With a focus on improving the offense, the Denver Broncos entered the offseason with a clear game plan. The first priority, as head coach Sean Payton outlined, was finding a “Joker” — a do-it-all playmaker — to help rookie quarterback Bo Nix take the next step after leading the team to a playoff appearance in his first NFL season.
While they’ve been relatively quiet in free agency, adding Evan Engram gave them a potential option to fill that role. However, one analyst believes the team can’t be satisfied with just Engram. Instead, he sees more moves coming from the Mile High City.
Denver Broncos Need Their Joker
Last season, Denver’s defense powered its playoff run, ranking as the league’s top unit in PFSN’s Defense+ metric. The offense, on the other hand, was middle of the pack, finishing 16th in the PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
The addition of Engram brought some optimism to the fanbase, but Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated doesn’t think the former Jacksonville Jaguar will be enough to change the offense on his own.
“Evan Engram was a nice signing by the Denver Broncos, but I don’t know that he’s the ‘Joker’ that Sean Payton was talking about. The good news is the draft has a bunch of guys like that.”
Specifically, Breer sees a traditional skill-position player filling that spot.
“I do wonder, though, if this makes it more likely that it’d be a back (such as Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson) or a receiver (such as Missouri’s Luther Burden III) rather than another tight end.”
For Denver, adding offensive firepower is a necessity. Outside of Courtland Sutton, no player had more than 503 receiving yards last season, despite a relatively healthy year for the Broncos’ receiving corps. They also struggled on the ground, with Javonte Williams, now with the Dallas Cowboys, leading the team with just 513 rushing yards.
Adding someone like Henderson, who topped or neared 1,000 rushing yards in his three healthy collegiate seasons while also producing as a pass catcher, could be an elite addition to Denver’s attack. Similarly, Burden showed incredible promise as a receiver during his time with Missouri.
However, PFSN’s latest mock draft has a different running back in mind for the Broncos. Adding Omarion Hampton from North Carolina would give them a proven specialist. With more than 1,500 rushing yards in each of his last two collegiate seasons, Hampton was a dominant force.
He also added 15 rushing touchdowns in each of those years while proving to be a capable receiver, tallying 373 yards and two touchdowns in his final season at North Carolina.
While Engram is a solid piece, the Broncos should continue building their offense through the draft. They already have an exceptional defense returning most of its key players.
Enhancing the offense has to be a priority, and with the depth available in this year’s draft, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to find Nix the help he needs.