Raiders at Denver 2023 Week 1: Broncos to Worry About
By Daniel Davis
![Arizona Cardinals v Denver Broncos Arizona Cardinals v Denver Broncos](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3600,h_2025,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/28/01h9nw1zqz5mh7e1f117.jpg)
The Denver Broncos are a team that is coming off a weird season where they underperformed. The quality of the team was vastly lower than expected and the Russell Wilson trade looked like a complete bust.
In the offseason they hired Sean Payton as their head coach who brought an intensity immediately back into the locker room. The Broncos are indeed one of the better defenses in the league, specifically in their secondary and on the defensive line.
Here are three players to watch out for in week 1.
Raiders at Denver 2023 Week 1: Broncos to Worry About
Justin Simmons: Free Safety
Justin Simmons, despite playing for the Broncos, is one of my favorite players. He's smart, he's quick, and he is always around the ball. He's bigger than a corner and smaller than a linebacker but he's just as fast as a corner and hits like a linebacker.
Simmons is a true safety who roams the field and does a great job at following the eyes of the quarterback. He picked off six passes last year and was excellent in coverage. He also had nearly 50 tackles and 3 forced fumbles.
Simmons also made the NFL's top 100 list, a list voted on by his peers, at number 59.