Ask Aric: Why Courtland Sutton remains the Broncos' top offensive weapon

[Miles]

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — In one week, Broncos football will be officially back.


Drew Lock will lead the Broncos' offense out against a solid Titans defense, Von Miller will guide a defense that will need to stop Derrick Henry and we'll all settle in to see who starts the year off with a win.


In this edition of "Ask Aric," we take a look at some of the biggest questions facing the team ahead of Week 1, including the state of the Broncos' linebacking corps and where Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy fit in on the offense.


If you'd like to ask a question for a future mailbag, click here.


I know Jeudy is the truth. Will he become Wide Receiver 1? - Ronald S.


Ronald, I've been impressed with Jeudy, too. He'll fit right into an NFL offense and seems like an instant contributor. But based on what I saw during training camp, Courtland Sutton took another step forward from his 2019 Pro Bowl campaign. We've long known about Sutton's ability to catch deep passes, but I was impressed with the connection between him and Lock on intermediate routes. Last year, when Lock needed a completion, he looked to Sutton. I would expect that to be the case early on this year, as well. He posted a strong second season with 72 catches for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns. I'd expect even better from him this year as he continues to prove he's the Broncos' top option.


When will we see the first depth chart? I'm very curious about the center position. - Mark B.


Mark, the Broncos released their initial depth chart on Monday, and Lloyd Cushenberry III was listed as the starter at center. I'm impressed that Cushenberry capitalized on his opportunity to earn the starting job, because it wasn't an easy offseason to be a rookie. He had to translate what he learned in the virtual offseason program to the field in short order, as the Broncos only had a few weeks of full-speed training camp practices. After initially taking a back seat in the competition for the starting job, Cushenberry made the most of his first-team reps and earned the job. Assuming he trots out with the first-team offense on Sept. 14, he'll be just the second Broncos rookie since the merger to start at center in Week 1. J.D. Walton, a third-round pick in 2010, is the only other player to do so.


Why did the Broncos cut Todd Davis? - Sam R.


Sam, as Head Coach Vic Fangio mentioned Friday, there wasn't one particular reason why the Broncos released Davis after he spent six seasons with the team. The Broncos added Mark Barron on Aug. 30, and Inside Linebackers Coach Reggie Herring said Barron would help the team in its nickel and dime packages. That's one area of need that the Broncos filled after Justin Strnad suffered a season-ending wrist injury. With as much nickel as teams play in today's NFL, Barron could see plenty of snaps for this defense. When the team is in its base defense, Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell are both sure tacklers. Johnson was a borderline revelation at the position last year, and some have listed him among the game's best. Jewell has experience, and over the last two years, he's held up well against the run. President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway singled out both Johnson and Jewell as players who had good training camps, so that likely gave the Broncos some comfort in moving on from Davis. Trading for Austin Calitro, a third-year player who provides depth and can contribute on special teams, likely only added to that. It's never easy to say goodbye to a long-time player, especially one like Davis, who was a multi-year starter. Their moves around him, though, meant they were able to turn to other players in the starting lineup.