The Lead
Here at the Mile High Morning content factory, we love bold predictions.
The last time we saw some, a writer from CBS Sports said Drew Lock would pass for at least 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, Von Miller would set a career high in sacks and Bradley Chubb would have 15 sacks and make his first Pro Bowl.
For the Broncos, Kapadia predicted that Courtland Sutton will lead the NFL in receiving yards.
"He finished last season ranked 19th with 1,112 receiving yards," Kapadia wrote. "That was with eight games of Joe Flacco and three with Brandon Allen before Denver moved to Drew Lock for the final five weeks. Because the Broncos were a mediocre team, Sutton didn't get a lot of buzz, but he was incredible, making highlight plays on a weekly basis. He also drew a league-high 150 yards in pass interference penalties."
And even with more weapons at Lock's disposal this year, Kapadia says Sutton will be primed to take another step in his development in a new offense.
"The Broncos have more options this year, with their selection of Jerry Jeudy in the first round. But they're also going to push the ball downfield at a higher rate, and expect new play-caller Pat Shurmur to be more pass-heavy than Rich Scangarello. There's upside for a 1,500-yard season from Sutton."
Below the Fold
With less than a week until the start of the regular season, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell picked the 40 most compelling storylines for the upcoming season. Coming in at No. 21 was Drew Lock, who was listed as a "breakout candidate."
After earning Pro Bowl alternate honors in 2019 as a return specialist, Diontae Spencer is looking to build on his NFL start in 2020. "I went back and watched some film and identified some [deficiencies] in my game, and looked at film of other returners in the league and over the years," Spencer told The Denver Post’s Kyle Newman. "I took something from each of their games and added to mine — being decisive with cuts, making reads, stuff like that."
