The Denver Broncos have done nothing but improve their roster since the start of the offseason, but they are still being disrespected. Many people in the NFL landscape did not learn their lesson during the 2024 NFL Season, and it seems like that is still present as the 2025 NFL Offseason rolls on.
The Broncos were the seventh and final seed in the AFC Playoffs in 2024 and got blown out by the Buffalo Bills, but getting into the postseason already made the season a success.
ESPN rolled out their power rankings recently, and they ranked the Broncos multiple slots too low...
Broncos ranked just 14th in latest NFL Power Rankings
Denver is ranked 14th in ESPN's latest power rankings. Here is a blurb from Jeff Legwold in the rankings:
"It's hard to believe one of the league's best secondary units improved even more, but it did. One of the Broncos' most prominent free agent signings was safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was an All-Pro in 2022 for the 49ers. And one of the best value picks of the draft was Denver's selection of cornerback Jahdae Barron at No. 20. This new group gives defensive coordinator Vance Joseph a variety of coverage options, and it makes it more difficult for opposing quarterbacks to simply avoid Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II."-- Jeff Legwold
A few teams of note are ranked ahead of the Denver Broncos: Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings. You could argue that the Broncos are better than all four of those teams.
Denver is better in the trenches than Houston, and they have a stronger roster overall. The Broncos blew out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 and have the much more talented roster. Denver did lose to Cincinnati in 2024, but finished with a better record and were the better all-around team, and the Minnesota Vikings are trotting out a de-facto rookie QB in JJ McCarthy in 2024.
When you consider all of these factors, it would be quite easy to rank the Broncos ahead of all of those teams. I truly have no idea how the Broncos are still being counted out like this as we head further into the 2025 NFL Offseason. The hope here is that Denver continues to prove us right and stack a ton of wins in 2025.
Heck, this team is in a solid position to compete for the AFC West title. Is 14th too low for the Denver Broncos in the latest NFL power rankings?
