The Denver Broncos are ranked high in every preseason list, but NFL executives don't completely believe in them.
The Denver Broncos just had a 14-3 season, and they’re looking to take the next step to the Super Bowl. But Mike Sando of The Athletic did his annual poll of NFL executives about the Broncos this year, and they have their doubts, even though they do have a strong belief in the Denver defense.
"Sean Payton does a masterful job of making his teams feel they are better than where they are, and that exudes through their play," one exec said.
That confidence allowed the Broncos to go on a major run last year, and it was fueled by the defense, the strength of which is hard to ignore.
"As much as I don't buy Denver," said another, "they have the defense, they have the head coach, they have the quarterback (Bo Nix) healthy, they added Jaylen Waddle. I don't know about their run game or Houston's run game, but I trust the continuity of those defenses."
What may save the Broncos is the evenness of the AFC West, and the fact that one of their major competitors, the Kansas City Chiefs are trying to rebound from a 6-11 season. The Chiefs were ranked sixth among AFC contenders in a list of ten, with the Denver Broncos ranked second in the list. The Los Angeles Chargers, meanwhile, are ranked eighth, and there’s been speculation that ten wins could take the division.
Another exec who had the Chiefs ranked third expressed a belief in the combination of coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a combination the Broncos will see at Arrowhead on Sept. 14.
"Yeah, Andy Reid and a healthy Patrick Mahomes?" the exec slotting Kansas City third said. "I'll take my chances with them coming away with 11 wins."
But not everyone was as impressed with the changes the Chiefs have made going forward. The Chiefs swapped out their secondary, and they also have uncertainty in the offensive line.
"Mahomes coming off the knee, they lose the corners in (the offseason) — those are all good players, right?" said an exec who had the Chiefs ranked fifth. "I'm a little skeptical how they are going to replace those corners. We know Mahomes is good, but I don't know how healthy he is."
Another mentioned the issues at tackle, as the Chiefs neglected that position on offense when they traded up to take cornerback Mansoor Delane.
"They need tackles, and we don't know if Mahomes can move," another exec said. "That's one team that could really go either way."
