Mile High Morning: CBS Sports' bold Broncos predictions include big seasons for Drew Lock, Von Miller, Bradley Chubb

[Miles]

The Lead​

Will Drew Lock rack up big numbers in his first full season as the Broncos' starting quarterback? Will Von Miller have a career year after a disappointing 2019 season? Will Bradley Chubb bounce back from a torn ACL and best his rookie-year sack total?


Those questions could decide the fate of the Broncos' 2020 season, and they're also ones that CBS Sports' Patrik Walker believes will be answered in the affirmative.


The first of the three predictions is that Lock will rack up at least 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, which Walker says is achievable due to the weapons available to Lock.


"He'll have another training camp under his belt and another weapon has been added in highly-touted rookie Jerry Jeudy, who stands to be a major shot of adrenaline to the WR corps and offers a strong complement to the already proven Courtland Sutton and a rising tight end in Noah Fant," Walker writes. "Toss in newly-signed running back Melvin Gordon to help keep defenses honest and there's no reason Lock shouldn't be able to tap dance around the 4,000-yard mark as an NFL sophomore."


The second and third predictions — that Miller will set a new career high in sacks and that Chubb will have 15 sacks and make his first career Pro Bowl — are largely tied to each other. With a healthy Chubb back in the lineup, Miller should face fewer double-teams and have a better shot to rack up more sacks than the eight he recorded in 2019.


"Miller is only one season removed from having posted 14.5 sacks in a year when Chubb nearly matched him -- as a rookie -- with 12 of his own," Walker writes. "Likely feeling disrespected by some pass rush rankings this offseason, having a renewed sense of focus (not that he ever lost it) after having recovered from a COVID-19 scare, and feeling like he needs to remind the world of what he's capable of -- don't bet against Miller in 2020."


It might be a little too much to expect these to all come true, but if even just two come to fruition, the Broncos as a team should become a contender in short order.