Truly elite NFL franchises have a handful of players who are indispensable. Without Julio Jones, Matt Ryan and Devonta Freeman, the Falcons are an afterthought in the NFC South. The same goes for the Patriots without Tom Brady, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski.
The Denver Broncos are in much the same boat with their own batch of players who will be the catalysts for a team looking to regain its perch in the upper-echelon of the AFC.
If any, or all, of these Broncos should have great statistical years, it will be reflected in an improvement in the team’s record. Conversely, if someone were to fall to an injury or just have an off year, it may be another season where fans don’t see the Broncos playing postseason football.
Here are the five players who are critical to the success of the 2017 Denver Broncos…
Von Miller
Did you really think it would be anyone else? The Super Bowl 50 MVP is feared around the league for being able to wreck any game plan with his ability to get to the quarterback. What gets overlooked, however, is the complete defender Miller has transformed himself into in the past few seasons. The outside linebacker has the ability to be a once-in-a-lifetime player and the Broncos are just another middle-of-the-road team on defense if he’s not on it.
Matt Paradis
The Broncos’ offensive line was the worst it has been in some time last season, acting as one of the main culprits in a poor offense in 2016. If not for Matt Paradis, who took every snap last year despite needing surgery on both hips in the offseason, it’s not a stretch to say that it could have been much worse. Now in a re-tooled unit that could face some uncertainty with as many as three new starters on the line and without a proven backup behind him, Paradis an integral and steadying member of the offensive line for this upcoming season.
Chris Harris Jr.
Any member of the No Fly Zone could have made this list, and there could have been a valid argument for their inclusion. What tipped the scales to Harris, however, is his unique ability to play outside early in a series and then move inside to defend the slot. With teams actively trying to find decent nickel cornerbacks around the league, it’s a rare occurrence that the Broncos have an All-Pro defensive back that can play multiple spots and is as effective against the pass as he is versus the run.
Demaryius Thomas
The quarterback play in Denver has been less-than stellar for the past couple of seasons. Thus, it should be even more impressive that Thomas caught at least 90 passes in those two seasons. While some might point to his drops as a reason to leave him off this list, Thomas has cut down on that statistic each of the last three years as well. The former Georgia Tech standout is the one player on offense who has the raw, physical talent to take over any game.
Paxton Lynch
Yes, the quarterback competition looks like it will go down to the end of training camp before a winner is chosen. Yes, Vance Joseph said this would be a 50-50 competition, and he has kept that promise with every rep being split between Lynch and Trevor Siemian during the OTA period. The difference is that Lynch has the higher ceiling of both quarterbacks. He also has the tantalizing ability to make down-the-field throws and go off script in a way Siemian doesn’t. If Lynch can be the game-manger that Siemian is while mixing in the ability to go vertical occasionally, it will be a key component to improving a stagnant offense from last year.
Because of what these five players bring to the table, losing any one of them for an extended period time, or their having a season in which they don’t play up to their potential, will have a direct impact on this year’s Broncos getting back to the playoffs or finishing 9-7 once again.