CBS Sports: Sean Payton's Broncos among teams "poised to make a major leap next season"
(CBS SPORTS) - The 2022 NFL season is in the books after the Chiefs won their second Lombardi Trophy in four years Sunday night. Now, it's time to look ahead to the 2023 offseason. We don't yet know which big names will be relocating via trade or free agency, and we don't yet know which teams will swipe the hottest prospects in April's draft. But we can still make educated guesses as to which clubs are best positioned to take real steps forward next season.
Broncos
2022 record: 5-12
You don't get much more uninspired than the "offense" produced by Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson in 2022. The latter remains, but if anyone's going to force the ex-Seahawks star back into form, it'll be Sean Payton, whose public conviction as their new head coach is backed by a been-there, done-that resume. Wilson, by the way, can't be anymore sluggish than he was under Hackett; assuming he's rightly re-saddled to more run-heavy, play-action scripts featuring a healthier Javonte Williams, Denver's still got the foundational pieces on defense to keep pace with the Chargers and Raiders in the AFC West.
Click here to read about the other four CBS Sports early picks to make a major leap in 2023.