The 2020 Denver Broncos are well into training camp, after Zoom meetings throughout the off-season. It’s been a challenge with the pandemic, but thus far the players – including the young ones – have adapted fast. If anything, the struggles have been kept to a minimum. It’s an ideal time to look at the good and bad of the 2020 Denver Broncos so far this season.
The Good and Bad Of The 2020 Denver Broncos
The Good
Drew Lock – He Leads the Offense Well
A new offensive coordinator turned out to be a positive factor this year. Ordinarily, a second-year quarterback working with a new offensive coach during these different times wouldn’t be ideal. Typical off-season work options were limited. However, coaches and teammates have been impressed with Drew Lock’s “command” of the offense, as reported by Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange. Head coach Vic Fangio pointed out Lock’s ability to “throw the ball to every level of the field” and make plays with his legs. That’s promising and characteristic of a quarterback with experience far beyond Lock’s. Pat Shurmur’s offense seems right for Lock – he’s been running up the offense in a way that makes it look easy.
Defense Has Had A Resurgence
Fangio’s defense with his former teams was renowned for a spike in their second year. It seems no different in Denver. The defensive line has been pressuring all three quarterbacks from all angles, and their pass rush is remarkable. Von Miller’s and Bradley Chubb’s performances are reminiscent of past seasons. Meanwhile, Shelby Harris, Jurrell Casey, and Dre’Mont Jones are developing well.
The secondary has been, according to Bedinger, outstanding. The top four guys are especially pleasing to watch. Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons are being regarded as the best safety duo in the league. Cornerbacks A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan are going full speed and will make quite a daunting pair this season. Big improvements have come from Alexander Johnson, who has stepped up his game. He slices through the line of scrimmage and makes plays in coverage. He could be a top performer in the defense this year.
The Bad (Or Just Not So Good)
Still No Definitive Third Cornerback
It’s not earth-shattering, but a concern. Isaac Yiadom, De’Vante Bausby, and Davontae Harris are competing for the CB3 position. Filling this spot will be an area of focus. Fangio has expressed the need for two guys to fill this role, should injury take hold of one of them. Bausby has been picking off a pass a day at practice, if not more. He’s looking like a viable candidate for the spot. Yiadom was a starter in 2019; he and Harris have youth and talent on their side. Consistency is their main issue. Put simply, they need to find some.
It’s somewhat concerning that rookie Michael Ojemudia is down with a quad injury, so he’s missing valuable time on the practice field. It’s unlikely he’ll have time to get healthy and have any significant time playing this year. Meanwhile, Duke Dawson hasn’t stood out at all, which has disappointed some analysts.
Injuries Aplenty…
The Broncos are certainly not the worst off, as a lot of teams start training camp with injuries already stacked up. At this point, linebacker Justin Strnad and tight end Austin Fort are out for the season with wrist and knee injuries respectively.
Rookie receiver K.J. Hamler may miss close to a month with a hamstring injury. His injury is expected to stay with him into the first two weeks of the regular season. It’s vital he proceeds with caution if he is to remain a valued skill player.
Todd Davis injured his calf last season and has done the same again this year. This is just not ideal for a player going into his sixth professional season. The silver lining here is that Josey Jewell will finally have the opportunity to step up and show what he can do. We saw snippets of his potential in 2019.
There Are More Positives
At this point in the preseason, the Broncos are in a fairly good position overall. With more positives than negatives, there’s hope for fans. They may see a better performance from the team – a welcome improvement from the last few years.
