The Denver Broncos came into the offseason looking to make a big upgrade at the quarterback position. They have been on the lookout for one since Peyton Manning and have finally found their man.
Denver pulled off a shocking blockbuster, landing Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this week. Denver traded five draft picks and three players, Drew Lock, Shelby Harris and Noah Fant, in exchange for Wilson and a draft pick.
With Wilson under center, expectations are now going to take off for the Broncos. He is the kind of star they have been on the lookout for to keep pace in a loaded AFC West that also includes Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr.
What can we expect to see from Wilson in his first season with the Broncos? Here are three bold predictions for him in 2022.
3. Wilson Gets His Legs Back
In recent seasons we have seen Wilson scale back his rushing attempts. He had a career-low 43 rushes in 2021. After rushing the ball at least 94 times in each of his first four seasons in the NFL, Wilson has reached that plateau only once the following six seasons.
With the Broncos, he will get going on the ground once again. Denver is loaded with weapons offensively and Wilson’s legs will be incorporated into the game plan a little more than it has been with the Seahawks in recent seasons.
Wilson will scramble when he needs to, but the Broncos will scheme up some runs for him as well. RPO’s with Javonte Williams should be a prevalent part of the game plan, as teams are going to have a hard time slowing down the skill position players that Denver will be deploying.
Wilson will rush the ball at least 85 times in 2022 and pick up at least 550 yards.
2. Career-High Touchdown Passes
During his tenure with the Seahawks, Wilson had some great receivers to throw the ball to. In recent years, D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have emerged as one of the better duos in the NFL.
While those two are good, in Denver, Wilson will have an embarrassment of riches to get the ball to. Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sutton, Tim Patrick and K.J. Hamler are an impressive group. Even with Fant heading to Seattle, the Broncos have AL Okwuegbunam taking over as the lead tight end. Out of the backfield, Williams looked like the real deal when he was given full-time reps.
With so many explosive players to get the ball to, Wilson will set a career-high for touchdown passes in 2022. His previous career-high was 40 in 2020. With an extra game, he will throw for 45 touchdowns this upcoming season.
1. Leads Broncos To Double-Digit Wins
The Broncos have not made the postseason since Peyton Manning announced his retirement following the 2015 season when the team won the Super Bowl. That streak will come to an end this season.
Denver has not won double-digit games since Manning retired and that will also come to an end with Wilson under center. He will lead the Broncos to at least 11 wins in 2022 and a spot in the postseason.
It will be challenging to win the AFC West crown, but the Broncos will certainly be in the mix. He will beat every team in the division at least once in 2022 and at least earn a Wild Card spot in the playoffs.
