The Denver Broncos 2022 NFL Draft class was their first draft without premier capital after the Russell Wilson trade. That class is now preparing for their third year in the NFL. Which players does the team need to have a breakout season in 2024?
Denver Broncos third-year players in need of a breakout season
Greg Dulcich, Damarri Mathis, and Luke Wattenberg headline the three players that will be discussed today in need of a potential breakout season. Each player is in a position to contribute in pivotal roles this year.
Denver Broncos not giving up on Greg Dulcich
Greg Dulcich is one player that Broncos Country needs to keep an eye on this season. The narrative surrounding the talented tight end has been defined by injuries.
He’s had four hamstring injuries in two seasons to the same hamstring, and that has been a frustrating development for him. Nobody wants to be on the field more than Dulcich, but he’ll have to overcome that hurdle this season if he hopes to change the narrative.
“In the evaluation of them, I think it’s an important year, take for instance [TE] Greg [Dulcich],” Payton said regarding evaluating players who have been dealing with injuries. “You wouldn’t say it’s a crossroads year, but he feels that urgency to put this in his rearview mirror and hopefully we can do that.”
When healthy and on the field, Dulcich has been an impact player. His size, athleticism, and short-burst explosiveness are valuable, and Sean Payton hopes to utilize the quick passing attack more in 2024.
While the Broncos aren’t giving up on Dulcich, they’re seemingly taking steps this offseason to put contingency plans in place in the event he can’t remain healthy. That’s where Lucas Krull will factor into the equation as somebody Broncos fans need to pay attention to.
His 6’6 size and speed are unique elements that will likely be featured more in 2024, but hopefully, they can involve Dulcich and Krull on the field together in certain personnel packages.
Damarri Mathis ready to bounce back in 2024
Damarri Mathis is another player who is poised for a breakout season in 2024. After a very promising rookie season, Mathis faced adversity in his sophomore year in 2023.
Initially, he was set to compete with Riley Moss for the starting cornerback job, but Moss had core muscle surgery and was sidelined. In joint practices against the Los Angeles Rams, Mathis injured his ankle, which lingered into the start of the regular season.
Denver’s defense struggled mightily to start the season, and it snowballed into a 50-point blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, leading to a variety of changes personnel-wise.
Mathis was eventually benched in favor of veteran Fabian Moreau, who finished the season as the starter opposite of Patrick Surtain II.
Despite being benched, Mathis approached practice and each week with determination and just put his head down and worked. He ended up playing more special teams snaps and did see some time in various personnel packages for Denver’s defense.
Cornerback development and progression is tough in the NFL. One of the traits that Mathis excelled in during his college days was press man-to-man coverage, which the Broncos could do more of under Jim Leonhard’s potential philosophy as the team’s pass game coordinator.
Even with some of his struggles last season, Mathis gets involved against the run and had several pass breakups last year. Expect he and Moss to compete for the starting job opposite of Surtain in training camp.
Can Luke Wattenberg start at center?
The Denver Broncos will have a three-man competition more than likely for the starting center job after Lloyd Cushenberry’s departure in NFL free agency.
Wattenberg will compete with Alex Forsyth and veteran Sam Mustipher for the starting job once training camp rolls around in July. For Wattenberg, what would it take for him to break out this year?
In his rookie season, he was thrown to the wolves a little early and struggled at center, leading former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett to acknowledge they didn’t put him in a position to succeed.
While he struggled early on at center, he showed flashes while playing guard. Wattenberg demonstrated the ability to downblock effectively and had several solid pass protection reps. If he can demonstrate continued growth in these areas, he’ll have the chance to make a strong impression.
He’s viewed internally by the Broncos front office and scouting department as a swing guard/center that gives them depth and flexibility across the board.
It seems like Denver’s motive this offseason has been to stack depth, but more importantly, they’ve built out solid depth across the O-line.
The Broncos have embraced patience and have emphasized player development even if it takes a year or two with players who were late round draft selections.
Payton will likely rotate each center in the preseason to get starting snaps, but even when a player like Wattenberg’s starting reps are finished, he’ll likely slide over to guard so that Denver can have dual-evaluation on him.
Whether it’s Wattenberg, Forsyth, or Mustipher, whoever the center is should benefit from the play and impact of Ben Powers and Quinn Meinerz next to them as Denver hopes to be more dominant on the ground in 2024.
