The 2023 season was one of change for the Denver Broncos. Who took the biggest leap and improved the most over that span?
Our Let’s Talk Broncos Crew discusses:
Joey Richards (@JRDrafts): Russell Wilson.
Weirdly, I’d give this award to Denver’s former quarterback.
He still wasn’t the caliber of player to deserve the contract he received, but, the season before, Wilson was barely performing to the standard of a backup quarterback, and played with hardly any consistency whatsoever.
This season, Wilson rebounded in a big way, playing like a passable starter and somebody you can win with on a cheaper deal.
Zach Segars (@Zach_Segars): Ja’Quan McMillian.
I’m going to be literal with this award, and no one improved more this season than McMillian, who took the leap from practice squad player to defensive star this season.
My full case for McMillian can be found in the first half of my long form Broncos Awards article.
Mario Vetanze (@VetanzeTherapy): Courtland Sutton.
I was tempted to give the nod to Jonathon Cooper, who more than quadrupled his sack total from last season, but Sutton was ultimately the obvious choice here.
After recording just four touchdowns in the previous two seasons combined (and 14 total TDs in his first five seasons), Sutton exploded for 10 TDs this season and cemented himself as the Broncos number one wide receiver, leading the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. While he was still a far cry from the 72 catch, 1,112 yard season he recorded in 2019, Sutton finally looked like his old self prior to his ACL injury in 2020.
Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm): Jonathon Cooper.
If I wasn’t naming Lloyd Cushenberry my offensive player of the year, this would be his reward. Luckily, the Broncos actually had a few guys take major steps forward this season and I’d argue the biggest step of all came from EDGE Jonathon Cooper.
‘Coop’ was a seventh round pick in 2021, has been a productive role player when called upon and already looked like a “hit” for a Day 3 pick. This season, though, saw him jump from serviceable role player you can trust with a few hundred snaps, to a bonafide three-down edge.
Cooper played 836 snaps this year and finished with career highs in sacks, pressures, pressure rate, and run stops. The way he wins is through great technique and motor which is a fantastic combo to pair with the explosive athletes of Bonitto and Browning. While he isn’t a high level edge starter and Denver certainly could look to upgrade, I’m comfortable with what we’ve seen from Cooper if the team wanted to roll with him as one of the starters going into next season.
He’s gotten better every year and still has a year left on his rookie deal before they need to make a decision. Might be smart to see as much of him as possible next season.
Carter Dillon (@CarterDillon14): Lloyd Cushenberry III.
I would be willing to listen to an argument between two people for this award – Ja’Quan McMillian or Lloyd Cushenberry – but I ultimately think Lloyd deserves this award, without a doubt, because of the HUGE leap he took from last year.
The Broncos went from ‘taking his “likely replacement” in seventh round rookie Alex Forsyth’ to ‘may not be able to pay him as much his market value rate.’
PFF projects him to get a four-year $57.1 million dollar contract this offseason. It is safe to say he got himself PAID.
Robby Davis (@Robby_NFL): Lloyd Cushenberry III.
He was paramount to the offense’s blocking schemes and pressure pickups after a rocky start to his career.
Jason Bishop (@JasonBishopBI): Lloyd Cushenberry III.
He is the clear correct option. While players like Ja’Quan McMillian and Zach Allen deserve consideration, Cushenberry is the best option for the award. From last season to this, he went from being one of the worst centers in the league to an above-average center in line for an extremely lucrative second contract.
Cushenberry’s play was one of the biggest reasons for the turnaround of the offensive line in 2023.
Patrick Chiotti (@PatrickChiotti): Lloyd Cushenberry III.
A lot of people would probably say Russell Wilson here after his abysmal first season in Denver, but Cushenberry’s improvement this year was a big reason for some of those bright moments for the Broncos offense.
With the help of new offensive line coach Zach Strief, Cushenberry had his best season of his career, excluding the 2022 season where he only played eight games. Cushenberry allowed only 14 pressures, nine hurries, and a single sack on the season, all career lows (excluding 2022).
Jacob Romano (@JTR_14): Lloyd Cushenberry III.
In the 2023 off-season, I was researching every possible free agent and draft prospect at the center position to replace Lloyd Cushenberry. It was certain he’d be replaced due to his lack of power and anchor ability.
Fast forward to the current day, and he has become one of my favorite offensive players for the Broncos. While some of his issues still remain, he played by far the best football of his career in 2023, with his technique and anchor ability improving dramatically. He is now scheduled to receive a big payday in free agency, meaning the Broncos may have to replace him this offseason because he is too good for them to keep (oh, the irony).
Winner: Lloyd Cushenberry III (5 votes)
Honorable Mentions: Russell Wilson, Ja’Quan McMillian, Courtland Sutton and Jonathon Cooper (1 vote each).
