The Denver Broncos are a team with many holes on the roster following a 7-9 season. Those holes could grow bigger should certain players leave as free agents.
The team will need to make upgrades at several spots whether that be through free agency or the draft. How the team goes about making those changes remains to be seen, but here, you will be able to read more about the four most important positions of need for the team.
1. Wide receiver
Without any doubt, the Broncos need to look for a player who can provide more productivity at the wide receiver spot.
Courtland Sutton is a terrific No. 1 target, but Tim Patrick won’t cut it as a No. 2, nor will DaeSean Hamilton, though the latter offers some promise.
Sutton caught 72 passes in 2019 and all other wide receivers on the team combined caught 82. That includes 30 for Emmanuel Sanders, who the Broncos traded to the San Francisco 49ers in October.
Sanders finished with the second-most receptions on the team by a wide receiver, which isn’t a great sign.
Guys like Patrick and Hamilton can be nice role players and added depth, but the Broncos need to find a guy who can fill the role once occupied by Sanders.
Peyton Manning had a ton of success with the combination of Sanders and Demaryius Thomas. This is not to say that Drew Lock is Manning, but if the team gave him another serious threat on the outside to go with Sutton and Noah Fant, it would be supplying the young quarterback with enough tools for ultimate success.
2. Interior offensive line
The Broncos should move on from Ronald Leary this offseason. They can do that by declining his club option. In addition, starting center Connor McGovern is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
At least one of those players won’t be with the team next season and the Broncos need to look for replacements.
Dalton Risner had a terrific rookie season, but the Broncos don’t have much depth in the way of an interior lineman that can play guard or center. Ideally, the team should re-sign McGovern and look to free agency or the draft for a replacement for Leary.
3. Defensive line
Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris and Adam Gotsis are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. The Broncos should be prepared to lose at least one of those players at the very least.
In the event that all three of those guys are playing elsewhere next season, this becomes one of the top positions of priority this offseason.
The Broncos should look to add at least one defensive lineman through free agency and then use a pick in the draft on another.
4. Cornerback
Chris Harris is going to be a free agent and it seems like there is a good chance that he and the Broncos are headed for a divorce.
But even if he somehow stays in Denver, the Broncos need another cornerback as there should be better options than Isaac Yiadom, Duke Dawson and DeVante Bausby.
For instance, Jimmy Smith, Byron Jones and Logan Ryan are just some of the names available in NFL free agency. There are some talented prospects in the draft as well, outside of Jeff Okudah, who will likely be long gone by the time the Broncos come up at No. 15 in the first round.
Other top CB prospects that can be had within the first three or four rounds include Kristian Fulton, Trevon Diggs, C.J. Henderson, Bryce Hall, Cameron Dantzler, A.J. Terrell, Jeff Gladney and Jaylon Johnson.
