10 NFL predictions guaranteed to come true this season

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Drew Lock, Denver Broncos (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

3. The Denver Broncos will make the AFC Playoffs

One of the reasons it may be difficult for the Raiders to make the playoffs in 2020 is because, in addition to the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, the AFC West will also be represented by the Denver Broncos in the 2020 playoffs.

The Broncos still have many of the same pieces on defense that propelled the team to a Super Bowl title just a few years ago. And, they’ll get pass rusher Bradley Chubb back from injured reserve in time for 2020 as well. During the offseason, they made a big move by signing defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, one of the more underrated additions of the offseason. With a mediocre offense, the team should be playoff-bound without much difficulty.

And the offense should be better than mediocre. The team was 4-1 over the last five games of 2019 after rookie quarterback Drew Lock took over, and averaged 21.4 points per game over that stretch. That’s hardly world-beating, but consider that they only scored three against the scorching hot eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs defense, and they averaged 25.75 in four of the last five games, including 38 against the divisional playoff-bound AFC South Champion Houston Texans.

And the offseason was all about building around Drew Lock. The team signed running back Melvin Gordon in free agency, who will pair with Pro Bowl rusher Phillip Lindsey to given the team an excellent one-two punch. John Elway’s crew also drafted tight end Albert Okwuegbunam in the fourth round, who brings college chemistry from their time with the Missouri Tigers’ days with Lock.

But the real splashes came in the first two rounds with the additions of receivers Jerry Juedy (first round) and KJ Hamler (second round). Throw in IOL Lloyd Cushenberry to help shore of the offensive line, and you realize that the team invested heavily in helping Lock be successful. If they’re right about three of their five big offensive additions — this is going to be a good football team in 2020.

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