham Glasgow
* Lloyd Cushenberry III

About: Tackle is interesting. Anderson is likely the starter. Turner has some flexibility and as a veteran makes some sense. I think that's the help for Glasgow, too. He's likely not a starter, but he can also play center. I think this is probably the group barring a major injury.

Defensive Line (6):
* Dre'Mont Jones
* DJ Jones
* McTelvin Agim
* DeShawn Williams
* Mike Purcell
* Eiyoma Uwazuirke

About: Dre'Mont and D.J. Jones are locks. Williams has worked into a starting spot and looks solid. Purcell is a veteran and I think he makes it for his potential in helping stop the run. The other spots come down to young players. Agim looked good last year and I think he'll be good again. Uwazuirke is a young player and a project, but I think he makes it.

Linebackers (9):
* Randy Gregory
* Bradley Chubb
* Malik Reed
* Baron Browning
* Nik Bonitto
* Jonas Griffith
* Josey Jewel
* Justin Strnad
* Alex Singleton

About: I went with nine here, but Griffith's elbow injury could change things. It's hard to tell right at the minute. Gregory is also working back from injury. All I know is Browning, Strnad and Singleton looked great in game one, and I think they have worked their way in here. The toughest cut was Jonathan Cooper. I liked him in 2021, it might just end up a numbers game.

Defensive Backs (10):
* Patrick Surtain II
* Ronald Darby
* K'Waun Williams
* Michael Ojemudia
* Damarri Mathis
* Justin Simmons
* Kareem Jackson
* Caden Sterns
* P.J. Locke
* Jamar Johnson

About: Surtain, Darby, Williams, Simmons, Jackson and Sterns are locks. That leaves a couple spots at corner and safety. I have gone back-and-forth a lot. I think, ultimately, the Broncos want to keep some youth. I have Mathis making it at corner and went back to Ojemudia, who has been good at times. At safety I went with Locke, the veteran, who looked sharp last night and Johnson. Delarrin Turner-Yell is a real possibility too, but we'll see.

Special Teams (3):
* Brandon McManus
* Sam Martin
* Jacob Bobenmoyer

About: I remain set that this is the three and they are locks.

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