The Broncos quick rebuild should not shock anyone when you think about it

   

The Denver Broncos have truly turned their entire franchise around in two seasons, and this quick rebuild really should not shock anyone. When Sean Payton took over as head coach and perhaps de-facto general manager, the Broncos were coming off of one of their most dysfunctional seasons ever.

They went 5-12 and made former head coach Nathaniel Hackett a one-and-done head coach, which rarely ever happens in the NFL. Denver also saw the major downfall of Russell Wilson, who was playing like a backup QB would in 2022.

Denver Broncos v Los Angeles Chargers

It was just a flat-out ugly season, but Payton had other ideas. Some of the first moves he made was signing guard Ben Powers, right tackle Mike McGlinchey, and defensive end Zach Allen.

Those signings plus actually having a legitimate head coach propelled the Broncos to three more wins in 2023. They found themselves at 8-9 to finish the year and in a much better spot than they were at that point last year.

The 2024 NFL Offseason also saw the Broncos cut ties with Russell Wilson and draft then-rookie QB Bo Nix. While the move was unpopular at first, drafting and developing a QB is simply the only way to sustain success in the NFL, and Payton knew this.

The Broncos were also able acquire defensive end John Franklin-Myers in a trade, signed DT Malcolm Roach, and drafted EDGE Jonah Elliss. The starting EDGE duo of Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto also both broke out in 2023 and were on pace for a huge 2024 if they took the next step.

And they absolutely did.

What we saw in 2024 was the culmination of the three most important things that an NFL team must get 'right' to sustain success in the NFL:

-Get the quarterback
-Protect the quarterback
-Get TO the quarterback

Point-blank, period; these are the most important qualities that an NFL team must possess, and in these two years of the brief Sean Payton era, we have seen the Broncos prioritize all three. The Broncos built up the offensive line in the 2023 NFL Offseason, found the QB in the 2024 NFL Draft, and put the finishing touches along the defensive line last offseason.

The team's success in 2024 was no silly coincidence, and them being able to rebuild this quickly was absolutely because of them putting an emphasis on the positions that matter the most in the NFL. How much more successful can the Denver Broncos be in 2025? Can they take the next step?